6th Jan 2010, 08:09
Hi -- original poster here. Well, it's now seven years down the road and I continue to enjoy my Saturn LW300. All these years later, it's fairly low-mileage (49,000), it remains trouble-free and is still fun to drive.
The gas mileage has improved slightly (20 mpg around town, slightly more on trips), which -- now that it's exceeded the 20-mpg point -- I suppose is acceptable.
What amazes me is that at age 7, there's still not a rattle in my Saturn wagon. While I cop to maintaining my Saturn in impeccable condition, it's still like driving a brand-new car. I'm amazed that this kind of quality ever came out of an American car company. I'd given up hope long ago of seeing this kind of American workmanship and reliability.
The irony, of course, is that now that I own a car that I would most definitely buy again, I can't, since it's no longer made.
Note to GM -- you effed up ROYALLY by mis-marketing and abandoning the Saturn. If my LW300 ever dies (which I doubt it will), there's a Subaru in my future.
4th Dec 2009, 14:53
I own a 2001 LW300 (now 2009, with > 120K miles), and regularly get better than 25 mpg. You must have a short commute (cold engine), or be very heavy on the gas pedal to get such bad mileage?