Young working male's view: Strange brew, this Saturn. The bold, but clean front end, is married with the traditional minivan rear and it takes a while to assimilate. You sit quite high, get a nice look at what you are about to pass over, and have a little table besides you to place bits and pieces that are unbreakable because at the first sharp curve or stop the assembled items pretty much follow the force and hurl themselves, lemming style, to the floor.
The coolest thing about this van is that entertainment center. We are talking major fun. The overhead console that houses the system slides on rails so that those in both rows can see as well as the second row crowd. In addition, the DVD based center is offered with a PhatNoise mobile digital media system. What that means Phat-heads is that you can store dozens of movies and thousands of MP3 tunes there. And, if you are bored, there is also a 115-volt outlet to plug in your games, laptops, and whatever else you dream of. This is really going to be a great place to subdue the kids.
Young working woman's view: At present I am uncertain of the Relay. It certainly offers a conflicting range of standard safety features and options. For example, ABS, a year of OnStar, and front airbags are standard but traction control is not, and they don't offer side airbags. Saturn offers some quite unique features too such as remote starting, rear park assist, which I highly recommend, dual sliding side doors, a sport suspension, and XM Satellite Radio. Add to that list all wheel drive, the standard and quite dynamic DVD entertainment center with its infrared wireless headphones, and even folding center trays for both the front and second row passengers is available. That is a remarkable offering of features.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, a remote keyless entry system, cruise control, power to the driver's seat, power controls for door locks and windows, heated external mirrors, an audio kit with AM/FM/CD/MP3 and six speakers, plus the backseat DVD video unit. For this very well priced Saturn you also get quad bucket seats, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and door locks, remote
opener, rear air conditioning and heater, outside temperature indicator, compass, and even a universal garage-door opener.
In other words, you are going to have to make a lot of decisions before buying this Saturn. I highly recommend the Rally 3 and the sport suspension, though, because it is just easier to live with on a daily basis. I also wish that General Motors had put a little more engine under the bonnet, or, at least a five speed automatic transmission in this new van to help move its 4300 pounds.
In my business oriented mind Saturn still retains it one price strategy and continues to get high customer service ratings. As such, this is a nice family fit and certainly well priced and thus appealing to those who frequent Saturn show rooms especially since it offers so much more safety and convenience than large SUVs. I don't know how Saturn is going to market it, but as noted elsewhere in this review, look for some dynamic lease rates.
Family conference: This is a good cross over min van, but it still is not up to the competition in terms of performance, handling and ride. However, it is well priced and offers the Saturn dealer reputation, which is a worthwhile consideration. The exterior isn't bad, the available all wheel drive makes it handy for those who live in inclement weather areas, and the multimedia storage and display unit is superior. We would have liked to see standard side curtains and a power tailgate opener.
Overall, this is a good move for Saturn to expand its line-up with the least risk and expense. It has a distinct look and very family friendly interior. We were sort of hoping that Saturn would have been given the 3.6-liter V6 in the new Buick LaCrosse that provides 240 horsepower at a lower rpm to help move the Relay when it is fully loaded. However, as it now stands, this is good value and worthy a trip to your Saturn dealer. Do your homework and head to the Saturn story to start your Relay (We couldn't resist).
The coolest thing about this van is that entertainment center. We are talking major fun. The overhead console that houses the system slides on rails so that those in both rows can see as well as the second row crowd. In addition, the DVD based center is offered with a PhatNoise mobile digital media system. What that means Phat-heads is that you can store dozens of movies and thousands of MP3 tunes there. And, if you are bored, there is also a 115-volt outlet to plug in your games, laptops, and whatever else you dream of. This is really going to be a great place to subdue the kids.
Young working woman's view: At present I am uncertain of the Relay. It certainly offers a conflicting range of standard safety features and options. For example, ABS, a year of OnStar, and front airbags are standard but traction control is not, and they don't offer side airbags. Saturn offers some quite unique features too such as remote starting, rear park assist, which I highly recommend, dual sliding side doors, a sport suspension, and XM Satellite Radio. Add to that list all wheel drive, the standard and quite dynamic DVD entertainment center with its infrared wireless headphones, and even folding center trays for both the front and second row passengers is available. That is a remarkable offering of features.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, a remote keyless entry system, cruise control, power to the driver's seat, power controls for door locks and windows, heated external mirrors, an audio kit with AM/FM/CD/MP3 and six speakers, plus the backseat DVD video unit. For this very well priced Saturn you also get quad bucket seats, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and door locks, remote
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| 2005 Saturn Relay (photo: General Motors) |
In other words, you are going to have to make a lot of decisions before buying this Saturn. I highly recommend the Rally 3 and the sport suspension, though, because it is just easier to live with on a daily basis. I also wish that General Motors had put a little more engine under the bonnet, or, at least a five speed automatic transmission in this new van to help move its 4300 pounds.
In my business oriented mind Saturn still retains it one price strategy and continues to get high customer service ratings. As such, this is a nice family fit and certainly well priced and thus appealing to those who frequent Saturn show rooms especially since it offers so much more safety and convenience than large SUVs. I don't know how Saturn is going to market it, but as noted elsewhere in this review, look for some dynamic lease rates.
Family conference: This is a good cross over min van, but it still is not up to the competition in terms of performance, handling and ride. However, it is well priced and offers the Saturn dealer reputation, which is a worthwhile consideration. The exterior isn't bad, the available all wheel drive makes it handy for those who live in inclement weather areas, and the multimedia storage and display unit is superior. We would have liked to see standard side curtains and a power tailgate opener.
Overall, this is a good move for Saturn to expand its line-up with the least risk and expense. It has a distinct look and very family friendly interior. We were sort of hoping that Saturn would have been given the 3.6-liter V6 in the new Buick LaCrosse that provides 240 horsepower at a lower rpm to help move the Relay when it is fully loaded. However, as it now stands, this is good value and worthy a trip to your Saturn dealer. Do your homework and head to the Saturn story to start your Relay (We couldn't resist).
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