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:

• 

  Great car! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Dalixra - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Very pleased with the design and features of my new Saturn!

• 

  Fast - 2006 Saturn ION
  By FastJ - February 26 - 11:13 pm

  Bought my Redline two weeks ago and after spending the 1st 500 miles breaking the engine in (just to be sure), Ive let er rip and she is fast. Shell get to 60 in 2nd gear right at about max horsepower and its a kick in the pants moving up to 3rd. The cornering is impressive. The exterior build quality is top-notch (I cant believe the nice, solid THUNK when closing the suicide doors). The interior headliner on mine still needs work (the area near my ceiling lamp clicks annoyingly (its held by velcro) despite a visit to the dealer to fix.) The RECARO seats are fantasic and do their job when cornering. There arent any armrests so long trips and traffic jams might be tiring.

• 

  Best small car, PERIOD!!! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By John in Minnesota - February 16 - 2:00 am

  This car is simply the best small car out there for the money. I have 9,000 miles on my car and I absolutely love it! I drove a Honda Civic, no comparison! To sum it up, great quality, good power, fun to drive! Im not sure why this car has received such poor ratings from professional reviewers, but I am here to say they are wrong!

• 

  MOMS Red Line - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Moms ION Red Line - February 4 - 10:00 am

  I skewed the demographics for Saturn when I bought the Red Line Im 40 something the mother of two teenage children, who think mom is unsquare now love car easy entry doors are not heavy hugging seats lots of highway entrance power very fun to drive like my old VW but not as close to nirvana as the Bug experience those who have driven a Bug know what i mean Fuel have to mix prem/reg to beat prem price avg 24MPG combo driving only 700 miles MPG will improve later excellent XM radio,new technology-wow beware FM, comfortable with center dash, easy to clean exterior, seats are hard after long rides(over 4hrs)have to hide keys from husband, Thanks GM

• 

  OK Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By jmccrury - January 29 - 1:50 pm

  I bought this car used with only 19,000 miles on it. It has been a good little car. Ive had it for two years and put 24,000 miles on it. It now has a small oil leak which has to be fixed. Overall, its been good. Its fun to drive and little maintenance is required. The interior definitely needs improvement. The seats are uncomfortable and there isnt any leg room for the driver or passenger. The upholstery also stains very easily(even with water). This is very annoying, especially with a child.

• 

  Raving about ION - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Radu - January 23 - 4:20 pm

  My third Saturn, it has the same great reliability, and low cost of operation, but the 05 is vastly improved. Use of QuietSteel and powertrain mods makes the ride luxury-car quiet. Electronic throttle control (new for 05) provides excelent throttle response at any speed. Once one turns the ignition key the cranking sequence continues automatically until engine starts. How many economy cars have this feature? New for 05 suspension is much improved, small bumps dissapeared from roads the day I started driving it (Jan. 8, 2005). Very precise newly recalibrated steering, with excellent feel compared to the 2003 ION 3 I traded in. Distinct sense of refinement is felt right away, with great newly redesigned seats for 05. It has etter braking and grip performance than Accord V6, quieter than Mazda 3, 34 mpg in mixed freeway/city traffic.

• 

  Saturn Ion 1 - 2005 Saturn ION
  By JLee3 - January 20 - 5:56 am

  I was looking for a good solid vechicle and fuel economy. So far I have not been let down. Had owned another saturn and never had 1 problem. Avg. 31 miles per gallon so far. Interior is basic but functional. Center gauge cluster took a little getting used to but love it now, not having to move hands to see. More powerful engine then others I test drove and still get good fuel milage. Like redesigned front end and steering wheel. Huge trunk. They need to add more seat bolstering to front seats. Ride is as good as larger cars I have owned.Very happy so far.

• 

  Lovin my ION! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Bubbles1104 - January 19 - 7:20 am

  Have been driving a Saturn since 1992 and have always been satisfied with the performance, so when I wanted a new car I went back and test drove the ION2. I loved it and decided on the spot. The dash layout takes a little getting used, to but the style of it is great. The lines are sleek and sporty considering its a four door sedan, not a sedate looking car at all. Its very fun to drive and has a good factory sound system, no need to upgrade to something more exciting. After all, you can only listen to one song at a time! The color I chose was Storm Gray, which looks fabulous in the sunlight and is fairly easy to keep clean, but shows every little speck. I worry about scratches now

• 

  2nd Saturn - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Chip&Karen - January 16 - 10:00 am

  We bought an Ion to replace our 1993 SL1 that had 156K miles. We test drove the Ion and immediately fell in love. It was the only car we test drove.

• 

  Good Value for the Money - 2007 Saturn ION
  By Mick - January 11 - 10:13 pm

  After somebody cut out in front of me and my 10 year old used car got smashed up, I applied some of the insurance money towards a new 2007 Saturn ION. The Saturn dealer let me have it for under $12,000 and Ive been happy ever since. It came with cold AC, a decent radio with CD player, 1 year of FREE OnStar service, and dark tinted windows. It drives well, has pep, and it cruises at 80 so well that it feels like youre going 60. Ive put almost 19,000 miles on it in 17 months and its been a very good car.