2007 Saturn Aura XE 3.5 from North America

Summary:

Reasonable quality, European style, with a good price when new

Faults:

Bought the car in September of 2010.

The radio went out after two months.

The front passenger side speaker works when it wants to.

The backup lights haven't worked for a few months.

Nothing major, it runs like new. I just keep the maintenance up on it, and try to keep an eye out for other more serious electrical issues.

General Comments:

The Aura rides nice, has good acceleration, and stops on a dime. It is a noticeably big improvement over previous vehicles from Saturn.

The interior may be a little cheap feeling in some areas, but overall it is of decent build quality. It has a nice legible layout for the dash and climate controls. With a double double din stereo, a navigation DVD system could easily fit to replace the generic radio.

As for the paint quality, it may be questionable with the fact GM uses thinner coats of paint, but I'm sure it depends on how well the owner takes care of it. I plan on washing regularly and keeping a smooth coat of wax on it. With my car being about four years old, there is minimal rust if that on the underbody.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th May, 2011

2007 Saturn Aura XR 3.6 from North America

Summary:

Best GM car I have ever owned!

Faults:

I noticed a blown speaker right away when I test drove the car, and it was replaced under warranty.

The armrest lid stopped latching, and it was replaced with a slightly redesigned one under warranty.

The weirdest problem I had is that the exhaust got loud, and I took it in and they said a bolt had broken; they drilled it out and replaced it. All was fine for a couple weeks, and it happened again, this time another bolt that was fixed. A month or so and the problem was back, it was another bolt! This time they replaced all of the remaining bolts. Not sure what caused this problem, other than rust I suppose.

General Comments:

I bought my 2007 Aura used in 2009, still under warranty. The XR model is loaded with heated leather seats, premium sound with separate amplifier, rear seat audio controls and wireless headphones, chrome accents, 3.6 V6, 6 speed transmission, OnStar, steering wheel audio controls, fog lights and many other standard features. Mine also has the sunroof, adjustable pedals, XM Radio.

I have to say it is the best GM vehicle I have ever owned! The styling is great, the performance of the 3.6 is amazing. Although torque steer is a little bit of an issue with that much power, it is definitely fun to drive. The premium sound system is awesome! It's the nicest factory system I have seen in a car. The ambient lighting is a nice touch too.

I am impressed with how this car still drives like new, and hasn't developed any squeaks or rattles that I was used to with other cars. The ride is nice, and is quieter than many more expensive cars.

I did a lot of looking around when I bought my Aura, and I don't regret getting it at all. I've always liked GM, but have always felt like they kept missing something. They got this one right, and it's a shame Saturn is gone. If GM continues to make vehicles like this or even better, they could be back on top again! My wife is eyeing the new Equinox, and it might be time to check out getting her one of those too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th March, 2011

17th Dec 2016, 05:05

Well, of course most anything is great, compared to a Sunbird!

2009 Saturn Aura XRE 3.6 from North America

Summary:

Very satisfied

Faults:

The air conditioning will stop and start blowing warm air. The service dept. where we bought the car says that when the car is under a load, it will kick out and that it is a design problem with the 3.6 engine models, and there is nothing we can do to fix it. It does this whether you are driving down the road or stopped, I find this totally unacceptable.

General Comments:

As far as the rest of the vehicle, we love it except for the air.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th September, 2009

17th Oct 2009, 09:58

I work on these cars for a living (for how long?) and I have never heard of this problem being a design flaw with the engine. I think you should find a different Saturn dealer or see if you can take it to a different GM dealer, Malibu and G6 same car under the skin.

16th Mar 2010, 17:32

Great Car. Sorry to hear Saturn is going away. Quality vehicles with flair. Too bad GM decided to kill this vehicle. I am in the market for a new Aura-like vehicle. Any suggestions?