Saturn SL2 - 1996 Review

For a 12 yr old car, it's pretty surprising to find ole Misty the Saturn SL2 still out in the driveway next to our Caddy, and still being driven almost daily. This is a budget priced compact car, so we don't expect 5-star performance or comfort, but she's great for what she cost and we got more than we paid for in terms of longevity.

The A/C and all electronics are still working. There are no engine problems whatsoever. She still gets good gas mileage for a car that age (low to mid 20s in the city.) Like all Saturns at that time, she wasn't equipped with a timing belt but rather a timing chain which has never needed replacing.

The alternator did fail twice, once in 1998 and once in 2001, but not again since. Not sure what was up with that but the dealership made the fixes effortless. EDIT 10/25/08: We replaced the alternator again this summer, but have still had no other issues, and that little car is still getting us around.

The Saturn dealership here in Austin has always treated us fairly & honestly and Misty goes to them for almost 100% of her maintenance. And thanks to my conscientious sister, she's rarely ever missed so much as an oil change. I'm sure that's a good indicator as to one cause of her reliability.

If you're looking for a solid, reliable, long-lasting car and want to buy American, I can't recommend a Saturn highly enough.