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There are no shortage of outlandish statements made on these boards but this one has to be near the top. Yes, BMWs have the purest steering of them all but that doesn't mean the steering on Audis and Mercedes is chop liver. The steering feel of cars such as the Impala and G6 are hardly on par with an Audi A4.
I don't know that I've ever known Audi's to be praised for steering. With the exception of the RS or S car, Audis are more cruisers than sports sedans.
I missed those reviews about the Alero having exceptional steering.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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I checked out an Aura XR today to see what the interior was about and the armrest issue wasnt that major to me. It seemed kind of rubbery but the material seemed designed for long term wear, not softness. It would've been nice to have leather on it but leather in that position gets very dirty and worn over the years. Just check out a car that is more than 5 years old with leather there to see what I mean. I do not like the fake wood, but other than that the interior seems fine to me. Contrary to some reviews, the backseat did not seem low and uncomfortable to me.
Like you mentioned, I don't like the fake wood, but that goes for every car I've ever been in with fake wood, I don't like any of it, whether it's in a Saturn or a Toyota.
I'm beginning to wonder if anyone is noticing the Aura. This board is pretty quiet and my local dealer that I drive by daily has had the same units (at least it looks that way) sitting out for 3 weeks and I've yet to see anyone stop to look other than me.
I don't like fake wood either. I'm not even too hot on real wood. I really hate it when it's on the steering wheel. I prefer real aluminum trim myself.
I saw a XR model on the road yesterday, it was the first Aura I have seen on the streets.
It is interesting to compare all new Detroit iron. But instead journalists time after time compare different (or even same) iterations of Porsche, M3, AMG, Corvette and Mustang - something that most people cannot afford. I think thats because they test it for free. I would suggest premium manufacturers to ask price for testing expensive cars so journalists choose next time practical cars.
The 0-60 number seems on the slow side. The XR I test drove seemed quicker than that, but "seat of the pants" tests generally aren't accurate. One thing to consider is the Aura is heavier than most of the competition. Also, I don't know where MT does their testing, but elevation, temp, and humidity can have a big effect on performance.
I haven't received the latest MT issue in the mail yet, so I'm anxious to get it.
That does seem slow, but I've test drove one and that doesn't suprise me. Obviously I couldn't run thru a slalom course, but I did take a set of tight S curves which left me disapointed with the handling. Nimble it is not.
Assuming MT did a 600 ft slalom. The 300c turned in a 63.2 mph run. VW Jetta 64.5 and a Altima SE at 63.1. If 58mph is correct, that is sad. Particularly, since according to MT a Nissan Xterra posted a 59.5 mph speed.
Interior looks beautiful, esp gauges and center stack. Center stack has more upscale design than in Milan/Fusion. Did not have any problem with fake wood – looks pretty nice. But armrests both central and door feel cheap. Door panel looks like stitched brown leather but is made from hard plastic with cheap kind of texture and flimsy feel. Reminds me notorious Nissan Altima in this aspect. I could imagine how upscale interior would feel if they used soft materials. Center armrest has a good design and slides forward like in Accord. But in Accord it is made from leather or soft material. In Aura it is again cheap looking hard plastic even in $30K top of line trim. Lower half of dashboard is hard plastic also. It is not acceptable - for this kind if money I can buy Accord/Camry with good quality leather and soft materials all over the place. I don’t know how Saturn came with these lapses, are they stupid or what? For some people it may be a deal killer. It should be better than Accord. Honda is a base brand and Saturn is kind of upscale GM brand to compete with VW and it is not up to VW standards in interior quality.
Fusion/Milan do not have these issues. Leather quality is good, armrests feel good, there is nice looking armrest also in the back on the car and I suspect they ride and steer better that Aura. But I like more center stack and steering wheel design in Aura. And probably Aura has better engine.
Audio system quality did not impress me, but it is a different story. First they need to fix problem with hard plastic.
I also sat in Saturn Sky. It is a beautiful car – outside and inside. Interior is pretty upscale and sitting there feels much better than in Pontiac Solstice. I would like to have this kind of car in my garage esp with 2.0L turbo engine.
Soooooo .... is there any way to circumvent Saturn's no haggle BS and haggle? Are dealers receptive to it if I undercut the sticker by a good amount? Might have to wait until the initial buzz burns off, but to Saturn dealers dicker???
Just wanna know ... because on the way home I saw a Sky and me like it!
R&T was very impressed with the car inside and out, they had no negative comments about the interior unlike C&D who said it was cheap AND poorly assembled. I dont really trust C&D that much so I wasnt surprised. No other magazine said the vehicle was poorly assembled and my experience supports that. They dont like anything GM makes except the Vette. They also ranked the Escalade behind the 3 year old QX56 in the same issue so that verified they are crazy.
Maybe build quality is spotty here and there. After driving an XR model, I would agree with what C&D says. Plus the unit I drove already had squeaks in the dash. Way to go GM.
I still find GM to be lacking in so many areas I don't know where to start. Before you call me a GM basher, I do own a Suburban. With all the problems I've had with this piece of crap, I have plenty of reasons to bash GM.
Are you trying to be funny?
I wish I was. My Suburban is just one of several GM vehicles I've owned that has been disappointing in regards to build quality, reliability, and performance.
Now back to the Aura. Overall, I do like the car. I just wish for once, GM would go all out and produce a great car. Instead they produced a good one, but for GM I guess that is great.
You make a good point, but I don't like the idea of saying I'll never buy one of those (insert mfg) again. I try to keep an open mind. That's why I test drove the Aura. We are in the market for a car. I want the car I like the best for a given amount of cash. The Aura has had my interest since I first read about it. Plus, my wife had a Saturn SL2 back in college which she like quite a bit. So I know she'd like another Saturn. So it's still in the running, but the lack of a manual trans is a big issue.
