What do you think of this car?

[Shananigans]

I just finished test driving it and I think I dig it. Does it look like a good deal to anyone? Anyone have any gripes, comments or praises about Saturns? Please! I need all the help I can get!



http://www.getauto.com/autolinks_cardetail.html?x_dealer_id=AAEtF&vinNum=1G8ZH52872Z134965

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. I am afraid of them...

Don't they all clap for you when you drive away or something like that? Or was that just for the commercial?

Otherwise, I think it's a very nice car. :hi:

[Shananigans]

2. Actually...I think so!

The guy told me that they put balloons all over it and have you drive it off the showroom floor, even if it is an older one. I think I'll feel like an idiot if I buy it. Haha...

[nini]

3. My sister likes hers and hasn't had any problems

find out what blue book is on it and offer them that.. then haggle to get a fair price for both of you.

I got a killer deal on the car I have now by going looking when it was raining (I was the only one there) and knowing the fair price on the car. You have to have the guts to walk away if they don't bite. If you're fair they'll call you back.

Good luck.. buying a car is one of the worst things in the world to me.

[Bruce McAuley]

4. Looks like a lease return

About the right mileage and 2 years old. Looks like a pretty good deal, actually. Make sure they throw in an extended warranty for free, at least up to 100,000 miles. If it fits you and your lifestyle, go for it. I haven't heard anything bad about the newer Saturns.

Bruce

[SheilaT]

5. People I know who have Saturns seem to love them.

I understand all of their pricing is fixed, no haggling.

About a year ago when I was helping my 20 year old son buy his first car, we looked at a Saturn perhaps five years old (because it was in his price range) and it didn't feel very sturdy. But I think a newer one with lower mileage, such as what your looking at could be a very good choice.

How does Consumer Reports rate them?

[Catshrink]

6. I'm on my second Saturn..

I had a wagon, now a 99 SL2 that just turned over 80k. No problems. My nephew has an earlier version of the same model and has 180k -- few problems. He said he rebuilt the transmission (I think) and other maintenance stuff -- but nothing major.

My only complaint is that it's boring. Rides fine, etc. But it's a boring car. I want a cute little Miata, but what the heck.

I say go for it, based on my and my nephew's experience with them.

[Deja Q]

7. It's GM, it's a George Bush car and they are of ultra-low quality...

I almost bought a Saturn after gay pride 2001.

But then I'd read the horror stories, and they're easy to find on the web. "Saturn sucks" makes for a nice search parameter set...

Engine blocks or other components snuff it shortly after the warranty ends and often enough can happen prior to the cutoff date and people still have problems, and why is it a 3 year warranty when the rest of the industry has 10 year warranties on cars that cost LESS?! (Kia for example...)

Saturns aren't American made, not any more if ever, so why the high price? (sing it like you'd sing the spelling of KRAFT: G--R--E-E--D.)

They're also 100% plasticine. One collision with a wall at 3MPH and the car would probably shatter into a thousand million pieces... side door supports seem weak too, I'd hate to slide out during winter and have a car hit me from the side.

Speaking of cheap plastic, they actually and equally amusingly tell you not to put one of these vacuum-formed junkheaps in a touchless car wash. Why? The seals are so shite-ly that water spurts right through 'em and the seal is ruined too. JUNK! JUNK! JUNK!

And if you put the car through an old-school car wash that has bristles? Get a calculator with 15 digit segments to tally up the number of scratches you'll get. Not just on the plastic body, but the glass as well. JUNK.

Saturns are junk, peddled by repukes.

[Catshrink]

8. A couple of points..

I drive it through a car wash every now and then and don't have a scratch problem.

I've had a couple of minor traffic accidents, one at 12 mph, the other at about 20. The slower one, I rear ended someone and in the other someone rear ended me. There was minor damage each time, although I got it repaired to maintain the car's value.

Never had a problem with the engine block, neither has my nephew.

My experience has been good so far. My only complaint is that it's boring....

