Used 1998 Saturn S-Series Consumer Reviews
Used S-Series for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Not a Honda or Toyota
Subaroid!, 09/02/2009
1998 Saturn S-Series SL2 4dr Sedan
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
We bought this with around 60k miles, but were told it was mostly towed behind a RV. By about 70,000-80,000 miles things started going wrong. The coolant temp sensor went bad, the power steering rack took a dump, and it began to vibrate excessively at idle. We put motor mounts in it (twice) and it didn't help. The interior is cheap and seems flimsy. Lots of squeaks and rattles and it's noisy inside...lots of road and tire noise. The engine is unrefined, buzzy, and noisy. Gas mileage is disappointing. The Saturn tries real hard to be a Honda Civic or Toyota Camry, but falls well short.
Good Solid Car
Matt, 04/26/2007
1998 Saturn S-Series SW2 4dr Wagon
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I have loved this car. The only true car repair was a motor mount, which was pretty cheap to replace. This is my first Saturn and I've been very impressed. It is a little small for a full family. Would love a few more inches in leg room.
My first Car.
Carlover91, 01/26/2009
1998 Saturn S-Series SL2 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I first received this car when I was 16 years old. It had about 100,000 miles on it and now has close to 140,000. The car drives very well with no complaint at all. Has had regular oil changes every 3000 miles, and is very well maintained, as my father is a mechanic. The only thing that has gone wrong is the rear driver window quit working, and the shift cable linkages went out at 130,000 miles, but was an easy fix. This car has been nothing but reliable, and the car and I have been through thick and thin. This car has the perfect balance of speed, reliability, and fuel economy (can get 400 miles out of a tank)
well, it certainly is a car
argreenlee, 04/29/2004
1998 Saturn S-Series SL1 4dr Sedan
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Not bad in the beginning. But at ~38K miles, the head gasket cracked. So that was $1,000. An air intake problem filled the engine with carbon deposits. Had to have an induction performed -- another costly repair. It's just sort of a cheap vehicle. The interior rattles. I have to use an octane additive about every 2 weeks to prevent horrible knock/ping. I use Restore to fix the compression I've lost. I guess it still runs ok, but I have to put A LOT of effort into making sure it does...and I've got less than 50K on this car. And the worst part...it depreciates faster than most computers. There's almost no resale value for this thing. Uhg!
1998 SL-2 = Awesome
shanjd, 03/09/2008
1998 Saturn S-Series SL2 4dr Sedan
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I love my car! I have owned many cars, but this was my first car I ever bought new from a dealer; Sep. 1998. I have 289,237 miles on it now; still averages 40 mpg, and the only repairs ever needed were fuel pump and a timing sensor. I'm very rough on it but always keep up with the routine maintenance, and not even our New Jersey winters have stopped it yet. The dashboard & radio have a few interior lights out, but that's minor price to pay for something so reliable. I love this car; would (& have) recommended Saturn to my friends and family. This was the smartest purchase I ever made over my years. For my viewpoints of economical, reliable, and service, I am totally satisfied