So what do all you Doper geniuses know about Saturn vehicles? I’m looking for a dependable one, easy to work on, and will last a while.
If I can get a good deal on the subject line vehicle, should I take it? Or do you have some other experiences?
I’m not a Saturn fan (I liked the ideas they had when they first started the company, but the cars were only mediocre when compared with what Japan had to offer. And with GM’s typical blundering, they’ve become just another car brand with gimmicky dealers).
Editorializing aside, my advice for anyone doing car shopping (new or used) is to first visit edmunds.com. You can find owner reports for the model year you’re looking for, plus typical prices (although in the last couple of years they’ve made it a lot easier to accidentally click on a search to find a dealer, rather then do research).
I beg to differ. SATURN SLs were good cars. With a manual tranny, they are capable of 43 MPG on the highway. The only issues (in my expereince). Oil leaks around the valve cover-about $100 to replace. Also, check the water pump seal-sometimes they leak. not the worl’s most sophisticated drivetrain, but a good, relaible car 9and they don’t rust).
Since the OP is looking for opinions, I’m moving this to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
We had a '94 SL1 and it was a good, reliable little car. It had hardly any problems, esp. compared to our Ford van–I’m never buying a Ford again. (We got it used for cheap, though.)
A month or so ago it started making a worse noise than usual and we knew it was on its last legs. The timing chain snapped and that was the end of that little car. But we got a lot of good miles out of it and were happy with our purchase.
This is actually what I like best about my (secondhand) Saturn. I car camp a lot, and use a cartop carrier without those bars on the roof. Of course, this means my roof is scratched all to hell. The sides of the car have more than their fair share of scratches from tree branches and car doors in parking lots, and the bumpers frankly look like they’ve got eczema, because I live in Chicago, with neighbors who parallel park by braille. But the one thing I don’t have to worry about is rust! Plastic panels rock.
I’ve got a '98 SW2, wagon style. The previous owner was religious with upkeep, I have to admit I’m a little less so. I’ve owned it for 4 years, and had to replace the brake pads and rotors, the starter and just last week, the muffler. Nothing I wouldn’t have expected for a 10 year old car. I know it’s past due for a timing chain, but I keep hoping the Car Fairy will gift us with a larger vehicle before that makes itself a need.
My only beef with the car, which I think they fixed by 2001, is the alarm system. Contrary to what the owner’s manual says, I haven’t found a mechanic, including at the Saturn dealership, who can change the setting so that you don’t have to click “Unlock” on your clicker to deactivate the alarm - even if you didn’t lock the car or set the alarm. It’s really embarrassing when camping in the pristine wilderness to have your car alarm go off because your kid forgot to get the clicker from Mom before opening the unlocked door of the car.
At least some Saturn engines are prone to significant wear of the timing chain and related parts occurring roughly around 100K miles. Last time I priced this repair it was in the 800 neighborhood. From a mechanic’s view, they’re okay, but not even close to the Toyota/Honda level of reliability.
I loved my Saturn! It was a 95 or 96. Great little car, I never had problems with it. I only had to get rid of it because of an accident.
I had a 1995 SL1 and my partner currently has a 2001 SL1 (he’s thinking of trading it in this month.)
The major complaint I have is there is a lot of road noise. They’re boring as hell, but also reliable. They’re also cheap to fix.
If you just need A to B transport and and don’t do a lot of freeway driving, go for it. Your insurance will be cheap, too.
I have two Saturns – A '93 SL1 and a '99 SL2. Both are running fine and getting around 30 mph in the city.
I think that the original SL1 design was first-class. It looked sharp and distinctive. Later models tried to look like everyone else.
I have a '97 SL2 that – knock wood – is doing just fine. I know the plural of anecdote is not data, but I haven’t heard many horror stories about Saturns.
I have a 2002, and it’s my second SL-1. Manual transmission in both, and they’ve been quite good.
However, it will likely be my last Saturn. Originally, I was a big fan of Saturn Service. But lately they’ve been slipping. And the new Saturns aren’t my cup of tea.
I like my SL-1 because it’s BASIC. Roll down windows, nothing fancy. This makes it cheap, reliable, and inexpensive to fix. The newer Saturns aren’t in this vein. Rather, they are full of bells and whistles that I don’t want or need.
I have a '98 SL2 with 125 K miles which is running just great. No timing chain problems yet. My future son-in-law has a '92 SL2 which just hit 200K, despite years in Chicago and not much maintenance when he was short of money.
I still get 25 mpg in heavy traffic, and got well over 30 when we went to Death Valley, which involved going over some mountains.
I can never remember the make/model of mine, but I have a 2001 SC2, it’s a 3 door sport coupe. I bought it used in 2004 and knock on wood haven’t had any major trouble with it. It still gets good gas mileage. It’s reasonable to repair. I only have about 70k miles on this car.
My biggest complaint with it is the noise (mine rattles a lot and road noise is pretty loud), and how the back window is sloped oddly. When it rains, I find water doesn’t roll off fast enough–it really needs a rear wiper on that window.
One word of advice: WRITE DOWN THE FREAKING RADIO LOCK CODE AND KEEP IT IN A SAFE PLACE. Every single time I bring my car in for repairs, if they have to disconnect the battery, the security thingy prevents me from being able to turn the radio on until I enter a 4 digit security code. Which… I didn’t have because I bought it used. I finally had to get the system “rebooted” or something and I entered my own code and commit it to memory.
I’ve got a 2000 SL1 and it’s been more realiable than my 86 Honda Accord mile for mile. Haven’t logged as many miles as the Honda but at 120K I haven’t had to replace anything except the battery and normal filters/fluids. I’m on my 2nd water pump with the Honda at 175K and the 3rd timing belt along with the plastic radiator and also the master cylinder (don’t get me started on the carburetor).
The SL1’s are small and don’t have a lot of power but the engine has torque off the line and I get 32 around town, 36 combined, and 38 on the highway (without the A/C on). Don’t expect Adults in the back seat unless you move the front seats way forward. One advantage of the Saturn is the plastic body. no door dents. I love the transmission, it shifts smoothly through all gears and the computer is intuitive, it will downshift if you’re going down hill and you touch the brake. What I don’t understand is that the car has an engine cut out in reverse (if you start spinning in snow) but not in the forward gears. You can punch it in reverse and the engine will pulse.
Overall, I’ve been very pleased with the car but I’ve also taken care of it.
We had the 96 SL. It ran great but with two growing kids my wife felt she had outgrown it. She bought it when she was pregnant with out first child. She had no problems with it and we sold it to a friend for $800 and he is still running it 3½ years later. It has around 120,000 miles now.
I have a 2000 Saturn LS I bought new, and a '97 Saturn SL1 I bought used for my daughter. Both are decent cars, with the biggest problem being a chronic driver’s side taillight failure - I replaced those damn bulbs probably 15 times before Saturn caught on and issued a recall. Since the recall repair, they’ve been fine. We get decent mileage with both - roughly 35-38 mpg. Neither of them are anything fancy, but I’d buy another without hesitation.
I’ve got a '94 SL1, and that mother is a workhorse. She’s got about 200,000 miles on her, and she just keeps plugging along. I’ve had her for 10 years. I’ve had to replace the radiator and the timing belt, but beyond that, I’ve had no problems. As others have said, they’re not the most exciting cars, but they’ll get you where you need to go.
Dunno as much about the SLs, but my 01 SC2 is great. Small and light, but with tons of pickup, so she always felt pretty zippy. Not sure how much of that was due to a manual tranny, though. Got decent mileage as well. I’d definitely buy another Saturn.