Yep, the new Max and the Ion both have that same unattractive rear roofline. The Max is a big disappointment to me, with the flying buttress C-pillars and the goofy long-and-skinny sunroof. Instead of being "edgy", it went right over the edge and off the cliff.
Dindak, please don't compare the Malibu and Accord, they aren't even in the same league. How many Accord buyers do you think even considered a Malibu? My guess: 0.
Saw a (still rare for these parts) Ion in the mall parking lot today, dark red with gray roof rail inserts. Ugh.
"""Dindak, please don't compare the Malibu and Accord, they aren't even in the same league. How many Accord buyers do you think even considered a Malibu? My guess: 0.""""
I do not believe dindak was comparing the current Malibu to the new 2003 Accord... As dindaks statement pasted below implies, the all new 2004 Malibu is a more serious competitor for the latest edition of the Accord.. and being that the Malibu will most likely sell for a couple thousand less it may very well make a few converts. Personally, I wouldn't buy any american car besides a Saturn.
"""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.""" "
Actually, friends of ours traded in their early 80's Accord for a 02 Malibu last year. It happens more than you think as the Accord is not cheap these days.
That said, I'm referring mostly to the 04 Malibu, not the current model.
well the 2004 accord is in ample supply here with 179 a month leases.......and base price is good. At least as far as the leasing market, chevy can't come close to matching that.
I received the little Quad Coupe "Hot Wheels" car in the mail yesterday from Saturn, along with a brochure. I had asked for information on Saturn's website a month or two ago.
"Spring 2003" was about as specific as the brochure got in terms of QC availability, though. And there was no indication of how its MSRP will compare to that of the sedan.
maybe not, but you can't unilaterally say its cheaper to drive a Chevy if the Honda is 100 bucks a month cheaper on the lease. Or if the Honda resale is much higher.
Not sure what the lease payments are where you live, but a Bu is definitely less up here / mo. The 0.9% lease rate and lower price more than off sets the higher resid on the Accord.
How do really feel about the Ion 2, I could not tell. I have absolutely no complaints with the seats in my 2. Maybe the peace of mind of knowing I have attractive alloy wheels makes my seats feel better. I'll think about it next time I'm in the car.
It's amazing how many people just look at the monthly payment. It's the most meaningless number in the world as it can be made into anything a car maker wants it to be with a variable down payment.
I remember trying to buy a car once and the only thing they talked about was the monthly. I walked out after about 5 minutes of that nonsense.
The local Mazda dealer did a lot of monthly payment talk also. One of the reasons I like Saturn, they are always fully up front about every charge and the price of everything. It's all in front of you on the computer.
Took the Ion to a friends house on the weekend. He had not seen an Ion before so he took it for a spin and liked it a lot. He said he wasn't crazy about the center IP but he could live with that. He liked the ride over all though.
Good point about Saturn being up front about all the charges. When I bought both of my Saturns, they had all the price stuff pre-printed. You can not beat the Saturn buying experience.
Some Toyota and Honda dealers over here are starting to go that route as a starting point for negotiation. It is especially helpful for people like me who always buy a car off the lot.
My wife and I saw a black Ion the other day around town. My wife loved it except for the charcoal texture roof rails. She did not like it the first time we saw it at the dealer. It must be growing on her too!
When I bought my Ion, I noticed a spot under the paint on the front passenger side quarter panel. The spot almost looked like a water bubble about the size of a pencil eraser, so they took the whole thing off sanded it and re-painted.
Uga91-- I wasn't being nasty, I just didn't care for the material in the 2 model, and I too like my alloy wheels. No need for sarcasm.
Good point. In Ontario Toyota did not roll out the Access Toyota program fortunately which is why cars were sometimes a couple of thousand cheaper here.
They tried to combine the Saturn experience with the existing system which did not always work for customers. Transaction prices were generally higher and some dealers allegedly told customers they were not allowed to negotiate.
