Do I stick with Saturn?

My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place me
in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had with
my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
appreciated.

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 20:26:08 -0500, bosco took >
wrote:

>My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place me
>in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
>reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had with
>my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
>it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
>the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
>appreciated.


I have been a two saturn owner for a while, and only recently a single
saturn owner(one of my saturns gave it's life to protect my wifey from
a red light runner). Althougth I have had great experiences with one,
96SL2, and very mixed with the other, 97SL2, I have to say I would
have probly continued buying SL's but saturn changed that. I think if
you look up consumer reportings, they said saturn's SL act was good
with the last few years of the model, but then erased learned lessions
about quality and design with the whole new ion model.

When my 97SL2 goes, it will be my last saturn, unless I can get a good
used 2002SL2.

imho,

Tom @ www.URLBee.com

See if you can negotiate a better purchase price for the SL2.


"bosco took" > wrote in message
...
> My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place me
> in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
> reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had with my
> SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as it
> was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy the SL2
> (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
> appreciated.

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 20:26:08 -0500, bosco took >
wrote:

>My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place me
>in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
>reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had with
>my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
>it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
>the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
>appreciated.

Get a red-line :-) I recently purchased an ION 3 quad coupe when the
lease expired on my LS 300 and love it. One of the biggest criticisms
of the ION is the crappy interior. However, if you get leather
interior it changes everything. I would have gotten the red-line but
my wife didn't want a standard transmission.

--
10 things men know about women:
1)?2)?3)?4)?5)?6)?7)?8)?9)?10) women have breasts

I had a 93 Saturn SL1, which was my favorite... Worked like a dream and
never costed me much at all for maintence.... Think all I put in it before
I sold it at 300,000kms was an alternator, battery and the front control
arms.

Then I bought a used 98 SC1, which I just sold a month and a half ago. It
was a great car as well, but it was going to need a head gasket soon (very
slow leakage around the outside of the seal in one corner). Plus I was
getting bored with it, wanted something new.

My original plan was the Smart Fortwo, but Mercedes-Benz had awful lease
prices on it. I'll wait a couple years. Then I was considering either an
04 Ion or 04 Echo hatch. I decided I really like the idea of a hatchback,
and was very close on the echo. Then I found the Chevy Aveo (aka. Pontiac
Wave, Suzuki Swift+). I leased an 04 Aveo LS, loaded with everything except
automatic tranny. With all the rebates on 04's, and the GM gas card, my
payments are much lower then the base echo hatch with air. Even after
driving both, the Aveo is quieter inside, and drives much better, although
the echo does have better fuel mileage and a little more peppy.

Anyway, I'm very happy with my purchase, I'd highly recommend the
Aveo/Wave/Swift+ to anyone. Also, if you want to buy, and want the coolest
car ever designed, check out the smart fortwo.

"bosco took" > wrote in message
...
> My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place me
> in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
> reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had with
> my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
> it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
> the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
> appreciated.

bosco took > wrote in news:uPSdnXEbWuv0eF3cRVn-
:

> My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place
me
> in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
> reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had
with
> my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
> it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
> the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
> appreciated.

I leased a '94 SL2 (only 30 days), then owned a '95 SL2, then leased a
'97 SW2. We LOVED the SW2, but the residual to buy it at the end of the
lease was crazy like $12k (US). I tried to haggle a bit, but the sales
guys said they couldn't budge on it, though they could work a deal on a
new 2000 - "afterall you have to have a car right?"

I actually did not HAVE to have a car, as I had a working old and rusty
full-size van at the time and was only driving a few miles per day
anyway, so I handed them the keys and walked away.

8 months later we custom ordered a 2001 LW200 and got the 0.9%
financing, which was way better in the end than either buying the 3
year old SW2 (though we liked it more), or getting a newer vehicle at
that time without the financing incentives.

If you are truly happy with the existing vehicle and can finance it
without losing too much money, do so. You might wish to take the
opportunity to also add extended coverage to it, since you will be
making payments on it the added cost for the extra warranty financed is
minimal.

