Price. Reliablity. Mileage (700kms to a tank hwy) Extra income because low seats in back tend to empty pockets.

Low power (100 horse), but you know what you're getting when you buy. There is the DOHC engine option. Trunk a bit tight.

SL1 Automatic

We bought this car new in 1994 and could not have asked for a better vehicle. In seven years, until its untimely demise at the hands of some red light-running idiot on a cell phone, our Saturn never failed us- EVER. Always started, even in very cold weather. It never stalled or complained whatsoever. Over the years, we had to replace regular wear items (brake pads, belts, 1 light bulb.), 1 engine mount (Our cost approx $100), rotors (warranty), 1 strut (warranty).

Late last year, the head cracked at 160,000kms, but the work was done under recall.

We loved this car, and with the new heads, we were looking forward to a few more years......until the accident. Maybe we got lucky, I don't know. It costed us almost nothing to maintain other than regular maintenance.

It's a great first car. Good choice if you want gas mileage. Don't forget about free drive-ins and trips to the zoo!

I can't say enough good things.

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Owned a Hyundai Excel. saturn better drive, mileage, reliability.
Reliant. How can you top a K-Car????

THE CAR HANDLES VERY WELL FOR A COMPACT CAR. ITS ALSO VERY FAST, I WAS SUPPRISED WHEN I FIRST PUT THE PEDDLE TO THE METAL. I LOVE THE STYLING OF THIS CAR, IT LOOKS LIKE A 20000 DOLLAR CAR!! THE STEREO ALSO SUPPRISED ME TOO. IF YOUR GONNA SPEND AROUND 15000 DOLLARS, YOU CANNOT BUY A BETTER CAR! I LOVE THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS AMERICAN MADE TOO. THE DEALERSHIP WAS VERY NICE TO ME, ITS LIKE THE COMMERCIAL SAYS " ITS A DIFFERENT KIND OF CAR COMPANY"

THE WINDOWS GET LITTLE WATER SPOTS THAT I STILL CANNOT REMOVE. THE REAR SEAT LATCH IS A BAD DESIGN BECAUSE IT DOESNT CATCH WELL, YOU HAVE TO SLAM THE SEAT UP.

THE RATE THIS CAR VERY HIGH BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO BANG FOR THE BUCK, THIS IS THE BANG! MY SATURN IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE, IT HANDLES GREAT AND FITS ALOT OF PEOPLE FOR A COMPACT CAR, I WOULD HOPE FUTURE DESIGNS DONT STRAIGH FROM THIS MODEL. ALTHOUGH THEY CAN SPEND A FEW MORE DOLLARS ON INTERIOR MATERIALS AND INTERIOR QUALITY DESIGN. ALL IN ALL I WOULDNT DRIVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE MONEY!

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HONDA, TOYOTA

Cheap to maintain, plastic side-panels resist door dings, great gas-mileage, good stereo, cheap price.

Several rattles and noises (mostly from dash board and interior plastic panels). Rotors are a little warped after only 6500 miles. A few of the materials used especially those used in the interior are a little cheap.

This has been a very reliable car so far. I have only had it in the shop once because a tire was out of balance and the hood stops were out of adjustnemnt (minor problems). Saturn offers oil changes for about 8 dollars per oil change for the life of the vehicle. Saturn service and sales staff are excellent! I would recommend a Saturn to anyone especially those who are afraid of being ripped off at a car dealer. I will definitely buy a Saturn again.

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93 Mazda B2200, 97 Buick Skylark, 2000 Stratus

Never fails to start up; stereo is decent. Doesn't usually have any problem getting up to speed on highways. Been told that car is safe, haven't been in an accident yet to be sure.

Let's see--Two weeks in, a whining noise pitched in from the engine while accelerating. Took car to CarMax and was told it was normal, part of the Saturn drivetrain. About a month in, the sunroof broke. Paid $50 to have sunroof screwed down into place, was told repair would cost $350. Three months in, alternator died and car ran out on battery power on interstate at two in the morning. Repair for alternator was $281, battery replacement was $90. Two weeks after that, fan motor died and I was told that the thermometer was incorrect; repairs cost $248. As of this point in time, the sunroof is not fixed and there is a groaning sound coming from the engine itself. Little problems: The damn thing is *loud*. Driving at 50-55 mph, I have to speak loudly to have my words understood. The whining noise of the "drivetrain" is annoying as hell. The right strap that folds the right half of the seat forward ripped off easily. Spare tire in trunk is screwed down securely and yet still makes a distracting rattling noise when braking or accelerating.

When the car was first bought (at a total price of over $10,000 after APR), it ran fine--smoothly, quietly, and everything worked perfectly. Started to have problems with it after two to three weeks and have been through two major repairs, one minor repair, with two more major repairs on the horizon. Am returning said car to place where I bought it under the lemon law.

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Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, both of which royally kick this car's ass.

gas milage - thats about it

AC, windshield wipers, defogger, radio, just about everything.

Horrible, what else can I say. Since the day I bought this car I have had nothing but problems with this car. I would never buy another Saturn. Everything about the car, except perhaps the gas milage. I regret the day I drove this car off the lot. No one should by this car.

