1996 Saturn SL SL1 review from North America
"Overall great economy car; worth the money!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission went out at about 180,000 miles.
Sticky gas pedal at about 150,000 miles (new engine fixed that)
Cracked head gasket at 205,000 miles (replaced engine at this point)
Door sealers have began to leak; air, but not water.
Stereo started having issues within the past year; replaced it.
Muffler has rusted out twice; second time we decided just to throw a glass pack on in instead of a stock muffler (sounds pretty good).
General comments?
I love this car! It has pretty good fuel economy (30-35 mpg) and still has a fair amount of get up and go. The manual transmission is something you would definatly want to look for. This car has really only had one major problem with it. I work at an auto shop, and I have yet to see ANY vehicle with as much mileage as this SL1, and any that were near it were barely running, while the SL1 runs just fine. I could not be happier with this car. If you are looking for a car to get you around or a first car for your teen, I would strongly recommend this one.
Recommended Reviews:
  | What a piece of junk! |
| Avoid Saturn |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9L Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 215558 miles |
| Previous car | Saturn SL |
| Date of Entry | 19th October, 2006 |