1999 Saturn SL SL1 review from North America
"Not a good buy and not reliable"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Car wouldn't start at 33,000 miles
Clutch burnt out at 34,700 miles
Plastic doors are extremely cheap. The car is dent resistant, but it is not crack resistant.
Battery was shot at 33,000 miles
Crack about 8 inches long on rear drivers side door
Poor pick up
Low rev limiter and governor
Tops out at 105 mph
5 speed hard to keep consistent speed
Not at all sporty
Comes stock with 110 hp
Hard to find any performance parts.
Very unappealing black plastic bumpers.
Transmission fluid seal busted at 34,000 miles.
General comments?
Basically the only thing that I liked on this car was the seats. They were firm yet race seat like and comfortable. I made a joke of this car by taking it to Cecil County Drag strip in Cecil County Maryland. It ran a lousy 16.8 second 1/4 mile at only 81 mph. If you ask me, this car is not worth the money. There has been pretty many recalls. One that I know off hand is a pin in the transmission breaks off.
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| 1998 - SL 2 1.9L 16-valve DOHC Affordable, unbreakable compact with the soul of a sport sedan |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 SOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 23464 miles |
| Most recent distance | 34750 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Jetta |
| Date of Entry | 11th April, 2004 |