1994 Saturn SL Reviews from North America - Page 4 of 20

The only things I can recall going wrong with the Saturn were the alternator, and the timing belt. That was about it. The car was very reliable.

I LOVED this car. The Saturn was my favorite car owned, and I would love to find another 94 Saturn to get my hands on.

I ran the car into 2 curbs and busted 2 axles, had to have those replaced. Car still ran like a champ.

I got caught in a flood and the car floated away from me. Went back the next morning, the car started up and drove with water in the transmission and oil! I had water up past my ankles in the floor!

Unfortunately the interior smelled funky after the flood, but I'm surprised that all the electronics still worked after being soaked in water.

I put the poor car through Hell, I was a young and stupid driver and pushed the car, and it held up more admirably than any other car I've driven. I would highly recommend one of these cars to anyone, mine was a great car and I'm sorry that it finally ended up totaled. (which, by the way, when I went back to the tow yard to try and get my car, they said the car still ran even after the whole front end had been demolished.) I think the car was possessed...

It was 14 years old, the transmission was just old and grouchy.

It was my first car, I see them all the time now and I miss it. If nothing had gone wrong, I would've kept it forever. They're safe and drive fast.

It was good in the snow too considering how small and light it was. It was just the perfect first car and I'll always remember it. They're great, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Radiator sprung a leak where the transmission cooling line connects to the left side.

Spring-loaded serpentine belt adjuster broke three, I repeat THREE times over the last few years!

Front wheel bearing went once.

Flexible braided brake line rubbed a hole through the steel brake line in the right front wheel-well, causing the brakes to fail under a hard stop. Scary.

Windshield wiper motor blew once.

Alternator blew at 350,000km.

Water pump bearing blew up at 300,000km, causing sudden major coolant leak.

The 1.9L SOHC motor is VERY thrifty on gas, though a bit underpowered, especially on the highway.

Car has been quite cheap to maintain, with mainly standard repair things that most cars go through. Still running strong at 460,000km!

Sound dampening is poor, and at highway speeds can be quite loud in the cabin.

Overall a very decent car.. not luxurious, but it'll get you where you want to go, at a low running cost.

I bought this car on Sept of 2006.

This 1994 SL1 had 123,448 miles on it.

Nothing major has gone wrong with this car, but have a few small problems.

- Brake line for the right front wheel rusted through, lost brakes, leaked fluid all over the road. 123,464 miles

- Muffler hanger strap rusted off. Like that when I bought the car.

- Muffler rusted and started falling apart. Got worse after I bought it.

- Factory speakers blown. Like that when I bought it.

- Rust from the inside on the metal between the two windows on the rear doors. Like that when I got it.

- Headliner started to fall. 134,800 miles.

- Sun visor fabric failing, 124,XXX miles.

- Tire are a little narrow.

- Rims rusted.

- Used a little oil 1QT ever 3K miles. But that's okay, the car still ran good.

Over all this was a really great car.. never had any problems mechanical.

This car had the traction control and ABS option.

Also had P/S and A/C.

Performance:

I would give this car a 5 or 6. The car does not weigh much, but it also does not have a lot of power. Just about 85HP. You will find yourself flooring the car to keep up with traffic from stop lights. It does have a "pref" and "norm" button, and all this button does is if you are in pref mode, it will hold the rpms a little higher before shifting to the next gear. In norm mode, the car seems to shift to soon, and you have very little acceleration power.

Engine:

I would give this car a 6. The 85HP was a little lacking in the power point of view. Have the A/C on, with 3 people on the car, and you were going nowhere fast.

Braking: I would give this car a 8. This car does stop well from 60. Stopping power is from 4 rotors. This car does not have back drum brakes. ABS does come on easy though.

Handling:

I would give this car a 6. This car does handle well, but could be much much better. This model does not have speed sensitive steering. The SL2 does. This car you can over correct easy, if you get in to a slide.

Winter:

I would give this car a 4 or 5 for winter driving. It was okay, but can get stuck really, and the car is so low to the ground, if you have any real snow fall, you will plow the slow. The traction control was a joke in the winter, and with it on, you would get stuck even easier.

Interior:

I would give a 6. The car did age okay, but started falling apart in the last month I had it. The plastic peaces inside the car creak, fall apart, break. the headliner failed. The seats were OK, but not great in the terms of comfort. The electric seat belts were annoying, but worked. The factory sound system was probably good for 1994, but in 2006, the speakers were blown, and does not have a cd player. I upgraded the speakers, and the head unit.

Exterior:

I would give this car a strong 9. This car that had 135K miles, aged very well. Still looked really good with a coat of wax, the paint still shined, but the black plastic bumpers turned in to a light gray over the years. The paint is very durable.

Hvac:

I would give this car a 8. The A/C worked really well, It would freeze you out of the car on a hot summer day. The heat also worked really well, and on a cold morning, the car would be heated up in 5 minutes.

Upkeep:

I would give this car a 8. It cost really nothing to keep this car going strong.

I would change the oil every 3K miles, I also changed out the ECTS, transmission fluid and filter, and brake fluid. Tires were cheap, about 250 for 4.

This it it for my review, I hope I have been able to help you.