2005 Saturn ION Quad Coupe 2 review from North America

Nothing has gone wrong with the vehicle, so far.

The Ion's have been known and accredited for their outstanding reliability (Consumer's Reports), and I bought this vehicle with this aspect in mind.

The INTERIOR is comfortable, quiet, and spacious.

With GM's new QuietSteel technology (two pieces of laminated and pressed steel with a piece of asphalt material in between acting as an acoustic noise eliminator), the interior is almost as quiet as many vehicles that I have driven that were a lot more expensive.

The seats are well sculpted, comfortable, and are great for longer trips.

The rear seats, accessed through swing-out "suicide" doors, are comfortable too, even for a compact car. They are well made, padded nicely, and are firm, yet not punishing. They were designed with a "theater/stadium" seating in mind, and are at a great angle.

The interior has an aura of high quality. Plastics have been upgraded for 2005, along with the steering wheel. Chrome accents are abound in the cabin, and the fit and finish are first rate.

The center instrument panel is easy to get used to, gets the panel out of your face when driving, and is helpful for taller drivers.

The radio/stereo system is excellent. I opted for the higher-end premium package from Saturn which features six speakers, a 200 watt amplifier, and surround sound.

I also purchased a sunroof. It is very nice in the summer, and is quiet (unlike many sunroofs).

The EXTERIOR is also pleasant.

The majority of panels on the vehicle are plastic. This is helpful when in parking lots, the plastic is dent and ding resistant. It is also rust-proof.

The front fascia styling is aggressive, yet not offensive.

The rear fascia is very understated, and Japanese in detail.

Fit and finish, panel gaps, and overall paint quality are very good.

The POWERTRAIN is yet another strong point.

The 2.2 Liter GM Ecotec Dual-Overhead Camshaft, 16 valve, four-cylinder is very powerful, mostly quiet, and rev-happy.

The 2.2 produces 140 horsepower, and 150 pound feet of torque.

The engine exhibits a lot of low-end power when needed in extreme situations (i.e. merging, passing, turning out of streets, etc.).

The engine is very quiet for a four cylinder, and matches any Toyota or Honda.

The engine is also very fuel-thrifty. It achieves, according to the EPA, 24 city, and 32 highway. In this day in age of high oil prices, these statistics are very good.

The four-speed automatic transmission is also very smooth, quiet, and features nice shift patterns.

The Ecotec, according to some very informative automotive sources, will most likely be known as the "Chevy Small-Block" of the four-cylinder world in the future. It has had outstanding reliability, and the engines are even used in racing events where the engine's main components are stock, and with some extreme bolt-on, nitrous, and air modifications, can produce upwards of 1000 horsepower.

How it DRIVES is also a very good attribute to this vehicle.

The Saturn Ion shares the GM Delta platform with the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, and the Canadian Pontiac Pursuit. This platform features a fully independent front suspension with struts in the front, and in the rear, features a semi-independent coil spring suspension with stabilizer bars.

The Ion has a very good turning radius with it's electronic steering (one spin of the wheel into even the tightest parking spaces).

The body has very little lean in turns,

and has very little understeer.

Overall handling of the car is excellent.

The brakes, which are front disc, rear drum, are also very powerful, and stop the vehicle on a dime.

LAST COMMENTS

Overall, I love the Ion because of it's good quality, excellent powertrain, and world-class handling. For real driving afficionados, I recommend the Saturn ION Quad Coupe Red Line edition with a 2.0 Liter Ecotec 4-cylinder with an Eaton-5 Supercharger that produces a 12 psi boost, and churns out 205 horsepower.