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1998 Saturn SL1

Ravenfreak13

By Ravenfreak13
in Reader Reviews

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Ravenfreak13 Newbie

Ravenfreak13

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1998 Saturn SL1 in Dark Green

1.9 liter I4 100hp

30,000 miles

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This car is basically featureless...manual windows,locks, and mirrors, AM/FM Stereo w/ 4 speakers, A/C , powersteering, smokers package, floormats.

I've had this car since it was new...so this is a very Long-term review.

Styling: I like the styling a lot. Something that you see in this car and other saturns of these years is that they stand out in the compact class. This car has a sporty look. The headlights have a sleek slim design that complement the badge in the middle. The back end could've used some more appeal and badging. Euro style tail lights do not cut it as compared to the front. Another issue with SL and SL1's is the graphite bumpers. If you buy this car...DO NOT buy one that is a light color...the bumpers and door handles do not look good against a light body.

Engine: The engine is a perfect fit for this car. At 30,000 miles after 8 years, the engine is still just as peppy as new. Pick-up is excellent. The problems with the engine are that not enough/none at all sound deadening material was used to stop the horrible noise that enters the cabin when reving the car.

Interior: The seats are well made and supportive but low to the ground and the fabric is'nt cuddelly soft. Plastics are smooth and solid. Radio surround rattles sometimes but stuffing some A/C foam behind it will fix that. The radio is surprisingly good for a car in this class...One can turn up the volume without "fuzzing" up the sound by adjust bass and treble controls accordingly. The A/C is cold and works well as the heat does too.Steering wheel is soft but gets too hot in summer and too cold in winter...buy a cover. Interior problems include harsh road noice, subpar fabric, thin plastic on radio surround, and odd cupholders.

MPG is wonderfull! I fill up every other week.

Problems with car:

Bought the car with bad ignition thinking it was a safety feature...you have to wiggle the key a little before you can get it to move.

Battery died once and needed to be replaced at around 28k miles

Needed new 02 sensors at 29k miles.

Overall this car is good for everyday life and has an excellent engine. Lacks quiet ride and standard features.

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PurdueGuy Newbie

PurdueGuy

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Has the ignition problem been fixed?

If you've had it a while, and it didn't do it at first, you might try new keys. If you give the dealer parts dept your VIN and proof of ownership (drivers liscense that matches insurance papers, for example), they will cut you a key to factory specs instead of doing the regular key copying that wal-mart does. They key cut at Saturn is only a few bucks, and took care of the hard-to-turn ignition for me. :)

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  • 1 month later...
MyerShift Newbie

MyerShift

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I really like the colour.

Dark green is my favourite.

You know, I wonder if there's a relatively affordable way to reduce road noise in our cars.

I know that in my Breeze it's sometimes infuriating to listen to.

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  • 3 months later...

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