2003 Saturn Ion 2

Saturn seemed to have everything going for it. Consumers gave its unique no-haggle sales experience a No. 1 ranking with J.D. Power year after year. Customer service earned top honors, and Saturn owners loved their economy cars so much, they drove hundreds of miles every summer just to be with other Saturn owners at the annual homecoming.

For a car company fresh out of the box, this kind of branding and satisfaction was nothing short of phenomenal.

Then it was almost as if parent company GM lost interest. After this initial promise that Saturn signaled a new day and way of doing things for the auto giant, the Spring Hill venture found itself hanging around with little in the way of new product and innovation to sustain the excitement. What new product they have had hasn’t exactly set the woods on fire.

So finally we see a little movement again at Saturn, this time in the form of replacing the initially popular S-series with the Ion. Saturn heralds the Ion as the car that will reinvigorate the lineup and, if we are to believe the commercials, lure the young buyer.

With all this in mind, I embarked on a week with this new Ion sedan, hopeful that it is the car Saturn has been waiting for.

At the end of that week, I came away as perplexed as ever.

The Good News
Everything about the Ion sets out to improve on the S-series. That means more interior space (two more cubic feet), more storage (14.5 cubic-foot trunk makes it best in class), more power (2.2L twin cam 16-valve four cylinder producing 140 horses), more safety (standard front seatbelt pre-tensioners and optional head-protection airbags), better driving dynamics and more luxuries.

What does not expand significantly, however, is the price. The base price on the Ion ranges from $11,995 to $15,495. My Ion 2 Sedan (a step down from top of the line) carries a base of $14,410 with automatic transmission.

The Ion retains the beloved Saturn molded bumpers and doors that resist dings, but it is based on a new rigid platform that makes noticeable improvements in this small sedan’s ride. It comes off most solid on the highway, where you might expect a car this inexpensive to feel like it. The Ion was a pleasant surprise here.

Efforts to cut down on the intrusion of engine noise also contribute to the more refined highway experience. That and the $460 AM/FM/6-disc CD sound system upgrade.

What has proven most controversial about the Ion is its interior setup. The speedometer and other instruments are stacked on top of the center console and tilted so they’re easily visible to the driver. Saturn reasons this clears the line of vision for driver, allows for a more comfortable steering wheel and is a natural placement since drivers glance in rear-view mirrors all the time.

I happen to like it because the less distractions in my line of sight, the better. I seem to be in the minority, however, with most drivers finding it strange and gimmicky.

The Bad News
Against all hopes, I find this category outweighs the Good News.

Unlike the original S-series which captured people with its fresh and distinctive looks, quality and economy, Saturn seems to have forgotten the mantra here. The economy factor remains intact, but the looks and quality are less than alluring.

Outside, the Ion is just plain boring, especially for a car that aims at young buyers. Exciting looks are everything to this demographic, yet Saturn delivers milquetoast. Go figure.

But more than its style – or lack thereof – the Ion appears to be cobbled together like a child’s three-dimensional wooden puzzle. The gaps between panels are much too conspicuous, and this finish just doesn’t exude the quality found in competitors.

Inside, the Ion launches a festival of plastic, complemented (?) with equally offensive, hallucinogenic seat fabric. The seats, front and back, are flat and uncomfortable, and the tiny, flimsy steering wheel looks like a go-kart transplant.

Despite the Ion’s increase in horsepower, its acceleration registers only moderate gains. That may be due in part to the automatic transmission which governs shifts with an unrelenting predictability. There is too little pep and, despite improvements, too much raspy, audible engine effort.

In short: What exactly was the hip, young buyer supposed to love about this car? Speed-sensitive windshield wipers and OnStar? C’mon folks.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 24 mpg city/32 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $14, 410
Price as tested, $16,780

Is it worth it?
I normally don’t come down so hard on a sedan that costs so little and makes such a valiant effort to be so much. But I am thoroughly disappointed to see Saturn, which represented such a breath of fresh air for GM, continuing to fumble away all it has earned and learned.

America all but handed the small car market to Japan years ago. Now GM has decided it’s something worth competing for, and Saturn was just the company to do it. They have this whole network of award-winning dealers across the country ripe to make it happen, given the right vehicles.

But, once again, these fine dealers have been let down. If the Ion is the best GM can do to “reinvigorate” the lineup, they very much underestimate the competition. There are exciting cars out there, even at this price.

It’s a shame Saturn’s new Ion isn’t one of them.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville's daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.