1994 Saturn SL 1.9 Liter

Summary:

Cheap, reliable transportation with a little style

Faults:

The clutch failed a little after 100,000 miles and had to be replaced, along with the gear box which together cost 1500 dollars.

General Comments:

I had been driving a run-down 89 VW Fox for a year and wasn't sure when it would quit on me. So I was in the market for a newer, reliable car that I could afford.

Toyota Corolla's and Honda Civic's were too much. I ended up looking at Geo Prizm's which were more in my price range, but could not find one I liked.

I considered other cars and looked at Saturn's hearing that they were reliable. After some searching I found my car. A 1994 Saturn SL base model. There is nothing extra with the car, except Air-conditioning. The car was in perfect cosmetic shape, and looked practically brand new. I was very pleased with the way it rode and appearance and snapped it up.

Since then I have put on almost twenty thousand miles in seven months and it has been acting like a champ. The clutch failed me around 100,000 miles, but that is to be expected, but the repair costs were pricey (1500 dollars at a dealer)

The car has little punch when accelerating and is not sporty at all, but it does feel reliable and the handing is very nice. And if I do need some extra power the engine can provide it.

Even though the style is 10 years old it doesn't look dated, and fits out on the road even with the newer model cars. I still see a ton of Saturn SL's on the road which is a good sign as well.

All in all, the car has delivered more than I could hope for from a 10 year-old car. It is cheap, reliable transportation.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th February, 2004

1994 Saturn SL SL2 Twin Cam

Summary:

Decent car for the price

Faults:

Replaced alternator.

Replaced starter twice in a year.

Replaced valve cover gasket two weeks after I bought it. Needs another one now. Burns a lot of oil, even after the gasket was replaced.

Replaced radiator and also reservoir tank. Uses a lot of coolant fluid. It's not leaking, but the light comes on at least every other month.

Replaced headliner.

Passenger side window in the back will not roll down. Motor has gone out on it.

Seats are worn very badly. They actually rock back and forth when I turn a curve.

Automatic seat belt is not working on the driver side, it stopped in the middle of the track. Now I have to ride with my seatbelt half choking me.

General Comments:

This car is very loud and not very comfortable for road trips. Especially since the seat on the driver side have worn and I am actually leaning a bit while I am driving.

If I am ever running late in the morning and it is raining outside, all I need to do is take a bar of soap to my car and take a bath while I am driving because the driver and passenger side windows leak just that bad.

Don't count on passing cars unless you have at least a mile of clearance, especially if the air conditioner is on. Very poor pick up speed.

I've gotten my money's worth out of this car. I've taken several trips in it and it has never left me on side of the road. I haven't spent an extremely large amount of money to repair the car considering the age of it.

Makes a good second vehicle to beat around town in.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th December, 2003

16th Feb 2006, 11:00

I agree with the whole shower thing. My Saturn leaks terrbily on both the drivers side and the passenger side when it is raining at all. Very annoying! Has anyone found any way to fix this problem. I'd love to know. Thanks!

16th Feb 2006, 12:40

Your dealer stocks replacement weatherstripping for your Saturn, which is cheap and should stop the leaks. You can easily install it yourself.

Also, the polymer body panels on this car expand and contract more than steel, forcing larger gaps between panels that will likely let in water as the weatherstripping ages. It is possible to adjust the door latch / striker plate so that the doors close tighter to the body.

This is common of older S-series and is pretty easy to fix. Good luck.

24th Feb 2006, 10:14

Thank you very much for your suggestions! I will certainly check it out. Good to know it isn't too expensive! Thanks again!

30th May 2006, 07:09

My Saturn's automatic seat-belt does the same thing, does anyone know how to fix that?

8th Jun 2006, 15:43

I am experiencing most of these problems, all except the seat issue. It's raining out now and I'm not looking forward to getting back into my car. I have been able to fix the drier side leak problem with some silicone, but was unsuccessful on the passenger side. The rear doors are leaking now and so isn't the run roof..ugh.