Saturn L200/L300

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $16000.00 from Al Serra

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 l200

Summary:
Have had this since new and it has about 60k miles on it. So far I have replaced a tail light, added power steering fluid, and had the check engine light reset (once). Other than that only routine maintenance (oil, tires, brakes, windshield wiper blades). I love this car. It has a great engine in it (2.2liter ecotec I4) that delivers strong torque, good acceleration, and good passing power on the highway as well as good gas mileage. It has comfortable seats that are just the right mix of support, firmness, and cushion. The dash is a nice material, as is the shifter and steering wheel. There are some cheap plastics and gaps between the doors and dash but with an all black interior it doesnt make a difference and is strictly aesthetic. The trunk is large and the fold down seats are very useful for hauling things, we even use it to haul the xmas tree. I am a car enthusiast and love to drive, and this car fills the need. Its not a substitute for a bmw or vette, but the suspension responds well and the steering is responsive. I ENJOY driving this car. I cant believe there are so many negative reviews of this car, as my experience has been completely different. The only complaint i have about this car is that its not a manual, and they dont make it anymore. Would i buy another saturn? Im looking for one right now.

Strengths:
Unique and surprisingly handsome looks, great engine, comfortable seats, reliable, good gas mileage, fun.

Weaknesses:
none yet

Price Paid:  $14000.00 from AutoMaxx

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 L200

Summary:
Bought the car used and with an extended warranty the car left the dealership with a sticker price of 14,999. Over the next four six months I spent an additional $4k in repairs, and diagnostic fees at the local Saturn dealership. I had to replace all the tires which was no big deal, the power steering module, the wiper motor, passenger rear door lock, the water pump, AC compressor, gear shift modulator arm, all the tail light bulbs including the ones in the rear window and both front headlights. Now there's a problme with the car starting from time to time and it's left both my wife and I stranded at night and when it's cold. I don't mind it but I don't like my wife being stranded. I will never by another Saturn again. If I buy american I will check the consumer reports first to compare any tentative american car purchase but will more than likely buy foreign and stomach the few but expensive maintenance and repair costs. Better to do that then deal with this crazy nonesense especially when the extended warranty doesn't cover what they said they would and is twice what they said it would cost once repairs have to be made.

Strengths:
The car looks nice.

Weaknesses:
Performance is poor even for a 4 banger and considering it's a for banger it should get better gas mileage. No strong points here at all including issues with the saturn dealership.

Similar Products Used:
Saturn Ion had difficulty with the transmission. Once again I will never buy a Saturn again. Not even their newest Aura domestic car of the year. Who cares if the car looks nice if you can expect a whole host of issues that will cost you more than you bargained for.

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $11000.00 from Lkld Saturn Dealersh

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 L3OO

Summary:
I liked it for about a year. I have had it longer than 3. When something goes wrong, it goes really wrong. My fix engine light has been on for about two years and its been cleared 5 times or more. This is my second Saturn and I will not get another one. Just like my last Saturn, this one reached about the 3rd year and now its like a guessing game for mechanics (never take it to Saturn they are SERIOUSLY OVERPRICED)and they charge me to see what is wrong (some of them). My most recent reapir estimate is $1400.00 Supposedly, it needs an O2 sensor and a new transmission. It jerks randomly and if I turn the car off and back on it usually stops jerking. It only jerks in low gears. It's weird. Feels cheap now.

Strengths:
Fast (V6)
Has heated seats (that dont work anymore), keyless entry (also doesnt work and its not the fuse), sunroof (which doesnt always close), automatic locks (doesnt work either) I am not exaggerating.

Weaknesses:
See above. Second Saturn, I thought my first one was okay because it was my first-just graduated car and I moved up to the L300 because of the ammenities. Ha! Most of them dont work anymore!

Similar Products Used:
Saturn SL, 1994

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $23700.00 from Saturn of North Coun

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 L300 V6

Summary:
I bought this car brand new with 11 miles on it (fully-loaded except for DVD and On-Star) and I can't say that I hate it and can't say that I completely love it either (I did @ first b/c its my first car). In the time that I've had it, I have had to have a couple of major repairs done: replace the rack & pinion and an $800 repair on the A/C. Had I not had an extended warranty, I would've been in trouble (tip: don't buy EWs from the dealer; you CAN buy them straight from the warranty companies).

My L300 rides relatively well, but can't really take any rough driving or major construction (which is what St. Louis is known for). Alignment adjusted 3 times, 5 or 6 tires replaced (stopped counting after 4) and I just stopped going to the dealer for my repairs: TOO EXPENSIVE. My guy at NTB takes care of it and says he's seen lots of problems with the L-Series' suspension and balance (shaky steering at high speeds).

