Saturn L200/L300 Midsize | Compact

Saturn L200/L300 Midsize | Compact 

DESCRIPTION

The Saturn L-Series is available in four models: L200 and L300 Sedans, and the LW200 and LW300 Wagons. For 2003, the L-Series receives a face-lift as well as revised interior styling. The redesign consist of wrap-around projector beam headlamps, larger front grille, raised hood and new taillamps and rear fascia.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 11  
[Sep 07, 2008]
pterman4
Model Reviewed: L200

Strength:

Nice looking car, good gas milage

Weakness:

Don't know how to fix these cars.

I had bought this car used in 2007. I was always told that saturns were really good cars. I have to say i haven't had to much problems with the car till about a month ago. I have had 3 different people look at this car and nobody can tell me what is wrong with it. It brings up a code of p1599 engine stall. It has a had a hard time shifting when going up hills and when the air or vent is on. I really liked this car till now.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Dec 27, 2007]
stubmaster
Model Reviewed: l200

Strength:

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

Weakness:

none yet

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.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 17, 2007]
JR Keeling
Model Reviewed: L200

Strength:

The car looks nice.

Weakness:

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.

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.

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
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Oct 04, 2006]
vastdune
Model Reviewed: L3OO

Strength:

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.

Weakness:

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!

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.

Similar Products Used:

Saturn SL, 1994

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jun 10, 2006]
shorty2k1
Model Reviewed: L300 V6

Strength:

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.

Weakness:

When something goes wrong, it's something BIG.

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.

Similar Products Used:

Hm...none.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
[Apr 11, 2006]
mrslaser
Model Reviewed: L300 Sedan, 6 Cyl

Strength:

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.

Weakness:

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.

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.

Similar Products Used:

Honda, Jeep, Toyota

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
2
[Mar 25, 2005]
Angie
Model Reviewed: Saturn L200 Sedan

Strength:

Its only strengths is its looks

Weakness:

Too many problems regret buying

This car is a disappointment. I have return the car five times for a steering problem.I had the ignition module replaced and at times it still is hard to start.

Similar Products Used:

1997 Saturn SL it was a great car

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Mar 07, 2005]
bjonson
Model Reviewed: L300

Strength:

style, service from dealer, power, safety

Weakness:

Cloth seats don't clean well.

I love this car. It looks great and has given me no trouble at all. I was "T-boned" by a pickup that was traveling around 30 mph and wasn't injured at all. Very safe car.

Similar Products Used:

Saturn SL1 (1994)

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Feb 09, 2005]
Stevie D
Model Reviewed: Saturn L200

Strength:

Looks nice...that would be about it.

Weakness:

Where do I begin. 1 day after having at home, the service engine light went on and the back tail-light didn't work. I took it back to the dealership where they told me there were problems with the computer panels and that would be easy to fix. The Service Engine light continued to turn on periodically. The CD player does not work in the cold, the speakers in the doors rattle and when on the highway..all you can here is the wind. Recently, the service engine light went on again and I have found out there are metal chards in the transmission, the car violently shakes when idoling and the gears are grinding. Of course the warranty expired a month ago and I am about to spend $2000+ getting it fixed. This car is not worth the amount and I will be selling it ASAP.

I was very excited when I saw this car. I had been searching for a few months and I thought the car was atractive. However, since day one I've regreted it.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Apr 26, 2004]
playerslikeus
Model Reviewed: saturn L300

Strength:

Room and features.

Weakness:

Where shall I began. Not related to the car, but to Saturn, they are pathetic and now to the vehicle at hand. Fluid leaks, engine problems, cooling problems, fuel injection problems, electrical problems, power steering problems, and nothing , but problems everywhere and in between. An extremely poor investment of hard earned money and grief.

The sorriest piece of junk of I have ever had in terms of a vehicle. It is a total disappointment in automotive technology and a testament to why to American Car Manufacturers have lost market share to the Japansese. Presently I am not a fan of Honda either, because of those sorry civics, but anyway the next vehicle will be a Toyota!!!!!!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

1998 Honda Civic LX, 1995 Ford Escort

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
Showing 1-10 of 11  

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