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Used SW2 or SW1; Buying advice
I am thinking about looking for a good used Saturn wagon. I really
like the LW2 but that may not be in my budget and the SW should get better gas milage. I have a fair amount of car buying experience but what special problems should I be aware of in searching for a SW wagon? I recall that early Saturns had some serious problems with oil consumption. What years was this a problem? I am hoping to find a 1997 or later car. Was the problem fixed and if so by what model year? I definitely want a 5 speed but I have heard of manual transmissions problems. Is this true and if so what years are best/worst? I love the plastic body panels but do Saturns have any corrosion issues with their space frames? If so, how do I check? How long do the timing chains last? Are they difficult/expensive to repair? How about clutches? Did Saturn offer any type of a sport suspenion on the SW? What type of fuel economy are people getting on their SW1s or SW2s? I notice a fair variation in published fuel economy for SWs, what years are best? I'd like to get an SW2 if the economy doesn't suffer too muuch. Can I expect a good 200,000 miles out of a well maintained SW with out major problems? What size wheels and tires do the SWs use? What can I expect to pay for a well maintained SW2 with about 75Kmi? Thanks in advace, Mike |
Used SW2 or SW1; Buying advice
Hoza, try limiting your questions in one post to under five million, then
ppl will have time to better answer them, k? Heres some quick answers: I recall that early Saturns had some serious problems with oil consumption. What years was this a problem? I am hoping to find a 1997 or later car. Was the problem fixed and if so by what model year? DOHC had some consumption issues, but not all, ask the orig. owner. I definitely want a 5 speed but I have heard of manual transmissions problems. Is this true and if so what years are best/worst? Good luck finding a man trand SW2, but they are out there. No yr pref, not aware of problems with man trans except operator error. I love the plastic body panels but do Saturns have any corrosion issues with their space frames? If so, how do I check? Never seen a spaceframe rust, but up north where salt is on roads, check under the car on the frame and under the hood and door joints. Saturns are rustproofed in the factory. How long do the timing chains last? Are they difficult/expensive to repair? Depending on the orig owner, but the stainless timing chain is designed to last 100+ K miles, however, it is very rare that it will ever need replacing, we have 3 s-cars over 10K on orig chains, no probs. How about clutches? How about them Mets? Whats your question? Its a clutch they last as long as clutches do when you drive normal. Did Saturn offer any type of a sport suspenion on the SW? SW1 = touring standard suspension, SW2 = sport tuned suspension, bigger sway bar. What type of fuel economy are people getting on their SW1s or SW2s? 25 mpg up to 40 depending on the driver and man or auto trans. I notice a fair variation in published fuel economy for SWs, what years are best? I'd like to get an SW2 if the economy doesn't suffer too muuch. same engine all years. 1.9L 100 or 124 hp. Gain, depends on the driver. Can I expect a good 200,000 miles out of a well maintained SW with out major problems? Yes, if you also maintain it well. What size wheels and tires do the SWs use? 14" on 1's 15" on 2's. Rims or alloys. What can I expect to pay for a well maintained SW2 with about 75Kmi? Search the internet and quit asking so many questions. <jk> but really, you can find all the answers on the web. www.kbb.com is a good start. Happy car shopping and enjoy you SW when you get it! marx404 |
Used SW2 or SW1; Buying advice
Thanks for the reply marx404,
>DOHC had some consumption issues, but not all, ask the orig. owner. I could use a bit more information here. If the engine had issues I assume they are not the fault of the owner. Is the oil consumption issue a problem that, if it strikes, will occur early in the engine's life and if one buy's a good SW2 then one can expect normal oil consumption through the life of the engine? I'll be looking at cars with > 50Kmi [of course this all assumes specified maintenance throughout the life of the engine] Problems occuring in such a manner could be due to a quality control problem. Or are you saying that SW2s have a design flaw which causes a higher than normal oil control failure rate and that any SW2 will have a higher than normal chance for developing a problem at some time regardless of maintenance? Or will above normal maintenance prevent the problem from occuring at all? For example, certain Toyota's have a problem with the development with sludge in the oil (even when precsribed oil changes are followed), however 5Kmi change intervals with synthetic motor can prevent the sludge problem. Is that too many questions in one question? Oh well, you get the gist of what I'm trying to ask. I thought by going for something made in 1997 or later that oil problem would have been rectified. It seems that Saturn has done many things well and I am somewhat stunned that they couldn't (or chose not to) engineer the problem out. I have heard that changes were made in model year 2000, do you know if the problem was ever fixed? Maybe an SW1 is a better choice. Thanks again, Mike |
Used SW2 or SW1; Buying advice
In article .com>,
" > wrote: -> I am thinking about looking for a good used Saturn wagon. I really -> like the LW2 but that may not be in my budget and the SW should get -> better gas milage. -> -> I have a fair amount of car buying experience but what special problems -> should I be aware of in searching for a SW wagon? -> -> I recall that early Saturns had some serious problems with oil -> consumption. What years was this a problem? I am hoping to find a -> 1997 or later car. Was the problem fixed and if so by what model year? -> -> I definitely want a 5 speed but I have heard of manual transmissions -> problems. Is this true and if so what years are best/worst? I have a 97 SW1, 5 speed. Not long ago the gear shift handle broke loose from the cables and it cost me about $350.00 to repair it, iirc. Had to take it to the Saturn dealer. No one else could touch it. Mine is very low mileage (just went over 30,000 last week). Higher mileage vehicles may have problems I haven't yet experienced. -> I love the plastic body panels but do Saturns have any corrosion issues -> with their space frames? If so, how do I check? -> -> How long do the timing chains last? Are they difficult/expensive to -> repair? -> -> How about clutches? -> -> Did Saturn offer any type of a sport suspenion on the SW? -> -> What type of fuel economy are people getting on their SW1s or SW2s? I get about 30 mpg combined city/highway, but I'm a conservative driver. -> I notice a fair variation in published fuel economy for SWs, what years -> are best? I'd like to get an SW2 if the economy doesn't suffer too -> muuch. -> -> Can I expect a good 200,000 miles out of a well maintained SW with out -> major problems? -> -> What size wheels and tires do the SWs use? -> -> What can I expect to pay for a well maintained SW2 with about 75Kmi? -- 8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail) ~~~~~~ "I reserve the absolute right to be smarter today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/ http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/ http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/ |
Used SW2 or SW1; Buying advice
Mike - I drive a 1998 Saturn SW2. I have kept it well maintained .. drove 400 miles last August on 1 tank of gas (Roseburg, OR to Reno). It has 55,000 miles on it now and I am sure it will go another 55,000.... then another 55,000, etc. Good Luck :-) |
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