The seats are firm and supportive, but like many German cars, the seatback angle and lumbar support have rotary knobs instead of levers, which are slow to adjust and hard to reach. It's especially frustrating when more than one person drives the car and you have to readjust the seat every time you get in. Also, there's no center armrest.

The seats are firm and supportive, but they have rotary knobs instead of levers.

Could use more firepower
The car is blessed with a terrific chassis. The ride is a little stiff but not harsh with the optional 18-inch wheels, which are available only on the 3-door. The steering is precise and direct, which makes the Astra fun to drive.

A 1.8-litre 4-cylinder that develops 138 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque is the only engine available, which is fine for the daily commute. However, it lacks that eagerness that cranks up the driving experience a notch. My old 1995 Acura Integra was about as powerful but was more rev-happy than the Astra.

The numbers don't lie; 0-100 sprints take 9.9 seconds and a quarter mile is covered in 16.8 seconds at 135 km/h. That's not slow, but not electrifying, either. Fuel consumption, though, is averaging 8.9 L/100 km, which isn't bad.

Dynamically, the car is begging for another 40 horses. Of course, we don't really need them, but let's face it: when you shop for a compact hatchback and look at the 170-hp Rabbit, the 172-hp Caliber or the 170-hp Subaru Impreza, the Astra might leave the wrong impression on paper.

Competition
While the 5-door Astra offers a base XE model that starts at $17,900, the 3-door is only available in XR trim. Our test car has a base price of $21,115 but includes 18-inch wheels ($645) and the Premium Trim Package with leather seats ($1,455), for a grand total of $23,215.

Here's how the competition stacks up:
Chevrolet Cobalt LT Team Canada Coupe (2009), 155 hp, $20,695
Dodge Caliber R/T, 172 hp, $22,095
Hyundai Tiburon GS Sport, 138 hp, $21,395
Kia Spectra5 SX, 138 hp, $21,175
Mazda3 Sport GS (2009), 156 hp, $20,195
Mini Cooper Classic, 118 hp, $22,800
Pontiac G5 GT Coupe (2009), 155 hp, $22,385
Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-door (2009), 170 hp, $21,895
Toyota Matrix XR (2009), 158 hp, $19,450
Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5 3-door, 170 hp, $19,975

Of course, I'm limiting the number of rivals here to hatchbacks and 2-door coupes.

The only engine available is a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder, which is fine for the daily commute.