Saturn was born “A different kind of company, a different kind of car.” Talk about post-modern irony; GM created the Saturn division to copy Japan’s products, management techniques and manufacturing dexterity. Needless to say, it worked. Friendly Saturn dealers created devoted customers with a “no dicker” sticker and a pretty good range of plastic-paneled cars (the S-Series). And then… nothing much. After leaving Saturn to twist in the wind, losing billions in the process, GM eventually spiked the brand’s independence. And now, finally, the Saturn Aura is here to revive GM’s "import fighter."
The Aura is an American-built Opel that looks like a Japanese copy of a German car. The model’s sheetmetal offers suitably clean/boring lines in a pronounced wedge shape, with complementary angles and purposeful curves. The blistered wheel arches and chunky front end are muscular by Camry standards– albeit with a thick chrome bar across the grill that would be right at home on Paul Wall's iced-out grin. Conforming to the current Japanese style, oversized headlights blight the Aura's sleek silhouette. Meanwhile, the Aura’s Audi-esque flowing C-pillar and side marker lights add a distinctly Teutonic touch; pronouncing the car’s German heritage louder than a computer generated Kraftwerk concert.
A tall posterior rounds out the Aura’s rear, offering an ideal blend of Pontiac understatement and Altezza attitude. The deck lid's chrome slab does more than get its spizzarkle on; it visually thins the booty. The Aura hosts a pair of upbeat exhaust pipes, making a statement of virility no previous Saturn dared proclaim. Topping the package are the most elegant logos adorning a modern vehicle; the Saturn's famous red-square has the depth of a trillion-cut ruby. At long last, badge engineering creates beauty where mediocrity is the norm.
The Aura's substantial door handles feel even better than they look; too bad the same isn't true for the interior. Spend a few minutes in the Aura’s drab and depressing monochromatic black interior cabin and it’s clear GM's strategically placed interior quality has claimed yet another victim. Yes, the dash positions quality polymers and glossy metal-effect goodies within poking distance. Yes, the panel gaps are razor-thin. But the one-piece door armrests not only punish one's elbow, the imitation stitching speaks volumes to this car's potential– before the heartless, merciless, ruthless beancounting bore fruit.
But wait, there’s less! The folding in-dash binnacle impresses Toyotaphiles initially, though its lack of carpeting and thin casting make it an instant rattletrap for coinage. The lighthearted rear cupholders don't fare better; fold them out of sight and note the Aura's appealing secondary audio controls for backseat drivers. The lack of a rear seat center armrest is the most glaring omission for a $27k family sedan.
But not all is lost. Trunk space is mid-pack, but the strut-assist decklid closes with minimal effort. The dash's center stack houses the most artistic frame for GM's corporate stereo to date, and puts out the highs and lows with, um, competence. But the positives pale in comparison to the tri-spoke perfection facing the driver: soft leather, intuitive buttonage, entertaining paddle shifters and yet another elegant interpretation of the Saturn logo. It comes as no surprise that said tiller is Corvette derived.
Turn the wheel and the sport-sedan theme continues. The Aura’s seats make a genuine effort at honest-to-God lateral support. Firm steering rewards in fast sweepers but doesn't punish in parking lots. A solid chassis with Tourismo-grade suspension dampening impresses on winding country roads and high speed cruising. Disc brakes bite hard but go down with smooth, linear travel. Even with 18-inch rims afoot, the Aura XR's ride is smooth and comfortable: there's no thumping or crashing on potholed roads.
The powertrain's refinement and performance-oriented tuning speak volumes about Saturn's interstellar rocket-sedan. The XR-grade Aura’s 3.6L V6 sets the tempo for variable-valve timing. Hit the gas and a flat powerband with strong mid-range torque pours on the power all the way to redline. Unlike many foreign competitors squeezing every last pony from torque-steer-happy six-pots, Saturn provides real-world performance pleasure over peak performance pride. Combined with a willing and well-trained six-speed automatic, at part throttle or full-tilt, the 252hp Aura never missed a beat. Saturn's multiple downshifts awe like a Vegas magic show, dumping reserves of torque faster than a one-arm bandit unloading a jackpot of quarters.
