2005 Saturn ION User Reviews

Pros

Gets great gas mileage, feels fast, nice stereo, dent resistance doors, great security features.

Cons

Everything is made of plastic and armrest gets in the way when shifting.

I have owned this car for 6 months now and been through two oil changes and over 6,000 miles. So far I have had only one problem. The front blinker on the left side stopped working. Originally I thought it had burned out, but when I checked the lightbulb, everything is in order. I am going to have to take it in, but with the Saturn warranty everything should be fine. Afterall, it's just a lightbulb. Aside from regular oil changes and the blinker, I have had zero problems. Everything is great....read morehide

Pros

fuel economy, looks, available options, overall value, buying experience, dent resistant doors

Cons

engine noise, handling, overall refinement

This is the second saturn that I have owned, the other being the sl3. While I thought my first saturn was a fair car that did what it was supposed to, I am far happier with my second saturn experience.

The first thing that seperates buying a saturn from buying another brand is the buying experience itself. I went to numerous dealerships before I ended up at the good ole saturn dealership again. many dealerships used high pressure sales tatics, some even trying to get you to sign statements that you would buy the car before they would even let you test drive it. As always, saturn was respectful, and let me look around all i wanted, test drive four cars, and even take the saturn I ended up with to lunch.

As for the car itself, i am very pleased. The car is an improvement in every way over the loder s-series. While the engine is still too noisy, it is quieter than before. The front seats are very comfortable in my 2005 ion 2 coupe, and they were even more comfortable in the ion 3. The backseat is somewhat cramped if you have larger passengers in the back seat. I chose the ion 2 because there were no manual transmissions in the ion 3 available. I did get the sports package however, which made the car nicer, flashier, and a little more fun to drive.

The ion 2 coupe gets great gas mileage. it has been very reliable. In fact, in four years of owning a sturn, I have only replaced a battery and tires on the older model(which I bought used). The handling is ok, if not exceptional, and the acceleration is fine. I never have any problems passing or manuevering when needed.
The added safety features also make the saturn ion easier on your monthly insurance costs.

The ion coupe is a very nice looking car for the money. I get told repeatedly that I have a nice car, which was a surprise for me. I picked this car due to the saftey and value, but ended up with a looker as well.


Overall, the saturn is an excellent value. You will be getting a fun to drive car that looks great and is comfortable. The performance won't compare to more expensive cars, but you will save money every year on maintenance, insurance, and gas. When I have paid this car off, I will certainly consider saturns again when i go car shopping....read morehide

Pros

Quiet smooth ride, nice handling with an excellent drive train. Great value

Cons

No real anoyances.

Bought this car looking for inexpensive car with good fuel economy. This car does not feel at all like a cheap econo car. Quiet solid chassis as well as a fantastic engine and slick shifting five speed tranny. Got the Sun N Fun package, providing a powerful sound system. (160 Watts)
Large trunk is nice as well as the fold down rear seats; makes plenty of room for skis and gear.
So far not one problem, gas milage is over 30 mpg in mostly city driving. Would definitely recommend this car to anyone looking for economy with a splash of fun and style....read morehide

Pros

Great on gas, decent passing ability on highway, much better with stick shift, dent resistant.

Cons

tires are cheap, when you accelerate hard car pulls to the right...alot, cheap feeling interior

basicaly, a great students car.. not anything special other than that.. one of the best values, if not the best value on the market, wether buying or leasing

Pros

Recaros, acceleratION, Sleeper. Solid chassis great suspension.

Cons

Mechanical problems under 10k

Best fast car your going to buy for under 20k. Actually has LOTS of room in car (fold down seats) for assorted crap (I emptied a whole storage room into it and drove 400 miles). VERY SOLID VERY FAST ON HIGHWAY. Recaros are great in curves, hard acceleration, hard braking, and long distances (surprisingly).

Interior is jintzy but for the price it's a great great great sport coupe that THRASHES most cars on the road twice it's cost. Surprise those jerks with their lego v-6's (ahem mitsubishi) when you tank their 28k dork mobiles....read morehide

Pros

Suicide doors, great looking, improved interior

Cons

Fuel economy and acceleration not great

I've had this car for 7 months now and have had no problems with it. I also have a 2000 Sentra SE with the same HP rating. The sentra feels much faster and also gets better fuel economy (31 vs. 24mpg). If I knew the fuel economy would be so bad, I wouldn't have gotten this car. Engine technology is where the Americans are sorly lacking. I can't believe GM has adopted this Ecotec enging as their engine of choice for all their lines. A 2.2 liter engine should be producing about 160hp, not 140. After 7 months, the car still feels solid with no rattles or squeaks. I couldn't say that about my Sentra after 7 months, so strike one up for GM.
The centrally located instrument cluster takes some getting used to but it's pretty neat. I like that it has the sporty look of a coupe, but with 2 rear doors. The interior has improved dramatically over the previous generation of Saturns. They finally got rid of the hideously ugly steering wheel of the older models!...read morehide

