If you've read my other car reviews, you'll be prepared for a review that is probably more 'girly' than some ... but that may be of interest to the moms and the non-motor-heads among Epinion's readers. I do realize that I offer more insight into my personal buying situation and Saturn'experience', than I do about the mechanical aspects of the car. If you feel that warrants a low review rating, I certainly understand. If you are looking for a very technical review, you may want to hit your 'back' button now and find another review to read ... or go to your local Auto Zone and buy a Saturnservice/spec. manual ... but if you enjoy a bit of light reading and don't mind a bit of 'gushing' ... please enjoy:

I saw a Saturn car for the first time in 1990 ... it was a sleek, black, shiny, brand new sporty looking car ... and I WANTED ONE!!! But with a baby on the way, a fairly new and reliable car in the drive way, I just wasn't in the market for a car. But I never forgot that sexy little Saturn. (What would I think of it today? I bet it would look as 'dated' as any other 10 year old car, huh?)

Sometime in the mid 90's, I did buy a car ... but it wasn't a Saturn... but I loved my http://content_28034829956 ... and was very pleased with it and it served me well for many years.

However, a few weeks ago, my much abused and well used Skylark went to the big junk yard in the sky (or actually across town ... )

I had wrecked it for the final time! At about 8 years old, with 120,000 miles, and $2800 worth of body damage from a 'fender bender' accident ... my insurance company declared it TOTALED ... though I tried to reason and plead with them that that I would rather have the body damage fixed and drive my reliable old car than have to get a new one. They wouldn't listen, they hooked me up with a rental for a couple of days, and they cut me a nice check for the $2300 value of my cherished Skylark. *sniffle*

So, I began my quest for an affordable car. We'd had lots of luck when buying a Plymouth Neon from Carmax a few years back and I thought of checking with them ... but for some reason I happened to think to log onto the Saturn web site ... and I was taken right back to 1990 and the sexy black car I had seen so long ago.

After browsing around on-line for a bit, I telephoned the Saturn dealership nearest me ... but still about an hour away ... (Thornton Road, Austell, GA) ... and after explaining my sudden need for a car, my still limited budget, and probably whining a bit about the fact that I really didn't want a different car ... the salesman 'Rick' began to tell me about SEVERAL cars he had that he thought would be in my price range. I also mentioned that all cars MUST be automatics because I've failed miserably at learning to drive a stick shift every time I've tried over the past 16 or so years.

I gave him a bit of information so he could do a credit pre-approval, and assured him that I would be there the next morning to take a look at the cars. I narrowed the list of possibilities to a few that I was most interested in based on his descriptions and the specifics of each car.

He happened to ask me "What are your thoughts on power?" ... seemed like a bit of an odd question, but I answered "Well, I'm used to a V-6, but I suppose a 4-cylinder won't be so bad. I'll just have to get used to not being able to pull out into traffic as quick ... but it'll probably cut down on my tendency to speed ... " He sort of chuckled as he told me ... "No, I meant power windows, doors, etc." I wonder if he could see my face turn red?!?!!?

So the next morning, I loaded up the kiddies and headed for the dealership! I knew of Saturn's reputation for being friendly and straightforward, etc. but I was still a bit apprehensive about going to buy a car alone. My hubby had been the 'man' in charge when we bought the Neon ... my dad had been along when I bought my Skylark. Was a woman with two kids buying a car like fresh meat in a shark tank? I tried not to allow myself to flash back to our 'Mike Patton' experience - http://www.epinions.com/content_44428922500

As I pulled into the dealership, parked the rental car and unloaded the kids ... I noticed the three cars I'd mentioned having an interest in were parked right up front ... just waiting for me! We made our way to the show room and Rick greeted me at the door. Sincere, friendly, polite ... thinking of his commission, I'm sure, but hiding it well! He asked if the kids would like to play in the playroom and a grandmotherly looking associate said she'd keep an eye on them ... but they were interested in the cars and as excited as I was ... so we all set out to look at the cars.

