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Consumer Reports: "Disappointing ION"...
Hey group,
Just thumbed through a Consumer Reports Used Car Buying guide, and read through the Saturn "S" series info. I recall when CR first reveiwed the SC and accurately stated "the rear seats are not fit for any living creature" but gave the car high marks elsewhere...but now, in this current issue, they state "the S series was replaced by the disappointing ION". Now, other than the squeaky and simple front seats (which looks like they'll be corrected in 2005) I can't find the disappointments. Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn? Any ideas? |
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#2
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#3
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....Cars.com lists the retail price range from $10.4k to $20.4k (USD) however
the Saturn site shows the lowest price at $15.4k (USD) and I didn't have much luck pricing the Red Line on the Saturn site. There's a lime green car at my dealer that catches my eye too. "Skid" > wrote in message . .. > This review sums it up: > > http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...py?artid=24878 > > |
#4
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In article >,
"Warren" > wrote: > Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what > do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn? > Any ideas? My guess is that a lot of people felt GM could simply DO BETTER if they'd stop being the obnoxious penny pinchers they've been for the last 20+ years. There are no secrets to automobile design or manufacturing. That, and GM has deceided to not even bother competing with the Japanese anymore (who IMHO are hardly the invulnerable gods that we think they are, just better at covering mistakes). What's sad is GM could make some really really great cars if they'd just let engineering do it. They've come up with some really neat things in years past... |
#5
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Warren ) wrote:
: Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what : do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn? : Any ideas? Bizarro styling, esp. the wheels/wheel covers and goofy roof rails. Center-mount instruments Cheap plasticky interior Uncomfortable seats Steering wheel Rattles/buzzes/build quality I think that's a start... -- Greg Beaulieu Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada |
#6
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#7
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On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 06:04:53 -0500, "Warren" >
wrote: >Hey group, >Just thumbed through a Consumer Reports Used Car Buying guide, and read >through the Saturn "S" series info. I recall when CR first reveiwed the SC >and accurately stated "the rear seats are not fit for any living creature" >but gave the car high marks elsewhere...but now, in this current issue, they >state "the S series was replaced by the disappointing ION". > >Now, other than the squeaky and simple front seats (which looks like they'll >be corrected in 2005) I can't find the disappointments. > >Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what >do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn? >Any ideas? > http://autoweek.com/search/search_di...81150&record=1 (08:30 June 02, 2004) Slow-selling Saturn Ion gets mid-course correction By DAVE GUILFORD | Automotive News DETROIT - General Motors will try to give the slow-selling Saturn Ion more style and refinement for the 2005 model year, replacing the automatic transmission, fascia, seats and interior materials. The Ion needed "big changes (to help) those areas that consumers have told us, quite frankly, need improvement," said Gary Cowger, president of GM North America, in a recent interview. Lori Queen, GM vehicle line executive for small cars, including the Ion, said last week that GM is applying many of the features developed for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, which shares the Ion's Delta small-car architecture. "We could roll (Cobalt features) right into the Ion and really get that car to a level that it hasn't been," Queen said. For the 2005 Ion, GM plans to: Replace the five-speed automatic transmission with a four-speed to counter complaints of "shift busy-ness," according to spokesman Michael Morrissey. Replace the small steering wheel with a full-sized one. Recalibrate the electric steering to improve responsiveness. Add interior materials to improve appearance and tactile feel at "touch points." Add laminated steel and insulation to cut interior noise. Replace seats with better bolstered ones. Redesign the sedan's fascia. The Ion was developed at Saturn, whose product development has since been merged into GM's. Cost-consciousness was a big factor in Saturn's product decisions, Queen said. "The decisions for that product were made in a different kind of environment," she said. The Ion went on sale in September 2002 to poor reviews from the automotive press. GM sold 117,230 last year and has sold 33,408 through the first four months of this year, down slightly from last year. Saturn had a 108-day supply of Ions on May 1. Sixty days is considered normal. |
#8
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On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 07:23:10 -0400, "Skid" > wrote:
>This review sums it up: > >http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...py?artid=24878 > Another perspective: http://tinyurl.com/2o9lj |
#9
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I think the size of the market ... the Ford Focus and some of the KIA/Hondai
cars take up a lot of that ... Saturn did not and probably could not keep an edge on low cost, high quality, small cars ... that is just too profitable of a market for others players ... The L series, Vue, and the Relay Van should continue to do pretty good ... many of us who bought the S series are needing bigger cars. I still have my 98 SL2 but it is a second car and not longer a trip car for me ... |
#10
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Well, looks like the numbers are in the next post (excellent source..) I
just knew the numbers were low due to layoffs I'd heard about, the amount of days worth in stock (which I'd heard about) and my emails to Thompson / Chilton and Haynes asking for the debut of their respective repair manuals, to which both tactfully replied [paraphrasing] that their manuals are issued based on sales, and Ion, frankly, has not sold enough to warrant a publication from either publisher. I still like the car - even better than when I bought it. And I do not quite understand all the criticisms about "plastic interior"...most cars these days are. My '93 Saturn was. Everyone else I know who drives cars in this class have a plastic interior... Hey - thanks for all the opinions and links. It give some insight to it all...but the negatives have not dissuaded me any in my satisfaction, (When I can afford a Porsche or Lexus it might, but for the class...nope...no real disappointments yet...) > I don't think the ION is a bad seller as much as the VUE is a great one, > does anybody have numbers in how much the ION sells compared to other cars > in its class? |
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