The dent resistent body panels.

Brakes, brakes, brakes!!!!

I have owned my SL1 for 2 and a half years. I bought it used with 67,000 miles on it. It now has 134,700 miles. As with most of the other reviewers i have had some of the same problems with the oil burning situation, rattling (gosh is it annoying) etc. The pickup is non existent especially when having to merge on the freeway. In addition I have been told that i need both O2 sensors replaced, I have replaced the battery. I have replaced in the last year and a half, the rotors twice the pads 4 times, the front calipers, the rear drums, shoes and wheel cylinders which were leaking. I took it to the dealership last year and spent $500 for serpentine belt replacement, throttle body service, oil change and few other small repairs. When I took in this February to have the lighter fixed (all important for cell phone charging) they charged me $85 to fix this. I left the dealership only to discover it still wasn't working. Took it back and they fixed it. That repair lasted till April when it went out again. Seems fixed this time, we will see. However while it was there I had them check my brakes as I was still having brake issues. They asked me if I was using Saturn brake pads (why does this matter)and i said no. They told me the ones from the auto parts stores were too hard (can u imagine?) Well needless to say an hour wait later I get an estimate for $1100 to fix my front brakes , replace my rear shoes and wheel cylinders (didn't I just do that seven months ago) bleed the brake system, and do another throttle body service, and guess what, replace a collapsed motor mount. My transmission (automatic) was slipping in reverse gear intermittently and they checked it and could find no problem, since of course it didn't do it when they test drove it. Also when I use my hazard lights my over head dome light flashes in time to the hazard lights (is this a mating ritual or something?) My trunk lid sticks, my doors have gaps between the body (not sure why). I was also told I needed a new coolant temperature sensor as this was what was causing the car to hesitate when driving. Replaced the fuel filter as well. Can't let the car get below a quarter of a tank of gas or it will cut off when going around turns to sharply. What is up with that? If the car had better resale value I might be able to get out from being upside down on the payment, but that isn't gonna happen since I was only offered $1500 as a trade in. That just sucks. Oh well you live and you learn. Even though the car has never left me stranded, except for the time the battery died(without warning)at home. Don't think I will ever buy another Saturn.

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1988 Olds Cutlass Ciera Brougham

Economy (fuel) & price

not a lot of power to work with but it is still manageable once you get used to it.

Good dependable car. It's a 5 speed (much better than the auto) I avg 30-35mpg. Only incurred costs related to normal maint. factory tires are pure crap, they gave up at 30000 miles. I did throw out the factory sound system it was very bad sounding. Other than that it has been an excelent car.

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2 saturns, chevrolet

-Reliable -More refined than earlier models -adequate power

-short and high for my taste

We bought this as our second Saturn. Since the first one had by then served us well for as a reliable 8 years, the second was a no brainer. We considered the basic larger LS model but teh test drive revealed "cheapy" feel and strange handling. So we decided for lower paymets to get the refined SL2. Overall, as I compare the 2001 to teh 1992 I drive, I strangely prefer the 1992 version for it's longer wheel base, relaxed feel. The "new" 2001 feels shorter, higher off the ground and "stiffer". Maybe some people like that. My wife loves it, I'm satisfied, but I prefer my "beater". Reliability-wise, well the 3 years we've owned hasn't turned up any troubles, other than usual maintenance *again knocks on vinyl* My wife is very happy with it, perfect for one child. We've gone on 800-mile trips with it with no problems. Total mileage: 34000 miles.

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Get this, 1992 Saturn SL1

-Has more features than it's competitors of its day. -Price of parts is low.

If I have to say it, well I was surprised the alternator went on it twice (this is my 3rd one), although it's years between 'em.

Overall, this car has served me well for the 12 years I've owned it since new. I've put 140000 miles on it and it only recently started burning oil. For an econo-box, not bad!! Thus far (knock on vinyl), the car repairs haven't been excessive (less than $600 per year) and was usually "normal wear and tear". Things like alternator (2) brake rotors (twice) and small wiring issues here or there. The styling was fair for its time and it fits a bike if you feed it through (the main reason I bought the car). Strangely, when I tried the Honda Civic on the same hill, the Honda had LESS power and was $5k more (the Yen was high then). I would recommend this car, although it's more as a "first car" or econo-box, not for comfort or power. I drive a fair bit for work and plan to drive something a tad bigger in the next few years.

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Got a 2001 Saturn SL2 for wifie in that year.

Reliable Good gas mileage Reliable Not too small in the cabin Reliable Easily accessible controls Did I mention that it's reliable?

The jack is a pain to use. Engine compartment is too cluttered and hard to access. Can't think of anymore...

I have been the sole owner of my Saturn since I practically drove it off the truck (it had 4 miles on it when I drove it off the lot). I have nothing but praise for this great little vehicle except for one thing and we'll get to that in a minute. My wife and newborn daughter were driving it in harsh conditions and she misjudged a turn. She rolled it landing upside-down about 2 months after we bought the car! Insurance repaired the car and it's run like a dream before then and ever since. Seven years later, it's still our primary vehicle. The only issues we have had with the 5-speed manual is that we had to change the alternator once and that was a pain to get to. The engine is so compact, you practically have to tear everything apart to get to anything. I don't know how you'd get that fuel filter out (yes, we've had it done, but took it to a mechanic when it had to be tuned up). Regular maintenace has kept this car running smoothly for 117,000 miles and I plan to keep going.

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1991 Geo Metro (now there's an economy car!) 1987 Ford Taurus 1985 Dodge Aires (yick!)

