My first NEW car!
I bought my Saturn SL2 new in 1995 - it was the last of the original body style, which at the time was very crisp, clean and modern looking. I was 22, fresh out of college, and this was my first new car. Prior to buying my Saturn, I had owned a 1985 Toyota Camry, and then a 1986 Toyota Celica GT. In fact, I come from a long line of loyal Toyota owners. However, at that time in my life, I really wanted a new car, and there were few imports available in 1995 in the $15,000-18,000 range that offered as many standard features as the Saturn. So much to my father's dismay, I strayed from my Toyota lineage.

Picture Perfect!
Buying this car was exactly as the television ads portrayed it - my salesman called for all of the dealer staffmembers to come to the delivery area, and they presented to me the keys to my shiny, new white SL2, sang me a little song (more like a pro-Saturn cheer!) and took Polaroids of me and my salesman with my new car (which were displayed on the walls at the dealership along with other proud new Saturn owners). The buying experience was just as advertised - no hassle, low pressure and no dickering - I knew what options I wanted and I knew what it would cost me.

Why a Saturn?
I chose a the Saturn SL2 for a variety of reasons, the main being value and economy. But also I had heard so much about the Saturn philosophy - the aforementioned no-hassle buying and the friendly attitude of the staff. While I did experience all of this in the beginning, over the course of 3-1/2 years that I owned my Saturn, I did see a sharp decline in this philosophy (more on this later).

When choosing my options, I opted for just about everything available, including trunk mounted 10-CD changer, leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob, and sunroof, as well as the automatic transmission (which is coupled with traction control). The seats were comfortable, if not a tad sparsely padded (but the lumbar support on the Driver's seat was a well appreciated touch). I did find that the leather seating provided a much firmer and more supportive feel than did the cloth interior. The sound system was above average, though in my first year of owning this car, I had to have the stereo replaced twice (both under warranty) due to problems with the cassette deck. Also, after about a year and a half, I did notice mild distortion and crackle in the rear speakers.

Vroom, VRRROOOM! (well, sort of)
Driving the Saturn was overall fun, considering what it was - a tiny 2.0 liter 4-clyinder, putting out 124 horses. Handling was fairly stable, and greatly assisted by the optional 15" alloy wheels and traction control. Traction control really showed it's stuff when taking off from a dead stop on wet ground - the "traction active" indicator light would flash to let you know that it was working, and you could actually feel the re-distribution of power from the spinning wheels to the gripping wheels. However, when driving in icy and snowy conditions, we found it best to disable this feature. Braking was quick and firm, thanks to the 4-wheel antilock disc brakes.

My main problem with the Saturn (and keep in mind I did have the SL2 which is the DOUBLE overhead cam version) was the lack of acceleration. Highway speeds were not a problem (though those four cylinders did get a tad loud when cruising along at 80 mph), but getting up TO those speeds was excruciatingly slow and frustrating. I found that I developed an inferiority complex (envious of more powerful cars - those with 6 and even 8 cylinders!), which caused me to drive my car like a maniac and push my little Saturn to the limit (hence it's affectionate name - the Racing Snail!)

Gadgets, goodies and more!
In addition to the standard and optional features, I found the Saturn to have a few nice little extras, including dual cupholders in front, a locking center console compartment, 50/50 split-rear fold-down seats, and cargo/map pockets on the backs of the driver and passenger seats. I also liked the fact that regardless where I moved or what dealership I took my car to for service, they could 'plug in' to my car and retrieve it's entire service history, via the Saturn satellite link up.

Who should buy it?
I would highly recommend the Saturn SL2, but it is not for everyone. As a young adult just entering the workforce, and having limited cash (for luxuries such as GAS money!), I found it perfect not only for the daily commute to work, but also great for spontaneous roadtrips! Because of it's superior reliability (and again, that 36 mpg!), I knew I could feel safe and confident on the road, even when travelling alone for extended periods (and I also had the peace of mind of 24-hour roadside assistance).

However, I do not think this would be a terribly practical vehicle for anyone with a family - although it does have a laundry-list of safety features, it is simply too small for an entire family, and the little 4-banger engine is not powerful enough to accommodate a full passenger load. This car is ideal for students and young adults, or older adults who have no need to transport a full carload of people on a regular basis.

The decline of the Saturn Philosophy
Okay, one last thing. As I mentioned, in the beginning, Saturn had a wonderful customer service philosophy. However, about 2 years in, this began to deteriorate. I consistently took my car to the dealership for regular service intervals (oil changes, tire rotations, etc...). However, I began to notice that I would constantly be urged to have services completed on my car that I KNEW it did not need (and often services that another dealership had just recently completed). I found that the service practices which in the beginning set Saturn apart from other car dealers, was now non-existent, which left me completely disillusioned with the car company itself.

I had also learned from male friends of mine who owned (or looked at) Saturns that they did not receive the same personal attention that myself and other female buyers did. While the car may be a good, safe, reliable car, that's all it is - don't fall for all the warm-fuzzy marketing!