Overall Value, Head Curtain Airbags, Traction control, in Dask 6 CD stereo,

allow wheels not standard.

I looked at the Taurus and considered a Camry, Altima and Accord. I like American cars though and I love this one. Interior: The Leather is worth it. The 6 CD in dash stereo (the highest one offered) has truly amazing sound quality and features. The controls are very Japanese like -simple, clear, easy to use and not many of them. I think Saturn got this right. One of my primary criteria was a back seat for 3 kids and a big trunk. The Trunk on this car is the same size as the Taurus and much bigger than all others in its class ! Exterior: I like the looks. Engine: 4 cyl vs. 6 cyl is a tough choice. After much consideration I chose the 4 for the following reasons: I drive in and around the NYC area- lots of traffic- I want the mileage and high speed acceleration is a rare thing in bumper to bumper traffic. I like the timing chain and well engineered Saturn 4 (I am an engineer) vs. the more complex and rubber timing belt modified GM engine. I like the design of the engine compartment. Roomy, machined parts (not cheap stamped parts like Ford or Toyota) steel re-inforced hoses and easy to get to parts. Overall, I argue that this is the BEST value for the money. Don''t compare it to a Mercedes, but in it''s price class. Price them all out with traction control, head curtain airbags, the stereo, leather, heated seats, auto headlights, fold down rear seats, and the room---It''s a good deal and I do like the way Saturn treats its customers. I am surprised at all the negative reviews. I do see that many of the negative reviews are from the 2000 model. I have had not the slightest issue so far (only 3000 miles). I know Toyota, Nissan and Honda are the "in" cars these days. It''s a shame people don''t at least look at an American alternative. I think people owe it to themselves to at least take a look. It''s a value. (I know of someone who was about to spend $39K on a Volvo wagon and after they looked at the Saturn fully loaded for $25K- they bought it. Same with Passat. ) A great value.

Great standard safety features. Solid feel.

Yet to find any

I bought this model after trading in a 1999 Saturn SL2. Compared to SL2, the L200 is a big step up. The car feel strong and sturdy. The doors are heavy, giving a feeleing of security. The standard features are more than most in it''s class. Driver and front passenger air bags, side curtain air bags, four wheel anti lock disk brakes with traction control, a/c, electronic cruise among others. The car comes with automatic headlights that turn them selves on when their is low natural light, and off when you turn off the car. The power door locks are keyless, and automatically lock when the car is shifted out of park. The doors unlock automatically when the key is removed from the ignition. The auto lock features can be turned on an off by the owner easily. The driver''s seat is height adjustable, and compared to the SL, you see clearly over the hood. There is a cavernous trunk, one of the largest in its class. The power window buttons are lit. The placement of the switches are a bit odd, grouped around the gear shift. Radio is standard with a CD player and eight speaker system, which sounds superb.The windshield wipers wipe almost the entire windshield, unlike the SL which were in my opinion too small for the glass. The car''s ride is pretty quiet. Gas consumtion so far has been okay. My best MPG so far has been 28. My lowest has been 19. I haven''t done a straight highway trip as yet, mostly city driving.

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Saturn SL2

Good gas mileage and that is all.

Build quality of the car is very poor. Feels like this car could fall apart at any minute.

Ok, I bought this car and it was the biggest mistake I have ever made. First off, the car has very little power. Then I was coming back from a trip and I hear this noise from the right front tire area. The wheel well and fender around the tire had come loose and was rubbing against the tire, which had rubbed a hole in it. I took it to the dealership and the replaced it and the serviceman said that some of the clips had come loose. Well, yeah, they are plastic, what do you expect? The whole car is plastic. Then my A/C went out, but it was a recall. All the sealant between body panels is coming out, disappearing or something, but it''s gone. The interior door handles have to be replaced. The windshield washer jets don''t work so I can''t clean the windshield, the brake light is out, and the engine makes this horrible vibration when it idles. Among some of the irritating features of it are the vent across the dash that ALWAYS reflects into the windshield, it feels like there are no shocks, and tons of roadnoise.

