Used 2005 Saturn ION Consumer Reviews
My seventh Saturn!
I'm crazy about Saturns! I especially like the no haggle buying experience and can-do attitude of both sales and service -- I've been a Saturn owner since 1992, and this is my seventh Saturn. I was able to get my preferred combination: power locks and manual windows. However, they no longer offer remote locking system with this combo, so had to have it installed. I like the new dash design, and the visibility is improved overall. Much quieter - very little road noise.
Impressive what they've done
I had a 2002 SL2, 5speed manual and traded it in on this car. Nicely optioned out with a "special value package" that I recommend. Overall the car is vastly improved over the previous model. An excellent daily commuter. Long trip this weekend, 450 miles, revealed no weaknesses. It is comfortable for three hour interstate drives, gets nearly 35mpg, has very good seat support. It's quiet, easily cruises at 75mph with no bad vibrations, and no undue harshness. Instrument dash "pod" is quirky but quickly adapted to. Excellent sight lines. Large trunk. Zero % three year financing, FREE 5year/60K BtoB extended warranty and $1,000 rebate/OnStar cash. What's not to like in a $15,000 car?
Love it
After doing tons of research before buying I found that in this price range, this car is one of the safest and most dependable. Perfect for my family of 4. I can fit my big clunky stroller and 2 weeks worth groceries in the trunk with no problems. It hugs curves, and gets good gas mileage. It's compact enough to ease into almost any parking space (even when people park crazy), but not so small that we feel cramped. I love the latch system for carseats, easy to get to. Love the CD player, though it's weird not to have a tape deck. Though it has some unique features on the exterior, it still looks a lot like other models at a glance. One night leaving a store, I tried to unlock someone elses car that was in the same color. It took me a sec to figure out why my key wasnt working. It ended up being a different make/model all together.
Overall
Overall, I am esxtremely happy with my purchase. The only things that bother me would be that there are no handles on the back doors so the passengers can let themselves out (someone else must do it for them). I also do not like the vents for the AC/Heater. The steering wheel seems to block some of the air coming out. Other than that, I couldn't ask for a better car!
Very Satisifed Saturn Owner
From the time I walked in the door at the dealership until the time I drove away with the car, it was an awesome experience. The salesman that took care of me was not interested in upselling but rather what I was looking for. I had done my homework online prior to buying so I new what I wanted which made it even easier. I have the ION 1 and it's an incredibly fun car to own and drive. It has a huge amount of kick in the motor for a sedan, so it does make the road trips enjoyable. Gas mileage is just as good. The trunk space is a big factor since I do travel quite a bit.