Consumer Reports: "Disappointing ION"...

Hey group,
Just thumbed through a Consumer Reports Used Car Buying guide, and read
through the Saturn "S" series info. I recall when CR first reveiwed the SC
and accurately stated "the rear seats are not fit for any living creature"
but gave the car high marks elsewhere...but now, in this current issue, they
state "the S series was replaced by the disappointing ION".

Now, other than the squeaky and simple front seats (which looks like they'll
be corrected in 2005) I can't find the disappointments.

Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what
do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn?
Any ideas?

This review sums it up:

http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...py?artid=24878

....Cars.com lists the retail price range from $10.4k to $20.4k (USD) however
the Saturn site shows the lowest price at $15.4k (USD) and I didn't have
much luck pricing the Red Line on the Saturn site. There's a lime green car
at my dealer that catches my eye too.


"Skid" > wrote in message
. ..
> This review sums it up:
>
> http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...py?artid=24878
>
>

In article >,
"Warren" > wrote:

> Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what
> do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn?
> Any ideas?

My guess is that a lot of people felt GM could simply DO BETTER if
they'd stop being the obnoxious penny pinchers they've been for the last
20+ years. There are no secrets to automobile design or manufacturing.

That, and GM has deceided to not even bother competing with the Japanese
anymore (who IMHO are hardly the invulnerable gods that we think they
are, just better at covering mistakes).

What's sad is GM could make some really really great cars if they'd just
let engineering do it. They've come up with some really neat things in
years past...

Warren ) wrote:
: Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what
: do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn?
: Any ideas?

Bizarro styling, esp. the wheels/wheel covers and goofy roof rails.
Center-mount instruments
Cheap plasticky interior
Uncomfortable seats
Steering wheel
Rattles/buzzes/build quality

I think that's a start...

--
Greg Beaulieu Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

(Greg Beaulieu) wrote in
:

> Warren ) wrote:
>: Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one,
>: what do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller
>: for Saturn? Any ideas?

I don't think the ION is a bad seller as much as the VUE is a great one,
does anybody have numbers in how much the ION sells compared to other cars
in its class?

There's nothing wrong with the ION compared to other small cars. It's the
best small car I've driven lately. You need to be more concerned with
driving than worrying about the feel of the interior to enjoy one.

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 06:04:53 -0500, "Warren" >
wrote:

>Hey group,
>Just thumbed through a Consumer Reports Used Car Buying guide, and read
>through the Saturn "S" series info. I recall when CR first reveiwed the SC
>and accurately stated "the rear seats are not fit for any living creature"
>but gave the car high marks elsewhere...but now, in this current issue, they
>state "the S series was replaced by the disappointing ION".
>
>Now, other than the squeaky and simple front seats (which looks like they'll
>be corrected in 2005) I can't find the disappointments.
>
>Objectively, other than the gripers who should never have bought one, what
>do you think dislikes are that has made ION such a poor seller for Saturn?
>Any ideas?
>

http://autoweek.com/search/search_di...81150&record=1

(08:30 June 02, 2004)
Slow-selling Saturn Ion gets mid-course correction

By DAVE GUILFORD | Automotive News

DETROIT - General Motors will try to give the slow-selling Saturn Ion
more style and refinement for the 2005 model year, replacing the
automatic transmission, fascia, seats and interior materials.

The Ion needed "big changes (to help) those areas that consumers have
told us, quite frankly, need improvement," said Gary Cowger, president
of GM North America, in a recent interview.

Lori Queen, GM vehicle line executive for small cars, including the
Ion, said last week that GM is applying many of the features developed
for the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, which shares the Ion's Delta small-car
architecture.

"We could roll (Cobalt features) right into the Ion and really get
that car to a level that it hasn't been," Queen said.

For the 2005 Ion, GM plans to:

Replace the five-speed automatic transmission with a four-speed to
counter complaints of "shift busy-ness," according to spokesman
Michael Morrissey.

Replace the small steering wheel with a full-sized one.

Recalibrate the electric steering to improve responsiveness.

Add interior materials to improve appearance and tactile feel at
"touch points."

Add laminated steel and insulation to cut interior noise.

Replace seats with better bolstered ones.

Redesign the sedan's fascia.

The Ion was developed at Saturn, whose product development has since
been merged into GM's. Cost-consciousness was a big factor in Saturn's
product decisions, Queen said.

"The decisions for that product were made in a different kind of
environment," she said.

The Ion went on sale in September 2002 to poor reviews from the
automotive press. GM sold 117,230 last year and has sold 33,408
through the first four months of this year, down slightly from last
year. Saturn had a 108-day supply of Ions on May 1. Sixty days is
considered normal.

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 07:23:10 -0400, "Skid" > wrote:

>This review sums it up:
>
>http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...py?artid=24878
>

Another perspective:

http://tinyurl.com/2o9lj

I think the size of the market ... the Ford Focus and some of the KIA/Hondai
cars take up a lot of that ... Saturn did not and probably could not keep an
edge on low cost, high quality, small cars ... that is just too profitable of a
market for others players ... The L series, Vue, and the Relay Van should
continue to do pretty good ... many of us who bought the S series are needing
bigger cars. I still have my 98 SL2 but it is a second car and not longer a
trip car for me ...

Well, looks like the numbers are in the next post (excellent source..) I
just knew the numbers were low due to layoffs I'd heard about, the amount of
days worth in stock (which I'd heard about) and my emails to Thompson /
Chilton and Haynes asking for the debut of their respective repair manuals,
to which both tactfully replied [paraphrasing] that their manuals are issued
based on sales, and Ion, frankly, has not sold enough to warrant a
publication from either publisher.

I still like the car - even better than when I bought it. And I do not quite
understand all the criticisms about "plastic interior"...most cars these
days are. My '93 Saturn was. Everyone else I know who drives cars in this
class have a plastic interior...

Hey - thanks for all the opinions and links. It give some insight to it
all...but the negatives have not dissuaded me any in my satisfaction, (When
I can afford a Porsche or Lexus it might, but for the class...nope...no real
disappointments yet...)

> I don't think the ION is a bad seller as much as the VUE is a great one,
> does anybody have numbers in how much the ION sells compared to other cars
> in its class?