Unlike recent GM offerings, the Saturn Aura isn't an improvement over its hapless predecessor; it’s a competitive product. While the interior needs to benchmark the Accord's door skins more than Michael Jackson needs to refrain from plastic surgery, the Aura's driving dynamics outweigh its shit list. The world-class chassis and suspension tuning are proof positive that the Aura's design team did their homework. Like always? I don’t think so. Like never before? Definitely. Enough to rescue the Saturn brand? Like, maybe.
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“Conforming to the current Japanese style, …”
I will weigh in on the quality and reliability conversation about the Japanese products. However, I can no longer stay quiet about their styling.
From my perspective, they are the world’s most boring cars to view, including Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti. They utterly lack any sense of presence or class. For me, they represent the automobile equivalent of oatmeal.
Granted, some American cars are also absent panache: Taurus, Impala, etc. However, not all of the American cars look as if they have been cloned from two or three stem cell lines.
Thanks for the good review. How was the front-wheel drive torque-steer problem? Did GM get as many of those bugs out as it could have?
I drove the base model (XE) with the 224hp 3.5-liter engine.
I found the drivetrain (!) a loud, rough revving, gear-shunting disappointment. Given the $5k price differential between the XE and XR, I think Saturn’s budget minded buyers will flock to this base model (the salesman said it was so).
Otherwise, excellent handling (with a touch of torque steer under full throttle) and VERY cheap plastics. The oil damping on the plastic cover over the center console was laughable.
Very roomy in back, easy ingress and exit. Outside the car (engine bay, trunk) the build quality seemed excellent.
Overall, it struck me as a generally competent car that lacks a Unique Selling Point, something to lift it ABOVE the competition. I guess the Saturn brand is that, isn’t it?
From my perspective, they are the world’s most boring cars to view, including Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti. They utterly lack any sense of presence or class. – Critical Thinker
I would argue that point, but it is a matter of preference and perception. I find the cars from those three companies attractive. They are no 599GTB, but they look fine.
For me, they represent the automobile equivalent of oatmeal. – Critical Thinker
Yes, but very tasty, filling, high-quality oatmeal.
Overall, it struck me as a generally competent car that lacks a Unique Selling Point, something to lift it ABOVE the competition. I guess the Saturn brand is that, isn’t it? Robert Farago
I think that is the problem with many American cars. Good reliability, decent quality, but just not quite there overall.
Conforming to the current Japanese style, oversized headlights blight the Aura’s sleek silhouette.
That’s putting it politely, Sajeev. I was thinking more along the lines it looks like someone put Andy Rooney’s eyebrows on Eva Longoria’s face.
I can’t help but wonder why, since they were bringing a new car in from overseas, they didn’t bring the station wagon and diesel versions with the sedan. These would generate additional showroom traffic, which the General certainly could use.
Spizzarkle AND booty Sajeev….You sir, are a Jedi wordsmithy!
I saw this car at the autoshow and it looked long, low and mean. Now I see the pics and it looks mamby-pamby, inflated and pedestrian. Suprisingly, the good stuff seems to be present (handling, power delivery, execution) but what I don’t see is a manual transmission. The other thing, and it may just be the pics, but the roof lines in the profile and quarter shots seem oversized and draw too much attention. The Chrome trim around the doors glass is sharp but ruined by too much painted vertical surface outside of it.
On the door panels, I had a SL2 in 91 totally loaded up and my elbows are still recovering from the hard plastic rests….sounds like they havent yet solved that issue in an otherwise decent effort.
This is actually a very competitive vehicle. I like the design, it’s much more muscular than the Fusion or new Sebring.
The biggest issue is what Robert said about the base model. It’s the one most buyers will choose, and it’s a far cry form the uplevel XR. The low quality of the base car will drag the XR down the depreciation hole with it.
Compare this with Honda. The 4 and 6 cylinder models are basically identical. The quality is very high across the board, so you don’t feel like you’re in a penalty box if you choose the 4 banger.
I rented a last-gen Camry last year. With a 4 cylinderr engine. While it’s certainly no sports sedan, it was powerful enough on the highway, and you couldn’t even hear the motor running. The quality of even a rental-special Camry was insane. Boring? Yes. But you’d never feel you had cheaped out if you bought the base model.
In GM’s infinite stupidity, they want to be able to advertise a very low price. Big deal, if the car is crap. And the crap car is what people will see in droves on the streets. And on the rental lots. And the XR will get killed by them.
