Saturn SL2 reviews

1999 Saturn SL2 Driving Impressions

GM worked hard to reduce noise and vibration in the 1999 Saturn engines. Pistons were made smaller and lighter, connecting rods were made longer, more counterweighting was added to the crankshaft, the block was redesigned and reinforced, the timing chain was made smaller. The cylinder head was redesigned on the twin-cam engine. The list goes on and on.

All that work paid off. The new twin-cam engine is so smooth that power delivery is now nearly invisible. It's also much quieter at cruising speeds. You don't notice the previous sand-papery feel of engine vibrations through the steering wheel and pedals. Your ears feel 20 feet farther from the sounds of the engine, gearbox and driveshafts. The noises you do hear are not as annoying. The SL2 engine now hums along happily with a pleasant roar in the middle of the rev range. It no longer feels like it's going to blow up every time you hold the gas all the way down for an extended period.

A larger muffler produces a much more pleasing sound. Where the earlier twin-cam Saturn engine sounded like a mis-matched quartet of singers, the new motor sounds like a solo performer without the irritating backup singers. If you were blindfolded, you'd never guess you were riding in a Saturn.

The redesigned engine is also more efficient; it delivers an impressive 35 mpg on the EPA highway fuel economy test, an improvement of 1 mpg over last year's car.

Fortunately, all this refinement doesn't take the fun out of driving a Saturn. Even though the SL2 isn't as quick as a Dodge Neon or Honda Civic, it offers adequate performance in city traffic.

Steering and handling is one of Saturn's strongest suits. The SL2 seems to provide more accurate steering response than a Dodge Neon. The SL2 comes with 185/65R15 tires that provide good roadholding in sharp corners. Though it rides well, the softly tuned springs allow the body to lean over in turns. Softer springs also require slowing a bit more for railroad crossings and rough roads to avoid bottoming out the suspension.

To save money building the cars, Saturn has changed the rear brakes from discs to drums, something we don't think rates as progress. In all fairness, however, base Hondas and Toyotas make do with drums in back as well. We tested the optional anti-lock brakes on a variety of surfaces, and found adequate stopping distances. The characteristic pulsing feedback from the anti-lock brakes will seem intrusive only to luxury car drivers. What's more, the ABS-activated traction control system is a worthwhile aid for lead-footed drivers on slick roads. A switch on the console allows the driver to turn off traction control for those times when a bit of wheelspin is needed to get unstuck or to accelerate at maximum levels.

Similar in construction to a Honda transmission, Saturn's automatic transmission uses helical inline gears normally associated with manual transmissions instead of the planetary gearsets that make up most automatic designs. The biggest benefit of this design is that flat-towing the car in neutral behind a motor home won't prematurely wear out the transmission. Perhaps that's why we see so many Hondas and Saturns leashed to the back of big camping rigs.

The standard five-speed manual, we've found, is light to shift, but the distance the lever travels during each shift is longer than those in Nissan's Sentra and Honda's Civic. Also, there is no distinct feel in the clutch pedal.