Faults:

Sunroof motor gears striped at 73000 miles.

Battery went dead at about 72000 miles, but it was a six year old battery.

General Comments:

The sunroof not working I can deal with and the firm suspension too.

The car is rated at 124 horsepower, but it feels like more.

Looks and performs like a sports car.

Very reliable car never had any problems with the car that couldn't live with.

Faults:

Burns about a quart of oil every 1000-2000 miles.

The plastic sides of the radiator were cracked when I purchased the car, replaced for about $120, with two hours of work.

O2 sensor was bad when I purchased the car, I replaced it for $20 and 5 minutes of work.

Replaced brake rotors, calipers and pads, $150 and about 4 hours of work. This was routine maintenance on a car with high mileage.

General Comments:

The car has been amazing! I bought it with 120,000 miles for $2500 and I still get 36MPG around rural Ohio! The highway mileage is slightly worse since it's geared so low, I get 32MPG on the highway, but I was carrying about 1500LBS while traveling 80MPH+.

It has a surprisingly large amount of cargo space for a small car.

It's no sports car, but it handles well and the ride is comfortable. Acceleration is good, but not great.

The gears (manual) are far too close ratio, and overall, the car should be geared slightly higher.

I bought the car with several problems that were easily fixed, since then, it's been running stronger than ever.

When traveling over 50MPH for prolonged periods of time (5 minutes), the "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" light turns on and blinks. The computer gives a "Multiple random cylinder misfire", but the car still runs perfectly fine. I believe it is a sensor error.

It's not the most manly car, but it's not as girlie as a Mitsubishi Eclipse either.

Other than the burning oil, this car's been great to me.

The plastic side pannels are great, it's nice to not have to worry about anything ever denting your car. You can also let off some steam by kicking the doors.

I'd definitely buy another Saturn over any Japanese car on the market. Just don't settle for the Single Over-Head Cam, the DOHC is a much better choice if you want any type of power.

Faults:

Cracked Head gasket at under 50K miles.

Needed two new alternators within first year's ownership.

**Currently hesitates upon acceleration. This is happening in the morning or after sitting for more than 8 hours. After it warms up, it runs fine until it sits idle for long periods. I am no longer under warranty, so I'd like to hear if someone has any suggestions before I take it in.

General Comments:

Saturn of Santa Rosa service has been very helpful while the car was under warranty.

Faults:

Alternator went after I had it 2 weeks; I made the dealer fix it.

It goes through a lot of oil, like the other reviews I have read on this site.

General Comments:

After owning a Tempo, this car is a big step up in terms of performance and reliability.

I enjoy driving this car. She corners quite nicely. Even though it is a 4 cylinder, the DOHC makes a big difference. She has a lot of get-up-and-go.

The only problem is that I have to constantly add oil to it.

Faults:

At 30K miles the engine seized up without any warning signs. Fortunately I had purchased an extended warranty, and after a protracted battle with the local dealership and the corporate office, they agreed to replace the engine under warranty. The new engine has consistently been losing oil, and the dealership has run several oil consumption tests. Latest results show 3.75 quarts lost over 2,545 miles.

General Comments:

When the original engine died, I went through a protracted battle with both the Corporate Office (Supposedly Different Car Company) and the local dealership, due to the fact that I had been performing all the oil changes myself. Lacking receipts for all the oil and filters, they argued that I failed to properly maintain the engine, and performed several tests on the oil and engine in an effort to relieve themselves of responsibility. Ultimately they agreed to replace the engine under warranty, but only after putting my wife & I through a stressful and humiliating process.

Now the new engine is losing oil, and our warranty is running out. Owning this car is like sitting on a time bomb. I would NOT recommend buying ANY Saturn to anyone.

Faults:

Power window motor went out.

Both front rotors became warped and were replaced under warranty.

General Comments:

The sales experience can't be beat. Everyone at the 3 different dea;erships have been wonderful. Buying and maintaining Saturns is a different experience than you can find anywhere else! It's great! I've purchased 2 new cars and 1 used car from Saturn.