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Comments
Dislikes:
The Echo dashboard and the aweful steering wheel.
the front end looks kinda simplistic too.
But at this point anyhting is better over the ancient S Series!
I'll take the sedan, of course,
Oh why nail braker door handles instead of safer door bars?????
I'm looking for a small commuter car replacement, not a car almost as big as the L-series. So much for Saturn's new 'small' car...
Saturn certainly will have a decent line up come the fall/winter.
I have a feeling the Delta Platform Cavalier replacement will look much nicer. I honestly can't stand the cheap looking Toyota Echo interior and the aweful steering wheel.
I don't know if 137hp is going to give it class-leading HP either; guess it depends on the class. Sentra and Impreza both have a peppy 2.5L 4-banger, etc.
Why would you not want a little more space in a compact car providing the economy was as good? In my view the trend to slightly larger is a good thing as I find some older models to be a little tight. The s-series was one of the worst.
Still nothing at www.2003ion.com
My Beef with Saturns is that they tend to look cheap no matter how nice the shape might be. Perhaps pictures don't do much justice to it, but man those door handles look cheap, the front end headlights look bargain basement and the interior is questionable.
Judging by the Saturn VUE and now the ION, it appears to be that Saturn's customer base doesn't seem to demand much in terms of world class looks and quality of materials.
I hope at the very least this car is capable of delivering superior safety and a rewarding driving experience.
Still think the Chevy version will be much better and devoid of the Mickey Mouse/Toyota Echo interior design/materials touches.
Actually, my driveway is the biggest limiting factor. Unless I get new, really narrow side steps put in, there isn't a lot of extra room with the LW200 and my Geo Metro parked there (I know, I should buy a house with a bigger driveway!). Sure, there is theoretically some extra room but on average days when we don't park perfectly there is just a couple of feet left behind the last car out before the sidewalk (it is an expensive parking ticket in Guelph to leave your car hanging out). So a car like the ION being 35", or nearly 3 feet, longer than the Metro is just too big for me especially since I don't need it. We could stuff it in if necessary but we'd probably need to get out and direct each other which would get old very quickly.
If I need cargo space, I'd rather get another hatchback which is shorter but still carries lots of stuff. The Vibe, Aerio, Protege5 and Focus ZX5 are all at least a foot shorter than the ION.
Like dindak says above, why does it matter if it's a little bigger as long as it gets good mileage. As a bigger guy, I would appreciate the extra room.
Also agree with teo- this car is a good effort but I would expect the 2004 version to be nicer after Lutz has more time to "fine tune" it, same as with the Cadillac CTS.
Also, they really need to plan on replacing this car by 2008/2009 at the latest, no more building the same car forever.
;-)
I noticed ABS will still be optional. Still don't understand that logic!
I agree that safety should not be optional. I simply don't buy a car without ABS, 4-wheel discs and traction control.
He says that if an option is pretty popular it will then become standard accross the board.
As for the ABS - Saturn is aimed at "import" buyers and ABS isn't standard on Corollas, Camrys, Accords, Civics, etc... either.
Lutz's aim is to "decontent" things that people don't care about, so that for the same price, the things that people DO care about can be improved.
It just seems sill that almost every GM car/truck has standard ABS and Saturn's don't (except the L-series for some unknown reason).
Given that cars in this sgment must compete on price, (and therefore can never be fully loaded) it appears many people looking to buy a car would rather the manufacturer invest more money in superficial things like the dashboard or seat covering and much less in substantive things like abs and 5 speed automatics.
One thing that really jumps at me when viewing Saturns photos: The Sedan appears to be very ready for a hatch conversion. In fact, while I like the sedan lines, when I look at it, I almost find myself looking for a hatchback. GM has suggested there will be several hatchs built off the delta platform. I think this is one.
All I can say is that a center-mounted panel is not hard to read and is actually easier to view at a glance without taking your eyes off the road. There is also better visiblility for night driving as there are no lights in front of you.
I agree the materials look cheap...but it seems all new cars are being made that way. Witness the Altima!
And yeah, that steering wheel...can we talk?
As for the materials, we shall see what comes out in production. The VUE dash is better that I thought it would be. My only gripe is the heat/air controls seem a bit flimsy.
