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Anybody got an opinion on the Saturn Ion??? In the compact car segment it is the best fit for me physically. FE is respectable, and I actually like the manual shifter. TIA for the help.

What other cars have you tested?

What other cars have you tested?

Everything I can find in the $6k-$8k range . . . Civic, Corolla, Sentra, Spectra, Focus, Cavalier, Cobalt, Vibe/Matrix, Accent, Rio. The Ion fits best, just curious has to others thoughts on build and longevity.

Personally I like the Civic, Corolla, and Focus better, but thats just me. I've heard that the Saturns have trouble after 100k miles, but that was the older ones. Not sure if they've changed.

I had an '03 Ion 3. I ran into a few electrical problems, the sunroof leaked, and it had other annoyances. It had about 65k on it...no engine troubles tho.

The Cobalt, Pontiac G5 and Saturn Ion are essentially the same vehicle, built on GM's Delta platform. The Saturn was actually the first in the line when it debuted in 03, and since it is the oldest, it is the most likely to be found in that price range.

You can get them in a manual transmission with a 2.2L, which would give you some pretty darn good MPG, but the auto is decent too. My biggest issue with the Ion was always the goofy layout of the dashboard, so that might take some getting used to. But I haven't seen too many problems with them. We've got a couple of 05's on our lot right now, selling for about $10K.