Lastly, GM and Ford have some great cars and deisel engines in Europe. I can’t for the life of me figure out why they don’t engineer every car and engine they build to American emissions and safety specs; now they need the B Cars and the diesel engines and they’re not US compliant. I know it costs money in development, but then they’d have the flexibility to readily import their Euro small cars. As it is, they’re watching the Fit and Versa eat their lunch.
“I will fly past the moons of Jupiter not to have a Vectra in my life”
“Fifth fastest sedan in the world”
“Catastrophic understeer”
“There is a word to describe this car, it starts with a S and ends in T and it isnt soot”
- Jezza on Vauxhaull Vectra VXR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bZmLxDb5RM
Aura-
Production:
http://www.caranddriver.com/assets/image/2006/Q2/041120061138488224.jpg
Concept:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0503_01l+2007_saturn_aura_concept+front_left_view.jpg
Not much different- IMHO
Fake stitching lives? Sad. At least the Aura has a much better looking rear end than the Vectra sedan and hatch; it’s over an inch narrower like its Epsilon platform-mates than the mid-sized competition.
I just got back from a week in the land of LA visiting with my gf’s family. They are all Saturn drivers for some crazy reason (although dad now owns a Buick). We got stuck with driving her brothers old sh–box Saturn. After two days of freaking out because my gf drives like a crazed bat out of hell and the car’s doors are thinner than an eggshell, I did ourselves a favor and rented a beautiful 06 Mustang convertible (in guido red – her words) for the rest of the trip. Now that’s a real car. Compared to 2 Saturns I drove, what a joke. The Saturn in this review looks a lot better, but can you get the brown (leather?) interior? That looks pretty spiffy from the photo… The outside looks a lot like a G6. Boring but at least unoffensive. 6-speed auto? nice! Still after my experience last week I probably won’t be considering a Saturn in the near future.
dolo54,
The Morocco brown leather is $100 extra on the XR. HOWEVER, to get it you also have to order the “Premium Trim” package ($800) AND the sunroof ($800) or the “Panoramic Roof” ($1500).
I am amazed that GM still cannot get an interior right.
From my experience the VW Rabbit uses better materials at almost half the cost.
One big commonly held misconception here. This is NOT a rebadged Opel. The Opel rides on a six-inch-shorter wheelbase. At most the front clip is shared; I’m not sure that much. All other sheetmetal is unique except perhaps the rear quarters and trunk, which might be shared with the Grand Am. The interior is unique; the Opel uses much higher quality materials and has different styling.
So much for the car’s “German heritage.”
Gearhead: it’s all about the details. The detailing of the concept, including wheels and front fascia, were much sportier and less frilly than that of the production car. Yes, the sheetmetal is all the same, but the overall appearance is quite different.
Based on Farago’s review, the XE powertrain behaves just like the similar powertain in the Malibu and Grand Am. The fault is as much with the number of transmission ratios as the engine: often if you want a bit more power you get a downshift and a major jump in engine speed.
Michael Karesh:
Well… That’s what IMHO means…
—————————————————————————————–
The platform is shared more closely to a Pontiac G6 or a Chevrolet Malibu than a Vectra. Uplevel Aura uses an Opal drivetrain, base uses a G6 drivetrain
You have to order the premium trim package because the primary component of that package is leather trim. As you likely know, the $100 just gets you a different color of leather. I’d readily pay it.
Before people go off making more seat-of-the-pants pricing comparisons, please use my site first to verify:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/AURA.php
Let’s play, “How much would you pay for this fine DOHC V6?”
Farago says that the XR is $5,000 more. The actual base price difference is $4,000. No idea where he got the extra grand.
But wait, there’s more. The XR’s extra standard equipment goes beyond the DOHC engine and 6-speed transmission. Equip the two trims as similarly as possible, and the MSRP difference shrinks to $1,800.
So, would you pay $1,800 for this fine powertrain? Well, no need to pick up the phone just yet, because the XR includes things you cannot even get on the XE: stability control, automatic temperature control, polished alloy wheels, and fog lights. Figure $200 for the extra two ratios, and we’ve got $1,500 of extra stuff beyond the engine and larger wheels.
Final extra cost of the DOHC mill and 18″ rubber: $300 at MSRP, $84 at invoice.
Far cry from five grand. Except for people who just want the lowest possible price and no options, the XR is clearly the better value.
I sit corrected.
