1997 Saturn S-Series Reviews

Overall:  Hate it, mostly for the fact that I had to buy this piece of crap from my dad for $500 on the same day he just had to buy a $30k SUV for my stepmom.  However, I will admit, it runs and that's all I need right now.  All the same, it would be nice to have something want, not just what I need.

Performance/Fun Factor:  This car is fun to drive if you have the same tolerance for acceleration as a small slug traveling up a window.  I have about 3 inches in either direction from dead center on the steering wheel in which nothing happens.  Nothing.  I've never tested how long for 0-60, but I'm sure it's about the same amount of time it takes for Jeff Goldblum to finish a sentence.

Build Quality:  None.

Appearance:  Aside from the square (think Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction) headlights, the rest of the car is groovy.  The backseat is comfy if you have no legs.  The front seats are just a little too deep for my liking; I feel like an old woman struggling to see over the dash unless I put a pillow under my bum.  The dash really is not that bad, in some places it looks a bit like Princess Leia's helmet when she's disguised to save Han Solo from Jabba.

Cost of Ownership:  I could have bought another used car, a much more lovely and non-American used car, for the money that has been spent on this machine.  It's on it's second engine.  The transmission kicked it not long after I got it.  The entire cooling system had to be replaced.  I get high-mileage oil changes.  New tires, will have to replace the brakes soon (not because I like the car, I just don't want to die in it, how embarassing!), and have to buy air fresheners to cover up old dog smell.  MPG is fair, can't really get an accurate number since the gas gauge has crapped out on me.  I can get about 290 on a tank before the light comes on.

This car wasn't great in the power department, but the handling was good.  In my opinion the motor mounts should have been recalled because they kept breaking and I would have to go in and get them replaced.  My dealership did it for free because they knew it was a problem and I got to know the service department men by name, which dispite the problem of having to get them replaced all the time is why I fell in love with Saturn.  I also had to get the transmission replaced and about a year later when I was looking to trade it in, the transmission started to go as I was on the way to another car dealership.  So I came home with a new car and since they only test drove the SL around the lot, they didn't realize they were getting a broke one.

For me, the Saturn SL2 has been the closest modern equivalent to my Beetle; with a 1.9 liter engine it's by no means a speed demon.  But much like Toyota's, Honda's, and many other imports, these cars seem to run forever.

I received this car from my mother two years ago when she bought a new car; at that time it had 107k on it and wasn't worth selling.  Or at least we didn't think it was; i recently checked blue book value and it's actually pretty good.

One thing you'll never have to worry about with these car's is body rot; this car was the 2nd to last or last year for Saturn's cars being unique, which meant that had the dent resistant panels.  Kid you not, at age 12 i walked across a door in a dealership and the panel popped and bowed, but didn't dent.  The whole body, with the exception of the roof, trunk, and hood are plastic.  Obviously the internal structure is steel, but you'll never have to worry about body rust.  Rust on the unibody you might, but as long as you keep after the car it will last a long time.  At the time of this writing, this very Saturn has 135k on it and is still running strong.

As stated above, with only a 1.9 liter 4 cylinder, this car isn't exactly a pocket rocket like modern cars, but then again who races a Saturn?  And with an automatic tranny behind it, you wouldn't want to really stand on it; i've had to do it a few times and the tranny hasn't been very happy, hunting between gears as i was trying to accelerate.  

gas mileage is great; even 11 years on the car still pulls in 34 - 36 mpg in mixed driving.  It used to get around 40+, but the miles are starting to add up and are taking their toll.  

One caution i will add is that Saturn engines like to use oil as the miles start to pile up; they don't burn it, it just disappears.  The oil control rings on the pistons start to stick as the engine gets older, and oil begins to seep into the combustion chamber and be burned.  Not enough to produce blue smoke, but enough that you start to use oil; you have to check these cars every week to see how the fluid is.  It's not uncommon for Saturns to reach 200k miles and up, but at that stage they start using oil like gas; consumption over 1 quart for ever 1000 miles is not uncommon over 200k, and even at 130k the cars can use some.  Mine hasn't (matter of fact it's using almost none; last oil change i went 3000 miles and used a half a quart of oil)

Overall, a good first car for highschool or college kids, and can even last you into the years after college until you can afford something better

The saturn was unremarkable in any way.  It was a fine piece of transportation, served well in terms of reliability, and did everything just fine.  But it did not stand out in any area.  The engine (the twin cam) was noisy and provided adequate but not spirited thrust.  The manual tranny was fine, but not particularly sharp.  the handling/roadholding was decent, but unremarkable.  The appearance was fine, but far from stunning (though at its inception it was quite distinctive.)

My SC2 gets great gas mileage, and I like the fun, sporty feel.  With the sunroof open and windows down it is reminiscent of a convertible! It has been extremely reliable for years.  Requires very little maintenance.  I love it!