Basic transportation
Any journalist's job is to be as objective as possible in their work. It is, however, difficult to overlook past experiences and prior knowledge when the time comes to re-evaluate the same automobile. Expectations also play a large role in the appreciation of a car. For instance, I was mildly disappointed with the Acura RL because I expected the world from this car. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment I got out of driving the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio. I expected nothing in particular from these two inexpensive Koreans. As for the Saturn Ion, it is the third I will have driven in less than ten months, so I went in with an open mind.
Saturn, the "different kind of company", was first created in 1985 and began selling their cars in 1990. Since then, they have sold many cars to people that believe that not all vehicles and purchasing experiences have to be the same. For the Ion, introduced in 2003, GM used the Delta platform originally designed for Opel, a European GM affiliate. These days,
this platform is used for many small cars including the Cobalt, Pursuit, Aveo and the up-coming HHR from Chevrolet.
GM is trying to improve the outlook of Saturn by having introduced a series of high performance models called Red Line and in a short period of time, the new face of Saturn will find its way into dealerships in the form of the Sky Roadster.
The Ion sedan is sold in three versions and the base price begins at $14,935 for the Ion 1 up to a little over $25,000 for the Ion 3 with options. The tested model was the 3 with the automatic transmission, Onstar, ABS brakes and traction control. It retails for $22,980.
Exterior styling
The exterior shape of the Ion could be best described as a wedge. This is even more evident for the Quad Coupe version of the car. One detail that amuses me is the subtle change GM made to the front end with the refreshing of the Ion for 2005: They modified the shape of the grille and the bumper, however it looks as though they overlooked the design of the headlights because they added diminutive chromed tabs to fill the gap instead of changing their shape. On another note, the side-view mirrors are too small to be effective.
The external body panels (the doors in particular), display huge gaps between each other. I have been explained that this is due to the fact that the polymer sections expand and retract from heat and cold. Whether this is true or not, from a short distance, the slits look big enough to fit a pen. Also, when the doors are closed, an odd hollow sound is heard. Once closed, if you push lightly on the upper part of the window frame, you will notice that it moves back over 1 cm towards the roof. There is more orange peel in the paint finish than there are smooth surfaces.
Interior styling
The front seats are very basic in form and function. The seat cushions are too short and lateral and lumbar supports are nearly non-existent. They are also firm but not as much as the rear upright bench, which is uncomfortable. The front headrests are also poorly designed: If your head does not "fall" into the hole, the rest of it inadequately supports it.
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Saturn, the "different kind of company", was first created in 1985 and began selling their cars in 1990. Since then, they have sold many cars to people that believe that not all vehicles and purchasing experiences have to be the same. For the Ion, introduced in 2003, GM used the Delta platform originally designed for Opel, a European GM affiliate. These days,
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GM is trying to improve the outlook of Saturn by having introduced a series of high performance models called Red Line and in a short period of time, the new face of Saturn will find its way into dealerships in the form of the Sky Roadster.
The Ion sedan is sold in three versions and the base price begins at $14,935 for the Ion 1 up to a little over $25,000 for the Ion 3 with options. The tested model was the 3 with the automatic transmission, Onstar, ABS brakes and traction control. It retails for $22,980.
Exterior styling
The exterior shape of the Ion could be best described as a wedge. This is even more evident for the Quad Coupe version of the car. One detail that amuses me is the subtle change GM made to the front end with the refreshing of the Ion for 2005: They modified the shape of the grille and the bumper, however it looks as though they overlooked the design of the headlights because they added diminutive chromed tabs to fill the gap instead of changing their shape. On another note, the side-view mirrors are too small to be effective.
 |
Interior styling
The front seats are very basic in form and function. The seat cushions are too short and lateral and lumbar supports are nearly non-existent. They are also firm but not as much as the rear upright bench, which is uncomfortable. The front headrests are also poorly designed: If your head does not "fall" into the hole, the rest of it inadequately supports it.