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This is not the case in Canada where Chrysler branded Mitsus have been top rated used car choices for years. While the Mitsu brand is new here, the dealer body was established by an ex GM of Canada executive who also set up Saturn in Canada (which is bundled with Saab and Isuzu). For Mitsu, he chose Chrysler 5-star dealers (the good ones) and new dealers which could meet high standards. Our local one is excellent.
OK nothing beats Saturn for service but close counts if the car is also good. Yes the ION is larger and more powerful but the Lancer's interior is of higher grade materials which feel more tightly screwed together.
BTW, my wife and your wife agree that the Lancer is not the best looking car out there. My wife much prefers the look of the ION - especially in black.
BTW, black is my favorite ION color. We just did not want a dark car here in Atlanta. We've had black and dark green cars and we're going with light colors for a while now.
When my friend is back in the car market as he may be soon, we will go check out the new 2004 IONs. His old Corolla really wants to retire despite his intentions of getting another 18 months out of it.
BTW is it just me or have they improved the materials on the interior of the L series. The outside was redone which I love, but the interior also looks better than when I drove it one year ago.
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Again, it was the looks that killed the deal from the Saturn perspective. Time for a big crash redesign. Musta been the pot pie steering wheel.
ION looks are not for everyone, but you could say that about any car.
Your co-worker is not buying an ION or Protege because they are more expensive than a comparably equipped Elantra. There is nothing wrong with that. Just say it's about the money. I've known several people with Elantras that are happy with them. I would just rather have a Saturn over a Hyundai, that's all.
The ION is actually more expensive than the Civic and Corolla without the incentives. You can usually haggle on a Corolla/Civic which will get you in the same ballpark price wise. Ofcourse with cheap GMAC financing, rebates, GM Visa points and grad discounts, and ION can be nearly as cheap as an Elantra.
If someone does not absolutely have to have a particular brand, it is a great time to buy a car!
http://www.saturncanada.com
All the 04 info is up now also!
My wife's L200 is the same way, a nice digital readout, not sure if it shows mileage when turned off.
Regfootball ::: My sister's Elantra has not been a great car and I typically see that Hyundais finish low on reliability surveys so I don't think I would be jumping on those "bargains" any time soon. Pay less, but you get what you pay for.
These were my actual words as a matter of fact. I like to see it without turning the key basically for service timing. When you take your car in for service they check the mileage. Before--and with my van--you could check it just by looking. If you're trying to remember how close you are to needing an oil change while the car is parked in your garage, I like just opening the door and seeing the mileage. I know this is a strange reason--and it's really my only one--but all things considered, why would you NOT want to see it vs being able to see it?
My SL2 was a 1999, so I guess this was a change Saturn made years before the ION even came out.
Though minivan's are not my bag I look forward to the Saturn one. If it as attractive as the Vue, it should do really well.
So when do the 2004 IONs hit the showrooms?
Dunworth: An ex co-worker of mine has a 97 Voyager, 170k miles. Blew 2 trannies already.
04 IONS have been out for awhile now, BTW.
I have not heard of any problems with the ION powertrain. It should be pretty good.
About one month after buying my new ION I drove it to Toronto, Canada - it's about 1200 miles away. It was a wonderful roadtripping vehicle in that there was plenty of space for our overnight bags, our food and drink cooler and our hiking backpacks. Our ION2 also has a lot of comfort options, e.g. travel & convenience package, upgraded sound system. The seats were uncomfortable on longer drives. Ride and handling was smooth and easy. Highway gas mileage was good at 32mpg. I sometimes catch people looking curiously at our car - I guess it's funny-looking. [I think the darker colors look better on the ION than our silver.]
I have been driving this car for 2 months and have driven it over 6,000 miles. It will be getting a second oil change. One message posted to this board a month ago re: toxic battery fumes collecting in the trunk and flimsy brake lines over the muffler caused me alarm. Since then, I asked my friend who is a VW mechanic what he thought of those features. He said no biggie, that the battery in the trunk has been a German standard for a long time. German meaning VW and BMW, I guess. I only drive domestic cars, so I have no idea personally.
Hey, it's been said that we Saturn owners are more computer-saavy...I own a Dell.
http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_saturn_says_haggle/
[If this was a no-no, my apologies....]
No troubles to report yet. ...Will continue reading your posts, you ION-board-but-other-brand-car-talkers triumvirate.
Still unexpected cash though, so go Christmas shopping with it!
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav