thoughts on saturn ion 1

[Scot]

What are peoples thoughts on the 2004 Saturn Ion 1? Pros/Cons.

Is it really true that Saturn does not negotiate on price?

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Ham Radio U.S.A.]

I am also thinking of the ion and am really looking for the same info.

 

[marx404]

IMHO, being an older SL2 owner my 1st impression was that Saturn does listen
to it's customers. Many of the past issues of SL's were either changed or
fixed for the better. Case in point, more horsepower, better sound proofing
in the cabin and moving the PCM (main computer) from under the dash to under
the hood.

If a base car w/no frills, bells or whistles is your objective, then a level
1 is the car for you. If you need more then just the basics, then better
look at at a level 2. Have you been to a Saturn dealership and had a
knowledgeable salesman explain the 3 different levels of ION to you? Did
they also explain about the optional Travel Package, Safe and Sound Package,
Sport Package and Special Edition Packages?
Actually lots to choose from in a little cheap car.

There are some cons also that I have heard about. The Quad Coupe has more of
a blind spot over the sedan. The sides of the console between the seats can
be sharp on some models, if you get your hand stuck reaching for lost
change, some say. Personally, I notice a distinct road handling difference
between the base level and level 2's, but maybe that's me.

Basically, yes it is true that Saturn is "no hassle no haggle", they dont
play the "hit 'em high" negotiating game like others do. That's not to say
that everything is carved in stone either, within reason though. (sometimes
if you look around, you may find a level 2 or 3 at a sale price for whatever
reason)

Beyond that, it is an inexpensive roomy fun to drive car that is very low
maintenance.
Go find yourself a good dealership with a knowlegable sales consultant who
knows what the L he is doing and ION sure you will see the same point of
VUE. <grin>

(now I do expect mrfact to counter this with something silly so I can only
say this to you in advance: Use your OWN judgement. Go look for yourself,
drive one and see. Check out other sites like SaturnFans.com and SaturnSpot
and you will find many ION owners also, compare then decide if an ION is the
right car for you.)

marx404
www.saturnofstuart.com

 

[marx404]

please dont post in html here, use text instead. Your ISP can help you if
you dont know how to change it. Thanks.

marx404

 

[J]

IMHO, being an older SL2 owner my 1st impression was that Saturn does listen
to it's customers. Many of the past issues of SL's were either changed or
fixed for the better. Case in point, more horsepower, better sound proofing
in the cabin and moving the PCM (main computer) from under the dash to under
the hood.

If a base car w/no frills, bells or whistles is your objective, then a level
1 is the car for you. If you need more then just the basics, then better
look at at a level 2. Have you been to a Saturn dealership and had a
knowledgeable salesman explain the 3 different levels of ION to you? Did
they also explain about the optional Travel Package, Safe and Sound Package,
Sport Package and Special Edition Packages?
Actually lots to choose from in a little cheap car.

There are some cons also that I have heard about. The Quad Coupe has more of
a blind spot over the sedan.

The blind spots are horrible! I cannot weave in and out of traffic as I
used to. Tinted windows don't help, but they make the car look good. Also,
I cannot tell how close I am to the front bumper when I park or the rear
bumper when I back up because of the after market spoiler.

However, I love my car and would not trade it

 

[Blah blah]

The blind spots are horrible! I cannot weave in and out of traffic as I
used to. Tinted windows don't help, but they make the car look good. Also,
I cannot tell how close I am to the front bumper when I park or the rear
bumper when I back up because of the after market spoiler.

However, I love my car and would not trade it

I never liked the terms weaving in and out of traffic. Makes me think
of the morons I see on the road darting in and out infront of everyone
causing everyone to hit their brakes... Hope you dont do that!

The things I've noticed about the Ions (though I dont own one) are the
following-

-Blind spots inside (from rear pillars)
-Small Steering wheel
-Gages oddly located
-Engine noise (problem with all 4 cylinders)
-Hard seats

Some of those like hard seats, steering wheel, and engine noise would
apply to other cars in the same class like honda's and toyota's.
Personally I wouldnt mind owning an Ion. Easy oil changes make up for
most of that.

One tip I have though for any car is on how to adjust your side view
mirrors. To adjust your left, lean your head aganst your left window and
adjust it so just the very rear corner of your car is slightly in view.
Then lean the same amount to the right and repeat for the other mirror.
THAT is how you avoid a lot of blind spots. Most people adjust them
while sitting straight up with half their cars side in view. Big no no.

 

[J]

I never liked the terms weaving in and out of traffic. Makes me think
of the morons I see on the road darting in and out infront of everyone
causing everyone to hit their brakes... Hope you dont do that!

No, I go in and out to avoid the drivers who drive under the speed limit and
are in the
left lane when they should be in the right lane.

The things I've noticed about the Ions (though I dont own one) are the
following-

-Blind spots inside (from rear pillars)
-Small Steering wheel
-Gages oddly located
-Engine noise (problem with all 4 cylinders)
-Hard seats

Some of those like hard seats, steering wheel, and engine noise would
apply to other cars in the same class like honda's and toyota's.
Personally I wouldnt mind owning an Ion. Easy oil changes make up for
most of that.

It took me about 5 minutes to get used to the gauges, I don't mind them
there. As for the smaller s
steering wheel, it feels a lot more roomy in the driver seat, you're not so
enclosed in.

One tip I have though for any car is on how to adjust your side view
mirrors. To adjust your left, lean your head aganst your left window and
adjust it so just the very rear corner of your car is slightly in view.
Then lean the same amount to the right and repeat for the other mirror.
THAT is how you avoid a lot of blind spots. Most people adjust them
while sitting straight up with half their cars side in view. Big no no.

I should try mirror adjustment. That will let me see wide, but seeing
behind me is still a
pain in the rear with the big ass end on the car and the spoiler.

 

[marx404]

re; the blind spots:
mostly noticeable on the QC, not so much on the sedan. I do hope that they
redesign especially the seatbelt holder in the QC so that it is not in a
shorter person's rear peripheral vision when looking rearwards. Personally I
have experienced no blind spots with the sedan.

and the unique gauges:
well, yea they are definately different and take some getting used to. But
think of this: how many times do you check your right hand mirror when
driving? Notice that the guage cluster is the same alignment as the outside
mirrors. Now if you think that way and use it as such, you will very quickly
get used to the center gauges. Us Americans are quite conditioned to looking
down for our guages, europeans have been doing it for decades. If ya really
think of it, your left eye never really leaves the road. The horn buttons
could be placed a little bit more outwards though, like they were in the SL.

marx404

 

[Blah blah]

and the unique gauges:
well, yea they are definately different and take some getting used to. But
think of this: how many times do you check your right hand mirror when
driving? Notice that the guage cluster is the same alignment as the outside
mirrors. Now if you think that way and use it as such, you will very quickly
get used to the center gauges. Us Americans are quite conditioned to looking
down for our guages, europeans have been doing it for decades. If ya really
think of it, your left eye never really leaves the road. The horn buttons
could be placed a little bit more outwards though, like they were in the SL.

marx404

I used to have a HUD and that was by far the best thing to have but
thats out of saturns range. I think the thought in placing it to the
right has to do with wheel blockage since its such a small wheel. But
then again most people dont know what gages are. I've seen a number of
people put toys, photos, stuffed bears, and a number of other bs in
front of their gages... Yeah ok that stuffed bear is more important than
your engine temperature gage and who needs to know their oil pressure
when a photo of Scruffy the family dog is there gaurding it.

{:-|

 

[richard hornsby]

I've seen a number of
people put toys, photos, stuffed bears, and a number of other bs in
front of their gages... Yeah ok that stuffed bear is more important than
your engine temperature gage and who needs to know their oil pressure
when a photo of Scruffy the family dog is there gaurding it.

No kidding! Years ago, I tried driving my sister's car a few times and
always ended up with a stack of things in the front seat I'd that I'd
taken off the instrument panel (covering everything including most of
the speedometer) and the dashboard. Trying to explain the purpose of
the gauges was an excersize in futility. Odd considering that she's now
married to a military pilot - but there isn't crap on her instrument
panel anymore.

 

[Warren]

All in all it is a satisfying vehicle. All true about blindspots and gauges
in the center (although Saturn is not the first to do it. There were other
vehicles in the past that have done that.) It took me awhile to get used to,
but I like it. The only odd thing is driving at night and being used to
having that dashboard light on the driver's side - which is now quite dark!
But who needs that little bit of light in any particular area when driving
at night anyways? (As long as it's on the gauges!) I do see where the
smaller steering wheel had to force the change, but I also wonder if it
prevents tons of retooling for the cars they sell with right hand drive.
Interesting points are no oilpan (it's cast as part of the block) and oil
filter access from the top (these are things I learned from the wonderful
people in this group for when I first changed mine.) I am rather sad that
Saturn is becoming more integrated into GM, and I feel it may lose it's
individuality - one of many reasons why I drive one. Many GM models now have
the 2.2L Ecotec and VTi transmission, and now that Saturn Ion will share a
platform, it will be similar to other GM models from different divisions.
(The Camaro/Firebird; Cavalier/Sunfire; etc. etc. etc. syndrome.) It was
great having a motor unique to Saturn and tranny / automotive computer
technologies that were also unique to the make. It is interesting to note
that the QuadCoupe design did come from an early Sunfire (circa 1990)
prototype, however.

 

[Steve]

IMHO, being an older SL2 owner my 1st impression was that Saturn does listen
to it's customers. Many of the past issues of SL's were either changed or
fixed for the better. Case in point, more horsepower, better sound proofing
in the cabin and moving the PCM (main computer) from under the dash to under
the hood.

If a base car w/no frills, bells or whistles is your objective, then a level
1 is the car for you. If you need more then just the basics, then better
look at at a level 2. Have you been to a Saturn dealership and had a
knowledgeable salesman explain the 3 different levels of ION to you? Did
they also explain about the optional Travel Package, Safe and Sound Package,
Sport Package and Special Edition Packages?
Actually lots to choose from in a little cheap car.

There are some cons also that I have heard about. The Quad Coupe has more of
a blind spot over the sedan. The sides of the console between the seats can
be sharp on some models, if you get your hand stuck reaching for lost
change, some say. Personally, I notice a distinct road handling difference
between the base level and level 2's, but maybe that's me.

Basically, yes it is true that Saturn is "no hassle no haggle", they dont
play the "hit 'em high" negotiating game like others do. That's not to say
that everything is carved in stone either, within reason though. (sometimes
if you look around, you may find a level 2 or 3 at a sale price for whatever
reason)

Beyond that, it is an inexpensive roomy fun to drive car that is very low
maintenance.
Go find yourself a good dealership with a knowlegable sales consultant who
knows what the L he is doing and ION sure you will see the same point of
VUE. <grin>

(now I do expect mrfact to counter this with something silly so I can only
say this to you in advance: Use your OWN judgement. Go look for yourself,
drive one and see. Check out other sites like SaturnFans.com and SaturnSpot
and you will find many ION owners also, compare then decide if an ION is the
right car for you.)

marx404
www.saturnofstuart.com

....Looks like good advice to me.
....In addition, I would suggest you check out:
* other posts in this group about Ions (Google Groups can do a search if
your news reader can't)
* _Consumer Reports_ articles, especially the latest annual customer
feedback (sorry, I forget the article name and month in which it's
published -- you should be able to find it by looking in the year-to-date
index at the back of any issue of the magazine)

 

[Blah blah]

I am rather sad that
Saturn is becoming more integrated into GM, and I feel it may lose it's
individuality - one of many reasons why I drive one.

Nothing wrong with motors coming from GM. GM runs engine lines for
decades it seems like before doing major changes which makes finding
parts easy and prices of parts very inexpensive. All of Saturns other
motors came from ten buck two. I'm happy they finally went with a GM
motor for once.

1.9L British?
3.0L Opel?
3.5L Honda?
2.2L GM Global!