Even without this Toyota has been working hard to improve the buying experience overall through nicer show rooms, better training of sales staff etc. We have had Toyota's in our family since the 1980s and I notice the improvement, although its not quite Saturn yet.
reg : Maybe Honda leases cars for less than Malibus there where you are, but no where else I've seen.
dunworth : Local Toyota and Chevrolet dealers is not great. Sales guys at both are all the old school types. I bought my Alero 30 kms down the highway in Etobicoke. Saturn dealer here is excellent though.
I hate dealers that do that! When a dealer asks me how much I would like my payment to be, I always tell him, 'as low as possible'. That always throws them.
Our local Toyota store wasn't too bad but they were still a bit slimey. Lots of added options and fees though they did say they would take them off and the fees could be slightly negotiable.
How did the car biz ever get to be the way it is I'll never understand. A Saturn really is a pleasure buy in comparison.
I have found that the best way to buy a car is to deal with the internet salesman. Also, be prepared to walk out the door if you don't like the offer they present.
for as long as I can remember I have always seen killer lease deals from Toyota. Hardly ever a time where you can't get a Camry for not much more than 200 a month.
I would guess most people on this board car about what they drive. I certainly wouldn't want to be seen driving a supped up pocket rocket with a big spoiler and performance stickers all over my car.
I care about what I drive, but I don't care about what other people think about what I drive. Since they don't make the payments on it, it's none of their damn business.
For the most part I do not care about what people say about my taste in most any situation.
But a spoiler on a street car, however well executed and quick the street car may be, is more of a statement maker than a useful accessory.
I like driving, and I like driving fast within reason. But I am not a race car driver, make a point to follow only the Indy 500 and LeMans auto race, and otherwise do not pay much attention to racing.
It is really great to see fans of auto racing express themselves with spoilers and the like. But it is not for me.
So while I may be real interested in a RedLine ION Coupe, I want mine a tad less bold looking.
I'd prefer to surprise someone at the light rather than to show off my power with tacky spoilers. That's just me, others can put what ever they want on their cars.
"Do you really care what other people think about you based on what you're driving? Just wondering...""
I think many people make a quick judgment of someone based on what they drive, often with out knowing it.
It goes with out saying that if you're out on the road and pull up next to a new Lexus LS 400 for example, it says intelligence, successful, powerful, $$$ etc.. For most of those that would be able to afford an LS400 through legal means would possess at least some of these qualities.
While you can't judge a book by its cover so to speak, it is done all the time.
I hope it does come with that SHOPPING CART Spoiler and do you think they will include those great looking alloys from the ION 3 ?? :-) Just kiddding I hope they dont "TOY " it out like that
SavanhaLady its to bad you needed to have some of your ION painted .Dealer body shops will never , never, never be able to prep and paint like a factory paint process or a shop that really cares :-( Flat rate put an end to quality work
My guess is that the spoiler shown in the photos is one of the spoiler options. In the press release it stated that there will be a variety of spoilers to choose from. It would seem unlikely that the one shown would be standard - a little over the top.
I should hope a spoiler like that would be optional. The one thing I hate about performance packages,is that often you have to get something you don,t want to get the performance.I can not stand the look of most ground effect packages or spoilers.It is good to see Saturn get into the performance field. I'd like to see makers take a cue from Ferrari when it comes to sporty cars. On one of their sportiest models they have three versions. The only one with the large spoiler is the one that is built to race.It seems to me like a lot of space between the redline and the stock Ion. Maybe they have it right. I guess I would prefer the stock Ion.I am a handling freak, but the roads around me are so bad I wouldn't want anything under 55 series tire. So with limited resources I guess it makes sense to go performance model or standard. I like clean styling. I have seen aporty cars with the side effect panels and chin spoilers falling off. The fewer added bits of trim, the less stuff to fall off the car.
A VP where I work drives a 98 Elantra. I don't think he cares what people think. Maybe he'll have the last laugh if he gets mortgage free and retired way earlier than the guy next to him who spends 50% of his annual income on cars every 3 years.
Comments
~alpha
I agree.
Dindak, please don't compare the Malibu and Accord, they aren't even in the same league. How many Accord buyers do you think even considered a Malibu? My guess: 0.
