Would You Buy a Saturn Built Without Polymer Body Panels?

[100KSW2]

Originally posted by GR898SL2
Polymer is the last thing Saturn has going for it right now. If GM does away with the polymer panels, they might as well put a Chevy bowtie on the car instead. A steel-bodied Saturn would have to exceed Japanese and European benchmarks in quality (especially with relation to price) to be worthy of consideration.

Well said! There are a number of Saturn owners on here that owned Japanese cars before they moved to a Saturn because they'd had the experience of owning a car with a still perfect engine but the body looked like H*** from rust and dings.

My ten year old 110K mile SW2 looks like new, as do many other 1st Generation Saturns I see on a daily basis. The (steel bodied) 1993 Corollas and CIVICS and Escorts and Cavaliers I see around generally don't.

[XtremeGrandAm]

I wouldnt buy an ION that was steel bodied. The car doesnt offer enough vs other cars out there. Polymer is one of the key selling points of saturns. Now I understand the limitations of polymer in larger vehicles and know all saturns cant all be polymer because of that. but I would not ever by a steel bodied ION or VUE

[RustyJCNC]

I have posted, save polymer = save saturn. However, the more I read, the more I disagree with myself.

Saturn will still be part of GM, polymer or no polymer. So, I think it's a harsh reality that the good will come with the bad. I'd rather focus on improvment rather then harking on the things we just simply know will never change.

I'd love to see polymer stay, but I didn't buy the car simply for what it was made from in concerns to body panels. I bought the vehicle from an above excellent sales experience as well as the best American made quality in it's class.

-j

[Tenchi Masaki]

Once they go steel panel, I will be buying a Z06 and CTS-V and be done with Saturn with no more customizations to my cars. That's what got me started on Saturn in the first place. It's the most distinctive feature for them and it's why, after having this, I'd never want to buy a steel-bodied car. Z06 keeps me up with that but the CTS-V won't but oh well. But if I had to choose between an ION, Focus, Sunfire, or Cavalier, yeah I'd still go with the ION. If I had to go with the Taurus, Malibu, Bonneville or Grand Am, or Saturn L or V, well, I'd have to see what the Saturn V offers but I'd probably go with the Pontiac. It's those panels that keep me coming back for the car. But it is still how the retailer treats me that keeps me coming back to Saturn. Times are changing and many in the automotive industry will continue to make the wrong decisions. I guess we'll see how this one plays out....

[benpatient]

i'm confused by your Z06 reference. you just jumped 30,000 dollars there...

and which pontiac of that list? because a bonneville is clearly a better car, but a grand am is 10K cheaper. so confused.

oh a question for everyone complaining about the ION weight. aside from the S series, what other cars in class weigh under 2600lbs? apparently light isn't cool anymore. not with all he excursions and tahoes on the road that we have to protect ourselves against...that's 300 pounds extra that will keep me from rolling one more time after an excursion blows a tire and comes across 3 lanes of traffic going 70 mph and smashes into my rear quarter.

i have this video clip of a 911 GT1 coming fast over a hill and at the apex, a gust gets under the front of the car, which proceeds to fly, literally, 20 feet up into the air, flipping no less than 4 times end over end, and then smashing down front first and exploding in a shower of flame. this car weighs less than 2000 lbs and was going probably 95 at the top of that hill. the only reason the driver wasn't dead is because A.) it's a porsche and B.) a considerable amount of it's 1.2 million dollar price tag went towards safety. lighter is faster. but not necessarily better.

[L300Boy]

Yes, I would...it really wouldnt be a CON for me.

But this also means that Saturn would no longer have such a plastic panel PRO, and be like yet any other car on the road. And in such a competitive market, one less advantage may direct me towards another line of cars.....i like saturn but im not afraid to "defect"

[corympak]

This kind of reminds me of my old poll!!!

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...ighlight=boing

[FL ION BY]

I would not buy a Saturn made of steel. I like the rust free dent free look Saturns maintain after years of service. Living in the city it is a most important feature to keep the car looking great. This is not a thing that Saturn should change.