The ecotec is by far the best designed and thought out engine ever put
in a Saturn. I say its a far better 4 cylinder than any Asian 4 banger.
They cant keep anything long enough on the market before they drop it
for who knows what else. We design engines to be mantained regularly and
last well past 3 years, they design engines to last 3 years until
relicensing a car over there forces you to buy a new car. I mean we all
know what a small block chevy is, a 3800, and a northstar but what the
hell is a Q23 or what have ya in the asian makes...

 

[EDeneen]

Unlike some of these folks, I own one, just bought a new Ion 1, see my post on
gripes. Mostly the AC is weak and the seats are cheesey. The steeering wheel
is still too small and the arm rest is mounted too low. Otherwise, I like it.
Needs some better tires... Fast, inexpensive, fun to drive, great on gas-
that's why I bought it. (plus my old saturn was very reliable with low
maintenance)
E

 

[Jonnie Santos]

Small point - the 1900 in the S is all American from all I've read. It was
the 4 banger in the L prior to the Ecotech that was the English... I keep
hearing good stuff about the Ecotech too (which is encouraging).

 

[Warren]

Oh, don't get me wrong - I really like the Ecotech...but I also recall the
days before General Motors (among others) swapped engines among their
divisions. It made each compete to make better, faster and very
individualized motors for their products. (Albeit some designs were not that
great...and disappeared fast...) Still, the competition made each make
unique for that particular division's patrons. Once upon a time, choices
were made based on the entire package, whereas today it will probably be
more based on design and aesthetic appeal.

To be able to avoid the parts monopoly is a good thing (so one can't get
price gouged by a particular maker). The Ecotech seems to be a very, very
fine powersource that is engineered very well.

I guess one (of still many) things that Saturn has going for them is their
unique body panels. I like that...but everybody I work with wants to kick my
car to test out what the commercials say...

 

[Blah blah]

Oh, don't get me wrong - I really like the Ecotech...but I also recall the
days before General Motors (among others) swapped engines among their
divisions. It made each compete to make better, faster and very
individualized motors for their products. (Albeit some designs were not that
great...and disappeared fast...) Still, the competition made each make
unique for that particular division's patrons. Once upon a time, choices
were made based on the entire package, whereas today it will probably be
more based on design and aesthetic appeal.

Sadly thos days are gone. They had to go when asia flooded the market
with their makes. People say that Asian cars are good for the car
industry because they increase competition. I say the competition was
already here and they killed it. No longer Pontiac vs Chevy vs Mopar vs
etc. Now its Domestic vs Import and GM and Ford had to team up to help
compete.

To be able to avoid the parts monopoly is a good thing (so one can't get
price gouged by a particular maker). The Ecotech seems to be a very, very
fine powersource that is engineered very well.

Lets hope so, I've only heard of one ecotec that had a timing chain jump
time. Often I feel that these engines that are engineered all over the
place might not work right. Like someone else changes someone elses
design and weakens something or something doesnt fit right... So far
that doesnt seem to be the case here. The case here might be that
someone catches someone elses mistakes.

I guess one (of still many) things that Saturn has going for them is their
unique body panels. I like that...but everybody I work with wants to kick my
car to test out what the commercials say...

Thats when you say as you're walking over to their car "See here your
car isnt like that!" THUD

 

[Blah blah]

Small point - the 1900 in the S is all American from all I've read. It was
the 4 banger in the L prior to the Ecotech that was the English... I keep
hearing good stuff about the Ecotech too (which is encouraging).

Odd... Maybe the Twincam is made in one country and the single cam is
made in the other. Like how the ecotec is done. The basic engine is made
in 3 different locations but the supercharged version is only made in
Germany. GM powertrain gives build locations on current engines but the
saturn motors were never listed on it.

 

[Warren]

Thats when you say as you're walking over to their car "See here your
car isnt like that!" THUD

LOL!...Love it...

 

[Tom Ayers]

Unlike some of these folks, I own one, just bought a new Ion 1, see my post on
gripes. Mostly the AC is weak <snip>

I have a black Ion 1 and live in the Southern California desert. A
typical summer day will be around 105 in the shade. My AC will take the
car from intolerable heat to the point where it will freeze you out of
the car in about ten minutes.

You might want to have yours checked.

Tom