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Saturn ION

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Comments

  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    Mitsubishi's cars are quite good, arguably as good as many other popular Japanese brands, but IMHO is seriously let down by one of the worst dealer bodies in the US industry (did VW train them or what?) ;)

    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.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I never said the Lancer was a bad car. I even said I kind of like it. I just listed a few things the ION appears to have over it. You mention the higher quality of interior materials for the Lancer--how do they compare to the upgraded materials of the 2004 ION? I could quickly tell that the 2004 is improved over the 2003 when I sat in one a couple of weeks ago.

    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.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    I have not seen the 2004 ION interior so I have no idea how big an improvement it is. If it is anything like the high quality interior of the new Malibu, I will be impressed.

    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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  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I have not seen the 2004 Malibu so I don't know how it compares with the 2004 ION. I'm also not sure what Saturn has done with the L Series. Speaking of the L Series, have you seen what Saturn has done for 2004? They are all called L300 and all come standard with automatic, air, ABS, traction and side airbags. The 4 cyl models start under $17k with all of these goodies--looks like a heck of a good deal.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    if you sit in both the lancer and ion i think you will find the overall effect to be that the lancer feels like it has more room and is more comfortable.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    A heck of a good deal if you want the least appealing car in its class.

    ~alpha
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Actually, I think the current L with alloys looks much better than just about any midsize car. Certainly better than Camcords.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Looks are subjective. Whats objective is the L's 10th place finish out of 10 in a Car and Driver comparison test, and Consumer Reports ranking of the L at the bottom of all midsize sedans.

    ~alpha
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Um, the topic here is the ION, folks....

    :)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Lots of improvements to the car this past year, it's getting up there in years though. Quality is also up. I would think about picking up the bargain, it's not like its a bad car and the V6 L300 is FAST. Back to the ION.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    follow up, after not even testing driving an Ion (because as she put it 'looked strange'), almost went Protege and now looks like its a Hyundai Elantra. Mainly because its cheaper.

    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.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Hyundias are cheap and it will show in 5 years based on what I see on the roads.

    ION looks are not for everyone, but you could say that about any car.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    I find people tend to be polarised about the looks of the ION. Either you love it or hate it. It is not like the Civic/Corolla et al which are evergreen designs, but often do not get noticed as a result.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    "now looks like its a Hyundai Elantra. Mainly because its cheaper"

    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.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    Up here in Canada, on an MSRP basis the midgrade Elantra, ION, Corolla and Civic are within a few hundred dollars of each other. The only difference is financing and incentives. So Elantra is not really that cheap if you are not financing.

    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!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    They have 24 hour test drives on IONs now with a C$500 off coupon. Might want to get your friend in on that deal.

    http://www.saturncanada.com

    All the 04 info is up now also!
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    Thanks dindak, we will be checking it out.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I wonder if for 2004 Saturn changed the odometer? On my previous SL2, the digital odometer would still show the mileage of the car with the car turned off. The numbers would be black, but visible. On my other vehicle, when you open the door, the odometer lights up showing you the mileage. On my ION, when you turn the car off, the odometer goes blank. You have to turn the key to see the miles. I know it's not that big of a deal, but sure was nice to be able to see the miles without turning the key on.
  • lawman1967lawman1967 Member Posts: 314
    My Mitsu Galant (2002) is the same way, no odo reading without putting in and turning the key. It isn't any big deal though, and I'll trade that minor inconvenience for the security of a non-tamperable electronic counter.

    My wife's L200 is the same way, a nice digital readout, not sure if it shows mileage when turned off.
  • vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    Uga91 ::: Not an issue I would care about. Why do you like to see this?

    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.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    My 2001 Saturn SL was the same as your ION. Both my 2002 Corolla and 2003 Civic are also the same. Perhaps it is to limit the drain on the battery since there is so much electronic stuff on the cars these days.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    "I know it's not that big of a deal"

    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?
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    "My 2001 Saturn SL was the same as your ION"

    My SL2 was a 1999, so I guess this was a change Saturn made years before the ION even came out.
  • gweilogweilo Member Posts: 118
    The Saturn USA website still lists the incentives expiring Sept 30th(Dell giveaway etc.). I saw mention of an extra $250 off for GM employee plan participants but don't know if this is across all GM lines. You'd think Saturn would update immediately.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Your other car must be a Chrysler. They all show the odometer when any door is opened for some reason. Maybe it makes the service lane visits more convenient. That's the only reason I could think of.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    yep--good ole Chrysler mini van! A mini van and an ION--is our garage sexy or what! ;-)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Chrysler minivans are ok I guess, but you would scream if you saw the residuals on them...
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    They seem to be giving them away these days. I saw that the Windsor plant that makes them is shut down for 2 weeks to clear the backlog. Minivan sales aren't what they used to be and the competition is much stronger than it used to be.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    Chrysler minivans are C$19500 cash price near us. What a deal. Still a very decent product (excpet for the occasional wonky transmission).