White one - SL2 nice options (electric everything, cruise control, etc.) but EWWWWWWW it's white. I don't know why, but I just don't like white cars. I didn't even want to drive it, because no matter how great it was, I knew I'd never be happy with it just because of it's color. Sad huh?

Dark Green almost black one - SL2 (124-horsepower, dual-overhead-cam engine), low mileage, good price, this is the car Rick really seemed interested in having me drive. It didn't have power windows or cruise control, but it had a CD player and power door locks and remote entry.

BlackBerry (purple-ish black) - pretty color, low mileage, good price... it's only an SL1, but I liked the color better and the price was a bit lower ... so we loaded in the carseat and took off for our test drive. It was like driving a LAWN MOWER!!!!!!! No power! Nothing, not even as much as the Neon. I was sooooo disappointed. Were my Saturn fantasies all unfounded? Was this sort of like FINALLY getting a date with the quarterback only to find out he's a total loser?!?!

I think Rick could tell I was very disappointed before we got very far into our test drive, and he began to sing the praises of the SL2 and really urge me to drive it. He mentioned that the seats and interior were nicer, that it had a CD player, but he thought the main difference I would notice would be that the Twin Overhead Cam engine had a lot more get up and go than the 'regular' 4 cylinder of the SL1. This was pretty much gobbledy-gok to me, but it definitely sounded more powerful.

I didn't mind driving another car, but I was sort of figuring it couldn't be that different ... BOY WAS I WRONG!!! The SL2 drove like a dream. Not quite as powerful as my V-6 Skylark ... but much more like it than a lawn mower! *lol* The dark green wasn't my ideal car color ... I would have preferred black or burgundy ... but heck, it wasn't WHITE!!!! *lol* The car seemed to brake well, and take curves reasonably well ... as far as I could tell, but we were test driving around a commercial/industrial park, so it wasn't like I was taking curves at 65 mph (not that I should be anyway though *lol*) The engine was very clean, probably recently steamed. There was no corrosion on or around the battery or cables. And the oil was very clean and a clear purply pink with no feeling of grit on the dipstick or when I felt inside the are where you fill the oil (do this BEFORE test driving though, else it will be HOT!)

{(Added 11/02) One thing that I did not notice, but I should have, was that the tires on the car were HORRIBLE. I don't see how any car with only 30-something thousand miles could have such bald tires, but this one did. When I did notice it several weeks or maybe even a month or so later while driving in a downpour, it was terrifying. The car would not hold the road at anything over 35 mph. The service manager at Saturn didn't call me a liar but on the phone he seemed to disbelieve me about the condition of the tires. When I took the car in, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. He said he couldn't believe the car had made it through their inspection process with such bad tires, and he apologized profusely. He replaced the tires and aligned and balanced them, and offered more apologies. I was satisfied, but it has left me with a slightly less glowing feeling about my Saturn experience. If you buy a used Saturn be sure to inspect the tires and ask for replacements before leaving the lot if they don't seem to have reasonable tread!!!!}

So we trouped back to the showroom, and this time the kiddies did decide to enjoy the playroom. It was in-sight of the finance office, so I didn't hesitate at all to let them. Rick introduced me to the finance guy, and I'm sure a small knot formed in my tummy ... even though I was pre-approved and knew the set price of the car, etc. My previous experiences have left me with mixed feelings about this part of the car buying experience. But he was a nice guy. He was perhaps a BIT annoying with his "you won't find any checkered jackets and big cigar and fast talking here ... we're as up front as you can get" routine. When he mentioned that their asking price of $9,170 was well below the KBB value of $10,000-something on the car, I smiled and said "Oh yes, but it's only a couple of hundred below the NADA value ... but it still seems like a good deal to me." He dropped the slightly patronizing overtones a bit ... but still he was a nice guy. He explained every form I signed or initialed, he calculated the payments with 2 different down payments, I had intended to use the insurance pay off on my Skylark, but hubby had also mentioned adding to it if needed ... and for 36, 48, 54 and 60 mths on each ... (I went with the lower down payment for 48 mths).

