Nice looking, great gas mileage, fast, good size interior, dent resistant panels, power everything at a reasonable price, good pick up speed, quiet, reliable, comfortable paint looks great even after 9 years, great in the snow! I can't wait for the snow - which doesn't happen here very often.

No privacy in the trunk area(I never leave anything in my car anyways), window controls in a wierd place, no drink holders - (this has been changed in the newer models), seatbelt clips have broken off on the front two seats and cost $40 to replace-(which seems a little expensive for flimsy plastic clips so I haven't replaced them yet.) Other than the small stuff no major complaints.

I went to the dealer on the advice of my mom(which I seldom do.) I always laughed at the people who were on the commercials, and could never see me loving my "Saturn Dealer" - until I got to the dealership. Kevin(the salesperson) was very friendly to me, I looked a little young for my age, but he took me seriously and answered all my questions and showed me around at the used cars they had available. I fell in love with the SW2 wagon. It had power everything! I tried out the Taurs, Escort, Probe, Storm, Civic, Accord, anything and everything mid sized and affordable. Nothing compared with the sleek feel of the car(the others were all too boxy), the options(for the same price there were no options), and the price was above all the best in town.
I bought my car used from the dealer. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I left the lot and a week later my power window stopped working on the driver side. I brought it back to the dealer and they repaired it no problem.
My alternator went at 110,000km on the Coquihalla Hwy at 11:00 at night, but the battery light went on before leaving Merrit - so it was my own fault for insisting on continuing to drive. Other than that there have no problems that have left me stranded without a ride.
This is a great car for a young family who wants an all purpose vehicle that will grow along with their family. There are too many SUVs on the road as it is. I really do love my Saturn.

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If I wanted a fast car that cornered well, with a standard transmission I would buy a Honda.
If I wanted a car like everybody else on the road I would buy a Cavalier.
If I wanted a car that had a lot of power I would buy a Truck.
I bought a car with a touch of class, it looks good coming and going, and I feel very safe driving it.

Super reliable; comfortable seats; peppy; handles well in all situations (despite so-so turning radius); paint has held up spectacularly

Rattling AC and radio module. I call it a module because it's this weird, bulbous thing that sticks out from the dash. I'm surprised Saturn ran that dashbord design for 10 years; engine is noisey (but at least it growls instead of whines like Japanese rivals); transmission doesn't shift that smoothly.

Other than having to replace one battery (note to people who critisize carmaker for battery problems: Most companies don't make their own batteries, so it's not really valid to judge the car's quality on battery performance) and a valve cover gasket, which doesn't affect the car's performance (directly), this car has run like a champ for 6 amd a half years. The acceleration is fairly peppy for a four-banger, as least with the DOHC version. I've had none of the oil burning or alternator problems I've been reading about. I've worked at the service dept of a high-end European carmaker in the past. You wanna talk about electrical problems?!
This car also comes with a steel safety cage, which most other subcompacts can't claim. The interior is a little raw compared to my 2000 Saturn, with some rattles and ill fitting sections, but these are minor complaints when considering that the car still runs like new with only routine maintenence.

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Plastic door panels, comfortable to drive, doesn't burn oil, mileage ok.

Roof leaks! Some rusting inside the fifth door at the top. Service personnel.

Comfortable to drive (I like the lumbar support), finish has stood up very well even though parked outside for six years, few problems, mine never needs oil replacement; I change it every 6,000 miles.

The roof leaks! Some rusting inside the fifth door at the top. Once the service personnel said the trans oil pan leaked. It didn't leak when I took it there, but it did when I left. Later learned the oil pan bolts were loose, so the dealer's personnel must have done it. Sometimes the brakes are noisy. Car washes cause problems with the rear window wiper.

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I've had Buicks, Toyota, Chevrolets, Fords, even a Packard. 1990 Toyota muffler and tailpipe guaranteed for life lasted five years. Just bought 2001 Toyota so can't comment on that yet. The Saturn compared favorably with all the others so far. Still using it. I wasn't sure when to buy a new Saturn or a Toyota, decided on Toyota Corolla LE.

Domestic wagon that can compare to imports, great cargo capacity, comfortable, decent power from DOHC 1.9L L4, 1999+ L4 more refined than prior years, good 5-speed manual, plastic body panels.

Fit and finish a little squeaky, MPG varies greatly between city and hwy, tailgate latch bulge protrutes low enough to bang head on, and plastic panels do not isolate road noise well.

Recommended. This wagon carries a lot of stuff, delivers good power for a small car at reasonable economy, and is fairly comfortable. I wanted the SW2 with a 5 speed manual for the better performance, and the SW2 doesn't disappoint in this area. It is good on the highway. Handling is good, except in winter when the high torque from the DOHC engine and the light weight in the rear can cause the car to require a careful hand on the wheel. The wiper stalk is crowded, leaving the rear gate wiper control in a bad position close to the steering column. Overall this is a good car with good dealer service. It is, however, not up to Toyota or Honda quality levels. If is, perhaps, the best small domestic car.

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Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Escort wagon

Polymer side panels, great fuel economy, new interior HVAC rotary controls, decent stereo, lots of power compared to the "1" series SOHC engines, easy to do own oil changes, very easy to do own automatic transmission fluid and filter changes, comfortable seats

A bit overpriced, high parts prices from dealers, stock Firestone tires aren't the greatest for handling, whiny automatic transmission, too low seating makes it hard to get in and out of car, smaller than expected rear cargo area

21k before using GM Visa points ($Cdn). The only reason I went Saturn is because in Canada we can use GM Visa points to purchase any Saturn. I ended up saving 3k $Cdn by using my GM earnings.Next time I'd just get an SL2 becuase I don't think the wagon is worth a 1.5k premium over the sedan.

