2008 Saturn Aura Consumer Reviews

A cheaper Audi?

Written by: Patmajia on 06/30/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

My family of 5 bought a 2.4 L Aura. With the 0% deal, it should cost less to buy, own, and drive 100k miles (incl. $5 gas) than a Camry hybrid. Outside, it looks a lot like the Audi A4; even the standard alloy wheels seem to copy those once offered on the Audi A4, a good car to copy. The red exterior with tan cloth and faux wood interior is gorgeous, but some plastic bits are low end. Only the Morocco leather (which you cannot get on the 4 cyl) is better. This car rides smoothly, and is quieter on the road at 70 mph than the 2008 Accord and is about even with the 2008 camry I test drove. It's quick enough for us. The 5 year 100k standard drivetrain warranty should make for low hassle ownership.

Favorite Features

Looks great. Has character; not sterile and common. Quiet. Smooth. Price/financing very good. Warranty very good. Crash test results good.

Suggested Improvements

Six speed auto that's in the XR instead of the four speed auto might add $500 to price, but worth it. Better interior materials and less cheap looking/feeling plastic might add $500. Driver's seat is hard, and even with 8 way adjust is not as comfy as mom's 25 year old Cadillac bench seat.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Awesome Bang for the Buck

Written by: AC on 06/24/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Have owned 2 other "economy" Saturns and this one beats them all hands down. Looked at the Subaru models and simply could not justify the pricing. Fell in love with the size, styling and features. All things considered I love driving this car and feel like I finally own a luxury car.

Favorite Features

Smooth acceleration, ultra quiet interior, awesome interior lighting, luxury exterior, OnStar & XM radio, all the safety airbags

Suggested Improvements

Blind spot due to wide pillars at either side of windshield; loose change drawer on driver's side dashboard keeps popping open; more consistent gas mileage-started out local at 24 mpg and am now down to 18mpg after 2 months driving(got 29-32 consistent on my Ion)

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Best vehicle by Saturn yet!

Written by: Phil on 06/06/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

Before this car I had a 2000 Saturn LS1, that I had bought new. I was very happy with that car overall. It was very dependable, so when it came time to get a new car I felt I needed to check the new Saturns. I test drove the Aura and it felt nothing like my LS. Everything was different, from the power to the anti glare mirrors. The Aura has much roomier back seat which is great for my 10 year old daughter and her friends. It is extremely quiet on the highway.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

4 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Best Car for the Money

Written by: Jason on 06/05/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

I've had 2 IONs and now I have an 08 Aura XE with the V-6. It is by far superior to other cars in the same class with similar equipment. It is much more comfortable on my back that any Ford or Toyota and it actually feels like there is something behind the wheel. The Saturn team really nailed this one and I hope to see the Aura aroudn for a long time!

Favorite Features

The Inside lights with the ambient lighting. The sound system is good to. And of course, who doesn't like horespower? I have no complaints.

Suggested Improvements

None

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Impressive

Written by: Lee on 06/04/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XR 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

I was lookinng at both the Saturn and the new Chevy Malibu. I found that the Saturn XR was much less than the top of the line Malibu LTZ. I did not want a 4 cyl despite the price of gas. This car is amazing in every way. I will admit the ride is a bit stiff around local roads but like a Cadilac on the highway. Everything is easy to reach well marked and night driving this thing lights up like a Christmas tree. I can't believe these cars are not flying out of dealers lots. The bang for the buck is one of the very best deals out there now

Favorite Features

The exterior and interior styling. The well laid out dash/radio/cd/heater. The 18 inch multispoke wheels look great, ride great

Suggested Improvements

None

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Impressive

Written by: bsquare on 06/03/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

Have owned for 2 weeks now, and so far very pleased. Smooth, comfortable ride and plenty of pick-me-up in the V6. Nice lines - more than a few double-takes from other drivers and pedestrians. Shopped the Aura against the 2008 Accord (I'm a two-time Accord owner). Liked them both, but feel with Aura I'm getting a lot of car for several thousand less.

Favorite Features

Comfortable interior; smooth ride; nice V6 power. For a Saturn, a surprisingly striking exterior.

Suggested Improvements

Rear seat armrest. Loose change compartment on driver's side won't stay shut. Rearview mirror adjuster closer to driver.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Pleased and Dismayed

Written by: Pleased and dismayed on 05/28/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XR 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

After several Volvos I loved, I was impressed by the new Aura and felt it was a good value. I've owned it 6 mos. now and overall, this is a fantastic car - too many things to list that I like. Details like quiet and ambient lighting, OnStar all excellent. I have had a lot of trouble with the 19" tires, dealer replaced all of them at least once, and they just cannot seem to get balanced smooth - the car rides crappy at 60MPH or higher, and I have been so disgusted with this that all the good things get overlooked. Its a shame, either the tires or my dealer can't get it right - they say its the way the car was designed-yeah right! GM always designs cars to vibrate at 60MPH

Favorite Features

Exterior style, power, all the bells and whistles, fit and finish, decent economy, OnStar,ambient lighting, quiet with windows up (not so much with them down)

Suggested Improvements

Power mirror and seat buttons are very awkward locations to reach. Needs rear seat armrest. Doors swing too far open.Awkward to enter/exit for a tall person. Cheap looking dash/armrest/console plastics devalue otherwise nice interior. Shift point between 40-50 when on an incline needs refined.

7 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Great power, great ride, sporty design

Written by: Chicago Driver on 05/23/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 4A)

Review

The Saturn Aura has very good pickup and power for a relatively small sedan. All the comments about it being the "poor man's Lexus" are true. Several friends told me that they thought it was a Lexus. I had a Saturn wagon about 10 years ago and loved it, had a very good experience with the car. My take is that Saturn has upgraded their product line with a sporty, dependable line of cars that are popular and fun to drive. The only thing that bugs me about the car is that there appears to be a weird "blind spot" at the right front of the windshield due to the design of the front (windshield) of the car. But maybe this could be offset by adjusting the seat? Overall I love this car.

Favorite Features

Great stereo. Holds the road very well. I love all the controls on the steering wheel, especially the information I can get by pressing the "Information" button on the steering wheel. You can even get the tire pressure by pressing this button! That alone is an awesome feature, saves time/hassle

Suggested Improvements

Narrow the car's vertical frame where the passenger side window meets the windshield. The frame area is too "thick", creates a form of blind spot.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Best Sedan I Have Owned

Written by: legalbgl on 05/19/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XR 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

The Saturn Aura is by far the best sedan I have owned. Compare it to the Camry, the Camry feels cheap and whatever. The Accord feels flimsy. Nothing sturdy to those cars. The Aura however, feels like a presence on the road. You feel like you have something substantial and safe. What a feeling!

Favorite Features

The paddle shifters. The radio is awesome.

Suggested Improvements

The center console could be redesigned, where is the change holder. Navigation system would be nice, but I would not have bought it anyway, as I drive mostly locally.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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It's a strong buy

Written by: jb on 05/18/2008

Vehicle

2008 Saturn Aura XE 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Dollar for dollar the Saturn Aura is an outstanding car. The lines of the exterior really look like a more expensive car. We drove the XR and found that there was too much torque and HP for our needs. Also, drove the Malibu. Chevy has more interesting interiors, but, the people at Saturn seem a bit more consumer friendly. The inline 4 has good power and the sound and vibration damping are really well done.

Favorite Features

Nice option packages make for some great features on this reasonably priced car. Remote start and satellite radio.

Suggested Improvements

Some of the upscale XR convience and safety features should be available on the XE. We don't all need the HP of the six. Wish we could have gotten the prettier rims on the XE that are available on the XR!

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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