Having driven one of these a few times (we have at one at work) i can vouch for their speed, though having to press the sport button all the time ticks me off, but im not sure if thats an option or not. They are pretty quick from low down the rev range, 1.5-2k but they run out of guts after 4k, so i find if im thrashing it about town, im on the gears all the time which is annoying but understandable.
The astra version would be quicker than my vectra, but probably about the same as an astra 2.2 or coupe due to the weight (i should think). Totally different thing to drive though
