Picking y'all's brains

[dglenn]

Do Saturns tend to age well? Is a 1994 single-owner Saturn wagon a "run away from" or a "hey, better take a look at that"?

Comments

[donnad]

I have a 1992 Saturn SL1 with 129,000 miles on it. It's running beautifully. I bought it secondhand in 1997. A couple years later I had a few expensive repairs, but since then it's doing okay. G had a 1996 SW2 Saturn wagon. He bought it brand new, no problems. He totalled it back in ~2002, and went out and bought another SW1, this time a 1999. It's been fine so far other than the usual brakes and muffler issues older cars tend to get. The older model Saturns are much better than the newer ones. My 1992 is much better made than the 1999 is

[starmalachite]

Remember I promised to check Consumer Reports? Unfortunately, they only go back to 1997. OTOH, Saturn models for '99 & '02 appear in their Reliable Used Car list.

I'd ask a lot of questions about maintenance, or even ask to see the records.

[dglenn]

Eep! I'd started assembling a list of cars to ask you about, but so far the only one on the list that isn't from 1983-1995 is a 1998 Ford Contour (and I've no clue whether that's one the bass will go into or not).

(Even on Craigslist, $1,400 is just not a whole lot of money to go car-shopping with. *sigh* Still hoping I get lucky.)

The most interesting ad I've seen so far is a 1993 Accord wagon. Since the car I just lost was a 1990 Accord sedan ... Only thing is, the price is low enough to make me wonder what unmentioned problems it has. Hope it's just a good deal ... hope hope hope hope ...

[muzikmaker21]

Bass will fit into a Contour

[katrinb]

I second the "ask about maintenance" bit, but Saturns in general are fairly reliable from what I hear.
Given that one sacrificed itself to save my husband's life once (he was middle car in a three car pileup - the car was totaled but he walked away without an injury), and was Extremely Reliable for him beforehand, I have a soft spot for Saturns.

[whc]

Two of my co-workers have older Saturns and like them. The engines seem to need work somewhere in the 200-300k mile range.

[donnad]

Yeah, when my partner G was in his accident, Hit mostly head on at high speed by another driver, (Pictures are here) all he got was a broken collarbone from the seat belt.
Saturns have great crumple zones. If you notice the nose of the car is about half the length it should be, but the passenger cabin is intact.

[louiseroho]

I have had Saturns since around 1995. I they do OK, but usually need about $800/year in maintenance from things wearing out.

[dglenn]

%wince% On my budget, $800/year would translate to a few months without the car each year while trying to scrape up the money. Ouch.

(I got absurdly lucky with the Honda. Other than the battery and tires, it just kept on going without any problems I noticed. (Okay, the AC did die. But that's not a show-stopper.))

[louiseroho]

If you want minimal maintenance, Hondas and Toyotas are the way to go. Over the years I have had one of each and each one went to the 200,000 mile mark and beyond.

[krings_keep]

I have a 1995 Sedan SL2 with 114,000 miles and it dosen't cost me $800 / year...

In fact the last major problem was the rotors needing replaced, and I replaced them myself - IIRC it cost me about $150 grand total (both back rotors, brakes & fluid)

The next repair is the muffler (need to get under and double check the dammage)

This has been a workhorse, and has gone to Pennsic once, and from Eastern Long Island to central NJ every other weeeknd for 2 years without a murmor.

I would say get the car -- I LOVE mine!!!

[syntonic_comma]

anniemal had a Saturn wagon until its demise in snow/ice. I thought it was a fine car, but she'll have more particulars.