But I don’t think buyers would spec-up their XE to XR-ish levels. Hence the differential is still in the thousands– at least in the consumers’ minds.
Again, the salesman said he was selling XE’s (mostly Saturn buyers trading up) not XR’s.
Gearhead,
There’s nothing German about the XR’s powertrain, either. Both the engine and transmission were developed in the U.S. primarily for use in the U.S. The same exact powertrain is standard in the 2007 G6 GTP.
You’ll find that the Saturn’s MSRP is about $2,000 less than the equivalent G6, but Saturn dealers sell at MSRP, while Pontiac dealers discount. And Pontiacs generally have larger rebates. In the end, the G6 will be less expensive.
Yep you are right, it’s what we call “the baby northstar V6″. Thank god, I hate that CTS V6 engine.
It didn’t used to be. This is where Saturn lost the plot. They should have kept the plastic panels, even if it did make for huge gaps. My beloved Subie is full of dings and larger dents from parking lot mishaps. My mid-nineties Saturn S-series lasted roughly the same amount of time in my keep, and at the end, looked as good as the day I bought it. In fairness, that means “kind of ugly,” but at least it had no supermarket dents.
I just wish the old Saturns been better cars in general (on my S, the engine, tranny, and steering all sucked total ass relative to my previous car, an at-that-time 11-year old Honda).
I really love the writing in this review, by the way. Interesting to compare and contrast with the new Car and Driver review.
At US$ 27000.00 it would seem to open the door to a lot of formidable “foriegn” competition.
What is the price on a “starter” 3 series BMW,please?
Thank you for a fair minded review.
Ryan
when was the last time you looked up at the sunvisors in a rabbit?? You mean heat sealed around the edge plastic sun visors on a VW as quality justifys your comment about GM not getting an interior right. Sounds pretty self riteous to me. In fact Hundai’s still use that stuff to. I looked at a brand new elantra and it has it. Yick.
Sajeev
How was it going down the road at cruise? I have heard they are very quiet because of laminated side glass.
Michael Karesh: You have to order the premium trim package because the primary component of that package is leather trim. As you likely know, the $100 just gets you a different color of leather. I’d readily pay it.
So what does having a sunroof have to do with having a leather interior? I don’t understand why manufacturers require you to buy one option in order to get another that’s totally unrelated. (Yeah, I know… it’s because they can.)
I am a recovering Saturn owner myself. I enjoyed the utility of the layout and a few good approaches to cargo hauling along with the plastic dent resistant panels (the best feature IMHO). What did Saturn do? They drop the dent resistant panels. Basically the only thing that made their cars strand out in my mind (in a good way that is). What they needed to do was either greatly improve the styling or greatly improve the drivetrain, accessories, plastics, and just about anything else that could and would break on their cars. The build quality was worse than any other car I have owned including my first, an old Chrysler K car. It seemed years behind the quality of two Nissans and two Mazdas that I have owned, including my current Mazda6s.
Unless it was tongue in cheek, bringing up the quality of a car’s badging as a good point seems to be stretching more than a bit to find good things to say about it. Aside from that bewilderment on my part, I thoroughly enjoyed the article.
So the Aura is a competitive car, at least in XR trim. Great. But as Robert points out, they’re not selling XR’s. They’re selling XE’s.
Why isn’t Chevy selling the pushrod people movers? More to the point, GM has turned its brand hierarchy on its ear and pushed Saturn above both Chevy and Pontiac. If that’s the case, then ditch the XE. Make leather and sunroof standard on the XR, fix the interior trim, and offer navi as the only option. With a little more love for the inside, GM could out budget-luxury the TL. Given the phenomenal success of the TL, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
I don’t understand why saturn dropped the “dent resistant polymer side panels” for this car. That was a unique selling feature that set the brand apart from others.
A coworker just bought a new car, she was going to buy an Aura until she realized the plastic sides were gone…
Whoa! this car is priced over $25k? That’s ludicrous. $25k would buy you so many nicer cars, I though this thing was around $18k from the pictures. btw – this car is built on the g6 platform.
Alcibiades: torque steer was mild, the flat powerband means the power is always on, so there’s little wheel-jerk as the motor hits its stride.
Frank: not sure about the station wagon with GM’s new crossover rollout, but a diesel model is a great idea.
socsndaisy: compared to the Aura concept, the production model is a bit bulker. The wheels and fender flares of the concept are gone. Its not a tank like a Chrysler 300, but its a little on the hunky-chunky side.
