Saturn ION

wwhite2

Will the masters degree I will be getting very soon count as a recent college grad ????

vocus

I think you have to be within 4 months of graduation or something like that, but don't quote me. Check out Saturn's website, I am sure details will be there.

vocus

VW has 1.9% financing here, but no rebates per se.

vocus

How is that possible? The cars are barely worth anything after 3 years, let alone 6...

vuefor2

I saw in the paper today that Saturns are all 0% for 60 months as it all of GM now except Hummer. We got the 60 month deal back in January also. It's amazing how weak the economy is these days. Seems like an all out war in the car business.

I guess 0% doesn't cost Saturn that much though given rates are as low as they are and expected to go lower.

vocus

I thought about checking out the 0% and looking at an L Series, but they lose half their value in their first year. I can get a used one for $11K, so why spend $18K on a new one, you know?

saturnfreak01

In order to qualify for the college grad rebate you must be within six months of graduation, or have graduated in the last two years.

dindak

I would guess that the L has almost the worst depreciation of any midsize sedan. Low demand is the biggest factor though as poor quality hurt the image in the first year or two. Hopefully Saturn will get it right the first time with what ever they replace the L with. ION quality looks like it's much better.

usaf52

That'll stimulate sales big time. My friend is a salesman and he said nobody came into the showroom today.

uga91

I guess you get a new one instead of one that is a year old to get the body design, the 0% financing and the new car warranty. That is why I would buy a new one, though. If one year resale is your biggest concern, you should be looking at an Accord, I guess. I remember that you did not let resale keep you from looking at a Sonata a while back before buying your Jetta--why the change of heart now? If I remember correctly, the only reason why you did not buy a Sonata then was because the supply was low at their introduction and you could not find one equipped the way you wanted. I would not think you would be very happy going from a Jetta 1.8T to an L-Series, but maybe you would. You ought to check out an Ion 3 with leather and sunroof--and maybe a 5-speed. I would think that would be a better move from a Jetta for you.

regfootball

but the L series has a nice interior especially with the 2003 updates.

The Ion.......well, some folks are ok with it and others are not.

bigdaddycoats

13057 folks liked it enough to buy one in March.

dindak

I see an ION on the road almost every day now, they must be selling as they are all different colors.

;-)

vuefor2

Nice to see sales pushing up. The Ion really is a nice little car in spite of what some say here and the sales/service experience can't be beat. Only bad thing about the higher sales is our car won't be as unique anymore.

vocus

You got me wayyy confused with someone else. I test drove a Sonata about 2 years ago, but never came close to buying one. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Hyundai, for the simple reason that their interior literally smells bad to me. It must be something they use on the cars, but the new ones literally give me a headache.

I was thinking about trimming my expenses and going from the Jetta to the L, but the amount of $ lost would not be worth it.

In the past, I traded cars often, so one year depreciation was important to me. Honda's resale isn't #1 BTW, VW's is. I like the Jetta alot that I have though, and don't plan to trade it in anytime soon.

uga91

Glad to see the sales almost double from February to March. I'm happy to say that I played a small part in that! ;-)

uga91

You are in Maryland, right? Maybe I do have you confused because now that I think about it, I think the other guy was in Florida. Maybe I had you confused because you visit the Elantra thread a lot, don't you? Maybe that is where I remember you from. Sorry if this caused you any inconvenience!

vocus

Nah, it's fine. People get confused all the time. I do visit alot of threads on Edmunds, and the Elantra thread is one of them. The car got me intrigued when Edmunds did a long-term test on the car about a year or so ago.

saturnfreak01

" would guess that the L has almost the worst depreciation of any midsize sedan"

  I wouldn't count on it.. don't forget about the aging chevy malibu with hundreds of thousands out there... also, ALERO, Intriuge, any olds has to be at the bottom of the barrel.. Quality issues and its pending death combined with 0% to move those rocks are to blame.

saturnfreak01

Compared to this time last year.. Saturn sales are up 37% overall. VUE sales are up 116% compared to this time last year.. ION sales nearly doubled compared to february sales... Sales of the redesigned L-Series cars are up 20.8% for the first three months of 2003..

link.. http://www.saturnfans.com/Company/2003/march03sales.shtml

regfootball

finally Saturn has learned its not their cars, its the incentives. Put an incentive on a car and watch it fly.

