Overview & Reviews

The Saturn Ion was the brand's entry-level car from 2003-'07. Aimed at younger buyers, the Ion got what Saturn considered unique styling and design features, and a strong 2.2-liter engine. We never thought very highly of it, however, and took issue with its poor interior quality, unimpressive driving dynamics and bizarre styling inside and out. The Ion gave way to the vastly superior Astra hatchback.

Most Recent Saturn Ion

The Ion launched in 2003 as a replacement for the now-defunct S-Series. Throughout its lifespan, Saturn was vigilant about making minor improvements (particularly for 2005) to the quality of the ride, interior and overall refinement, so we suggest more recent model years if you've really got your heart set on a used Ion (although we hope you don't).

The front-wheel-drive Saturn Ion always came in two body styles: a four-door sedan and the "Quad Coupe." The Quad Coupe was styled like a two-door coupe but actually had two rearward-opening doors similar in style to an extended-cab pickup. For each body style, there were three primary trim levels: a base 1 (dropped for '06), 2 and 3.

All trims came standard with a 145-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine. For '06 and later, the Ion 3 sedan gained an optional 2.4-liter four-cylinder with variable valve timing, which was good for 175 hp. It was part of an Enhanced Performance Package -- only available with the Ion 3 -- that also included antilock brakes, traction control and a sport-tuned suspension. A five-speed manual transmission came standard on these main trims, but most used Ions you'll come across will come with the optional four-speed automatic or an earlier continuously variable automatic transmission.

There was an additional performance trim for the Quad Coupe called the Saturn Ion Red Line. It was powered by a supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which bumped power up to 205 hp. The Ion Red Line came exclusively with a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission, 17-inch wheels, upgraded disc brakes and a track-tuned suspension package.

One of the Ion's few strong points was its amount of cargo room in all trims. The front passenger seat folded flat, and trunk space was among the largest in the segment. The base Ions came pretty bare-bones, without standard air-conditioning or power mirrors and windows. You had to step up to the Ion 3 for these features, as well as 16-inch wheels and tires, cruise control and an upgraded CD/MP3 audio system. Given the Ion's significant depreciation, we suggest keeping your search to the Ion 3.

In road tests and comparison tests, our reviewers found the Saturn Ion to be among the lower performers in the entry-level sedan and coupe classes. Despite the strong engine, the Ion lacked liveliness, and overall performance was conservative at best. The steering was overly heavy. Even with the continuous interior improvements made throughout its lifespan, the seats were uncomfortable and offered little support. Overall, we suggest looking elsewhere for an economy car.

User Reviews:

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  Finally a Good Experience! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Beth - July 12 - 6:33 pm

  I had a great experience at the Saturn Dealership in Houston. I loved the people, and I love my car! I had been to a ton of other dealerships over the course of 4 - 5 months and nobody else came close to the service, honesty and respect I dealt with at Saturn. My mom and sister are both jealous, and say that Saturns will definitley be their next choice of cars.

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  WOW...what a pleasant surprise!!! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Drum - July 6 - 4:36 pm

  I love this car!! Ive owned several sports cars and sports coupes and I immediately felt very comfortable in this car. It is a lot quicker than you would expect given the (under)stated horsepower and weight. A little cheap feeling in the interior, but hey, the price more than makes up for it. Hard to imagine a better performing car in this price range, even compares quite well to more expensive cars like the RX-8 (what I originally planned on).

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  Worst Car I have ever owned... - 2007 Saturn ION
  By Rich Anderson - July 5 - 12:51 pm

  I bought this car only 7 years old with 95,000 for my daughter. The shocks and struts had to be replaced, and even after that it made horrible creaking sounds from underneath. It had 6 or 7 factory recalls. One was that the key could be removed from the ignition even when the car was running! Crazy - but when I took to the dealer they refused to replace the ignition switch because they said it had been done 1 year prior. If so they put another bad one in! Next the gas tank leaked - and had to be replaced - $300. Never had that happen to a car before! Replaced a couple sensors and check engine light came on again a couple months later. I have owned 15-20 cars in my life and this was by far the worst - even worse than an old MG Midget I had. I will never buy any GM product again - I should have known better. I only have 1 good thing to say about this car: The battery is in the trunk, so when - predictably - I had to replace that it was super clean. Yay!

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  Not Impressed - 2007 Saturn ION
  By tazette - July 5 - 12:26 am

  I typically buy foreign cars. In selecting Saturn, I reviewed the fuel efficient and its environmental impact. I wanted to buy an American car again, but I have had problems in the past. Anyway, I bought the ION brand new in 2007. I have been put in a rental car for a total of two weeks over the past year due to problems with my vehicle: I was driving on the highway and my vehicle started decelerating while I had my foot on the gas. It took them three go arounds to fix that. Right now, my passenger window will not roll up. My seatbelt light indicating that something is wrong with it goes on intermittently. Cheap interior. The mileage is good though all around - not impressed!

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  Super! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By redline guy - June 27 - 10:00 am

  I drive a ton of miles on the highway. This car is great to zoom in and out of traffic, lots of power at the high end of the RPMs. Handles great too. This car is engineered with lots of go fast parts that work together very well. And you couldnt build a regular ION (new) up to be this fast for the price. Ive surpised many other drivers in cars we always thought were fast...by pulling away from them on the highway. Not much torque steer. With 205 HP I expected it be squirly, but its well behaved. If you are going to spend 20k on a 4 cylinder car, why wouldnt you get one thats this much fun?

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  Great buy for the price... - 2003 Saturn ION
  By avariel - June 18 - 2:00 am

  Why does everyone hate this car? I just got mine about a month ago and I love it! I didn’t have a lot of money so when it came to replace my old car my options were limited. I looked at all the new & used cars I could find. One day I went by the local Saturn place & saw the new ION & went in for a test drive & felt that it was the right car for me. I ended up with my ION 2 (decided to splurge for more options) So far its great and this from a former honda owner. Is the ION perfect? Not by a long shot but no car is. Besides for those of us who cant afford all the flashy cars out there the ION offers a reliable option for a great price.

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  Saturn Runs Rings! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By puppytrek - June 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought the Saturn Ion-2 on March 15 and it rocks! Nimble handling with the electric-assist power steering and the middle instrument panel is a dream! This rides so smooth compared to what I drove before. America can still produce a wonderful vehicle without the $35K price tag. I would buy another today if I had more room to put it!

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  This car is "meh" - 2007 Saturn ION
  By Heather - June 15 - 1:50 pm

  Bought this car used with 38K miles. The car sounds like it is breaking in half during turns/bumps. Wind Noise. Axle went out & had to be replaced. Too many repairs to list. Battery died when car was only 1 yr old. Struts went out. Entire engine replaced at 60K miles. Radio went out, & Saturn will replace for $500! Expensive! Without the warranty, I wouldve paid more in repairs than I even paid for the car ($10K). I am getting rid of this and going with a Toyota Camry instead.

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  Really nice - 2005 Saturn ION
  By happyowner - June 12 - 5:30 pm

  I love my ION. It is the most comfortable small car that I have ever driven in my 30 years of driving. The 2.2 liter engine perfoms as well as some 6 cylinder engines I have owned. What the back seat lack in leg room is made up for in perfomance, style, and handling.

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  Car wont start in Winter - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Mike48128 - June 9 - 7:26 am

  Passlock (BCM) makes the car impossible to start in cold weather. Noisy suspension and easily damaged bumpers. I liked this car a lot at first due to the large cargo space and good gas mileage...but not anymore. Do not buy this model as a used car. You will be sorry.