1999 Saturn SL consumer reviews

I bought my 1999 Sautrn SL2 new, off the lot. My second Saturn purchase. I get 30-35 mph. I am 6 ft tall with have very long legs - I find the leg room to be comfortable. After 10 years I have never had any mechanical issues. As a matter of fact I am on Saturn #4 and have not had a major problem with any of them. I would not only recommend the SL2 but I would recommend any Saturn to someone looking for a reliable used (or new) car.

This was the first car I ever owned. I bought it used with only 37,000 miles on it. I had it for 4 and a half years and put about 60,000 miles on it. I've never had to get anything fixed (besides the "consummables" like new tires, windshield wipers, oil changes). To this day my car has never let me down once. My bf calls it "the tank" because it's been in 3 fender benders and one pretty serious accident. In the 3 fender benders the dents popped right back out, all on their own! You couldn't even tell that there had ever been a dent there! In the one serious accident there was only external damage, nothing internal, and I had hit a railing on the front corner on the driver's side at about 40-45 miles an hour. This car has incredible gas mileage - I got about 37 miles to a gallon, which was a REAL life-saver since I had to take a 9-hour trip to college about 8 times a year. While there was some discomfort (the car was really low and the driver's seat always leaned back - it wouldn't go straight up) and the features weren't that great (manual doors, manual locks, no cd or cassette player) I am very sad to have to move on to a new car. I highly recommend this car!

I was thrilled to get my saturn. It has been nothing but a money hole since then. I have had to replace the breaks twice, had lots of electrical work done and it needs new motor mounts. I was not the original owner of the vehicle, but it had very low miles when I purchased it. Overall I am very disappointed by the car, and regret buying it. The adds all show how the cars do not dent when bumped, but mine cracked which is more expensive to repair then a dent.

I have never had a car that I have been so proud of as my Saturn. She has treated me very well over these past years. She's 88,000 miles and still running strong. I never fear whether or not the car will start when I go to turn my key in the ignition. There has never been a time when I've doubted her reliability or handling capability. Obviously, she wouldn't handle like a BMW, but she sure can hold her own!! If anyone wanted to get a used car, I would tell them to get a Saturn, if not for reliability then for how much they'll be saving on insurance costs.

Great car for the money! got it used with 90,000 on the odometer and now have 126,000. Used to commute mainly to and from school in jersey. In the 36,000 miles i have had the car the only issues I have had with it are a valve cover gasket that went, cost 80 bucks to fix so not bad, and the standard things that are expected at the mileage (brakes, exhaust, tires). With only 100 horses you would think the car is going to be really underpowered but the car has a great deal of pep and is very agile. That really helps dealing with traffic. Overall, in the $3,000 price range, this is a really good bet.

great value between $3000 and $5000. would recommend to a friend or relative great gas milage and handling.

I bought an SL1 so that my wife could learn how to drive - with a baby in back seat. She'd never driven in the US...so I figured a cheap and easy to repair car is what the situation calls for. Eventually she learned well and graduated to a Turbo beetle with a stick. I traded in my Xterra to get her the beetle and ended up with the "car we'll never get rid of"...I was amused at first...it was the first auto trannie I've driven in 25 yrs, not a very "cool looking" car and it was a tiny car...with dubious power. A year later, and I can say its a great car! It handles the turnpike, the stop and go of rush hour, it's maneuverable, and real good on gas! Commuting in south Florida is going to destroy your car -whatever you drive...you can beat up an expensive car just as easy as a cheap set of wheels. Why waste $ on that? What I like best about the SL1? It's very cheap to run - and insure - and faithfully gets from A to B, even with a bad solenoid, brakes and a thermostat - all of which were replaced - at very reasonable prices (for south Florida). What more can you ask for? This is the eleventh car I've owned and the only time I've ever felt good about owning a car. Good luck finding one...I'm not selling mine anytime soon.

We have owned a Saturn for the last 10 years and they are wonderful. Our current Saturn -- which has been lovingly nicknamed "Baby Car" -- has earned her nickname for the very minimal amount of maintenance and repair, the same comfort, performance, and reliability from day one. She gets great gas mileage for her age. She's mainly used for a 22 mile commute each day. I highly recommend this car to anyone. If you are looking for economical -- both for buying costs and for upkeep -- this is a great car with all kinds of amenities.