Hi all. I am a semi-regular lurker and once-in-a-blue-moon poster here. Nice group.
As of last week, alas, I am a Saturn ringer no more. I traded in my weathered 2000 SL2 for a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. Didn't really want to, but the time had come.
I've driven two Saturns on a regular basis. The first was a 1999 SL1 my then-live-in lady friend leased. I drove that from fall of '98 through summer of '99, when she moved on.
Then in April '03 I bought the '00 SL2 used, with 30K on it.
The first time around was a dream driving experience with the brand-new SL1. (Automatic tranny) It handled well, comfortable ride, great brakes, crisp steering and great gas mileage. It was a fun, safe, reliable, affordable car to drive.
The only problems we had with it were horn-related. Right after we got it the horn stopped working suddenly; turned out to be a common problem, which the dealer fixed right away and it never happened again. Also I really hated the goofy horn buttons on the '99; one reason I limited my search to 2000's and '01's when I needed a reliable low-mileage used car a few years later. Saturn still topped my list, though.
The second time around, with the SL2, there were many more adventures and challenges.
The SL2 was also a fun, safe car to drive much of the time....but also over the time I owned it---from 30K miles to 68K---it went through most of the issues I've seen mentioned here whilst I lurked: burning oil, SES light on for no discernible reason, idling a bit too high, lower-than-advertised fuel economy.
Also it had an issue I've not seen mentioned here---which really puzzled the mechanics who worked on it, since they told me it's a common problem. That was an emissions leak that flunked it for inspection in May '04, just over a year after I got it. The mechanic told me he figured there would be a recall issued for it at some point. It never did pass inspection without some repair work needed.
Also I just had bad luck with it. While driving the SL2 I got into the only reportable accident of my life---luckily not a serious one; also got my first speeding ticket since high school; and ran off the road in the snow for the first time ever.
The car was not badly damaged in the accident---in fact I never had the body work done, since the estimate was $800+ and the deductible was $500---but it did not 'feel' quite the same afterwards.
Something else I noticed was the much tighter ride in the SL2; took me a while to catch on that it was due to the suspension: at first I thought I did not have the seats adjusted right. In a perfect world my car would be "suspended" just a hair tighter than the SL1, but nowhere near as tight as the SL2.
That also made the SL2 a bit worse in the snow than was the SL1, though both were better-than-adequate and neither great as winter cars. (As always, tire quality has a lot to do with it.) Anyway, ride quality in the SL2 was still fine for everyday driving, but it became an issue on long highway trips.
I really wanted another Saturn when I realized my SL2 just was not meant for the long haul, but the financing did not work out nearly as well for any available Saturn I could get 'round here as it did for the Classic I bought. (My credit score is only fair, even though my credit history over the past 5+ years is PERFECT; the bad stuff from more than
5 years ago still weighs it down, which really sucks; but that's a whole other thing....)Had I gotten another Saturn it would have been a 2002 SL1, preferably with ABS. I've decided the SL1 is simply a better car than the SL2; it's most definitely lower-maintenance. The guys at the dealership where I bought the SL2 and tried in vain to get a decent deal on another Saturn said much the same thing: The Saturns they get with
200K+ miles and going strong are all SL1's. The SL2 and L series will also run long and well if cared for "just so," they say---but not as long as the SL1 and only with more fuss and fretting.The only advantage to the 2 series that I can see is the tiny bit more passing and merging power you get from the bigger engine: not enough to make up for the other issues I went through with the SL2, IMHO. I could see where a young guy into semi-performance cars but a bit short on cash could migrate to the SC2, where the tighter suspension might help, but that was not an issue for me or I would imagine most SL2 owners.
I made the mistake of thinking the "higher-end" trim had to be better....and paid the price.
Still the price was not too steep. Deep down I'm still a "Saturn guy." Sort of. In the unlikely event I'm in the market for another ride in the next year or two I will check out the best of what's left of lower-mileage '01 and '02 SL1's and maybe even the L series with the Ecotec.
For now, I wish everyone here the best of luck and happiness with their Saturns, and all else. I will probably lurk here once in a great while for old times sake.
Happy Holidays and best regards,
Eric M