I have a 1992 Saturn SL1 with 129,000 miles on it. It's running beautifully. I bought it secondhand in 1997. A couple years later I had a few expensive repairs, but since then it's doing okay. G had a 1996 SW2 Saturn wagon. He bought it brand new, no problems. He totalled it back in ~2002, and went out and bought another SW1, this time a 1999. It's been fine so far other than the usual brakes and muffler issues older cars tend to get. The older model Saturns are much better than the newer ones. My 1992 is much better made than the 1999 is.
My 1992 gets about 29 to 32 MPG highway and about 25 city. And the 1999 gets about 32 to 35 highway and 25 to 30 city. Even the older Saturns get pretty decent MPG. The trick to keeping it running well for so long is to make sure the oil and filters are changed every 3000 miles or every three months. I can tell by my gas milage when I need an oil change.
Getting parts for it is a pain. After-market parts do not fit Saturns, you have to go with Saturn made parts which tend to be a bit more expensive. Thus why they wanted to total my car for a crunched fender. No internal damage, all cosmetic, and they wanted to total the car. (it's a 1992, its only worth about $1200. th repairs cost about $1400. They fixed it for me anyway, next time it doesn't get fixed.)
We wouldn't recommend the newer Saturns, they are poorly made like any GM vehicle. But the older ones were well made. When we need new vehicles again, I'm planning to get a Toyota hybrid (but not a Prius) and G is looking at the Subaru Outback Wagons.
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My 1992 gets about 29 to 32 MPG highway and about 25 city. And the 1999 gets about 32 to 35 highway and 25 to 30 city. Even the older Saturns get pretty decent MPG.
The trick to keeping it running well for so long is to make sure the oil and filters are changed every 3000 miles or every three months. I can tell by my gas milage when I need an oil change.
Getting parts for it is a pain. After-market parts do not fit Saturns, you have to go with Saturn made parts which tend to be a bit more expensive. Thus why they wanted to total my car for a crunched fender. No internal damage, all cosmetic, and they wanted to total the car. (it's a 1992, its only worth about $1200. th repairs cost about $1400. They fixed it for me anyway, next time it doesn't get fixed.)
We wouldn't recommend the newer Saturns, they are poorly made like any GM vehicle. But the older ones were well made.
When we need new vehicles again, I'm planning to get a Toyota hybrid (but not a Prius) and G is looking at the Subaru Outback Wagons.