Compare this with Honda. The 4 and 6 cylinder models are basically identical. The quality is very high across the board, so you don’t feel like you’re in a penalty box if you choose the 4 banger.
Well said, Zarba.
How was it going down the road at cruise? I have heard they are very quiet because of laminated side glass.
Bubba, its pretty quiet. No complaints here.
Lumbergh21: my praise of the badges was sincere. They look brilliant, taking me back to the days of jeweled logos on Lincolns, Caddies and those “personal” luxury coupes Detroit made in the mid-1970s.
Michael: Wheelbases aside, aren’t the Opel and Saturn both on an Epsilon platform? I’d still say the car has strong German roots, especially in the suspension department. It may not be as German-centric as the Merkurs, but it’s got the DNA in it.
RF: plenty of people turn a deaf ear to coarse powertrains, so the XE’s offering could succeed….but its a bit thirsty for a base engine. (4MPG off a 4-cyl Camry)
GM dropped the plastic panels because they added about $600 to the price of the car, and people weren’t willing to pay enough extra for them.
Frank,
Correct on the sunroof. Blame Honda, which generally forces you to get a sunroof to get leather. Subaru also does the same.
RF,
The intent of my site is to bring perceptions closer to reality. The way many people think about prices “What, a loaded one costs $27000? You can get a stripped BMW for not much more than that!” drives me nuts. If you want a stripped car, then also look at a stripped Saturn. I fail to see the logic of directly comparing cars with different levels of equipment.
For what it’s worth, the feature-adjusted price difference between a 2007 Aura XR and a 2006 BMW 325i is $9,660. The 330i, with a power output closer to the Aura’s, is considerably more, but a case could be made that the 325i offers more comparable performance.
As far as styling is concerned from concept to production…They need to leave room for the Aura Redline. That will most likely incorporate the the more agressive design elements.
Keep in mind that you average family sedan buyer doesn’t want bold styling to begin with.
They should make sure overall quality of materials is on par or better than Honda or Toyota or what is the reason to buy the Aura?
Michael, you said: The intent of my site is to bring perceptions closer to reality. The way many people think about prices “What, a loaded one costs $27000? You can get a stripped BMW for not much more than that!†drives me nuts. If you want a stripped car, then also look at a stripped Saturn. I fail to see the logic of directly comparing cars with different levels of equipment.
Because that’s how people do it in the real world.
First of all, “stripped” in a more expensive brand may mean the same thing as “loaded” in a cheaper brand. Second, people may be willing to compromise on leather seats and satellite nav (among other options) if they think they’re getting better value for the money.
Besides, what’s going to be worth more at trade-in time: The loaded Saturn or the stripped Beemer?
I doubt the Saturn/Bimmer comparo comes up very often. Odds are the $27k Saturn will be the focus of $27k Accord and Camry buyers.
This car reminds me ALOT of a mazda 6s. Probably why I like it. And since we are talking money, said Mazda can be had with sunroof and bose for 20K out the door (and yes, Karesh, I just did this very deal). Seems like formidable competition especially if you consider that you can have it in Fusion form as well as a Milan version depending on your personal mojo style.
Those dent resistant (never gonna rust) panels would have gone a long way towards getting me to look, but without them, and considering my experience with Saturns of the ninties…not a chance (even with the shiny happy warranty news).
Gotta give it to GM though, its a pretty one, but 27K is pretty steep for this car. Wouldnt be quite so bad until you figure they are about 5K off the mark and that is 20% of the total bill.
The intent of my site is to bring perceptions closer to reality. The way many people think about prices “What, a loaded one costs $27000? You can get a stripped BMW for not much more than that!†drives me nuts. If you want a stripped car, then also look at a stripped Saturn. I fail to see the logic of directly comparing cars with different levels of equipment.
Martin said it before I could. A ’stripped’ Acura TL does not have navigation. A fully loaded TL has navigation. As a matter of fact, navigation is the only option on a TL circa MY2006. I am not trying to compare a TL to the Aura, merely providing an example for Martin’s response.