They detailed the car, filled her with gas, etc. but since I was alone with two kids and a rental car ... I had the dilemma of which car to take home?!?!?! It killed me to leave my pretty new Saturn SL2 there ... but I decided it would be better to return the rental car and have hubby drive me back up to pick-up my new car that evening when he got off work. Rick and I worked out the logistics of where the car would be parked, etc. ... the kids received two HUGE balloons, and we all waved good bye! Hubby and I went back to pick up the lovely little car that evening, and all was just as it was supposed to be.

I've been driving the car for a couple of weeks now ... and I have to say ... I LOVE IT!!!! I still mourn the loss of my Skylark ... I still would have preferred to have it fixed instead of having a car payment ... but ultimately I am very happy with my Saturn SL2. It seems to get fairly good gas mileage ... though I haven't actually calculated it yet. I filled it up yesterday and made note of my mileage, so in a week or so hopefully I can come back and add that information. 2/24/02 - just refilled the tank ... 9 gallons 231 miles - 25.66 mpg - not 'blow me away' amazing ... but much better than I was used to!

The interior is room enough for my hubby and I ... and we aren't small people. The back seat is great for my 10 year old and my 4 yr old who is still in a car seat (she's a tiny girl) but will be able to move to a booster when she's a bit heavier. The remote entry locks and trunk are probably more of a novelty than anything, but it's nice to have a gizmo on my key chain *lol* The CD player is fantastic, the car seems to run well though I'm sure I haven't had it long enough to really report any maintenance problems yet. But as far as I can tell it's a great car.

There are a few minor annoyances ... but I think they have mainly to do with going from a slightly larger, heavier car to a smaller more economical one and aren't so much 'short comings' of the Saturn... but I'll mention them anyway, incase they are helpful to anyone else.

1) I didn't get the 'power package' ... so I do not have cruise control. If/when I trade for a brand new Saturn, I'm sure I'll get the power package if for no other reason than to be able to set my speed for highway driving. 2) The interior door handles seem to be small or oddly shaped. They work just fine, but you have to be really certain you have a good hold on them, or your fingers will slip off and you'll break a nail or two. Maybe it's just because they are shaped different than what I'm used to, but I've done this two or three times. 3) You hear a lot of road noise while inside the car. None of the more mechanically minded people who've ridden in the car seem to think that it's anything wrong mechanically ... so I'm guessing it's just the general noises of the engine, the exhaust system, the tires, etc. Maybe the Skylark was just a bit heavier and somehow insulated the interior from the road noise better?

{ADDED 3/21/02 - I have to add that while I find the car comfortable and plenty roomy ... (and I'm not a tiny person - 5'8" and amply built), even with the passenger seat pushed all the way back ... my 6'2" 350 lb. hubby has a difficult time getting in and out of the car and does not find it all that comfy for long rides. I don't know what the difference is, probably in the door size/shape, but he fits into his TINY Neon just fine, but he definitely has a hard time getting in and out of my Saturn.}

All in all, I am THRILLED with my new used Saturn SL2 and would recommend that anyone seeking a nice economic family car, or just a cute first car, etc. check one out. And if you see a 1993 burgundy Skylark with a new front fender and headlight ... think of me ...



[7/24/03 - I've been putting off adding this, because I truly do like my Saturn ... but I've just got to add that the car DOES NOT handle great in heavy rain. I blamed it on the tires to start with, and the old tires were pretty bad ... but even now with new, good tires ... the car still does not seem to hold the road very well in heavy heavy rain like we've been getting here in GA. At very slow speeds up to 40-45 mph on rural and 'in town' roads it's fine ... but at higher speeds (and I'm not talking racing here, I'm talking 50 mph) on interstate highways driving in a downpour is a nightmare. I slow down sooooo slow that I know other drivers hate me ... but it's better than loosing controll of my car. My next vehicle may still be a Saturn, but it will definitely be a larger or heavier one and I WILL reserch the 'rain worthiness' of whatever model I choose.]



Amount Paid (US$): 9170
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: SL2