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Will never purchase a Saturn again.

price, appearance

quality, lack of parts for service

This is not our first Saturn, but it may be our last. Overall we have been pleased with Saturns. However, our 2000 L series now has 41000 miles, almost all highway miles, and we are in to have the clutch repaired again. The first time the clutch master cylinder was leaking, now it''s the slave cylinder. The part cost about $150, but it cost about $530 for labor. In between the clutch problems the brake master cylinder failed. And the finist on the interior door handles keeps coming off and actually can give you a nasty cut. Of course, through all of this the dealership never has the parts and it takes forever to get anything done. Several technicians have told us that Saturn was having problems with the clutch in the 2000 L series, but of course, Saturn said they have not known of any problems. It took over two weeks to get the clutch fixed the first time. We are now entering our second week, waiting to get the clutch fixed again.

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Saturn Sl1, Toyotas

* Quick and responsive V6, digital throttle and transmission
* Great stock CD/Tape stereo system with tweets in each door, sub in trunk, and 6 1/2" front/rear spkrs. Double din size. Impressive AM/FM reception.
* Dual airbags, curtain airbags, impressive traction control, ABS check and activation does not make noise or vibration
* Great exterior and interior design
* Confortable seating and features (leather, heat, positioning, supports)
* Great service and warranty

* Daytime running lights always on when car runs (unless parking break is applied)
* Factory alarm only goes off when the door is opened
* Speed is electronically limited around 125-130mph.
* Cool little middle stub antenna only comes on the LW300, not the L300.

I recently purchased a 2001 Saturn L300 from my local Saturn dealer. While taking my '99 SL2 in for an oil change, I took a look at the L300 -- a 3.0L V6 flagship of the Saturn line. This car starts at $19,995.

The overall design was very different from previous Saturns I have seen. I was actually quite impressed by the overall exterior design. The front and back ends were completely different, along with the sides. One odd feature is the connection of the automatic lock to the gas cover. This means there is no released, its locked when the car is locked (power locks). The optional spoiler adds a nice look to the car along with pen markings (done by dealer). I suggest a bra or clear-coat, I have been scratched several times by rocks and crap on the road. The car also has very bright headlights, daytime running lights, and fog lights. The car comes in several great colors, I believe silver shows the design the best. A dark green or black also produces a very sleek look too. The breathing system consists of a front grill and large dual ehxaust. The back-end is a bit higher then my SL2, but it doesnt make driving in reverse hazardous. The spoiler will add slightly to this problem. One other issue is (perhaps it is just my car) the trunk release doesnt cause the trunk to fly up completely open. I liked this old feature, perhaps its for the better.

Inside, the interior was completely re-designed compared to my old car. The wood trim and leather reminded me of more expensive cars, and added a luxury accent to it. The console is very ergonomic and scattered with various LEDs and backlights. The steering wheel was also covered in leather, along with side door panels, and seats. Both seats are heated (quick!) with a control mounted above the stereo -- Off, Low, or High. This equally heats your butt and back, and I find it very relaxing. The passenger's seat has an electronic control, moving it up, down, forward back, and tiling forward and back. The range of this is quite impressive, going from completely flat to straight up. The design is great for drive-in movies or sleeping (never have done the latter yet ;-). The passenger seat also has a turbo-charged, or so i like to call it, reclining lever. The SL2's lever really was hard to use and I believe they have fixed the problem. Be careful, pulling the lever causes the seat to fly several hundred miles a second. The plastic that does exist in the interior is very nice and refined. It does not yell cheap. Door handles are metal chrome. Locks are now above the door, rather then by the door handle. The seat designs are very nice, curved, and complete with lumbar support. Most every common feature you will find in here, including cruise control, interior lighting levels, electronic trunk release, dual lighters, very large glove box and middle storage compartment, power mirrors, heated mirrors, etc. The sunroof also had a slightly different design: this one is complete with an automatically raising wind guard, and retracts inside; rather then up and out of the car. This little wind blocker actually does a world of good, at speeds under 40, you can not even tell it is open. The power windows have one touch down, and are clustered next to the stick. Some people find this awkward at first, since the front two doors do not have a control -- its on their other side. The back two doors, of course, have a door mounted window control. Automatic locking can be enabled when the vehicle is in motion and/or when the key is pulled out. The doors have lights, making it easy to see the ground when opening the door. Additional lighting includes two directed lights for the rear seats, typical central dome light, and two bright lights mounted in the rear-view mirror. There are also two mirror/light combos on the front visors.