People will make the comparison (however illogical it may seem to you) between a fully-loaded Aura and a stripped BMW. Why you ask? Because of 1) resale, 2) brand identification, 3) performance, 4) dealership service (those free BMW loaners are nice), 5) free maintenance, 6) better warranty coverage (4/50 BtB?), etc. Hell, some folks even compare new, fully-loaded cars to used high-end marquees for the same reasons I mentioned above (those certified BMW/Audi warranties are damn nice – 6 year/100,000 mile).
“I doubt the Saturn/Bimmer comparo comes up very often. Odds are the $27k Saturn will be the focus of $27k Accord and Camry buyers.” – Sajeev Mehta
1. One of the values to reading a site like TTAC is to point out that, for about the same price as a FWD Saturn, you COULD get a Bimmer. Except, in this case, maybe you can’t (Edmunds says the Bimmer starts at $30K and, after givebacks, I expect the XR will go for much less than MSRP).
2. Almost. A $24K Saturn will be the focus of $27K Accord and Camry buyers. Grim reality for GM is that people who have purchased Accords and Camrys aren’t going to consider a comparably equipped $27K Saturn to be interchangeable with a $27K Accord or Camry. I may be understating the case (as in a $22K Saturn…). If GM can get its resale values to start holding up, that will probably help to close the gap. One of my buddies is in an Accord now, instead of a Buick, because of resale value (”with automatic,” he said, “it’s almost like having cash.”).
Talk about coincidental timing. I just saw this car in the recent R&T and thought, “Hmmm, I wonder when TTAC will review this car. It looks promising based on the photos.”
Theres more to the panel story than the cost, though yes it is more expensive to do. Here I’ll lay it out for you. GM got caught in a catch 22. The fundamental problem with the panels is that no one, I repeat no one can supply a plastic that is stable enough. (not dow, not dupont etc. And trust me they tested an armload of plastic derivitives) Saturns with plastic panels in -30 degree weather have 9MM door gaps and in plus 110 they are 2.5 MM. (I know this because I spent more than my share of time tracking them during thermal growth studies) Ah you see the great achilles heel. GM knew that if they made the aura with plastic panels that the mag writers would crucify them for panel gaps. 2MM is the standard acceptable panel gap (lexus was the great pusher here) Saturn customers used to plastic panels and gaps wanted them but the customers lost out because of the ongoing mag writer/public crucifiction that occured over panel gaps on every Saturn S/Vue series and L series car they ever produced. There simply is no way to control the thermal growth of the panel. (this is why they have floating fasteners holding them on so they can grow and shrink without warping) Front and rear facias are a nightmare all on their own. The bottom line regardless of the additional cost which is secondary in this case is that the current plastic technology simply cannot provide the panel gaps the public demands and still privide functionality (ie the doors dont bind on the fenders and quarterpanels) The decision had to be made and they made it albiet a painfull one. The decision was a direct result of beatings over panel gaps in every saturn L, Vue and S series review ever written.
Dont believe me go read some old reviews. They were pummeled every time. Public demand for dent free panels and Public demand for narrow panel gaps left them with the no win scenario of pissing half the people off and making the other half happy.
Sucks don’t it.
I don’t remember the original SLs having bad panel gaps, but the new IONs are pretty bad. Thanks for sharing.
I was there from the beginning to the end and there is alot the public and the press was just never told about the internal workings of the saturn corporation when it really existed as a wholly owned subsidary. Bet you were never told that in 1998 they had a five speed auto ready to go that was killed in leiu of the global L850 and the global CVT that was comming down the pipe.. Also the patents for the hybrid vue were were submitted in 1996/7 The technology was done but the company hung back waiting for the demand to come. They weren’t quite sure they wanted to jump back in the fire first after the Impact debacle.
Its very easy to take the high road and say “GM is late to the hybrid game” but, If you had been kicked in the balls to the tune of a billion dollars on a California mandated law and a promised charging station infrastructure by the electric companies that 1. never materialized and 2. a law that was backed out of by California you would be cautious before you leaped off the cliff again. Would you not?
Now that I’ve disclosed an attachment to GM let me say this. 1. I’m just a peon. 2. Yes we built some lizards during the 90’s early 2000. Prior to the 90’s it was all junk Import and Domestic.(I was an ASE mechanic for 15 years before GM) Theres still some dead wood in the shed to phase out but from the 2005’s on the stuff has made a remarkable transformation and I for one am personally exited at what is comming out. It’s been a long time since I was actually excited about buying what we produce and was proud to talk about. I can say today I actually am. I can tell you that the workin stiffs I’m around are teed, they don’t like the way were percieved and their pissed and their on it.