Fantastic gas mileage, reliable, cozy (I like smaller cars), keeps me out of trouble, it's offered in stick (most companies aren't making them anymore), you can always upgrade, a great starter car.

looks could be better (looks like it has a unibrow), O2 sensor, the Check engine light will come on in really cold temps

I have had my Saturn now for 2 years-bought brand new. It was my grad present and the second saturn my family has bought. This car is very cute--I love it. And the gas mileage it gets is outstanding-especially for long highway trips (40 miles to the gallon!!) Plus limiting me to 100 hp is a very good thing. I do recommend the stick shift though. It feels like a little more hp with a stick. I've only had one minor problem in the cable for the O2 sensor--the sensor in the tailpipe that checks the emissions for the correct amounts of oil, fuel, and condensation. If it wasn't under warranty, it would have been a b**** to repair. But other than that it's been a good car. All three we own are, in fact.

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had a chrysler concorde (stupid car-couldn't run for anything), and a hundai excel hatch back (you ever really want to hate SUVs)

???? Dent resistent side panels.

Go-carts have more power. Burns oil like it's going out of style.

I hate my car. I had always heard how good Saturns are. These are lies. Example: I recently went in to have my oil changed (at 3000 miles... like I'm supposed to). It's burning oil again. This time I am down to less than 1 quart of oil. The car has only 50,000 miles. It should not be doing this. Also, if I walked up a hill it would be faster than trying to drive the stupid SL1 up the hill. Seriously, 30 MPH with it floored.

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Plymouth Sundance (I loved this car, I got rid of it when it was 11 years old and I wish I still had it. I had less mechanical problems with my old Sundance than with this newer Saturn)

Sl series had good safety ratings Plastic panels won't rust--but the underside will! Dealers are VERY nice to you if you pay list price for everything.

Uncomfortable and unreliable Noisey Cheap seats and poor interior quality Extremely poor resale values now

The 2001 Saturn Sl-1 with automatic transmission is an amazingly crude vehicle. After ten years of production (and "constant improvement") the engine sounds worse than my Honda lawnmower. The transmission buzzes and is confused to when it should shift. The standard Firestone FR680 tires are dangerous on wet surfaces and really bad on ice. You can tell if the pavement is slightly wet by the car's handling--there is that much of a difference. Gas mileage has been poor in the city--22 to 25mpg. Very good on the highway--38 to 42mpg. The car was purchased on a lease in April 2001--resale value of Sl's has collapsed since then. But at least I can turn it back in six months and walk away from it. Biggest surprise has been the poor reliability. Car has 15,000 miles on it and is driven about 500 miles a month. All service done by the dealer by the book. Most of the brake system replaced at 9105 miles--booster replaced, rotors had severe corrosion. Engine control software troublesome (a Saturn trademark). Windshield wiper motor replaced. Driver side door lock replaced. This car has only 15,000 miles on it--just wait till the warranty runs out. Saturn Sl-1 has poor space utilization and was designed (I believe) for single women under 30 who weigh less than 120 pounds and under 5'8" tall. Back seat sits two cats in comfort. This Saturn has much less space than a previously owned 1983 Mazda GLC (which was a foot shorter). Car has lots of rattles, groans and buzzes. I haven't bothered to have any of them checked out as it would be a complete waste of time. Dealer service has been friendly--you get to know them real well. My theory is that Saturn quality and reliability was higher at one time. Sales have collapsed in 2003 and along with that they have discontinued their one-month money back program. Salespeople at my dealer seem to turnover every couple of months now. Original sales experience was pleasant, but, of course, we way overpaid for this car. One good point is that the car has been more reliable than our 2001 L300. The L300 is in the same class as the Yugo and Pinto for reliability.

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Most comparable car I've driven is a 1982 Chevrolet Chevette. A ten-year old Ford Escort is also an apt comparison. All others were vastly superior (Mazda, Toyota).

Price, economy and safety features.

none

My family has owned nothing but Saturns since 1993. We currently own 3 SL2's. We have never had to put a dime into any of them outside of regular oil changes and maintainance. I have not seen any sign of the issues being complained about but that could also be that we only buy manual transmissions and we change the oil regularly. The safety features and economy can not be beat by any other car in their class. We will not buy any other car, nor will we use any other dealership. Saturn of Charlotte is the best.

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1988 Chevy Cavilier 1990 Geo Metro 1990 VW Golf

Very good gas mileage. Dependable car. Comfortable. Spacious enough. My son is 6ft. 3in. and fits well into the car (doesn't put the seat back when he leaves however. I'm 5ft. 7in. and when I get in, I cannot even reach the peddles).

Lack of power. The SL1 has only 100 hp. The automatic leave it underpowered (trade off for the economy I guess). Seats are too low. There should be height adjustment on at least the drivers seat.

My wife purchased a 1995 Saturn SL1 brand new and had the car into the shop 11 times in 22 months. After deciding that her car was a fluke, I opted to purchase my 1997 Saturn. The car was previously a write-off and was re-built by my father-in-law. I bought the car with 53,000 km on the odometer and 3 years later have 235,000 km. on the car. I commute app. 1,300 km/week and love my car. I get around 40 mpg combined highway and city with my automatic transmission. I have had to replace both front power window motors (although I'm not sure this wasn't a result of the accident) as well as an idler pulley and belt tensioner adjuster. I recently repaired my sunroof ($1000) as well as transmission seals, water pump and gasket. This was around $1000 as well. Not bad considering the mileage I drive. When the time comes to replace it, it may very well be another Saturn.

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Ford tempo, Ford escort.