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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  EXCELLENT CAR - 2004 Saturn ION
  By goodmanner3 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I love this car, first BRAND NEW CAR I ever owned. Could not be more happy with my choice...Test drove every car in its class and fell in love with this one. Cant believe its not on more "best lists"

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  Ions Are Fuel Efficient - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Cody - February 26 - 8:46 am

  I purchased my Ion back in 2006. The only repairs that I have had to perform on it was replacing the front rotors due to the roads in Jacksonville, NC and on Camp Lejeune, NC. Other than that I just perform the normal routine maintenance on it(i.e. oil change, brakes, etc). Every time I travel to Florida, I save always on gas. It is roughly 762 miles from Camp Lejeune to where I live in Florida, and I only have to fill up 3 times (thats stopping when my tank is sitting at a 1/4 of a tank). Overall, my experience with this car has been nothing but Superb. I recommend it to anyone. But do not listen to reviews, with this car you got to try for yourself.

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  Mechanics nightmare - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Three Saturn owner - February 24 - 1:20 am

  My 2005 Saturn ION is poorly designed. Hood pops open easily because hood latch is on the floor near my left foot. During cold weather the engine starts fine but after a few miles of driving it begins to race. If I put it in Park the RPMs stay at about 2000. I must shut the car off then restart to get the RPMs down to the normal 600-700. Saturn has looked at it numerous times but cannot find the problem. Also during high humidity the turn signals unexpectantly stop working on the front along w/ the daytime lights. This is my final Saturn. I love my 97- 5 speed SL1 with 215000 miles on it. My 2000 L-series came from the dealer without rear wheels being aligned.

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  07 Ion is a great car & fun to drive - 2007 Saturn ION
  By I Love my saturn - February 9 - 1:26 am

  I am currently looking into a 2nd car for my hubby. We both love it and we are seriously considering getting the exact same car, same year: used of course as it has been a year and a 1/2 since we bought it. We bought a demo so it had a few hundred miles on it when we got it & it came with a good warranty. We really feel it is a wonderful car. I like the idea that the car isnt going to ding up & that the car in a few years will still look as nice as it does now. There are some minor issues which I see from other reviews that has bothered other drivers too. More on those later in my review. I do like the center instrument panel & the stereo especially. everything is really easy to use.

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  Nice Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By p. Jackson - February 8 - 2:13 am

  Handles good, good performance, love the 2.4 litre engine and the performance package, onstar,etc. the list goes on. I have had my ION 3 for a month and have no compalints. I dont understand why the car critics arent more fovorible towards the Saturn.

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  New Ion owners - 2005 Saturn ION
  By stevegcar - February 5 - 1:13 pm

  We loved the look of the Saturn Ion and the price was great. When we went to purchase a car we were not hassled by a salesman. They were very approachable and not pressuring. The sales team did not try to suffocate us or tell us we could not afford a car and take us to the used car section like many other dealerships. The whole experience was a positive one. We went in with a trade- in and walked out with a new car. The car is great it rides and handles well. Its a 4-cylinder car but amazingly it has the power and pick-up of a 6. We love almost everything about this car.

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  Very Nice Compact Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By gilbcp - January 25 - 7:33 pm

  I bought Storm Grey ION-2 with a 5spd manual transmission, power door locks, remote keyless entry, and power windows. I found the ION to have a nice comfortable ride, responsive steering, and pretty decent acceleration. I like the placement of the gauges in the center of the dash (took me only about a day to get used to), the free 1-year of OnStar, the 3- month free subscription to XM- Satellite radio. I think that the styling of the car is great and looks much better than the Civic and is just as attractive as the Corolla. I know that the projected reliability isnt as good as Civic and Corolla, but it also costs about 3k less than either of those cars do. It also has comfortable seats.

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  Needs More Power - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Jeffmilwak - January 17 - 10:00 am

  The ION is great for around town driving. It loses out on freeway driving. Especially during summer when AC is on and headlights are on at night. There is no reserve power. Car shakes and rattles over 65 mph. Suspension is typical Saturn - you feel every bump in the road. We bought it because the price was right; resale ok as well. Plan to sell it late July or August.

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  i love my car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By meliss - January 17 - 10:00 am

  i love this car it is so much fun, gets awesome gas milage and looks really nice.

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  WHAT a value! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By quantumman - January 17 - 10:00 am

  My parner and I are auditors. We travel from 500 to 1000 miles/week. Saturns are our car of choice. We had a 2001 SL, we put 125,000 miles on it in 2.5 years. NO problems, at all. It was recently retired and replaced with a 2004 ION 1, 5 speed automatic. What a fantastic little car. The electric steering is a blast. Effortless. omfortable. Period-on that subject. Im 61, my partner is 64-the legroom and headroom is more than ample-its better than the Chevy Impala we recently rented while on vacation. Its much quiter than its predecessor, and delivers a remarkable ride for a small car. You just cant go wrong at this price!