[SaturnSdn]

With the death of the Saturn S-car I don't see me buying another new Saturn ever. I have my two 2001 SL2's and anything Saturn I buy from now on will have to be used. The ION is just an "UGLY" "UGLY" car. Guess Saturn has lost an eight time Saturn buyer.

[skijay]

Without the polymer, it would be just another car company.

[FL ION BY]

SaturnSdn, it is too bad they did not keep the S but update it along the way. I disagree with the ION being ugly, I love the ION and just ordered one. I do think they should have kept the S series as well and would have done well to create an updated version of the original sedan. The ION does appeal to a lot of people and perhaps will bring onboard new owners. I think the key to Saturn's future is a bit more variety to appeal to all types of buyers. The VUE is great, my companion bought one, but they should have had that out three years earlier. I am so glad that the VUE did come out, we needed an SUV and wanted to stick with Saturn products. We waited for the VUE and it was worth the wait anyway. It is interesting how certain models grab some people and not others. I am thrilled with the ION design. This is why I think they need to offer a few more products.

[SaturnSdn]

I to like the VUE but do not want or need a SUV. I also like the updated L-Car but I don't want a large car. The ION is also larger then I want. The 91-95 and 2000-2002 S-cars were done just right. 96-99 S-Cars are good looking cars. But there is no-way I can ever see me in an ION Sedan and the QC so far does nothing for me. I will say the ION with a 5 speed is a very nice road car. I drove one from Vegas to Phx and on two lane blacktop it did outstanding when wanting to pass.

[JanCan]

The polymer panels have always been the knit to pick by low-rent car critics. I can't count the number of these hacks cut-and-pasted "large gaps" comments into their write-ups. Unfortunately, I think some of the higher-ups in GM pay them more attention than people like you and me, who put the polymer high in our top-ten reasons why we bought a Saturn in the first place.

A Saturn is not a stand-out in the crowd for it's styling (OK, OK, maybe excluding the SC2 from that). A Saturn stands out because, well... I don't have to preach to the choir..., so if they axe one of the main selling features, they might as well call them Chevy's, watch them blend into the ocean of cookie cutter sedans, and we'll all try to guess how much they sell for at the dealership.

[piney]

Originally posted by JanCan
The polymer panels have always been the knit to pick by low-rent car critics

True - and it will be interesting to see how the Cadillac XLR (or whatever they are calling the new drop-top) is put together. That will be Saturnlike polymer as well. I wonder what the gaps will be like on that & what the pundits will say as the press loves that Caddy so far.

[Dr. Bob]

My first response was "Heck no!", absolutely, positively must have the plastic panels.

Especially here in Minnesota and because I drive on gravel roads.

There are two distinctives for Saturn: one is the plastic panels and the second is the retailer business conduct.

Lose either and Saturn is likely gone.

[Qlara]

Simply ask:
What makes Saturn cars 'Different' without polymer anymore?

GM is lame.....without Saturn, I'll buy Ford as domestic.

[saturnrings]

Originally posted by THX712517
The only Saturn I'd buy without polymer would have to have some seriously insane power, AWD, six speed manual transmission, and styling that would make Pininfarina cry with joy. Add to that awesome build quality, beautiful fit, finish, and interior materials, and oh yeah, it'll have to cost three dollars.

So that's a no?

[hoperlw1]

It's too bad. Each Saturn generation gets worse, imo.

[haypops]

For those of you who wouldn't buy a Saturn without polymer panels; Since their are no popular priced vehicles with polymers, does that mean you consider Saturn considerably inferior to most other cars with respect to every thing else?

[Dr. Bob]

Not "considerably inferior", maybe not "inferior". How about "mediocre" or "middle of the pack"?

For me, much (but not all) of the "value proposition" of a Saturn goes away if the plastic panels disappear.

I really don't like having to repaint the rocker panels every year of a metal bodied car just ot keep the rust away.