Might be time for me to go buy that Ion now. Does the loyalty and GM card incentives still apply for April>?

saturnfreak01

"Does the loyalty and GM card incentives still apply for April>?"

   Good question.. unfortunately I am not sure but I would suspect the loyalty rebate would still apply.. as far as the GM card points that would be something to check with your local friendly Saturn retailer..

Better yet, why not give Saturn a call to find out for sure.. 1-800-553-6000

regfootball

yeah, maybe they can tell me the bolt pattern and offset for when I go buy some nice looking wheels.

uga91

I think the $1000 owner loyalty rebate is dead. I checked the web site for my dealer (saturnofgwinnett.com) and went to the specials. Last month, the owner loyalty rebate was listed among them. Now, there is no listing. It said the Ion does have either 0% APR or $2000 in down payment assistance. So, it's not even a rebate--sounds like you must assign it to the Saturn dealer instead of keeping it yourself like a true rebate would be. I'm glad I did not wait!

dindak

saturnfreak : Around here, the L has pretty much the worst re-sale. Alero and Intrigue are no where near as bad. It's not a big deal though, L has bigger discounts so you paid less also. I'm not saying it's a bad car, I like it.

vocus : I doubt I would ever buy a Hyundai either. They just have a discount feel to them. It's like buying a good looking golf shirt at Walmart that says BUM on it.

usaf52

There are plenty of Malibus out there, but Malibu has improved steadily since it's inception several years ago. The 2001 and later models are actually very reliable and with the rebate, a great buy for the money. V-6 plus.

regfootball

The Saturn L is so much classier than the current Malibu. Plus, its v6 engine is quite superior to the Malibu v6. In most cases I would even prefer the Saturn 4 cylinder over the Bu v6.

usaf52

This is a mountain area, and the township has 15 Malibus in it's fleet. The V-6 is potent in this hilly area. The Saturn 4 is a bit wheezy in this terrain, and the nearest Saturn dealer is 120 miles away.

dindak

I've driven the 3.1L Malibu and I was surprised how nice the V6 was. Very smooth on peppy. I thought the suspension was a bit soft but I like very firm and it wasn't any worse than any other Camry you might drive. Over all the current Bu is an awesome value for the $$, better than the L-series IMO.

vuefor2

usaf52 ::: I drove a malibu as a rental once. It was fine. I liked it better than the L-series we test drove when we bought the Ion.

uga91 ::: I think the $1000 loyalty deal is over. No mention of it in the Saturn newspaper ads anymore.

dunworth

Both of these cars drive well, but the Malibu has one of those truly cheap looking interiors. I get them as rentals all the time. I hate the skinny steering wheel and shift lever that looks like an upsidedown golf club. The Alero is much nicer as is the L series Saturn. I personally do not like the styling of the Grand Am - too bad they are killing the Alero version instead of the "cladmate" special.

Speaking of Hyundai - I will prefer a Sonata over a Malibu anyday.I know we do not have too many Hyundai fans here but they do make nice affordable cars.

Ofcourse you can't ignore the incredible deals to be had from the Big 3. The Malibu was available at one point recently for just around CDN$ 21K plus tax and frieght - less than the Corolla LE!

alpha01

The Hyundais of late have been quite impressive, IMO. The Santa Fe, Sonata, Elantra, and Tib especially. Materials quality is improved, and the fit and finish seems right up there with the best. I test drove an Elantra when deciding on a new small car, and was pleased. The ION's materials and fit and finish were not even close, in fact, after sitting in the car in the showroom, I chose not to waste the dealers time by test driving one- I knew the car wasnt for me.

~alpha

dindak

I've seen cash prices in Toronto advertising well equipped Malibus for C$19500. Even with the cash backs you can't get a L100 for anywhere near that.

regfootball

Saturn L's here for not much more than 15k USD>

dunworth

Wow $19500 for a Malibu - is that new/miled out/ or 2002 leftover? That is cheap.

What is the cheapest Saturn Ion anyone has seen with all rebates?

dindak

GM corporate ads in the paper show the Bu at C$19695 cash price. $500 extra is no big deal, you should be able to get more off. Here is the link...

http://www.gmcanada.com/NASApp/offersearch/OfferDetailsServlet?oi- d=32540&lang=en&pc=L6M2Z6&f=1&showminimal=&sh- owOnly=

regfootball

admittedly some ads for malibus at 13.5k here, but even if they were 10 grand I just wouldn't want one. too dull.

dunworth

dindak: good link thanks

regfootball: Amen to that. Life is too short to drive cars that dull and bland looking.