It's a little noisy in the cabin when driving on the highway, which I don't care for at all. I've replaced the sound system (factory systems are TERRIBLE) with 4 - Alpine 6.5s and a new CD deck. This baby bumps like no other now. :o)

My next car WILL be an SUV.

Strengths:
Quick acceleration and sport-like handling...the all the speed demons. And I must say, it IS dependable (even after my best friend wrecked it...looks like new thanks to Todd in the body shop...great guy.

Weaknesses:
When something goes wrong, it's something BIG.

Similar Products Used:
Hm...none.

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $22000.00 from Saturn of Anaheim

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 L300 Sedan, 6 Cyl

Summary:
We have 106K on this car. Minor repairs, but every time something does go wrong, it costs $750 at Saturn, and $275 at my mechanic (geddit?). Part from Saturn, $95; part from Pep Boys, $10. Saturn swears the parts are not identical, but if it says Bosch on both parts and the part number is the same, how is it not identical?
Service light came on when back lights failed because of the bad design of having the electrical connection based on a spring loaded mechanism in a vehicle - uh, hello, Saturn? Vehicles vibrate...did you know?? You might want to put that in your notes.
Saturn bulbs $4.50 EACH, Pep Boys were 2 for $1.29, and they have worked longer than the ones that came with the car.
Hardwired the light fixture so that their bad design was no longer our problem (years later got their recall letter on it when they finally figured it out, which we didn't need, since we already fixed it).
Service light comes on if a light burns out, or the water pump is faulty, timing belt needs replacing, serpentine belt needs replacing, transmission is low on fluid, or if the breeze blows from the north. Saturn charges $90, not taken from the cost of repairs, to "find out what is wrong." That's it. Oh, and by the way, that $90 is just a BASE cost, it WILL go up from there, before they have even started the repairs.
My mechanic charges me $65 and he applies it to the cost of repairs. Oh, but Saturn issued the module for reading the computer in the car, for sale to mechanics outside Saturn, but then they...OOPS...forgot to mention that they made a second module that applies to the same year of car manufacture and mechanics then had to buy THAT one, too. Good ole Saturn...striving to make the world a more difficult place for their customers (and doing such a good job!).
Our car just hit 100K, and after having routine maintenance done on the car regularly for five years, we have now just spent over $3K in four months on all of the things (transmission service, new spark plugs, oxygen sensors, radiator temp sensors, coolant bottle, items noted above, tires, wipers, etc.) that all came up to be repaired, or the car shook and rumbled and didn't run right. And most of that was NOT at a Saturn dealer, so at least double that cost for what you will pay if you take it to Saturn at 100K.
NOW, of course, after all that, does the car run well? For about a month, yes. But now? NO.
Transmission - About every tenth time we start the car, it bucks when it shifts into the next gear - why? Because it could be that the fluid is low (checked it, added some, the level is fine) or that the battery is low - yes, I am not kidding. According to Saturn, "OH, on the L Series, the way the computer was set up, a low level of power could cause a problem with the shifting of the transmission." (Just making cars better and better, aren't they?) Okay, so we replaced the battery (it did need it) and...now it still does it. Very seldom, but it does. But if the problem is happening, just stop at a light, shut off the engine, count to twenty and start it again, because then the bucking STOPS. And it doesn't do it again until many engine restarts later. Why? Could be either the alternator or a bad electrical connection.
We can read the codes from the Service light (105, 601 and 1780), but when I call Saturn with them, they say, "SORRY BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CODES MEAN." I am not kidding.

Strengths:
The car does well when it is functional. We drive it 50+ miles every day to work or more and use it on all of our long trips. Gas mileage is good, not great but good. Everything (radio, windows, seats, etc.) still works and we are happy with the car in that respect. If Saturn would just pull that stick out of their...well, you know what I mean. Make it a car people can afford to fix, or that people can fix themselves, instead of hiding all of the repair info and bogarting all the parts.

Weaknesses:
When this car breaks down, even for a minor problem, getting SATURN to fix it is the worst experience in the world, the most expensive thing you could ever have to face, and they make a concerted effort to keep as much information from you as possible. We will never buy another Saturn, and we strongly urge people to hestitate when thinking of this purchase. The car, though good, is badly designed in many ways and Saturn has little or no caring left for anyone they already sold a car to. Parts and service prices are exhorbitant, and many items are "Saturn parts only," which means you have very little choice in the matter. If you do buy a Saturn, find a reliable NON-SATURN-DEALERSHIP mechanic. You will save a fortune.

Similar Products Used:
Honda, Jeep, Toyota