Saw a (still rare for these parts) Ion in the mall parking lot today, dark red with gray roof rail inserts. Ugh.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
I do not believe dindak was comparing the current Malibu to the new 2003 Accord... As dindaks statement pasted below implies, the all new 2004 Malibu is a more serious competitor for the latest edition of the Accord.. and being that the Malibu will most likely sell for a couple thousand less it may very well make a few converts. Personally, I wouldn't buy any american car besides a Saturn.
"""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.""" "
That said, I'm referring mostly to the 04 Malibu, not the current model.
"Spring 2003" was about as specific as the brochure got in terms of QC availability, though. And there was no indication of how its MSRP will compare to that of the sedan.
Back to the ION.....................
The BOLD print giveth and the FINE print taketh away!
One at this price
5000 due at signing
60 months at 12K a year with a 700+ FICO required
Remember folks if its sounds too good to be true (Say it with me now) it probably is!
I remember trying to buy a car once and the only thing they talked about was the monthly. I walked out after about 5 minutes of that nonsense.
Took the Ion to a friends house on the weekend. He had not seen an Ion before so he took it for a spin and liked it a lot. He said he wasn't crazy about the center IP but he could live with that. He liked the ride over all though.
Some Toyota and Honda dealers over here are starting to go that route as a starting point for negotiation. It is especially helpful for people like me who always buy a car off the lot.
My wife and I saw a black Ion the other day around town. My wife loved it except for the charcoal texture roof rails. She did not like it the first time we saw it at the dealer. It must be growing on her too!
Uga91-- I wasn't being nasty, I just didn't care for the material in the 2 model, and I too like my alloy wheels. No need for sarcasm.
the civic leases avialable lately are like 1200 down and 139 a month.
not 5000 down in fine print. get off your horse, it just got shot. Honda can offer deals like that occasionally because the Hondas hold their value.
They tried to combine the Saturn experience with the existing system which did not always work for customers. Transaction prices were generally higher and some dealers allegedly told customers they were not allowed to negotiate.
Even without this Toyota has been working hard to improve the buying experience overall through nicer show rooms, better training of sales staff etc. We have had Toyota's in our family since the 1980s and I notice the improvement, although its not quite Saturn yet.
dunworth : Local Toyota and Chevrolet dealers is not great. Sales guys at both are all the old school types. I bought my Alero 30 kms down the highway in Etobicoke. Saturn dealer here is excellent though.
How did the car biz ever get to be the way it is I'll never understand. A Saturn really is a pleasure buy in comparison.
I wish GM never traded for those engines though. They should put their own 3.6L in the Red Line VUE instead.
New fascias, yeah baby. get rid of the frumpy face.
It will have to duke it out with the Neon SRT.
Hope they don't overprice it.
Saturn has always been very good with product flexibility. I am sure there will be a delete option.
But a spoiler on a street car, however well executed and quick the street car may be, is more of a statement maker than a useful accessory.
I like driving, and I like driving fast within reason. But I am not a race car driver, make a point to follow only the Indy 500 and LeMans auto race, and otherwise do not pay much attention to racing.
It is really great to see fans of auto racing express themselves with spoilers and the like. But it is not for me.
So while I may be real interested in a RedLine ION Coupe, I want mine a tad less bold looking.
I think many people make a quick judgment of someone based on what they drive, often with out knowing it.
It goes with out saying that if you're out on the road and pull up next to a new Lexus LS 400 for example, it says intelligence, successful, powerful, $$$ etc.. For most of those that would be able to afford an LS400 through legal means would possess at least some of these qualities.
While you can't judge a book by its cover so to speak, it is done all the time.
SavanhaLady its to bad you needed to have some of your ION painted .Dealer body shops will never , never, never be able to prep and paint like a factory paint process or a shop that really cares :-( Flat rate put an end to quality work
I wonder if there will be a Red Line Ion sedan also?
According to this article the Red Line ION will get a larger steering wheel that will eventually be on all IONs. That is a good thing!