I have owned a SL2 since 11/01. The incentives on this vehicle after 9/11 were very good, and we got this car for under 1% APR for 60mo.

The First thing that is great about this car is that throughout the 60mo. term you can expect no dings and small dents on the sides of the car. The doors, fenders, and rear quarter panels are plastic! The only metal body parts are the hood and trunk lid. This makes this small car a solid investment. You will know that after years and years of Tri-State weather (I live in NY) That this car will not begin to rust in the wheel wells.

The engine is very basic for this class. A 4-cyl with 110-120hp if i can remember correctly. We choose the automatic electronic shifting transmission. This transmission shifts so nicely and smoothly, you feel like your on a train rather then a car when hitting the gas.

Suspension is good. It hugs turns very well for a compact car, although it can easily reach its cornering limit at slightly higher speeds. Do not expect to be performing on the back roads at over 30mph.

Besides the plastic construction, the five star safety rating for front and side, and the great transmission, the best part of this car is...

It's interior design!

The SL2 was designed with all drivers in mind. This includes the tall, the wide, and the long limbed compact car drivers. A huge problem with tall or large people in compact cars is the headroom. Saturn thought this through when designing the SL2 and actually decided to build the car with the floor droped lower. The actual car isnt dropped (suspension wise) but the floor is lowered several inches. Now when I get into the car, being 6'1" i have several inches of headroom. I can actually get myself to sit straight up, and be close to the steering wheel, with near 3 inches of clearance for my head! This may sound funny to short people, but this is huge news for us tall people when buying a compact car. I know several other Gm vehicles such as the cavalier, sunfire and even the bigger grand am are not to great on headroom, as I have driven them.

It doesnt stop there however. The doors, in the inside were designed with extra room for the wider people who want to enjoy the SL2. The doors were created to bubble outward, ever so slightly, to gain several inches from the seats to the door.

It is nice to see a car company considering that not only compact people buy compact cars. :)

Our particular SL2 has power everything, which is controlled with power door lock buttons on the door, and window controls on the middle console. The middle console controls took a moment to get used to, but its not something that would make or break my decision on any car.

Gas mileage is very good with this car, I believe i Get in the high 20's around town, 26-29. This is perfect for me because I am stopping and going all the time. Plus, gas is around $2.40 a gallon right now in my area.

The car currently has 55k miles on it and it has never been in the shop for a single repair. The car has a timing chain that never needs service. The engine is still smooth and quite, the chassis is quite and sturdy with not squeaks or shutters. All electrical components have been great. The continental tires did not seem to last as long as the goodyears I have on my chevy but thats ok. I had to change the tires at around 50k. Best part is, I have had so many doors hit my door in the parking lot that I am so glad These doors are plastic. My GF even backed the front drivers side door into the front corner of someones bumper in the driveway, and the pastic held up fine. I simply took a little compound and rubs the other cars paint off the SL2's finish and boom, just saved a $1000 claim from insurance. I know my chevy would had needed to go to the shop with its metal doors in the situation.

The car has been problem free from day 1 and still looks brand new due to its real world design.

My conclusion? Saturn's SL2 is truely different from many other compact cars. This cars body with stand the test of time, the suspension is strong and quiet. The interior space is great for large people in a compact car. The engine and tranny are maintanence free (besides wear and tear maintainance) and are smooth and quiet to this day.

I would really reccomend this car to anyone who is looking for a well priced, safe compact car, that they want to keep looking great to years after the loan is paid off. My Hat is off to saturn, and i truely consider getting one after my chevy is all used up.
Amount Paid (US$): 15900
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: SL2, Auto, Power everything, Cruise, AM/FM/CD, AC, Tilt