We ran the range of cars from a New Beetle Convertible to a Top Banana Dodge Charger while we were looking. Our minds were fairly open on what our daily runner might be. I realize these cars are in completely different classes etc.
The convertible, too small for the kids and a pain on a daily basis with only 2 doors. The Accord and Camry, i would find it hard to go wrong with either, we just wanted to try something a little different. The 4 cyl versions have adequate power and get great MPG. The Dodge Charger was a favorite with the Hemi, but the cost with options was going up quickly. And we already have 2 V-8's, no need for a third.
One thing that I did take into consideration is where the car was built. I live in the Kansas City area where the Aura is manufactured and thought it would be nice to buy a car built by people I live near. (My Ford F-150 is also built locally)
The features on the XR are pretty impressive for a car that runs $27,000 and the engine is a nice trade off in power vs. MPG. I really like the styling of the car and agree that there is room for improvement to the interior. Not as nice as a previous TL we have owned, but also some $5-7,000 less expensive as well. My biggest gripe is that the cover over the drink holder area is about impossible to latch.
The unit I test drove was the same way. I figure if we were to buy the car, the cover for the drink holder would just have to stay open. Like you mentioned it is difficult to get it to latch. If that was the best GM could come up with, they should have just skipped the pull out cover.
Congrats on your purchase.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
Hoping to test in the next few weeks when time permits.
I have no issues with using cheap materials in base models. Toyota does it a lot. But on top of line everything must be perfect. Just like in Accord or Camry XLE.
Saturn is considered as premium brand by GM - just like Buick. So saving on interior is not an option.
Ho Ho Ho. That's a good one.
Thanks for making my day!
Seriously, anyone who thinks GM considers Saturn a premium brand is buying too much of what Mr. Lutz said at first when he came on board. Buicks are priced the way they are and Saturns are not priced anywhere near what a Buick is.
I like GM. I have owned several GM products. But Saturn is in no way a premium brand. Just the warranty alone proves that.
Chevy is bad, Saturn is okay and Buick is cool
The price says everything.
As far as I know the Camry XLE has the same interior as the base Camry except for Wood look and leather.
I have also read (I have not been in one yet) that the Aura interior is top notch. There are some issues such as a poorly engineered cup holder cover (but looks premium) and some kind of armrest issue which I need to figure out yet. Hopefully the team is getting whipped with wet noodles and fixing these issue. The cupholder door is one that they should never had let out of the plant.
1. Console/cup holder – The overall effect is not one of solid luxury, but I actually like the sliding door over the cupholders. On mine it works reasonably well, is kind of fun to use, and looks better than the open cupholders. The console has two compartments and the sliding top is trick, too.
2. Door panels – The appearance of these is a very slight disappointment, but the tactile effect is a little more disappointing. I don’t think anything here is going to break, but there is a slight flimsiness to the armrest that is not pleasant. I would not have molded the fake stitching on and would have spent a little more to make the armrest feel sturdier-after all you touch this every day.
3. Steering – Some people said it is too stiff, others too light at low speeds. I’m going with the Goldilocks opinion that it is just right – a big improvement over the electric steering in the 2004 Malibu my wife had.
4. Ride/handling – surprisingly supple ride for an Epsilon with 18” wheels. Terrific grip and response on corners. I will enjoy driving this car.
5. Powertrain – Absolutely world class. To have this engine and transmission in a $26m car is amazing. I was anxious to try the 6-speed auto and it really provides an almost seamless transfer of power.
At this price, you are not getting entry-level luxury, but I think the car compares favorably in most aspects with vehicles costing thousands more. It certainly is more interesting than anything in its price range, such as the Camcord and Fusion/Milan.
The interiors of Accords and Camrys changes very little depending on model. The only thing you may get in upper models is fake wood and better color choices, that's about it. The interior of a $22k camry is about the same as a loaded XLE camry. This is no diffferent than the Aura. I think the Morocco Brown interior makes the Aura XE look more upscale than the Accord, Fusion, Altima, etc.
Saturn is not premium.
GM's new warranty is making the Aura look better than ever.
PS. When is edmunds going to post an Aura review? They are the last to test this car. I dont get why every GM car is late on Edmunds.
I know the dash is soft in my wifes Ford 500 and it looks and feels extremely cheap.
That said, the only interior bits in the Aura I found to be cheap were the hard ones.
I sure the extra warranty will help, but I wouldn't pick a car just for the warranty. If I were considering two different cars and liked them the same, the warranty would be a factor.
I can agree but if the difference is between 60k and 100k and I drive alot then it could make a big difference.
Aura costs more than Camcord or Fusion - I believe there is no Aura for $17,000, while you can buy Ford and Camcord.
Saturn has dealership experience of the luxury brand so turning it into a premium marque is not such a bad idea and it will certainly work over time. You can charge more for premium quality. GM will gradually change Saturn’s image. Because Saturn is a relatively new brand it is easier to change image than for something like Oldsmobile (which Saturn replaces btw).
Buick is all about big American style cars and Saturn is a maker of smaller cars with European feel. So they complement each other.
Buick does make a large car (Lucerne) but the LaCrosse is not that much bigger (than Aura) and the next one will be on the EPS II architecture.
GM has basically 4 different "marques" now. With 25% of the US market they can do this but if they lose more market share some will have to go.
Chevrolet
Saturn
Pontiac/Buick/GMC
Cadillac/Hummer/Saab