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Chevy Cavalier, Toyota Corrola, Mazda 626

Inexpensive, reliable, safe, dent resistant body panels

Nothing major: LOUD engine, turning radius is pathetic, windshield wipers sit too high, plastic interior, motor oil drips off of several surfaces when changing the oil filter

If you're looking for a nice car to impress your clients, coworkers, friends and family with, don't get a Saturn. If you're looking for a inexpensive, safe, reliable car that gets good gas mileage to get the kids to school and you to work, give Saturn a shot. We have had no problems with ours. We paid less than $18K for a loaded SL2 (leather, sunroof, premium stereo, etc.). It already has 55K miles on it and has only been in the shop for scheduled maintenance. It could definitely be improved, but the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.

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Honda Civic, Nissan Altima, Toyota Corolla

The ABS brakes are extremely good. I have had several different situations where hard, fast braking was needed to avoid a collision, and the Saturn was a sport about it, although I had to swerve once because I was too close. The paint looks good, with the exception of three or four peelings on the back which were because my friendly neighborhood towing company barely has an idea of what a car is, let alone what it does. Always starts up. Looks good and sleek at night when you can't tell what kind of car it is.

HA. OK...I bought the Saturn in early 2001, which would usually entail some sort of deficiency. The auto store I bought it from ensures that all of its cars have been thoroughly inspected and repaired. I did not believe that at the time, but after going through all the mechanical failures here and looking at the great little site www.saturnexposed.com, I no longer believe that it is their fault. But anyway, on with the weaknesses...Faulty alternator, faulty fan-motor, faulty thermometer, bad motor mounts, bad serpentine belt, battery replacement, and a few other things. Broken sunroof. All of this from a car I've had for all of four months. Saturn cars apparently have a bad history with alternators and mounts, and from what I gather the majority of Saturn dealers are hostile and unmoving as far as complaints about their cars--their approach is to stolidly refuse acknowledgement to inferior product and to keep asserting that they stand behind their cars. This is something that I've seen replicated in two other makes--Hyundais and Kias. The difference is that Saturn has a (steadily decreasing) reputation of quality and good customer service. In reality, the cars are cheap on both the exterior and the interior (interior especially), they have no power, no pickup, and not much sense of speed (I love how I can proudly announce to everyone that my Saturn goes from 0-60 in a record 32 seconds, given that I'm afraid to push it much harder); on the automatic, the engine revs very high before switching to the next gear, the engine whines, groans, rattles, throws fits, and does everything but smack you upside the head with a baseball bat like the irritating kid that seems to be on every bus or plane ride. I have a friend with a 1985 Honda CRX that cost him $200. I have more faith in the CRX than I do in the Saturn, even though it may only be because if it dies and never starts up, at least he only lost two hundred, instead of ten thousand.

Reposting my earlier review...Don't buy a Saturn. Don't ever buy a Saturn. If a rich relative gives you one for your birthday, disown them if at all possible. If you're going car-shopping and your friend suggests the local Saturn dealership, have them immediately checked into the nearest mental institution.

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Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra--all of these are better cars, and an older model of one of these will last you longer than a newer Saturn, for the same price.

Very good brakes. We get a lot of snow up here and the car does fine with 4 good snow tires on it. Starts up easily, even on very cold -20 mornings. Fairly peppy with the Twin Cam engine. Good transmission - downshifts well and no gear hunting. Very little torque steer. Excellent customer service, both when initially buying it and when we bring it in for service and maintenance. Absolutely no problems yet - and we've driven it hard for almost 3 years.

I'm only 5'8"" and I find that there is not too much extra headroom when I am driving. Can be more expensive than other comparable products, because of the no-haggle pricing. Although the plastic side panels are supposed to be easier to maintain, I have noticed a tremendous number of scratches and small marks in the paint on the doors. Turn signals are a little hard to use for lane changes. Glovebox is too small. Wish the folding seatbacks would lock.

(1997 Model) - Excellent for a first car. Some changes could be made, but nothing major. Easy purchase because of the no-haggle pricing, but you may end up paying more because of that. Customer service all around is fantastic. Quite reliable.

Door Panels or nice, size is great as it is big enough to seat four comfortably but yet fit into small parking spots, dependable

Rattles, noises, pickup

Since buying the car, I had to have the transmission serviced (it whined when stepping on the gas), the dome light repaired twice, defrost on rear windshield repaired twice and then replaced, multiple rattles in the door panels and under the dash. Most of the problems not critical to the car operation - never been stranded

Good gas mileage, seems dependable, good for price paid, fast service

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None

Runs Smooth,good gas mileage,fold down back seats to increase trunk space.Dent free doors.

Car loses power when air is on.

I am happy so far with this car. I have owned many used cars in the pass and was looking for a newer reliable car. I owned this car for 5 months and have to had the crank sensor position replaced,fuel pump, and battery cable. The dealership did not charge me for these repairs,but it sure did take a lot of time for them to figure out what was wrong with my car, I had to take it to them 5 times before they found the real problem with,so on other words the car did not need a new fuel pump or battery cable. The car was having occasional problems starting, so sometimes I would be left stranded and now have used all my AAA assistance. Now the car seems to have no problems.

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