    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?
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    2004 IONs are here in my dealership now.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I don't care what the residuals are. I like the van and have every intention of keeping it until it's paid for. Besides, don't you drive a PT? Strange you would make a derogotory comment about the brand of car you drive.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Uga: I bought the PT because I got a great deal on it and I needed a car badly at the time. It has nothing to do with the fact that the cars aren't worth nothing in 4 years. That's any American car now, with all the rebates and incentives.

    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.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    C$20K for the Caravans is a steal of a deal. I have to admit I have been tempted, but I think I would prefer a VUE next year even if it cost C$8K more.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I know this has nothing to do with IONs, but the tranny used in the DC vans in 1997 are not the same ones used today. Chrysler changed them in 2001. Besides, many autos have problems. Ask Odyssey owners! Hopefully the Japanese transmission in my ION will have a long and happy life!
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    DCX powertrains are pretty robust nowadays and most of the tranny issues are in the past. Plus a pretty decent warrantee up here in the Great White North - 7 years and 115 k warrantee. Probably the best deal in the minivan market.

    I have not heard of any problems with the ION powertrain. It should be pretty good.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I think the transmissions are more reliable, but they just aren't as good as GM auto trannies. DC ones often seemed to be searching for the right gear. I rented a Grand Caravan last year and that was my only real complaint for an otherwise superb van.
  • legalseclegalsec Member Posts: 31
    Hi, ION owners! I hope you are enjoying your IONs as much as I am. Since the college semester started I see more and more IONs on the road. I was beginning to think they were catching on, but then I found out about the Dell incentive [lightbulb lights up]. But then, I also happen to live in a metro area in which every 5th car is a Saturn. (No joke.) The VUEs, SLs and Ls predominate. I guess it's true that with the ION, you can either appreciate its looks or feel sick when you look at it.

    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.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The more I see IONs, the more I like the look. It's different, but that's Saturn.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    you have a stick or an automatic?
  • legalseclegalsec Member Posts: 31
    I drive a silver automatic 2003 ION2 with 5 options (most of which were mentioned in post #2603).
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    Hope you enjoyed your trip to Toronto. It is were I work. Both dindak and I live in a suburb not far fromt he city.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    They (through a formula provided by the State of Georgia's Insurance Commissioner) gave me $711.36 for diminished value. Like my car only dropped $711! What got me that much was the fact that I only had 4200 miles on it when it was hit. Oh well, the last time I had a car hit--February 1998--I got nothing at all for diminished value--and that car was so new I hadn't even made a payment on it yet! I guess $711 is better than nothing. At least it's all behind me now.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I think it depends on the extent of the damages. A friend of mine smashed his then-new 01 Civic into a pole, I think it was like $8000 in damages (I am surprised they just didn't total the car). It was 8 months old at the time, and I think he got something like $4000. Since they didn't have to really do much body work to the car as far as replacing panels, maybe that's why yours wasn't as much.

    Still unexpected cash though, so go Christmas shopping with it! ;)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    If the car is fixed up properly it should not loose much in value. Enjoy the $700 and the car, life is too short to worry about it too much.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    If anyone cares to read another article about the Ion, Car and Driver has a short take on the Ion quad coupe 5 speed. They tested the 04 model and show a picture of the interior. It is noticeable from the picture that the graining on the plastic has been reworked and looks better. They liked the comfy ride, rear doors, and stated the black leather interior helped make the interior look a lot better, but complained about the handling and center ip. Acceleration with the 5 speed was much better: 0-60 in 8.4 sec. The automatic must have horrible gearing to have such a huge difference. They did have a blurb about the Ion Red Line edition stating that they finally found an Ion that lives up to Saturn's advertising. The article will apparently be in next month's issue.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    A lot of these boards have been really quiet lately. What else is happening out there?
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I saw a review in the Globe last week of the Quad coupe and they mentioned a CVT transmission. Is it now available on the 04s??
  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    I saw a CVT Quad Coupe on the dealer's lot this week. So they must be finally producing them.

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