1991-1995 Saturn
Less than the Sum of its Parts

Conceived by chairman Roger Smith to reinvent the way GM makes and sells cars, Saturn was established as a brand new, independent division in 1983. Far away from GM headquarters (and its stiff, hierarchal culture) in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Saturn was to be relatively free from corporate meddling and politics. Only then could Saturn successfully accomplish his ambitious goals. Finally, he said, America would beat the Japanese at their specialty: small cars.

A brand new facility was built. New production methods adopted and in some cases, invented. New engines, new materials, partnerships with suppliers, new inventory controls, even a revolutionary labor contract was agreed to with the autoworker's union, the UAW. It all looked, uh, very Japanese. And very un-GM.

Every bit as important as the production of the car was the new (for GM) way the car was to be sold. A limited number of retail outlets with exclusive territories in key markets was planned. Franchise agreements required company-designed facilities and substantial financial commitments by dealers. Continuing the radical change in the way of doing business, a "no hassle, no haggle" sales policy was to be strictly followed.

Production and quality problems forced some delay, but to their credit, GM didn't revert to past practices. In the old days, GM - and Ford and Chrysler for that matter - would've simply shipped the product and dealt with any problems after it was in the customer's hands. Not this time. GM was determined to get it right.

Finally, in October of 1990, the first Saturn was delivered in the U.S. It was the BIG EVENT.

With the passage of almost eight years, enough time has elapsed to plainly see that Saturn has succeeded in some of its goals, and come up short in others.

Although off 10% for 1997, sales have been very good. The production plant often has worked three shifts at maximum capacity. Plans are afoot for a new, larger model to give current owners something to move up to.

It consistently ranks high among sales satisfaction indexes. Remarkably, Saturn has been able to maintain both their no discount policies and their no pressure sales method. People like the Saturn buying experience. Once a customer, Saturn tries hard to cultivate a relationship with every owner. We've all seen those folksy ads and those somewhat bizarre homecoming events. Apparently they work. More significantly, both resale value and reliability have been good, although we are seeing some slippage in resale values recently.

The car itself, however, is rather underwhelming. It doesn't lack for innovation or design thoughtfulness, nor is it another numb and boring small car. It's just that on paper it looks better than it is.

What's Available

For the 1991 model year, Saturn offered four models and two body styles: The base SL sedan, the SL1 and SL2 sedans, and the SC Coupe. The SL and SL1 models received a 1.9 liter, single overhead cam 4-cylinder engine generating 85hp. SL2 and SC models sported larger tires on alloy wheels, a slightly plusher interior and a twin-cam version of the same motor developing 124hp. Manual transmissions were standard and most options were offered in packages. 1993 brought a new SC1 coupe with the same equipment levels as the SL1 sedan. Also added was a "cute" station wagon, available, not suprisingly, as the SW1 and the SW2. In an effort to hold down costs, alloy wheels were made optional on all models. 1994's were pretty much carryover models with a few refinements here and there and 1995 brought a new dash and a horsepower increase for the single-cam motor. In 1996 Saturn's first redesign hit the streets.

Exterior Design

The styling of the first generation Saturns can best be described as clean, unique and distinctive. The top SL2, SC2 and SW2 models look better than their cheaper siblings by virtue of their body-colored bumpers, large wide tires and in most cases, their alloy wheels. They also received an attractive full width taillight/reflector treatment rather than two taillights flanking a body-colored panel on the base models. The trunk has a low liftover height, facilitating cargo loading and unloading

We don't usually comment on the design of the engine compartment, but the Saturn's is truly exemplary. Easy to identify service points and a minimum of clutter. Nice job.

One of the more innovative aspects of all Saturns is their plastic body panels. Shopping carts, other car doors, even stiff kicks are shrugged off with no evidence of contact.

Fit and finish are good, but the gaps between plastic body panels could not be fitted with the tight tolerances of steel and are rather wide. Consider it a tradeoff for the ding free exterior you'll get to enjoy.

Interior Design

The controls and layout of every Saturn are mostly well conceived, sporting that "tactile feedback" deemed so important by many automotive reviewers. The original dashboard design (1991-94) housed all controls and gauges in a hard plastic shell. It looked ok but would have benefited greatly from proper padding. The armrests on the door panels are thinly padded as well and do not appear very durable.

Until 1995, Saturns came equipped with annoying motorized seat belts. A split fold-down rear seat back was standard, adding extra utility to a fairly large trunk. The dashboard (cowl) and beltline (door sills) are low, imitating Japanese design practices of the time.

Ride/Handling/Performance

When the Saturn was introduced, its ride/handling compromise was one area where it stood at the top of its class. Leaning decidedly toward the handling side of the equation, the ride gives up little to other small cars. Although the Saturn possesses typical small front-wheel drive understeer tendencies, it does manage to delay its onset and rewards the driver with a surprisingly satisfying level of control, even at brisk speeds and on all kinds of surfaces. As you would expect, this is particularly true of the SL2 and SC2 models.

Acceleration is acceptable with the base motor, very good with the twin-cam engine. Both have good low speed torque characteristics. The 5-speed manual transmission is acceptable, though not a standout. The 4-speed "fuzzy logic" automatic transmission in most cases performs extremely well, with quick and smooth upshifts and downshifts. On hilly terrain there is a tendency to switch between third and fourth gear, but that is common with overdrive automatic transmissions.

Comfort/Noise

All Saturns come with bucket seats and a floor mounted transmission. Room and comfort for the front seat passengers is good. Two rear seat passengers do ok as long as they aren't over 6 feet and the front passengers do not have their seats all the way back.

Noise is the Saturns biggest shortcoming. Idling and low speed, around town noise and vibration are obtrusive. The '91's are the worst offenders. 1992 brought new engine and transmission mounting schemes and greatly increased noise insulation. It helped, but the Saturn clearly lags in this area. Strong acceleration also brings out a cacophony of noises that are not entirely pleasant. Conversely, at highway speeds the Saturn is quieter than most others in its class.

Another thing we've noticed in several Saturns: In cold weather these things buzz, creak, groan and generally impart a feeling of horrendous quality. It gets worse as the cars age, then it seems to level off after about 3 years.

If you live in Miami, this is not of great concern. If you live in Boston, as we do, it is.

Safety

The Saturn received a good safety rating as a result of its performance in government crash tests. Dual airbags became standard in 1995. Previously, a driver bag was optional in 1992 and added to the standard equipment list in 1993. When Saturn received standard dual airbags for 1995, it lost the annoying motorized seat belts it had in earlier years. ABS brakes were optional in all years.