Badges -- We Need Our Stinking Badges

[BobC]

LDB wrote: ....they don't say "I drive a Rolls Royce Silver Wraith", "I drive a Bentley Continental Silver Spur" they say "I drive a Rolls" "I drive a Bentley".

It's called understatement, old boy. It shows a touch of class. saturncanuck may think it's "high horse," but I agree with LDB (and most other SaturnFans). LDB just said it better.

"I drive a Saturn," to me has a certain amount of snob appeal. It may be reverse snob appeal, but I like it just the same.

PS: Although I'm a Canadian, I would never call myself a "Canuck" anymore than I would go into the reverse-snob rant in that ridiculous and insulting beer commercial. Yes, saturncanuck, you have my permission to call me a snob.

BobC

[LDB_2001SC2_#54of99]

If confidence is high horse then that is how it shall be. Saying Saturn is sufficient. Anything beyond that is a good topic of conversation with whoever is inquiring. While a Saturn may not be equal to a Rolls in every way it is still a fine vehicle. Rather than suggesting getting down from a high horse get up from your universality. We don't have to be like everyone else and have 'Saturn' and 'SX#' or 'L###' and then '1.9L', 'ABS', and who knows what else stuck all over our vehicles like all the other conformists. If you think cheap, cheesy, stickons like are all over my neighbors Chevordtoymazissan's somehow make the car you are certainly entitled to your opinion and to have them. I have suggested to Saturn they offer an option of decal delete for those who don't want the clean lines of the car ruined with stick ons.

[tabo]

One of the nice things about Saturns is that they are not "cheesy". Since these are a "different kind of car" from a "different kind of company", why not do the badging in a "different" way.

I suggest that there be no extra badges on the rear of the car; it already says Saturn in the bumper. Instead, lets use the Saturn Logo on the front fenders, hood and trunk-lid and add the model designation there. We could also use colour to differentiate the models or trim levels.

This, I believe, is the "Saturn" way to do it.

Besides, anything that sticks out (like the V6 sticker on the L-series) is just gonna get gunked up over time and become a real eyesore.

[Randman]

Don't get me started on the V-6 POS lifted from the Grand Am. What a lame move. I've really being trying to avoid that for over a year.

[LDB_2001SC2_#54of99]

<blockquote><hr><font size="1">Original Post:</font><!--1-->
Don't get me started on the V-6 POS lifted from the Grand Am. What a lame move. I've really being trying to avoid that for over a year.<hr></blockquote>

Exaclty my point. They've already cheesed up the L cars with that dime store garbage badge. I can't imagine an engineer anywhere who doesn't at least inwardly cringe when badges come up in conversation. They ruin the lines of the car and for what purpose? To inflate someone's ego that they have "V-6" or "Powerstroke", now there's one for the insecure size measurers of the world. Besides being ugly pieces of junk I don't want everything about my car advertised. I want it to make people think and question. I hope they either ask me or go to a retailer to ask questions. It just might add another Saturn owner that way.

[L300_in_MO]

I just got my Bright Silver L300 and I don't care if it says so on the car. I'm just glad my dealer didn't plaster their name on the paint somewhere and deface the car. That is vandalism if you ask me. They gave me a license plate frame with their name that I am free to discard whenever I like.
If Saturn is so big on name recognition, why do they make you pay for the lettering on the rear bumper. They should make it standard equipment. BTW, so far I love the car. It looks really slick with the black pinstripe and black lettering.

[spencerb]

So does your L300 have the model badges, and if so, where and what type?

[GoKyu L300]

I remember when I was still planning to buy a 2000 LS1...Nice green exterior with tan interior (but the green is so dark, it almost looks black in some cases), and it had the outline kit and pinstripes. I told my SC "Well, I'd buy it as is, but you'd have to either take off the pinstripes, or don't charge me for them, because I'm not buying a car with pinstripes otherwise." He told me that all of their inventory had pinstriping added when it came in, and the only way I could get a car without it is to custom order one.

I think he must've worked at another dealership before tho, cos then he asks me, "Well, if I could get you this car without the pinstripe cost, would you buy today?" hehe...I think he was kidding though, cos I had told him already how cheesy that saying is...

I think that may have been the closest to "negotiating" I'd gotten at a Saturn dealership. They aren't gonna pass up a sale for a $60 option...

-Bryan

[spencerb]

The strips are cheap ($6 at auto parts stores), but you have to have skill to put them on.

Regarding the "Saturn" bumper outline being standard... Some people want different color pinstrips, so they have to make it an option so the customer can choose.

I saw an SL1 with the lettering placed on the vertical trunklid panel. Gak, it was ugly. Put it on the bumper where it belongs.

[L300_in_MO]

spencerb, my L300 has no badges except the V6 on the back. When I said the lettering should be standard, I mean they shouldn't charge for it. It should still be your option to leave it off.

gokyu, I agree that forcing pinstripes on customers is wrong, but my car really looks nice with them. They were put on at my request after I chose the car though.

Another thing I have noticed in my rather limited experience with my Saturn dealer. The nicer cars with leather, sunroofs, etc. seem to get nabbed by dealer staff as demos before the public has a chance at them. That's just my opinion, but the 1st car I picked out was nabbed as a demo before they realized it was sold. I was more than little perturbed, to say the least..

[Yankeez01L30094SL2]

I also just took delivery of a 01 L300 (bright silver) it doesn't need badges beyond the V6. You can tell by how fast it moves away from the other traffic!! Then people will look twice when they catch up at the next traffic light, and wonder what has SATURN been doing....

[Nuke-Em]

Hey,

If I come across as a bit sarcastic, I don't mean it, honestly. I don't really see a problem with the badging, V-6 or otherwise. It's badging, I'm sure a non-Saturn savvy person isn't going to notice a little badge on the deck of a car; and if they do, so what? I mean, I have TWIN CAM on the lower right hand corner of my hatch, no one notices except other Saturn owners, and when they do they just say something like "oh, an SW2, eh? Nice". Who knows, if someone looks at the car, and likes what he/she sees, they'll know what to look for, A Saturn SL2, or a Saturn L-300. Anyway, just my opinon.

Matt

[100KSW2]

I think the name changes and badges are the APPEARANCE of doing something about the real problems Saturn faces, not actually doing something. I hate the Twin Cam on the back of my car, wouldn't let the dealer put any decals or other advertising on my car, and would trade all the badges in the world, including the RR "flying lady", for REAL content. Badges are cheaper than rear disc brakes, so badges are what we will get.

Jim

[white_base_LS]

I saw a new LS in the parking lot with the "L200" badge, below the driver's side rear parking/brake/turn light. It is a simple vinyl decal with white letters and black internal lines. IOW, the "L" is outlined in white around a black center.

Just my opinion, but I *really* like the lack of clutter on the rear of my 2000 LS (base). Just "SATURN" embossed in the rear bumper... very subtle and understated. It gives the car a clean look.

Every other car company has badges (my wife's Volvo has four badges "Volvo" "940" "Turbo" "Intercooler"... guess it is a status thing) but I liked that Saturn was different (kind of car company).

[cityhawk01LW30093SW2]

While I agree aesthetically with those who prefer the lack of badges, I still believe the reason for the badges is to differentiate the L and the S. Those of us Saturn geeks have no problem with it, but despite the advertising, the general public is still kind of dense when it comes to the fact that Saturn offers another line of cars. That being said, I don't know how much the badges will help, but I believe that's the main reason for them.