Quality/performance of a 2006 Saturn ION?

Question

I am thinking of buying a 2006 Saturn ION,,but have no information about these cars. Are they reliable??. Does any one own one ?? Do you like the car??

Answer 1

http://www.edmunds.com/saturn/ion/2007/index.html

Answer 2

I own a 2004 Saturn Ion....bought it new. It has been the best vehicle I've ever had. I don't do a lot of driving but I haven't had any issues with it. There's not much difference in the 2006 and 2004 from what I've seen. So this is a great car.

Great gas mileage, good on cost, and if routine maintenance has been done no big mechanical bills. The interior size is a lot bigger than expected as well.

Performance isn't excellent but you get a great 0-60 lemme tell ya. (I have the tickets to prove it...lol). Plus GM really stands behind these cars. Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Junk

read any magazine article on it:

-plasticky interior with wide gaps
-goofy center pod instrumentation
-poor fit and finish
-so so reliability
-poor ride
-poor handling
-loud, unrefined motor
-small, uncomfortable steering wheel
-hard, uncomfortable seats
-very high depreciation

They are relatively cheap to insure, and feel peppy. MPG is decent, else they have nothing special to offer. A good portion of the sales are to rental car fleets.

It is also being replaced by an Opel based model for 2008. Do not get this car. It performs poorly in it's segment, and as it is not a new car, I would not factor in that wonderful Saturn dealership experience. I am not getting on some American car bashing high horse, this is really just a lousy vehicle.

An older Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla is a much better choice. Even if you take away ever single subjective, opinion based argument, you cannot ignore resale trends. You will be upside down on the loan, and when it is time for a newer car, this one will not be worth a lot of money. I bet it has already lost over 1/3 of it's value in 1 short year. Stay away.

Answer 4

Saturn's customer service is simply amazing. The Ion's modern interior is also a plus.

My Experience

I test drove a Saturn Ion 2 5-speed sedan at a local dealership. My test drive lasted over half an hour, and covered city streets, winding secondary roads, and the freeway.

Practicality

The Ion meets or surpasses its competition in this area, as well. The interior felt roomy and provided plenty of space for passengers. The rear seat, in particular, seemed uncommonly spacious for an economy sedan. The trunk also provided unexpected capacity, and standard split-folding rear seats allow you to expand the cargo area for bulkier loads. One other feature I appreciated was the height-adjustable driver's seat, which is standard on the Ion 2 trim level.


Reliability

Consumer Reports rates the Ion's reliability Above Average, and did the same for its predecessor, the S-series. Saturn's small cars seem to be pretty trouble-free machines, so you're not likely to get into trouble here.


The Bottom Line:
So it comes down to this: what's more important to you, the driving experience or the buying experience? If your biggest concern is avoiding pushy and confrontational salespeople, Saturn is the way to go. If you're more concerned with the car itself, you may want to keep looking.