1999 Saturn SL SL1 1.9 SOHC from North America
Summary:
Not a good buy and not reliable
Faults:
Car wouldn't start at 33,000 miles
Clutch burnt out at 34,700 miles
Plastic doors are extremely cheap. The car is dent resistant, but it is not crack resistant.
Battery was shot at 33,000 miles
Crack about 8 inches long on rear drivers side door
Poor pick up
Low rev limiter and governor
Tops out at 105 mph
5 speed hard to keep consistent speed
Not at all sporty
Comes stock with 110 hp
Hard to find any performance parts.
Very unappealing black plastic bumpers.
Transmission fluid seal busted at 34,000 miles.
General Comments:
Basically the only thing that I liked on this car was the seats. They were firm yet race seat like and comfortable. I made a joke of this car by taking it to Cecil County Drag strip in Cecil County Maryland. It ran a lousy 16.8 second 1/4 mile at only 81 mph. If you ask me, this car is not worth the money. There has been pretty many recalls. One that I know off hand is a pin in the transmission breaks off.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 11th April, 2004
29th Sep 2008, 23:23
It is almost unbelievable that you would even think of using this kind of Saturn for any type of racing... I can't believe you mentioned that you took it to the track. It's a car to move from A to B, not from 0-60mph...
29th Apr 2009, 16:24
Wow. Just, wow...
8th Jan 2010, 16:11
Tops out at 105? This is a car to get you from point A to point B, not a car to outrun the cops with! If you want to put "performance parts" in your car, buy a Dodge Charger.
11th Apr 2004, 13:56
It looks to me that most of the faults with this car are due to abuse. Why did you buy a Saturn (an econo-sedan) if you were looking for something to race with? Of course you'll have tranny problems if you try to race with a stock clutch. Get a clue man.