Saturn===>Prius??

I traded in my '98 Saturn SL1 in October for the 2005 Prius. I really liked my Saturn (purchased new in May of '98), and the gas mileage was always great - on a recent trip from WI to New England and back, we averaged around 42mpg.

My Saturn was very much a plain vanilla vehicle - the only amenities being cruise control and A/C. My daughters (now grown) never gave up deriding me for not upgrading the AM/FM radio for a real music system. <_<

When I started shopping around, I had already done a good bit of research on the Prius, and had pretty much made up my mind that it would be my next vehicle. We had to take the Saturn in to the dealer for a minor repair (watch out for those cement parking lot bunkers!), and my husband convinced me to take a look at the new Saturns. I was much dismayed to discover that Saturn had sacrificed fuel efficiency for power, and that the EPA ratings had dropped significantly since the '98 model year.

I drove my Saturn for 85,000 problem-free miles; the only maintenance required (beyond the regular oil changes, tire rotation, etc.) was having the brakes serviced at 60,000 miles. If Saturn had continued in the direction they were going when I bought mine, they might have had a repeat customer. But I was looking for better fuel efficiency, not worse, and was also looking for something just a bit more posh than my Plain Jane Saturn. The Prius filled that bill very nicely!

Erin

 

Wow, let us know if Saturn wants to give them a new car in exchange for a testimonial!

 

Bought my 1995 Saturn SL2 when I finished college and drove it through grad school and first job. It will be gone soon when (or before) I get my '06 Prius. Only 96k miles! Automatic transmission, cruise control, AC, power windows and doors! Any bites?

I haven't had much trouble with it and in summer and warmer climes I sometimes got 40+ MPG, but it doesn't do so well in winter in the mountains. The combination of cold and elevation really makes the MPG plummet. Handles GREAT in snow though.

When I bought the Saturn it was a close choice between it and a Civic. Saturn won the day for 2 main reasons 1. approximately half of my family works for GM (although at the time Saturns were so popular that they didn't qualify for 'family pricing'), and 2. when I went to drive a Civic the salesman was rude, patronizing, and super high pressure. The Saturn no-haggle model was really appealing to a young woman on her own.

I am taking a lot of grief for buying a Toyota! I just keep saying that if GM made a car that fit my needs and wants I would consider it. There's nothing on the horizon though.

What attracts me to Prius?
1) environmental concerns
2) Toyota's reputation for reliability
3) value for cost
4) techno-coolness

 

My husband has had 2 Saturns - a SL1 and now a 2000 SC2 - both manual. He really likes the SC2, but when it comes time to get a new car, it probably won't be a Saturn.

He doesn't want a SUV, so that leaves only the ION. Not one of the best looking designs on the road and it doesn't have the economy of the SC2 as well as being a larger car. He is only looking for a commuter car - nothing fancy.

He is taken with my Prius and is thinking in that direction. He is hoping to see more hybrids out by the time he is ready to buy...

 

my husband drove a saturn when we first met. he had a 94 sl1, which spent more time dead in the driveway than on the road, from the day he bought it in 1999.

nothing but trouble, that thing. sat in the driveway for 6 months while he biked to work in the bitter winter cold. when he got it running again (tinkering in the garage day in and day out... ) he eeked another 5k miles out of it before the timing chain holder broke and busted up the engine. then, he went and bought a rebuilt engine head and put everything back together. then the oil pump died on him and the engine seized for good.

fortunately, by then he had his 88 camry- 220K miles and still running strong. he had to junk the car because the body rusted out, but it still ran great. he was so into toyota that he picked up a job at the dealer and that's where we learned about the prius. he insisted i get one. so now, here we are.

in addition, our good friends back home had a saturn identical to my husband's- the thing burst into flames in their garage one night. they're thinking about getting a hybrid if/when they can afford one after hearing how much we like ours.

 

I currently drive a 1999 Saturn SL1 that recently hit 95,000 miles and has given me very little trouble. I get about 33mpg most of the time. If I could have gotten a S-series wagon when my lease was up, I would have. I'm really uninterested in Saturn's current line and when I read the head of GM's disparaging remarks about hybrids a while back, I decided they didn't deserve my money anymore. Once we're through with my Saturn, they'll likely never see another dime from me (I still get it serviced at the dealer).

After deciding to shun GM and all the trouble we've had with our Ford Ranger, I decided my next car would be either a Toyota or a Honda. The clincher for the Prius was two things: 1) when I rented a 2005 Prius for a weekend, I got 49mpg on my normal commute route for a round trip. 2) I have two 60lb Labrador Retrievers. And they just fit in the hatch area in the Prius. Finding a car that gets good mileage and could handle 2 adults, 2 dogs, and a baby seat isn't an easy task. Also, there is more space in the Prius for my 6'2" husband, who gripes loudly about being cramped in the Saturn. Finally, after a manual transmission Saturn with just AC and cruise control, the standard features in the Prius #1 seem like luxury!

-- Cindy

 

That's exactly what I thought. Having a CD player and sun visors that are actually attached to the ceiling were enough for me.

 

I just traded a 95 SL2 in for a 2001 Prius. The Saturn SL2 was a warhorse. Over 140K on it and still going strong. Like all Saturns it burned a quart of oil every 1,000 miles, the sun/moon roof leaked, and the older I got the lower the seats seemed...but it always got great mileage and had only minimal service needs for the eleven years we had it. I've been eyeing a hybrid since I first heard of them...I knew there wouldn't be another Saturn in my future as everything about them has gone down hill since the 90's. Now that GM has brought them all the way into the fold one can only expect matters to get far worse for this once promising line. One can only imagine what would have happened if Saturn had become the first US auto maker to develop a hybrid...sadly, they were too influenced by their GM masters.

My Prius had one prior owner, and 39K when I bought it. After driving it for only 1,000 miles the power steering went hooey, and it had to be returned to the dealer...not the one I bought it from as I was 600 miles away. The dealer was great. Toyota replaced the power steering ECU and the PS rack, all under the vehicle's original warranty, meanwhile a leaking front axel seal was discovered and replaced under my extended warranty. A replacement vehicle was promptly (and without a word from me) provided at no extra cost (a 2005 scion, not a bad little car) while they fixed up the Prius - four days in the shop. I'm hoping something like this won't be happening again soon, but so far my opinion of Toyota dealers is they give first rate service. At least this one here in Pittsburgh is a gem, and their personnel are all exceptionally polite and informative.

 

I had a 1996 Saturn SC2 coupe with less than 50,000 miles on it. I sold it to my sister for her son to drive when I bought my Prius.

I've noticed there are quite a few ex-Saturn owners that now own Prii myself.