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Ford Escort wagon has much less power, more cargo room, higher seating and better visibility

Reasonable cost. Decent interior space.

We bought the SW2 based upon the fairly reasonable price, and the additional space provided by a wagon. Also, the advertised high-end dealer experience & decent reliability was attractive. Unfortunately, these pros quickly turned into cons!

We ordered the car in one state to be picked-up in another -- no problem, said the dealer. After arriving in the new state, we waited a number of weeks past delivery date (with no other car available to use!), calling the dealer on a regular basis as to status. It turned out the local dealer had the car, but did not bother to inform us. When we went to pick up the car, the famous Saturn walk through did not occur -- just a "here are your keys -- see ya!".

The worse happened approximately 9 months after we took delivery. Approximately 1/2 mile before merging onto the Interstate, the SW2 died. Brakes; engine; lights; steering; everything! Had this occured on the freeway, we surely would have been injured (or worse!). But it continues to get worse!

The Saturn dealer COULD NOT DETERMINE the cause of the problem. Working on the car for over a week, they could net tell us why it happened, and that it would not happen again. In addition, the service department somehow did further damage -- while the engine was basically disassembled, one of their staff "started" the car, shooting a rod through the head! They basically had to rebuild the engine! So, Saturn could not tell us why such a dangerous problem might occur; they could not tell us it would not happen again; and they did further damage to the car!

Because of my lack of comfort driving a car that could die at any time, we told Saturn they would have to purchase the car back -- being fair, we only expected Blue Book wholesale -- yet they offered us thousands less, stating that the "Blue Book was too high". Many discussions with the dealer (they were not polite or helpful) and with Saturn headquarters (they were polite, but not helpful) we had to take the hit. With a pregnant wife, I was unwilling to risk her or our baby's safety!

My sense is that we had a lemon. My primary issue was with Saturn NOT taking responsibility in any manner -- actually attempting to blame us for the problem -- and forcing us to pay for their lack of business ethics.

Who should buy this vehicle?? Anyone satisfied with a well priced, mediocre, potentially dangerous automobile. Everyone else, look elsewhere!

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Subaru & VW -- both much more refined, better dealer experience, more reliable than the Saturn.

Drivetrain, plastic body panels, fuel economy

seats, room, fit and finish, tiny gas tank

- Bought SW2 August 1996 $25,500 including taxes(Can), a lot for an economy car.
- Car has been reliable (mechanically), but fit and finish is weak. Silly things like carpet pulling up, inside plastic cover for the mirror continually falls off (3 separate dealers haven't been able to fix), alignment of rear doors is just a little off. The signal lever has never worked properly (been replaced twice), it turns the signal lights off/on but sticks in the lower on position, so much that you think you're going to break it. Some more little annoying things but can't remember right now.
- That being said, the dealers are always friendly and prompt. We've never had to wait for our car, it's always done when it's supposed to be.
- The fuel economy has been terrific. In town about average, but on the highway we are always in the 40 mpg range, with a best of 46 mpg. Good thing too, the gas tank is tiny (8-9 gals), seems like you're always filling it up.
- Ours was the first 1997 Wagon to arrive at the dealership and they were predicting a 2 month wait to get a car spec'd they way we really wanted, so we bought it. This car has most of the bells and whistles (PW,PDL, Remote keyless entry, upgraded stereo, a/c, etc) the only thing we wanted was a 5 spd, not the auto. Pleasantly surprised with the performance of the tiny twin cam motor with an auto.
- Room, or lack of it is a big complaint. Got wagon for extra room, but the area behind the seat is very small. When you do fold the rear seat down the space between the shock/strut towers is very narrow. Front seats can be adjusted to be comfortable, but like most GM products they aren't comfortable for a long trip (more than 2 hrs). Rear seat is barely suitable for kids and the front seats must have been designed for very short people. I'm 5'8" and have the seat as far back as it goes.

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- The wrap-up is that the Saturn (anything with a 2 at the end) has a gem of a drivetrain. Really wish it could be had in other GM products. But the rest of the car is at best a Cavalier. If you can get a good price and don't need a lot of room (read single, no kids), not a bad car, but we'll be going back to Germany for our next car (VW).

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VW Jetta, Hyundai Pony, Mazda GLC, Chev Citation, Ford Tempo

Ergonomics; Reliability; Fuel economy; Handling, especially in poor weather; broad powerband

Underpowered; body/trim fit; wind/road/engine noise

For an economy wagon to drive year round in New England, the SW1 is nearly perfect. Sure, it has it's problems (like acceleration), but I don't feel like spending the extra $10,000-plus on another car just for better fitting panels and a stronger engine. Besides, it IS strong enough that it barely notices any hill under an 8% grade...

This is my second Sx-1 vehicle, and I have yet to experience any problems aside from normal wear. Even on the coldest winter morning, it starts on the first try.

If you're in a place where you need a good four-season car but don't want to spend $30,000 or more on a Subaru, look no further. However, I would NOT recommend this car to anybody who doesn't have twisty/hilly roads as it's iffy acceleration on level ground will become a liability.

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Roomy interior
CD player
Rear hatch for easy loading of groceries, etc.
Great family vehicle.
Dent resistant doors!!!
Safe in an accident!

None that I can recall. I drove it for 30 days plus. As bad luck would have it, I was side swiped while driving a rented Saturn SW2 and the damage to the car and myself (3 months pregnant at the time) were minute. I literally walked away from the accident ant didn't even require medical assistance and the other vehicle, a Ford Escort, was damaged excessively. When it was all over, I was able to drive the SW2 back to the Rental Agency and all the damage to the car was purely cosmetic.

I love this car! It's $17,000-20,000 off the show room floor and used models are hard to find, but I would buy one in a heartbeat as a second car.

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