1998 Saturn SL 1 from North America - Comments

Rear power window regulators broke. This caused the windows to slide freely and this was a major security risk. Would have had crank windows put in if I had known the new power windows were going to be $250 a piece. I have heard this is a common problem among Saturns.

Muffler rusted through around 120,000. It also rusted through the single strap holding it on, but since the exhaust goes through the rear suspension it did not fall off. I drove it like this for 40,000 miles until the muffler peeled open like a can of sardines. Replaced at local mechanic for cheap.

There is something wrong with the alarm system where the horn will turn on unexpectedly when the car is sitting and not turn off. I yanked the horn fuse to solve this problem.

At 164,394 miles, this car has had absolutely no work done on its major mechanical parts. The clutch, transmission, engine, suspension, alternator, A/C, water pump, etc. work flawlessly.

Tune-up at about 135,000.

Was involved in a single car accident at about 110,000 with a bridge. Hit a patch of black ice going on the freeway at 65MPH and slid sideways. The front of the car scraped along the bridge support and guard rail, and it toasted the radiator, headlights, right front quarter panel, and left half the bumper embedded in the guard rail. There was no frame damage and was really as minor of an accident as you can have at 65MPH.

Car goes a long way on a set of tires, but it is driven gently.

Seats are reasonably comfortable, and we survived numerous trips of over 12 hours in them.

Rear seat room is a little tight, but this is a small car after all. Trunk is good sized, and fold down rear seat allows for large objects to be carried.

Shifts nicely. I have driven other Saturn SLs, and this one has a more accurate shifter.

Brakes well, even without ABS.

A/C is still nice and cold. Heats up moderatley quickly in winter.

Plastic panels are intact, and only a few scuff marks on the paint. Bumpers work like bumpers should, too.

Keyless entry is nifty, but I could do without the security system. It works like it should, though.

Cigarette lighter outlet is blocked if you put a cup in one of the cupholders. This problem was solved in the 2000 redesign, though.

Dealer does a good job, but is just too expensive for repairs.

Dashboard layout is nice, and all buttons are easy to reach.

Factory cruise works well. It is not a typical GM cruise control stalk, but is buttons on the steering wheel.

Gas mileage is about 37-38MPG in most driving. My commute is about 1/3 city and 2/3 highway, and it gets the same mileage at 75MPH on the freeway.

I bought this car after I totaled my 1994 Saturn, which went 185,000 miles with one single mechanical failure (broken rocker arm), and two have my relatives have bought a Saturn recently with no troubles. I recommend the S Series Saturn, but the ION is questionable and does not get that great of mileage (32 highway for a small car-a Buick Park Avenue gets 29).

I am commenting on my own car. It is still going at over 185,000 miles, but is running pretty rough and burning some oil at this point in its life. Clutch and transmission are still smooth, though. Probably needs new tires and/or an alignment, because it shakes quite a bit above 50MPH. I'll drive it until it grinds to a halt.

I purchased a 1998 saturn sl in 2003 with 36000 miles on it. I have just eclipsed 140,000 and have merely changed the oil in the car. I have done the plugs 2 times actually due to the fact that it was not lagging till recently.

The only issue that I had with the exhaust was a strap broke. My brother quickly fixed that at the local garage that he worked at for about 8$. I run between 38 to 45mpg on highway trips, depending on the hills, and if I run the A/C it does tend to drop to the 36 range. I honestly can't complain.

People laugh because there is a K& N sticker on the car, but with that it has allowed me to hit the 43 to 45 mpg, so I would reccommend that if you haven't tried it.

Tires last reasonably well on this car. In the winter here in PA, I run with studded snow tires, which may be a bit of overkill, but it has been known to go in about 7 inches of snow with minimal problems. Only made it to the ditch one time, and that was this past winter on a very unfamiliar road. And in that particular incident, I drove out without assistance.

Recently, as I put it into 1st to park, with out the E. break on, it starts to roll, then stop, then start to roll again.

Overall, I honestly can't complain as I continue to say that repetitively. I plan to put this egg shell past the 200,000 mile mark if I can.

I forgot to enter this into my last statement about my 98 Saturn. It's a great car except for the very loud road noise, and the seats are not the most comfortable, and I'm not a real tall person at 5 ft 7inches.

You never posted my last comment about my 1998 Saturn not starting all the time. The engine turns over fine, but one day it will start up and the next day it won't even try to start. I had it in the shop for a week and they said it started every time they tried it.

I plan on keeping my 1998 Saturn SL til it drops... I bought it new and have only put on 54,000 miles. I just use it in the winter months when I can't ride a bicycle to work.

Had a head gasket and engine mount replaced in 2003, after the car was sitting in a garage for nine straight months without use. No maintenance otherwise, same as the other comments, the muffler strap rusted through but the muffler still works just fine. Other maintenance includes just routine oil changes.

I'm pretty happy getting 35-40 mpg all-around. That's the equivalent mpg of the new "Smart Car" which only seats two and has very little trunk. In fact, my Saturn SL beats mpg on all new subcompacts except for the small hybrids.

I keep the inside clean and shined up with armor-all, so the car may be old but at least it looks good. The interior is of much better quality than put together in the later year models.

I always felt these early Saturns were a great value for the money and I would buy a new one if available. Saturn in the early years was a wonderful experiment. It seems though that the independence of the old Saturn division that led to what I believe was a quality product that beat the imports was taken away as GM pulled in the leash and assimilated the division until it is now another mediocre offering with no real uniqueness...notice how the Ion and later cars did not get the high Intellichoice ratings as they did during the 1990s...