1996 Saturn SL SL1 review from North America
"Very reliable, but I hate it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
- Muffler replaced at 158 000 km.
- Rear brake pads replaced at 160 000km.
General comments?
All in all, this is a very reliable car, and it's cheap on gas.
But there are some things I can't stand about this car.
It handles so terribly on the highways.
The engine very underpowered.
I have heard before that Saturn's were known for bad build quality, but man I never knew it was this bad. The interior is crap, everything squeaks around you, my seat squeaks every time when accelerating or braking.
If you take a look at some of the parts in the engine compartment, it looks like they were molded out of Styrofoam some how.
But I don't know how I can hate this car so much, since it hasn't given any trouble. It starts every time, even in -40 c without plugging the block heater in.
I drive this little car hard to make up for the lack of engine power, and still no mechanical problems.
Recommended reviews
| What a piece of junk! |
|
| Avoid Saturn |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 155000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 185000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Dodge Shadow |
| Date of Entry | 23rd May, 2008 |