Used 2004 Saturn Ion for Sale

3.0

(2 Reviews)

Overall Rating

3.0

(2 Reviews)

Value

3.5

Performance

2.5

Comfort

3.0

Fuel Economy

3.0

Reliability

3.5

2004 Saturn Ion - Saturn Ion good choice for first car

I've had this Saturn Ion for 10+ years now, and it is the only car that I've ever owned. Overall, I'm happy that this Saturn Ion was my first car that I started driving at the age of 16 as it has proven to be a great first vehicle. There are many flaws to the quality and build of the car but nothing that has been too expensive to fix. As long as you take care of this car, it will last for quite a while. One of the coolest things about this car is the exterior is made of plastic. Now some people would think this would make the car cheap, but actually, it's a pretty cool benefit because it's much harder to dent the car, and it won't rust. The car is suitable for a couple but definitely not a small family because the back seats are small and the doors to the back seats don't open normally... (more)

Story

I have so many great memories of learning how to drive in this vehicle, dating my husband and us going on dates in this vehicle, and so many more memories.

Pros

Plastic exterior reduces likelihood of denting. Plastic exterior reduces likelihood of rusting. Decent fuel economy. Overall pretty reliable vehicle. Repairs are easy to do yourself. Very simple car to learn how to drive. Pretty roomy, especially in the front. Back seats fold down so you can put long things in the trunk to extend to back seats. Cheap vehicle to buy and maintain. Since Saturn was owned by GM you can still find parts for the car for repairs. Windows are nice and large. Pretty unique body style that stands out. Fun vehicle to drive. Looks sporty.

Cons

Cheap quality means quite a few repairs. Slow car. Very little horsepower. Cheap plastic exterior. Radio is awful. Air vents need to be bigger. Back doors can get annoying to use. Vehicle sits very low to the ground. Has had recall issues. No longer make Saturns so it's harder to find parts. Rattles constantly from things that have shaken loose. Can be hard to see out of rear window when driving/parking. Bumpers come undone easily. Paint is cheap. Tint on windows is cheap quality.

2004 Saturn Ion - It's been a good commuter.

I like the manual transmission, the power options (windows and sunroof), and cruise control. I'm a bit disappointed in the fuel economy, but it's much better than my previous vehicle. The car is in pretty good physical condition so it's decent looking, too.

Story

My little granddaughter likes to climb in and pretend she's driving. Of course, she presses all the knobs and buttons so that leads to some surprises the next time I get in and start it up :)

Pros

With a 65-mile round trip for work, I was looking for a more economical commuting vehicle to replace a minivan that was getting about 18 miles per gallon. So when I found this car with a four-cylinder engine and stick shift and only around 94,000 miles on it, I test-drove it and bought it. It needed two new tires and front brakes, but the seller had replaced the coil packs and had it running well, plus it had no fluid leaks. I also liked the fact that it has a timing chain instead of a belt, so replacing that shouldn't be a concern for me. The seller gave me a discount on the price, an... (more)

Cons

A big disappointment was the car's sound system. It has a 6-CD changer, but it seemed to suffer from overheating so it would play for a while and the sound would deteriorate and then quit totally. Eventually a couple of CDs got suck in it and wouldn't eject. I had to pry them out. I do have a Sirius/XM receiver that I could use in the car, but since Saturn bodies are not made of steel the magnetic radio antenna will not stick to the car's roof. It also had open recalls for the ignition switch and power steering, but I got those fixed for free at the local Chevy dealer. Also the power... (more)