2001 Saturn L300 Level III review from North America

Dealer replaced valve guide seals, timing belt and AC compressor. I replaced front struts and rear brakes.

I really like this car! Mine has every option, including moon roof and leather. It is a daily commuter in the Wash DC area.

They are a steal in the used car market. Paid $4700 and the dealer replaced the valve seals, timing belt and AC compressor at no charge to me.

Although Saturn is out of business, there are plenty of part suppliers, and this car shares many parts with the Cadillac Catera and Saab 9-5; engine, trans. Admittedly, body parts will be hard to find -- as in the scrap yard.

Very reliable and powerful. Good gas mileage. Comfort/noise are above-average.

I had the driver seat re panned and now offers more support. The other seats are fine. 6 air bags! Huge trunk and pass-through seats.

Have had other cars, Ford, Volvo, Saab. While the others had more prestige, they are also more expensive to repair - including the Ford.

Others complain about tire wear, but the owner's manual says to cross rotate every 3,000 miles. I have the low end NTW Shadow radials on mine and rotate every oil change. They are holding up fine with 20K miles on them. Honda Civics have the same issue.

Others have complained about the transmission. This is a powerful engine. You drive it hard and -- yes -- there will be a trans problem -- same with any car.

Lastly, others have complained about service schedule. The 3.0 V-6 is the same engine as in the Saab 9-5, so it has the same "european" service schedule. Same suspension system as the 9-5, so that means struts. If you can find a nice L300 or possibly an Aura, the replacement for the L300, I recommend them. Be careful about spending too much for the Aura, because with Saturn gone, they will take a depreciation hit. Should be a buyer's market for Saturns.

I would definitely recommend a reasonably priced Saturn, especially if you plan to drive it a long time. If you want to own and trade, then I would consider looking elsewhere because of depreciation issues.