Used 1997 Saturn S-Series Consumer Reviews
O.K. CAR
The car has had more repairs than I feel should be necessary for a vehicle with 61,000 mile on it. I have had the alternator replaced, the stereo replaced, the rotors replaced, an engine mount replaced, a cv boot replaced and the spark plug wires. I had a corolla before this that had about 130,000 on it with not as many repairs. I hope things don;t get worse from here on out.
Great value
I bought my Saturn new after several years of consideration and have never regretted it. I now have almost 200,000 miles on it, and outside of routine maintenance (oil, brakes, etc.), I've had only one item require repair (starter). This is not the car for you if your priorities are performance (have to turn of the A/C to merge on short highway on-ramps) or style, but if you're looking for an economical, reliable way to get from point A to point B, you won't do better.
Unhappy Saturn Customer
97 Saturn 2 door SL1. Drinks oil. Between 2001 and fall of 2002, I replaced the generator assembly, the water pump & coolant, the EGR valve twice) and the 02 sensor, coil, wires & spark plugs (three times), the drive belt (twice), the drive belt tensioner, the brake pads, cylinders & rotors all around. The check engine light is on again, it's running rough, and they tell me I need an engine teardown, and possibly a new engine, at 98,000 miles. Total maintenance/repair cost since my warranty ran out at 60,000 miles: $3700. And that's before the $450 teardown and the possible $2400 for a used engine.
I love my Saturn
From all the talk I hear of increased oil consumption from this model, I can truly say I havent experienced any. My SC2 gets about 28-30 MPG in the city, and nearly 38 on the highway, so I can always expect to get 300 miles at least out of my 10 gallon tank. The handling is great, the acceleration is peppy, and for a Saturn, it's really easy on the eye.
An Amazing Car
When I got this car, I thought to myself why did my dad buy it. Well after driving it, I was amazed. I picked up so quick and I could feel the potential for power to be released. So you can guess I have been modding it, and its been taking alot of abuse. I pushed it beyond its redline many times and finally ive had to pay for it. It is now finally burning a tiny bit of oil. Most people have problems with burning oil but me I never had a problem. I have had to replace fuel pump, no problem though. Interior design, I believe, is fantastic(fabric sucks). Very comfortable for long trips(im 6'1 150lbs), handles great, picks up great, great gas mileage, just so much great about it.