Swifty1638
03-30-2006, 04:36 PM
Well, we finally got our demo car today, and everyone there was excited. the choice of color for our location was yellow. They are only making the first batch in yellow or the silver and I think the blue, because the black and red and etc are already on other cars, and so they are doing it to show the new colors. Anyway, it rolled off the truck from our railyard, and into the service lane for it's PDI. I did the work on it.
First impressions of the car were decent. It looks pretty cool. I was concerned about the taillights, but I think their overall shape fit the rest of the car. The front of the vehicle looks really cool..crab-shell like in comparison. I was disappointed that HID's didn't come stock on this car either, as they seem to be making a large appearance on a lot of other sportier cars out there. Also, I wish they made 2 exhaust tips out the rear, instead of the one. It looks rather lop-sided, and I think that will end up being a customer complaint in the future. They integrated it on the passenger side, through the bumper, making it squarish, but it throws the rest of the rear of the car off.
under the hood there is the new ecotec 2.4l, supposingly pumping out a whooping 177hp. it reminded me of the corvette layout, in that the battery and BCM is stuffed into the fenders, making a quick battery swap..not so quick. it opens up in a similar fashion to, rear-ward facing. The doors must remain closed to open the hood, or you will actually scratch the paintjob upon opening it. moving back, the interior looks to be a lot better quality, and I am happy to see saturn stepping it up in all their models. the vue, looks refreshed, and the ion will also be updated. the aura (when it comes out) will hopefully follow the same fashion. Panels all fit correctly..and accomodations are all where you want them. I wish the shift knob was moved further back just a hair for better ergonomics, but i think overall, it's a good layout the way it is..no complaints here.
Moving further down the car, towards the back we get to the truck. The truck release is in the glovebox, and it opens in reverse too. the cloth top tucks away in the truck, and can be tricky to shut. Overall, the rear decklid is to be "swiftly shut" in order to seal correctly. Otherwise, it won't fully close. I don't know if it's still tight, and needs to be worn in, but over time, we will see. space in the trunk is rather typical for a roadster of this size, offering little accomodations for luggage. Then again, this car wasn't built for long hauls.
Under the car, you will find a larger exhaust then most of the previous cars. RWD, with a new tranny up front to the block. pretty clean, nicely fit. Frame looks rather beefy.
outside, there is 245/45/18 tires on all 4 corners. No spare tire is given, but there is an electric pump if the need for it arrises.
first drive impressions. The car seems to be pretty stable. wind noise is not bad at all, top up or down. The car rolls into the corner nicely, but it gives you a feeling of heaviness. It seems stable, and works well, but i might have expected a little more outta the car. Clutch engagment reminds me of the redlines..in that it's touchy. Somehow, this car feels a tad bit more sloppy though. The powerband..I was rather disappointed. It seems as if the saturn S-cars could beat it (reid you still stand a chance). you'd think 177 might mvoe the car well, but no. 1,2,3 gears..it felt really doggy. no poewr at all. I am disappointed to say the least. They are coming out with the redline version, though I wonder if it will be the 2.0l (ion redline) or slap the cherger on the 2.4l. Also the turbo car will be out in due time (pontiac is releasing their version first). I hope that over break-in period this car gets a little quicker, and more user-friendly. Ride quality is good, and headroom is just fine.
I think overall this car will be a hit to some, but just another car to others. Either way, the Saturn sky is here, and time will tell if it is approved by the public or not. I myself give it 1 thumb up..styling is there, but it lacks in performance.
-A. Swift
sorry, pics are on the phone, and i don't have a method to get them on the comp.
First impressions of the car were decent. It looks pretty cool. I was concerned about the taillights, but I think their overall shape fit the rest of the car. The front of the vehicle looks really cool..crab-shell like in comparison. I was disappointed that HID's didn't come stock on this car either, as they seem to be making a large appearance on a lot of other sportier cars out there. Also, I wish they made 2 exhaust tips out the rear, instead of the one. It looks rather lop-sided, and I think that will end up being a customer complaint in the future. They integrated it on the passenger side, through the bumper, making it squarish, but it throws the rest of the rear of the car off.
under the hood there is the new ecotec 2.4l, supposingly pumping out a whooping 177hp. it reminded me of the corvette layout, in that the battery and BCM is stuffed into the fenders, making a quick battery swap..not so quick. it opens up in a similar fashion to, rear-ward facing. The doors must remain closed to open the hood, or you will actually scratch the paintjob upon opening it. moving back, the interior looks to be a lot better quality, and I am happy to see saturn stepping it up in all their models. the vue, looks refreshed, and the ion will also be updated. the aura (when it comes out) will hopefully follow the same fashion. Panels all fit correctly..and accomodations are all where you want them. I wish the shift knob was moved further back just a hair for better ergonomics, but i think overall, it's a good layout the way it is..no complaints here.
Moving further down the car, towards the back we get to the truck. The truck release is in the glovebox, and it opens in reverse too. the cloth top tucks away in the truck, and can be tricky to shut. Overall, the rear decklid is to be "swiftly shut" in order to seal correctly. Otherwise, it won't fully close. I don't know if it's still tight, and needs to be worn in, but over time, we will see. space in the trunk is rather typical for a roadster of this size, offering little accomodations for luggage. Then again, this car wasn't built for long hauls.
Under the car, you will find a larger exhaust then most of the previous cars. RWD, with a new tranny up front to the block. pretty clean, nicely fit. Frame looks rather beefy.
outside, there is 245/45/18 tires on all 4 corners. No spare tire is given, but there is an electric pump if the need for it arrises.
first drive impressions. The car seems to be pretty stable. wind noise is not bad at all, top up or down. The car rolls into the corner nicely, but it gives you a feeling of heaviness. It seems stable, and works well, but i might have expected a little more outta the car. Clutch engagment reminds me of the redlines..in that it's touchy. Somehow, this car feels a tad bit more sloppy though. The powerband..I was rather disappointed. It seems as if the saturn S-cars could beat it (reid you still stand a chance). you'd think 177 might mvoe the car well, but no. 1,2,3 gears..it felt really doggy. no poewr at all. I am disappointed to say the least. They are coming out with the redline version, though I wonder if it will be the 2.0l (ion redline) or slap the cherger on the 2.4l. Also the turbo car will be out in due time (pontiac is releasing their version first). I hope that over break-in period this car gets a little quicker, and more user-friendly. Ride quality is good, and headroom is just fine.
I think overall this car will be a hit to some, but just another car to others. Either way, the Saturn sky is here, and time will tell if it is approved by the public or not. I myself give it 1 thumb up..styling is there, but it lacks in performance.
-A. Swift
sorry, pics are on the phone, and i don't have a method to get them on the comp.