After a couple hundred miles on the new Ion 1, I have noticed a few little things which designers should have picked up on. What is it about these Saturn engineeers... ? they seem to miss this stuff, reminds me of the infamous rain drain into your seat of the early ones. Here goes;
The small steering wheel, cool at first, thought I would get used to it, but still don't like it. Not comfortable cruising. The arm rest is too low, especially with this steering wheel AND the seat belts are uncomfortable- in any adjusted positon they are just not comfortable and dig into the shoulder and waist, especially on a long drive. I am of average height and build (5"10" medium frame, not overweight) so I assume this applies to many drivers. Of course the seats- Horrible. I know it's an inexpensive car, but the seats are way too firm and have no side support. Saturn always messes up on the little creature comfort things. (also reminds me of the No cupholder cars). Oh yeah and the AC is not as strong as on the older cars, takes longer to get cold and less effective.
I am a little disappointed with the handling, skitish, but maybe better tires will help. I plan to add them soon. Having driven all three generations of Saturn many miles, these are just my casual observations & opinion. Comments welcome. E