A retractable arm rest sits in the back, as well as a middle shoulder harness, which I personally havent seen before. The backseat has two molded inward positions, making the back seat a comfortable ride. There is much more room compared to the SL2, and now you dont need to have your knees in your lap.

One of the major differences is the acceleration. The first second I pulled out of the dealer lot on a test drive, I hit the gas hard. The acceleration was very impressive, even at low RPM. I also floored the car while on a turn around a corner onto a busy highway (with the salesman looking very nervous and about to wet himself). While this should have burnt lots of rubber and caused slight loss of control, the automatic traction kicked in, limiting my power until my vehicle was able to grip the road .. and of course, no annoying tire squealing and sliding to the side! Once I was somewhat on the road, the acceleration swiftly brought us to 55. The traction can also be turned off. I was told there was no linkage, and the gas petal was mainly electronic. This makes the L300 much more responsive, meaning no delays when you quickly accelerate while in motion. This also calls for impressive results with the cruise control, keeping within a mph or two, even when going up or down big hills and going flat. Over the past few months, I have enjoyed passing cars with ease, merging on the freeway aggressively, and being that jerk who passes everyone right before that lane merge after a traffic light. The gas petal also has a very interesting feature. When lightly pressed, it does a very gradual increase of RPM and speed -- once this very slight region is left, the car responds normally. This allows you to do slow reverses when parallel parking or pulling into the garage. Most cars I have driven jerk forward too quickly, making it very hard to do this. Overall, the engine is on the balance of fuel efficiency and quickness. Acceleration from 0-60 is about 7 seconds. If you insist on driving stick-like, gears 1-4 can be directly controlled with the stick. If you are a very bad speeder, take heed the car is electronically limited to 125-130mph. Im sure its a silly compare statement in the EEPROM code, this car would be a great one to chip.

Noise levels are low. The engine at full RPM can barely be heard. Wind levels are low, allowing a nice ride on the freeway or noise-free listen to music. The ride is much smoother and quieter then the previous saturn models. Although, the suspension doesnt boing up and down 3 feet as you drive, you can barely feel the texture of the road unless it is rough.

The dealer, although not 100% zero pressure, has been good to me. Although I could not find the right combination of features of my car on the lot (i had to sacrifice curtain airbags) and settle for after-market leather. This actually turned out to be better quality of leather, much thicker and more refined. My heat controls are now on the control console of the seat instead of the dash. After seeing the stock leather compared to mine, I suggest purchasing a cloth interior and having Saturn put in their aftermarket.

I have had very few issues with this car, and have been very impressed. Service is great, they even buffed out my front-end scratches without me even asking during an oil change. When I first rolled my new car off the lot, I noticed a slight problem with cold starts -- the engine died the first start, after that it started fine. Apparently, the car firmware I had was buggy, and after receiving new software, the problem never appeared again. Nothing like a digital car...

Just as a note, the 2002 models will have many things standard, unlike the 2001 L300. Saturn is also doing a complete redesign in 2003, as well as releasing the new VUE. This new SUV will feature the same 3.0L V6 as well as the optional AVi transmission -- a bizzare gearless transmission system which blows away traditional gear-based systems in performance and economy.

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Great value, comparable or better then vehicles in similar price range.

Zippy and Torquey V6, Nicely understated exterior design that doesn't say "steal me". Very comfortable interior. Excellent handling. Great customer service.

None to report currently.

The car has been great. I did have to take it in for a low coolant light after about 3 weeks. The service dept checked for leaks, added dye for any future leaks, and topped off the coolant. Haven't had any problems since. I love being able to merge into traffic (I have a V6) with authority and being able to pass with enough extra horses under the hood. Inside the car is very comfortable for the price range. The leather quality is good for the price but don't expect BMW quality.

It seems to me that most of the complaints about this car are petty. Wether it's the placement of the window controls, the pedals being too close, "hot" CDs, etc. These aren't anything that a full and comprehensive test drive couldn't prevent. That's what test drives are for and I highly doubt that any Saturn sales rep is going to rush a potential buyer. If you really want to see some major problems, just look at the Chevy Malibu reviews with all the warped rotors and service dept horror stories.

