Saturn Sky

Saturn dealers are going belly up by the boatload, at least where I live (NYC). I would look for the Pontiac version if I were you.

Look for the Opel version...

Heres the real scoop. (and btw- why all the sudden all the haters here? I thought this was a board for nice pro-saturn ppl)

The SKY was first conceived in '04 in the Frankfurt Auto Show as a concept car. GM's Rick Wagoner fell in love with it and talked the designers to bring the car into production. At the time, Saturn was also showing a concept car called the Curve (which never made to production). The curve concept was scrapped and the SKY was decided to be built to reimage the Saturn brand.

Within this design period, GM was going thru some financial issues (I'm sure you may have heard) and was pondering 86ing either Buick or Pontiac as their sales were lacking beyond Saturn's. This and the widely-proposed usage of the Kappa based platform allowed GM to provide the SKY Kappa design to Pontiac to call it their own and thus the Solstice was born. The Solstice was debuted a year prior to the release of the SKY to test the market for a

2 seater convertible, despite Saturn's announcement and plans to release the SKY later on.

Both the SKY and Solstice are what the call Halo Vehicles. See Wikipedia for explainantion:

The idea, which IMO is an ill conceived one, is to make a very low production car to attract ppl to the brand whom may not have otherwise have considered the brand. Now why someone would come to a Saturn dealership to look at a SKY and turn around and buy an ION is just plain silly. A VUE or Aura perhaps.

There will be NO Opel version sold in the US and besides, that will be the exact same car only rebadged and shipped from Wilmington USA to Germany, the proposed selling price for that HALO car is $40K US currency. The SKY is under $30K. and is very obtainable for those willing to wait.

Saturn is not the only car brand to sell halo cars, but I have to say that they are relying far too much and advertising too much something that they can only deliver in very small amounts which in the short run is only hurting them and driving away current customers. Maybe next year when some real viable full production vehicles come out will Saturn regain what they had a few years ago in the general public's eye.

marx404

snip

Maybe snip Saturn regain what they

The sales and marketing bean counters killed the hard earned well deserved Saturn goodwill when they lost sight of their roots which was simple, reliable and economical transportation. They should have focused on maximizing the return on their investment in the S series and should have brought out a third generation model with very few changes. The second generation styling is still attractive and the basic platform is sound. IMHO, they should have kept the single cam and the station wagon body and marketed them (like Ford escort & Taurus) for the same price as the sedans.

They could have improved the door armrest padding and the location of the cig lighter so that a radar detector plug would not block the cup holder. Also done some work on the engine metallurgy and I bet that some planned fuel system and computer engine management improvements died in the engineering department. They could have developed a turbo diesel which would compete very well with the VW Golf/Jetta TDI. I would have replaced my oldest SW1 in 2002 if they had been available and would have loved to have been (or be) able to buy an SW-TDI. I would have purchased factory roof rack rails. The S series platform could (perhaps) have been adapted for a hybrid engine. They could have developed an S series 4wd like the Subaru, (although I have never needed 4wd and would probably not be willing to pay the increased cost for decreased load capacity and economy). I wish that they had used a more common tire size (185 instead of 175 x 14) and wish that I could have purchased the 15" rims with the single cam engine. I would have purchased heavy duty springs. I would have paid a higher price point.

Instead of doing what they were doing well, better, they tried to do what everyone else was already doing better. Why did they kill the SW1? Did the world really need another SUV? Was there a shortage of 4dr sedan models available? Does every new car model need to be bigger and burn more fuel?

I think they are now toast.

Just my .02

nope, not toast, lets not write them off just yet, lest see what the future holds with Opel. I agree somewhat with your opinion about the S series, they should have kept and revised it.

marx404

Exactly. After three SLs, I'm now driving a Civic.

Saturn seems to have given up on what my demographic is looking for: simple, reliable, economical transportation, just as this post says.

i'm not sure if the company's toast, and I'm glad others are finding what they want in a Saturn -- over the years I've converted several people into joining the Saturn family -- but I won't be going back.

--Nan who once dreamed of owning an SW2

Yes very sad indeed. I'm on my second engine & trans for my 94 SW2 and when this motor goes I'll drop in an electric motor and lay out my batteries in the back. They should have never dropped the S series it should have gone to hybrid. The SW is a great little car.

Private wrote:

Um yeah... Expect to spend over 5000 bucks doing that. Also don't expect much more than 30 miles per charge...

(is a good/neat site to read) Electric cars are an expensive "hobby". If it aint "big oil" its "big battery". Battery tech is currently at a stand still. The only viable alternative fuel source I currently see that is also environmentally friendly and easy to convert to would be Biodiesel. There are no limitations with Biodiesel like there is with batteries and with the already cramped cars being made into hybrids. Full size trucks, semi's, as well as compact cars can all fill up at the same pumps with biodiesel. Since biodiesel doesnt have the octane rating bs of gas nor has different blends, that I know of, there should only be ONE PRICE at a pump. Since the source of fuel isnt shared with airlines that would also be a plus.

Hybrids blow. Spend more money than normal to save nothing but a little fraction of a fraction of ozone. Waste of effort. Use the money you save by not buying a hybrid on planting a few tree's.