Steph wrote:
> bosco took > wrote in news:uPSdnXEbWuv0eF3cRVn-
> :
>
>
>>My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place
>
> me
>
>>in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
>>reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had
>
> with
>
>>my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
>>it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
>>the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
>>appreciated.
>
>
> I leased a '94 SL2 (only 30 days), then owned a '95 SL2, then leased a
> '97 SW2. We LOVED the SW2, but the residual to buy it at the end of the
> lease was crazy like $12k (US). I tried to haggle a bit, but the sales
> guys said they couldn't budge on it, though they could work a deal on a
> new 2000 - "afterall you have to have a car right?"
>
> I actually did not HAVE to have a car, as I had a working old and rusty
> full-size van at the time and was only driving a few miles per day
> anyway, so I handed them the keys and walked away.
>
> 8 months later we custom ordered a 2001 LW200 and got the 0.9%
> financing, which was way better in the end than either buying the 3
> year old SW2 (though we liked it more), or getting a newer vehicle at
> that time without the financing incentives.
>
> If you are truly happy with the existing vehicle and can finance it
> without losing too much money, do so. You might wish to take the
> opportunity to also add extended coverage to it, since you will be
> making payments on it the added cost for the extra warranty financed is
> minimal.
>
My dealer wants $1600 for the extended coverage...ridiculous, in my opinion

Steph wrote:
> bosco took > wrote in news:uPSdnXEbWuv0eF3cRVn-
> :
>
>
>>My lease on my 2001 SL2 (33K) is almost up. My dealer wants to place
>
> me
>
>>in a 2005 Ion2...although a long time Saturn fan, I have heard mixed
>>reviews about the Ion....The only non-insurance problem I have had
>
> with
>
>>my SL2 was a dead battery, though I thnik the motor is not as zippy as
>>it was. Do I walk away and look for another brand (e.g. Hyundi), buy
>>the SL2 (about 10k CND) or go for the Ion...Any and all advice will be
>>appreciated.
>
>
> I leased a '94 SL2 (only 30 days), then owned a '95 SL2, then leased a
> '97 SW2. We LOVED the SW2, but the residual to buy it at the end of the
> lease was crazy like $12k (US). I tried to haggle a bit, but the sales
> guys said they couldn't budge on it, though they could work a deal on a
> new 2000 - "afterall you have to have a car right?"
>
> I actually did not HAVE to have a car, as I had a working old and rusty
> full-size van at the time and was only driving a few miles per day
> anyway, so I handed them the keys and walked away.
>
> 8 months later we custom ordered a 2001 LW200 and got the 0.9%
> financing, which was way better in the end than either buying the 3
> year old SW2 (though we liked it more), or getting a newer vehicle at
> that time without the financing incentives.
>
> If you are truly happy with the existing vehicle and can finance it
> without losing too much money, do so. You might wish to take the
> opportunity to also add extended coverage to it, since you will be
> making payments on it the added cost for the extra warranty financed is
> minimal.
>
p.s.

for the cost of financing the 2001 I can get a 2005 Ion

"Steph" > wrote in message

>
snip

> We LOVED the SW2,

snip

> 8 months later we custom ordered a 2001 LW200 and got the 0.9%
> financing, which was way better in the end than either buying the 3
> year old SW2 (though we liked it more),

Just curious what it was about the SW that you liked better than the LW ?

My next will be a wagon but I can't decide between getting a used SW, a used
LW or waiting to see if Saturn brings out another one ( a wagon version of
the ION would be nice).

Ron
Charlottesville, va
94 SL1

"Ron Herfurth" > wrote in
:

>> We LOVED the SW2,
>
> snip
>
>> 8 months later we custom ordered a 2001 LW200 and got the 0.9%
>> financing, which was way better in the end than either buying the 3
>> year old SW2 (though we liked it more),
>
> Just curious what it was about the SW that you liked better than the
> LW ?

The SW2 was big enough for us. The LW200 is bigger and more comfortable
with a leather interior and heated seats but since we also have a mini-
van we did not necessarily need the extra space of the LW200. Also the
SW had a longer run, lots of people able to work on them, parts easily
available (for now).

> My next will be a wagon but I can't decide between getting a used SW,
> a used LW or waiting to see if Saturn brings out another one ( a wagon
> version of the ION would be nice).

Well they did away with the SW body, and I hear they are hard to find.
The Lw series was also phased out, I have trouble finding someone who
knows anything about the LW200 with a manual, as it was a "new" to
Saturn transmission (from Saab I think). Also becuase of fewer cars out
there the glass windows on the LW are more (yes we have a crack in the
windshield).

The Relay is what is coming off their line currently for "big cars". I
am not thrilled with the Relay, though have not seen or driven one yet
in person.