A midsized car versus the BMW three series which is the size of a civic is not a fair comparison by any stretch of the imagination. People who buy stripped down luxury cars are like people who buy V6 mustangs, they’re posers. Many people out there, and I’m one of them, believe if you can’t get it loaded don’t get it at all. BTW, I must admit a bias against the BMW 3. At my school the BMW 3 series coupe is the Euro trash version of the Camaro IROC. I’ve come to hate the things.
I sat in one of these a couple of weeks ago and I was impressed until I realized how much it cost. I thought it was meant as competition for Civic/Corolla not Accord/Camry/Fusion. If you have Civic money, this looks great. If you have Accord money, this looks like an Ion.
People will make the comparison regardless because many folks don’t compare car sizes but price tags.
Buying a ’stripped’ down luxury car does not make you a poser. Many ’stripped’ down luxury cars typically offer more items as standard equipement. The Acura TL is an example (maybe extreme, but it is an example).
There is more to buying a car than just the price (and I am not talking about prestige). Again, see my discussion above.
Oh, and I fully challenge that ‘many people out there believe that if you can’t get it loaded don’t get it at all.’ What a crock. I guess that’s why ‘base’ (as in not fully loaded) model cars typically sell better than the fully-loaded models. Not everyone wants stability control, HIDs, 12-way power and heated seats, navigation, etc.
Family cars by the nature of their purpose need more space than a compact sports sedan, and besides, this being America size does matter. As I was saying the whole point of a luxury car is luxury, just like the whole point of a muscle car is performance. Therefore cloth seats, low output engines, blacked out trim where buttons and wood should be and 15 and 16 inch matte wheels mark you as a poser. Simple as that. The reason base model high end cars sell so well is the same reason why fake Louis Vuittons are everywhere. The makers realize that they can make money off of perpetrators.
well to each his own, but I totally disagree with “if you can’t get it loaded don’t get it at all”. I would much rather have a great driving car than a fully loaded car. There’s plenty of options I don’t particular want or need. And I would definitely rather have a base 3 series than this car. As a matter of fact I would probably rather have an IROC than this car… as for the v6 Mustang being a ‘poser’ car, well I just drove one last week and its got plenty of power. I was able to do a nice power slide 180 just by turning off the TCS, throwing the wheel and mashing the gas. Didn’t want to get too crazy with my girl in the car but it was pretty fun hearing ‘AAAAAAHHH next time you’re going to do that LET ME KNOW!”. So with the gas mileage I can imagine plenty of posers driving that one…
What base luxury car has “cloth seats, low output engines, blacked out trim where buttons and wood should be and 15 and 16 inch matte wheels”?
Sounds like you don’t know what you are talking about.
Anybody else think this car looks like the last Mazda 6?
The V6 mustang gets 19 mpg and the V8 gets 17 and their highway economy is even, and how Ford only gets 210 HP out of a 4.0l engine is a mystery to me but I digress, it is a fun car but not a real muscle car. . As far as ratty base models go there is the Volvo S40-S60, BMW 3 series and the 5, The old G35, The 2.8L CTS, the V6 STS, 2.7L and even some 3.5L Chrysler 300s and lets not forget the Mercedes C class and the laughable Mercedes S320 from a few years back. Acura only offers fully loaded models because they are trying to build a reputation not appeal to posers. Another reason is that Acura doesn’t have the Bling and Yuppie factors that Mercedes and the others have and can’t exploit it.
Getting back to the Saturn, this looks to be a sorely needed hit for GM, my 30 something urbanite sister is looking at this and the Mercury Milan as cars for her new family, something that would’ve not happened even 2 years ago and speaks well for domestic manufacturers in general.
a. who cares? and b. whatever.
Bubba Gump,
Funny you mention 2005 as the breakthrough year. Just wanted to let you know that it didn’t go un-noticed.
I’ve noticed a clear delineation between the pre-2004 and post-2004 products coming out of GM. The product strategy / brand strategy is CLEARLY evident in the newer products. The execution is much improved (though not quite there yet as TTAC generously points out). But at least it’s apparent that GM management has direction and a plan.
This car would look so much nicer without the Big Stupid head and tail lights.