Pros

Value for the dollar

Cons

Not a comfortable car for long road trips

I bought my silver Ion I (all stripped down - no bells & whistles but an automatic transmission, an air conditioner, and a CD player) just before Memorial Day. Since then I've driven it to work every day, from St. Paul, MN to Denver, CO, & around Lake Superior. It is a fantastic car. It has plenty of room - comparable trunk space to the 2000 Camry I was driving before I got this one. There is a fair amount of road noise, but I believe that is the price you pay for a compact car. Gas mileage has actually been better than the sticker: I got 35-38 mpg. going around Lake Superior (long drives with few stops at about 80-85 kilometers per hour) and average about 24 mpg. in the city. I'm also still amazed by the value of this car. My girlfriend just bought a new Honda Civic for ~1/3 more money. It is a great car, and was my #2 choice, and I do envy her the slightly better mileage. But still, given what I got from Saturn for the price - with Saturn's excellent service and true to their advertising humane treatment of customers, I think I have the better value....read morehide

Pros

Sporty looks, nice styling, leather interior

Cons

Steering noises, body creaks while turning, interior is to noisy, mileage not great

Love the looks of this car, surprising get up and go for 4cyl. My main complaints are that this is a noisy car. There is an irritating clunking sound while steering at low speeds that comes from the front and in the steering column. The body creaks at the B-pillar while turning, sounds like an old wood ship. There's also some other interior noise I can't find that's a nuisance. Funny thing is the Dealership says they're unable to duplicate the noises when they drive it, ya right. We bought the car in April 05 and it sounds like it's 10 yrs old already. I don't think a car should be irritating to drive, my wife says just turn up the volume on the CD player and you won't hear any of it. I just want the Dealership to fix it once and for all. This is our first and very likely our last Saturn we buy. Great sales, but lots of excuses and inepetitude from the Service Dept. Hope your Saturn is doing better, anyone with the same problems out there?...read morehide

Pros

Great Economy Car. Awesome for Those Who Have Small Children.

Cons

No Complaints.

This is a great car. I love the appearance of the ION, it does not look like every other car on the road. Saturn is the only car i have owned (I have had a Toyota and a Honda, just to compare) that can go 8200 miles without a oil change and it tells you when to change it, there is no guess work about needing a oil change. Great for those who put alot of miles on a car. The car is truely "dent resistant", my 5 year old son hit the car with a T-ball bat 2 weeks after I bought my ION and I was thrilled to see not a ding in sight. The car handles well while driving. I live on a rural graveled road, and the car still is quiet as it was the day I bought it. (my honda and Toyota both rattled after 3 months of driving on our road.) The trunk space is insane! I can go to sales all day long and not have to worry about running out of space in the trunk. I like the ideal of being able to help someone "jump-start" their car by using the ION's front or rear (located in the trunk) battery post. I have read alot of reviews about the ION and some were very negative,(I believe that most of that stuff people were writing was bogus) don't let that defer you from buying a Saturn. Saturn IS an American Made car and is the only car that is nearly 100% US and Canadian made (part's and body) not just assembled here. The saturn has a 30 day 1500 mile trade in program, if you don't like your Saturn for whatever reason you can take it back and get a different one even if you just change your mind about the color! I have had several of my friends and family barrow my car and not one of them have said a bad thing about it when I asked their opinion. I have 2 close friends that will be buying a new saturn after the first of the year. One of those friends was with me the day I got my car, she seen the genuine close attention that the sales person gave to me and who had no problems answering all my questions about the car. She explained everything in detail about how everything worked on the car and where everything was located. After buying my car the owner of the dealership (Saturn of Tulsa) called me at home to make sure I was happy with service I got. I was very surprised that even after my first oil change he called to make sure that I was content with the service.
I could not be happier. I got what I paid for... a really great car comming from a great American company. Saturn a GM Family Member....read morehide

Pros

It's cute, seats comfortable

I love this car, I have the 2005 Saturn Ion 2, the dealer was very nice to me. Gave me 5,000 for the trade in with my cougar and another 1,000 just because he liked my family. I do drive on the highway alot, runs very smoothy and it is fast for a 4 cycl. car. I just wish there was more horse-power. NOTE: NEVER GET A HONDA...read morehide