[jburton]

12. Huh?

Do you believe all the "horror stories" you read on the web?

"They're also 100% plasticine. One collision with a wall at 3MPH and the car would probably shatter into a thousand million pieces."

Whatever you say...:eyes:

[Shananigans]

16. Sources please...

You bring up some interesting information that I haven't yet heard. Could you give me your sources?

[geniph]

20. The Saturn used to be the most "American" car available

until GM pulled them back under their umbrella. I don't know if this is still true, but every Saturn up to that point was 100% American-made out of 97% American parts. It was literally the most American car you could possibly buy.

I had a '94 Saturn SL1 that I never had a single problem with. In 2000, it was rear-ended in a high-speed collision (guess I shouldn't have been waiting for the red light to turn green) and totaled, and I got a very good payout from the insurance company; it had retained a lot of value. It was a very peppy little car, very trouble-free.

I used to run it through carwashes all the time, never got a single scratch.

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

[FireHeart]

9. We've had three...and two still around.

We have two Saturns now, my daughter has one and so do we. Love those cars. Very reliable and we've had little problem with them. On our newer one (2002) we've still got our car care package available and they take care of everything except tires. The older one, (1998) had it's warranty run out and all we needed (after 128,00 miles) was a brake job and battery cable replacement.

Not bad at all. :)

We traded the third one in (early 1998) for the 2002, btw. Not because of mechanical problems, just because we wanted an SL2 over an SL1.

[madrchsod]

10. early ones were underpowered

and had a really noisy engine. there were alot of little problems because it was a brand new car in a brand new plant. the newer ones are good with no glaring problems. the bigger sedans are based on gm`s euro platform and uses a us configured euro v6 engine. a friend had one although it had problems the dealership was excellent in all respects. if you like it buy it,it can`t be worse than anything else, with the exception of a honda or toyota.

[jburton]

11. I loved mine

Almost had 100k miles before an accident made me get rid of it.

I had one unscheduled repair, a sensor for the radiator. It was pretty cheap to fix and done in a half hour.

One of the reasons I bought it was the good ratings from Consumer reports (this applies to the SL series -- I don't know about the other models). Cheap insurance, above average reliability, excellent safety ratings for its size, and good resale value. Also good on gas. (like others have said, it is kinda boring)

As for my accident: at 50+mph I was run off the highway down a steep embankment. The Saturn rolled several times. I was taken to the hospital and released a few hours later with a few scrapes and a sore shoulder from where the seatbelt was. That's it.

Some other things: they are UNION MADE in the US (Tenn & Penn)

[ironflange]

13. That color is going to show the dirt

[scarlet_owl]

14. Everyone in my family has one, except me.

I can't afford a new car (or even a new one that isn't younger than twelve years). My mother is on her second. She had her first one for about seven years. She has been in two accidents, one deer hit and another that wasn't her fault, and the car did fine. All they had to do was replace the panels that were broken. Everyone I know seems to really like their Saturns.

[Buns_of_Fire]

15. It looks similar to my daughter's Saturn...

...except hers is a light gray. She loves it. For her, dirt isn't a problem since she makes hubby wash and wax it at least once a week (but she won't let him drive it, which -- after riding with him a few times -- is probably a wise move.)

[BiggJawn]

17. Milage seems a little high.

Yeah, it's an '02 and we're in '04, but I'd bet that car's been on the road maybe 18 months tops. I've had my '02 Ranger 20 months and have 26,000 on it.

That calculates out to about 75 miles a day. possibly a rental, or a fleet car, or belonged to a travelin' salesman.

Other than that I've heard few bitches about Saturns.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

18. Most saturns are made for short people...

They aren't good in accidents. Everyone I've ever known of who's been in a traffic accident in one has broken some part of their legs...usually the Femur.
Duckie

[HEyHEY]

19. There's good and bad to them

Bad, they are not built as well as one would like. Good, if something goes wrong the company is very flexible and helpful.