If you're a first time Saturn buyer or a repeat buyer looking for a larger car please don't let the negative comments sway you. These are nice cars -really nice cars. I love mine and highly recommend them.

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1st new sedan - great so far!

Stereo, Large Trunk, Ok engine for a 4 liter, Value, Comfort

Crappy Brakes, Handling, Wierd Locks

Hm I first saw it.. I was like a saturn... Right... being skeptical extremely about everything including the plastic panels. I step inside
Controls are in wierd places.. WTF is the window controls doing on the
center console instead of the door? Anyway... I start it up... its
a bit noisy... lol but then I'm used to Hondas and Toyotas. The handling
is quite a bit different from what i"m used to.. the power steering
might be a little week as you have to put a little more effort as it
doesn't turn with ease like the imports. It has a nice ride.. the engine is fairly strong better then my corolla but not better then my future
Accord Coupe. Now to the sound... I was surprised when it had a cd player
I was even more surprised when i heard the bass and sound... I was like daymn. It was awesome sound for stock and extraordinary for a saturn.
Now I come to driving it... hm.. the brakes can be described in one word.
Sh*t. They suck. They suck alot. They suck very much. Its almost like the brake is digital(just two positions on and off) instead of analog(varying degrees). So I have to brake earlier and I get scared alot when I'm stopping fast. Weak brakes. Oh yeah... the Trunk is pretty huge but after reading all these reviews you should know that. um lets see what else..
Oh yeah the cd player seems to "bake" my cd's they are superhot when i remove them after they've been playing awhile.

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Corolla 2001 - Was cheaper then the saturn but handles better, better gas mileage and better brakes.
Accord Coupe 2000 - Owns the saturn in all categories except price.

PRICE, PRICE, PRICE!! V-6 is great, like little touches like standard CD and leather-wrapped wheel, nice styling that doesn't get confused with a Camry or Accord. Oh, did I say price?

Small gas tank, interior cloth is the pits. Had dealer replace door insert with 400 miles on the car. Would highly recommend spending the extra for leather!

We wanted to find a family car that we could live with for the next 5-6 years. We only had the SL2 6 months and HATED it. Too small, really cheap interior, and even the bigger 4-cylinder was weak. The LS2 fit all of our requirements (large trunk, roomy interior, strong engine, quiet ride, supportive seats), and price allowed us to buy a new one! We had been looking at used Accords and Maximas (because we couldn't afford a new one), but the Saturn gave us everything we wanted and more!

This car is perfect for anyone looking for a family sedan that can hold 4 adults in comfort, but doesn't want to drive a car that feels like a family car. We have a truck and a sport coupe, but this is probably the one that is the most fun to drive. It's practical, fun, and priced right!

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Olds Cutlass 3.4 V6, Saturn SL2 - LS is just as peppy as the other GM V-6's but better price, and MUCH nicer, bigger, more solid than my old SL2

V-6 Bigger engine is much better than the sluggish 4 cyls out there. Larger inside space. 4 doors. Smoother ride.

The windshield sprays out in a straight line. I would like to see a fan type spray. How crazy is that? I am complaining about windshield spray. No other weaknesses of which to speak.

Paid just under $25,000 all in with tax and license. I would highly recommend this car for those who want all the amenities without all the cost. I have owned over the last four years, 4 Saturns. I owned the '97, '98, and 1999 SC2 coupe each fully loaded. I wanted a reasonably priced car with all the luxury amenities. After driving the Honda product as well as the Camry product, I decided that the LS2 fully loaded was for me. Why pay $5-$10,000 more on a car to have the same things if you can have it for less. Plus, Consumer Reports generallylikes the Saturn Product. This being the first year for the LS2, I look to better things from them in 2001. On each of the SC2 coupes I owned, each got better every following year. I anticipate this with the LS2 model as well.

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Honda Accord 1992-1996, Toyota Camry last 6 years

Great Price, Bumpin music! I like the color I picked. It drives just like a car.

I look like a Chick driving this thing. Snoochy Boochy Noochys!!!

I didn't pay enough for this thing. Its a gift that keeps on give and you can quote me on that! Great car for your daughters!

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Mazda Miata, Not as bad as the miata!!! Oldsmobile Firenza.