2000 Saturn SL SL2 review from North America
"Fun to drive, but so-so reliability"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Radiator sprung a coolant leak which was fixed under warranty.
Lights in the dashboard burned out prematurely, and were also replaced under warranty.
Was rear-ended in an accident. If the car wasn't insured, I would be crying all the way to the bank, as it would have cost me $700 Canadian to replace the bumper. And this was a minor accident!
Also noticed that when damaged, the plastic fenders indeed do not dent, as they say in the TV ads. They shatter.
Engine is starting to get really noisy and shaky when it's cold.
Original Firestone tires wore out prematurely and began leaking at 50'000 km. Replaced them with Michelin tires. Much better tires.
General comments?
Pretty good looking car, and easy to keep looking good.
Fun car to drive, has more get-go than my old Corolla. Enough torque to outgun most rice-rockets (Honda Civics etc)
On the small side (What do you expect? It's a subcompact) but still surprisingly roomy. Lots of headroom both in the front and in the rear.
Seats are a bit low, but the front driver's seat is adjustable.
Trunk is a funny shape and doesn't hold bulky things like suitcases well.
Recommended reviews
| Happy little economic car! |
|
| Very good sport-compact, great value, not a muscle-car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 2000 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 DOHC Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 61500 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Corolla |
| Date of Entry | 7th January, 2003 |