KRGMini05,

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out a Saturn Sky, in the very least it should satiate my curiosity as I hope GM has finally done something right in its most neglected division. As I recall the Saturns of the past decade, nothing sticks out more in my mind than their sub-par panel fit.

As for your comment regarding my knowledge of the auto industry, well let's just say that while not an insider, I do know enough to buy a MINI and not a Hummer. Best to let sleeping dogs lay undisturbed.

 

That is true, I'll give you that.

GM vehicles are far from crap though, imo.

They used to be (a decade ago), but not anymore

 

Yep, Saturns of the past were a joke. Now they are not, but I have a feeling that peoples' minds are already made up about the brand, and wont give them a chance. We'll see what happens.

And that is a valid point, you did buy a MINI, you're wiser than I indicated earlier.

 

There was a version of the Sky at last year's NY Auto Show. Looked pretty impressive. Of course I was at the show because I wanted to buy a Pontiac GTO....until I sat in a MINI

 

For one, we will not substiture words reliability for quality and pretend that they are the same. Two, I believe someone already addressed the issue before I got to it. :impatient

 

Thanks!

Do a little more research. The body style pictured below came out in 1997.
In the 2004 model year the Malibu went from a "N" body(old style)...


to a "Z" body(new style).


and here's a 2006 Impala...

 

i won Supplier of the Year from GM for 2005 (70-80 Tier1 suppliers chosen from over 3,000) and therefore get an aggressive discount.

but, the only GM car that I want (vette) is not included. hahaha. :impatient

i might check out some Saab 9-3Aero's with the new turbo V6's.

 

Oops, you're right. I thought the new Malibu was an '03 model year, not an '04. It's already been facelifted so I assumed...either way, it's still a couple years old, not new.

And the new Impala I know just came out as an '06. It's alright, but I dont think it looks like the Malibu.

 

I just stated they looked similar. Now say sorry for calling me a *deleted*.

 

Well you own two MINIs, so it would be hard for me to hate you.

Sorry

 

So totally off topic but does that Saturn SUV have a third row seat?

Back on topic: You are all poopy heads who dont know anything about cars.

 

Exactly. They killed a great handling mid engined European car and made a bad handling front engined US car. Saturn touts it as having excellent handling but all the Euro magazines I've read say it's nothing special.

 

As far as European stadards go, it's not. However, for the American public, it's much more appealing that the Lotus based version.

 

Yeah, it has a third row.

It comes in two configurations...8 passenger (two up front, then two 3 person benches) or 7 passenger (quad buckets, third row bench)

 

Please remember to refrain from inappropriate language and to have respect for other members.

Clover
Core Moderation Team Member

 

G-d forbid I ever have to, but I would buy one of these new Saturns over a lot of cars if it came to that...read, Accord, Camry, etc.

 

Larger gaps are needed for the type of material used on the panels... its due to expansion... same for the corvettes..
Those who are disssing these cars need to look first.. its pure ignorance not to..
GM has come a long way in quality... they are creating a much better product than in the time of yester-year... they still have some catching up to do.. but its getting close...
I have owned and still do own GM cars... They have been totally reliable with world class performance at a great price... I hope they survive and fix the union issues...

 

What about the Malibu and the G6, which this new car looks like the lovechild offspring of?

And what about the 9-5?!

Or that Saturn L-series, which is/was so boring that I have no idea if they even still make it...

And if you're looking for REAL excitement, there's the Buick LaCrosse...

 

I said no COMPETITIVE midsize, lol....The Malibu and G6 are blown away by the Camry/Accord. This new Saturn may have similar styling, but it's executed much better...and finally GM has a car that looks to be right up there with the class leaders.

The 9-5 is about $35k base...and it's UGLY, lol...the Saturn L-Series died in late '04 I beleive. They produced a few '05s then that was it....horrible car.

 

No comment necessary

 

It seems like Kyle is on a mission regarding the survival of GM, which is admirable but maybe futile for the long run. It's unlikely GM will ever disappear since they make trucks and SUVs which will be around for quite some time to come. But honestly, these Saturn offerings are incredibly bland and so similar to the competition that it's hard to differentiate them from the competition. And when all the parties are vying for the middle ground, extremists have more influence (it's a political analogy.) In the case of cars it means that MINIs will remain popular. Just as the 2007 MINI is not as severely different from the current models as many had feared, the 2007 Audi TT is definitely derived from the current model--much to the satisfaction of owners like my wife ('02 TT Roadster.)
phil

 

Actually, I dont care for GM much anymore. I just think people are too quick to judge sometimes.

Also, they may be bland, but the Accord and Pilot (key competitors) are even more plain, am I right?

 

These classes of midsize sedans and SUV's are seen by most of their buyers as automotive appliances. Face it, enthusiasts like ourselves don't buy vehicles like this very often. There's a reason why someone will pay $35-40K for a like-sized BMW 3 series, it's an enthusiast's car. I think GM's failure has been that they've been producing appliances so long, they don't even realize it anymore. Aside from the Corvette, and maybe the Solstice/Sky, there's not one GM product that even remotely interests me. (BTW, the Solstice got pretty good reviews for its performance/handling. A bit on the heavy side but well balanced RWD platform.)

 

mtbscott,

Man that's harsh, even a GM basher like myself can be tempted by the likes of the Pontiac GTO or this:


Cadillac CTS-V

 

Hey now, my buddy helped with the exterior design of the Aura and it sure is an improvement over their previous offerings. It's a very euro design and looks great in the flesh (sheet metal?) I'm proud of that boy!

The thermoformed plastic stuff on the earlier Saturns (and the Fiero) was very difficult to work with and due to it's size changing when heated and cooled, hence the jumbo gaps. Ask Bob Lutz the next time you see him, it's his major deal... he hates big gaps!

I'm no fan of GM or ANY of their divisions, but they are doing a much better job these days and I'm trying to do my part to support them (encouraging learning like you folks on here are trying to do) and yes, "putting butts in seats" because that helps people start anew in considering domestic vehicles. Here in Michigan we are getting a big taste of what happens when jobs are moved offshore and it's troubling. I'm sort of rooting for the domestics more than ever, because they are a big part of our economy. Of course, I'm not giving up my MINI (or my FORD Merkur) anytime soon either! Guess I'm just an import guy...

YMMV