2005 Saturn ION Quad Coupe Red Line Road Test

The upgraded brakes were a surprise too. The Red Line features ION's first application of 4-wheel discs, a fact the model's product managers may want to contemplate, with large 294.6 mm (11.6 inch) diameter rotors up

The result of the standard Red Line appearance package is a racy yet somewhat mature looking coupe. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

front, which incidentally are about 25.4 mm (1 inch) larger than those fixed to standard IONs, and 269 mm (10.6 inch) rotors in the rear. The wheel hubs are more robust too, 5-bolt units that enhance stability, while larger calipers and higher grade pads shorten stopping distances. Saturn adds a standard Bosch 4-channel ABS system to take the bite out of emergency braking, a comfort when traveling at high speed.

To reduce wind resistance, and enhance the ION Red Line's styling, the front fascia has been lengthened downward by 25.4 mm (1 inch) to keep air from rushing underneath. The design incorporates three massive air inlets for trapping that air and using it for cooling the engine and brakes, while diverting excess air toward the outside of the vehicle. Sill extensions continue that flow towards the rear of the car, which features a lowered rear fascia with cutouts for the chrome exhaust tip plus an effective but hardly overstated decklid spoiler (larger rear spoilers are available). The result of the standard Red Line appearance package, painted in one of three colors, Black, Blue or Silver, is a racy yet mature looking coupe.

Mature is a word that kind of describes all aspects of the car, actually. Of course, there are some that think anything with a manual shifter and sporting pretensions is

Compared to some of its rivals, such as the Dodge SRT-4, the ION Red Line is a car that I didn't feel out of place (read too old) driving. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

immature, but to those I say, "Stick to your minivan and leave us kids well alone." It's mature in comparison to one of the ION Red Line's most ardent rivals though, the Dodge SRT-4. Both cars are great fun, with the SRT-4 delivering more of a barely legal racecar feel, with a fairly punishing suspension and irreverent ripping exhaust note, hardly for the feint of heart. It's a blast to drive, but maybe not everyday commuting across town. It's the poor man's BMW M3, while the ION Red Line is more like the poor man's Audi S4. The difference is the Red Line is easier to live with, sporty but not as audibly expressive, nimble but not giving up ride comfort to do so, and featuring a more sophisticated gearbox and much better low-speed maneuverability. Don't get me wrong. I love the SRT-4, but the ION is slightly more similar to the girl your mom would have had you marry rather than the one she warned you to stay away from.