I saw the new 2004 Malibu at the autoshow. At a quick glance, it has the same basic profile as the old one (sadly) but has a good looking interior and is built on a world class platform and of course a great powertrain. Quite pleasant overall. It won't pry any Camry/Accord owners away, but I think GM has a winner on their hands with this one for the GM diehards (like me).

Oh BTW I saw a white Ion (probably a 1) the other day and I thought it looked great. I have also seen one in a beautiful light blue colour. Both were seen from a distance. This exterior of this car is really starting to grow on me (like mold?).

dindak

With the prices of Accord climbing higher each year, don't be surprised to see the 04 Malibu steal some buyers looking for a solid car at a lower price.

uga91

That light blue was probably the silver-blue that I have. I like the color very much--and it hides pollen pretty well also!

uga91

I had never seen another Ion on the road until yesterday (not counting mine of course). Then, yesterday--10 days after buying mine--I saw another silver-blue Ion and later a cranberry one. Maybe they will start showing up more often as sales seem to be coming up.

vocus

I see them on the road more around here than the Mazda6...

uga91

I have only seen one 6 on the road ever. I wonder why we never see them, either? With all the advertising and good press, you'd think they would be everywhere. It must be their price vs. Accord and Camry. It will be interesting to see if Saturn beats March sales figures after removing some incentives. I hope they get stronger.

regfootball

its not the exterior of the Ion that repulses me anymore, but the interior. still could stand to be fixed though.

I played on phototshop one night with a side profile of an ion to see what could be done to fix its looks. Some intersting results, but I am so bad at photoshop I don't think I will post anything.

uga91

IS the center IP bothering you that much? Maybe I'm not as picky as most. Maybe I'm too ignorant to know what I'm looking at. However, I have absolutely no problem with the interior. Sure, it takes a little getting used to to use the center IP--but I don't hate it. I think it makes for a little "uniqueness" and that more car companies need to try. There is nothing wrong with trying something different. I will admit that the cloth seats of the 3 is one thing that drove us to the 2 instead. Have you sat in a 2? IMO, it is just fine, but then again what would you expect an Ion owner to say?

uga91

One other thing--I think the key word of your post is "anymore." You are getting accustomed to the Ion and you are trying to convince yourself that you still don't like them even though you are starting to so you have shifted your focus to the inside. Of course, that's just my opinion--I could be wrong.

dunworth

uga91: So what colours are in the inside of your silver blue Ion? The European stuff often comes with a light tan (leather) interior with that colour on the exterior. I saw a Jaguar on the weekend in that combo - it looks awesome.

dindak: The Accord and Camry are a bit pricey but I think their buyers are less price sensitive. Plus the new Japanese stuff is actually priced less than in previous years. Of course with the ever increasing incentives on the Big 3 stuff there is a growing differential.

I have seen several Mazda 6s in the Greater Toronto Area including in the suburb where I live. Here in Toronto, Mazda has priced it similarly to the Camry/Accord which is why it is probably not more popular. It is a beautiful car though.

dindak

C$26,000 for a well equipped 4 cyl Accord compared with about C$23000 for a similar Malibu LS with leather. Price wise, the Accord is getting out of hand IMO.

That said, this is an ION forum.

uga91 : Center pod is pretty cool IMO. I like it, it's unique.

regfootball

I am getting used to seeing the ION. The exterior is not a top choice for me but its not upsetting to me anymore like it used to be.

I have seen the Ion 3 in tan cloth and its an improvement over the gray Ion 1 and Ion 2. Even when I see a tan Ion 3 interior I just go back and look at a Protege or Corolla interior and the first thing that pops in my head is, why don't I like the Saturn even half as much.

While I could LIVE with center gauges, they just don't appeal to me in either looks or function, on the Ion. The steering wheel is the biggest offender in the Ion interior I think. The Ion 3 seat cloth is pretty good actually. The leather is nasty.

savannahlady

I have the ION3 and I love the cloth on the seats. As a matter of fact they had to repaint my front quarter panel on the passenger side of my car so they gave me a (2) to drive for a week, I hated the seats in it. The material felt like nylon or something the fabric felt like it had some type of coating on it.