Dindak: I think if Saturn were to launch a hatch ION along with the sedan and coupe, I could actually talk my wife into that over the cute-ute. Would you be interested in an ION hatch, or would it not be enough to meet your young family's needs?
~alpha
At first, I heard rumours that the hatch wouldn't be out until 2003 (2004 MY) but now I've heard nothing about it so I wonder if they canned it?
logic1 : Unfortunately our lease on the Cavalier is up in July so I can't get an ION. We will probably go for an Alero, Vibe or VUE at this point.
hpulley : Heard nothing of a hatch. Maybe the details are still to come.
I disagree, its pretty mediocre. The VUE isn't exactly cheap.
Take a look at a mundane 2002 VW Golf GL 5-door.
That's how an interior should be done, no excuses just perfect. That Golf is $16K give and take.
Saturn has ZERO excuses for cheap interiors.
Sorry, whether VW's are reliable or not, they sell and for a lot of people it seems, the interior quality is very important. Even Lutz is well aware of this.
teo : Have to agree to disagree. Golf is a car, apples to oranges man. Nothing special about the Golf anyway.
To price the Vue as low as it is, Saturn had to make compromises. Saturn compromised on appearance (and frankly, when I checked out the interior of the Vue, I saw nothing that said to me this piece or that will break before a similar piece in the Golf. So we are only talking about appearance, not durability.) Certainly when Saturn brings out the upscale version of the Vue next year, it should have the interior bells and whistles so important these days.
And, Teo, I am not arguing with you about the importance of appearance. You are right. A substantial portion of the market cares more about how their car looks than how it is actually made (thus the ES300). Personally, I would want Saturn to concentrate on the space frame, ride and handling, and many other things before how its interior plastic looks. But that is me.
For example, when I bought my Miata, I got the base model (cloth seats, so-so stereo) with the sport suspension. I added some trick anti-sway bars for a couple hundred in parts and labor. I also upgraded to Dunlop high performance tires. Final bill was about the same as I might have paid for a Mazda LS with all the pretty leather and the better stereo. Know what? I do not regret what I got at all. I want to drive, not look pretty.
Dindak:
I know you have to buy before the ION is available. But wouldn't a hatch with the Ecotec be a great alternative to the Vibe/Matrix? There is a lot to like about the V/M twins. But going with the Toyota Celica engine and drive train seems a mistake in what by all appearances should be a practical machine.
The fact the Ion will use the 2.0-liter Ecotec engine from the European Opel models (which means a reasonably quiet engine that can be revved easily) plus the VTi CVT automatic transmission means it's EXACTLY the car I've long waited for.
Ditch that funny-looking steering wheel and it WILL be my next car.
With that steering wheel and that
central-gauge placement?
When I'm driving, I'm looking out on the road
[ahead of driver]... and the gauges should be there too!
Yuck... GM's trying to compete with the ECHO now...
I do not understand your comment that the ION will be mistaken for anything else but a Saturn. Are you saying that the ION should fool people into thinking it is some other car? Makes no sense to me. I suppose if I wanted to waste the time, I could make a component by component critique of the Hyundai. Frankly, I never really notice Hyundais, so I cannot be bothered.
The ecotec matched with the Saab manual alone will be reason enough to consider the ION. I have also read very positive things about the Delta platform's road manners. But, as I have stated above, it does appear as many of you enthusiasts in this segment are more enthused with interior prettiness than road manners, however.
As for the center guages, as stated above, the driver needs only a few minutes to adjust. They do not effect the driver's ability to see the road. The Echo is not the only car to have them, by the way. The Cooper does as well.
logic1 : ION hatch would be a great alternative to the Vibe. Nice to see hatch back type cars coming back a little. Always thought they were convenient. I agree with you on the drive train, the 2.2L Ecotec is one of the better 4 bangers out there, better than the 1.8L Toyota in the Vibe for sure. Center gauges are no big deal either. People say they don't like them, but they likely have never driven a car with them either. Get used to it after a day or two, big deal.
It's not the most beautiful car, but I think given its shape the car might actually be successful in Japan, where "surface excitement" is a major selling point of cars there.
http://www.saturnfans.com/cgi-bin/imagefolio/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Saturn_Models/ION/2003/Inside_ION_Coupe_In_NY