My family is no stranger to Saturns. My parents leased their first in 97, then bought a new 2000 L series when the lease was up. My husband and I bought a 98 SL in June, and my inlaws also have an SL. Before buying my 2002 SL2, I owned a 95 SC2. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted another Saturn.

I love this car. It's comfortable to drive and ride in. The ride is smooth and quiet. The seat is fully adjustable, as is the steering column. Rather than tilting, the whole steering wheel assembly can be moved up or down. I'm only 5'2", and some cars just aren't made for short people. But this one definitely is. On the flip side, it is also comfortable for taller drivers, too.

The 4 cylinder engine has great pickup, especially when getting onto the freeway. With the automatic transmission, I get about 25-27 miles to the gallon with a combination of both highway and city driving. As the engine breaks in, I suspect I'll do even better.

I'm not mechanically inclined, so I'm not going to try to get into all the details there. But I can tell you about the other fun stuff- for a factory sound system, it has some great speakers. If possible, go for the power windows and mirrors. You don't know how much you'll love them until you have them.

Then there's the whole 'Saturn Experience.' I do have to mention that the different dealerships can be very different when it comes to their people and attitudes. When we were looking at buying this car, we got lousy service at the dealership my parents had purchased both of their cars from. So, we went to the one where my husband and I bought our other car at, and they went out of their way to help us. In fact, our sales consultant and a couple other associates ended up staying almost 2 hours after closing on a Saturday evening so we could get everything taken care of!

My only complaint is that there seems to be something weird about the paint. I don't know if they may have changed formulas recently, but a couple brand new cars on the lot had some scratches already. Mine must have been backed into or hit with a shopping cart, because I've got some dings in my back bumper already. Not just surface marks that can be buffed, but actual nicks in the paint. For a car that's only been off the lot a couple of weeks, that shouldn't happen. I'm planning on having that taken care of when I have my sunroof installed.

Overall, though, I'm thrilled with my new Saturn. It feels a little sporty and rather luxurious, but without a huge price tag.
Amount Paid (US$): 16900
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: SL2, power package w/ windows, doors, and mirrors.