:impatient My friend is trying to make a decision between a Saturn Ion Redline or a MCS....He wants to know which one is faster handline etc....please tlak him out of the saturn idea


Jack

 

I'm sorry for saying this and will probably get flammed for it from some readers but If he is truely dabating then he's not a true Mini lover. Tell him to stick with that thing called,,,ummmm, what was it again??,,, oh yeah,, Saturn!!!

I decided on mine before even having driven it. I loved the car for it's concept, for what it represented, it's history, it's looks and european design and made. The test driving part was an icing on the cake for me.

 

Hubby sold Saturns 10 years ago, when they were still fairly independent. Once they got taken over by GM, the quality and unique aspects were compromised. He quit. Today, they are just another GM product. Consumer Reports and some other magazines would probably give some good feedback.
Old Saturns--Yay! We bought 2. Wouldn't think of it today.

 

tell him to buy the Saturn so, you can have a good laugh everytime you see him.

 

+1 Agreed...

 

A little while back Sport Compact Car did a review of the Redline. The sum of the article was that, aside from really nice seats the car was a turd.

Your friend would be better off driving a modded J-body…

 

That's to bad because their new line pilfered from Opel is first rate. All companies go through ups and downs. Some just have more downs than others.

 

FYI: The Redline's can pretty easily put down 250wHP with a stock blower and cyl. head. Of course don't forget it weighs almost 3,000 pounds. Here's a link to SCC's review a few years back.

 

The Saturn, of course...

...so you can steal his seats

 

The saturn has a great engine and drive train. Good to midlin suspension and a lousy top. It does look cool, but they are now all over the place (at least the standard pontiac model). Typical GM, good styling, part of the execution very good, part very poor. Wait until the last year and they will get it almost right and then kill the car do to under performing sales. Look at the Fiero for a good example of this.

I had a Miata before my mini, and I'm enjoying the mini a bit more, because the top is so convenient and it is a SMOOTH engine/drive train (once you train yourself on the mini clutch). I don't think GM can really compare, but the Saturn Red-lion will go like stink. Probably a bit faster then the mini. I would bet the JCW model is pretty darn close, but they are a different class of vehicle IMHO. Minis just have an "it" factor that is hard to reproduce.

Cheers!
Lee

 

Saturn v Mini...Hmmmmm

Devil v Lord.......

Why would anyone think about these 2 cars as close to the same. Lets see, rubber gloves, nope, Special K.......... Not that the Saturn is a bad car, point a to b, but the 2 cars have nothing in common, less, both have 4 wheels....

 

or, just buy them on eBay for $400

 

The Saturn Ion was built to be a cheap car for people who just want to get where they are going. It's pretty much the antithesis of MINI.

 

 

I'd never heard of such a thing, Ion and Redline seemed contradictory. Looks like it did exist but was discontinued.

 

I agree with the others that it's not really an apples to apples comparison. Its sounds like perhaps your friend is not much of a car person so maybe he should stick with the Saturn. MINI's are a proper car and deserve proper homes only.

 

a MINI is just that to many owners

 

Maybe the original, but no way for the current one. There are plenty commuter cars, much cheaper.

 

I think the redline would be faster out of the box. :arger motor, more torque, as well as more horsepower. Mods are cheaper.
But the mini is wayyy cooler.

 

A cheaply made, flimsy car, is still a cheaply made, flimsy car, even with a bigger engine. It isn't just about how fast it gets where it's going, but what it does along the way.

 

there's always been something cheaper than a standard MC, but it doesn't change the fact (some) people buy it for the looks and the affordability. I see a ton on the road near me with WV plates...DC commuters coming from way out west.

 

Still, they are buying it for more than just going from point A to point B.

 

Guess he wont need to have any luggage either, what a joke for a trunk, my wifes Z4 trunk is cavernous compared to the saturns.

 

Wow, I'm in disbelief at some of the responses to this thread. I looked (briefly) at the Cobalt SS when car shopping and the truth is it's a faster car than the Cooper S with cheaper insurance, cheaper cost of ownership, and cheaper to build. Although we appreciate our cars unique postitioning in the automotive hierarchy we aren't driving Bugattis here and really need to come to grips with the fact that some people own MINI's and look at them as just a different form of transportation. When it boils down to it the MINI is just a really well engineered econo-box and we're just pationate owners. Go visit a J-body, Honda, Nissan, Focus, or any other cars forums and you'll hear how pationate those owners are about their particular cars.

 

Most econo boxes don't average around $30K.