We own a 1995 Saturn SW2 (unlike most other car companies,
Saturn uses ordinary names for things, so SW2 is their
second-level station wagon). We bought it new at Saturn of
Beaverton (Oregon). Our sales consultant was Michelle
Sandoval.
I don't know what else to say except that everything you have
ever seen in a Saturn TV commercial is true. We were not hyped or
pressured (Saturn consultants are paid a salary, plus a coupla
hundred bucks for every car they sell -- regardless of model or
options -- so they have no motivation to get you into a more
expecnsive car than you want). We went into the dealership and
looked around for a good 45 minutes without being approached by
any sales staff (actually, we had to approach them with
questions). We test-drove three different Saturns (the coupe, the
sedan, and the wagon). Michelle never showed any signs of
impatience.
When it got down to brass tacks, we picked out the model, the
color, and the options we wanted. Because the price is the price,
we knew exactly what it was going to cost before we even placed
the order. They didn't have the exact car we wanted in stock, so
they started looking for it at other dealerships. They found it
for us. Two days later, we had our new car, no extra charge for
hunting it down.
In the six years that we have had the car since then, we have
received excellent service at competitive prices from the dealer
(first Saturn of Beaverton, and now Saturn of
Salem). The car has aged well, with about 40,000 miles in the
first six years (I know, not huge mileage).
Our mechanical problems have been modest: a flat tire, a front-end alignment
(covered under warranty), a small water leak in the driver's
side door, two valve gasket covers (that was a little weird...), a leaky seal on
the cargo door....
We replaced the tires at about 35,000 miles. We just added cruise control
(February 2002), and we wish we had added it a long time ago. The paint is
holding up extremely well, especially considering that it gets a wash only when
the oil gets changed. The plastic body panels have saved us extensive body work
on two occasions when idiots scraped our car in the parking lot.
We would happily buy another Saturn given the opportunity. Now
if only they sold trucks....
Page created 3/14/97.
Last updated 03/17/03 14:35.
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