Saturn Aura: Is this a Reincarnated Oldsmobile Aurora or the Best Saturn Ever?
March 2007
With a starting price that steps all over the toes of lesser equipped Toyota, Nissan, and Honda products this new Saturn Aura holds the promise of things to come for what was becoming the now defunct Oldsmobile of the General Motors division.
What was most startling to us was the close relationship between the discontinued Oldsmobile Aurora and Saturn's Aura. Both cars have nearly identical engine output at around 250 horsepower, both feel heavier than they really are and both have similar brakes and upgraded tires and rims. Indeed the Oldsmobile and the Saturn have traction control and upscale interiors as well as OnStar. Of course, the Aura benefits from better suspension and modern updates, but there are enough similarities to make one wonder if this is not a modernized Oldsmobile Aurora, and, if so, that really isn't bad.
What makes this new Saturn so special is that for the $19,945-23,945 (US) and up pricing you actually get a sedan that has style, a bit of performance, and European handling unlike previous Saturn sedans. If you check enough option boxes you can tickle the six speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Although we did notice a bit of hunting with this transmission it is not offensive and does to its best to keep the optional 3.6 liter V6's 252 horsepower online. However, the real grace of the Aura is its nice ride that feels controlled over all but the worst road surfaces, and a roomy and fairly tasteful interior.
Mom's view: We had the well loaded XR version of the Aura and that is the one I would recommend with the more powerful aluminum block engine, double overhead cams, and four valve per cylinder with variable timing. Well worth the extra $1500 or so extra over lesser models.
On the road the accelerator pedal input is such that the car feels quite frisky when starting out. Once on the open road there is less frisk as the engine output peaks at 6400 rpm and it takes a while to reach this level. Meanwhile fuel mileage was just 21 mpg and with the 16-gallon tank 300-mile trips are a bit tight.
The controls are intuitive, but the steering wheel buttons are too small, especially if you are wearing gloves or have longer fingernails. The door handles can also pinch you. The climate controls can be reached without much ado, but they could be a little higher for those who have shorter arms. The materials were much above what you would expect in a car in this price range, especially a Saturn.
Safety wise there are airbags pretty much everywhere including curtain air bags around the passenger area. Add those safety features to the ABS, tire pressure monitor, and good roll over rates as well as crash scores and you have quite a secure sedan.
I read where the North American Car of the Year judging panel selected the Saturn Aura as its car of the year. Since this group has refused to allow us on the judging panel for whatever reason we still commend them on this choice. It is a good vehicle, no doubt, but we liked the Honda Fit and Suzuki SX4 just as well and both drew blanks from the North American panel. Nevertheless, the Saturn may stun people in two regards. It is so different it is difficult for potential buyers to grasp this is really a Saturn. Secondly, the interior is a bit too Buick for my tastes and I think that it may turn off younger buyers. If Saturn can convince people they have something this nice in its showrooms they should have a real winner. Personally, I would wait for the Saturn Green Line Hybrid Aura that, hopefully, the company will bring to the market shortly. I also believe the Aura may be available as a wagon which would be a great benefit as there are a great many Saturn wagons out there whose owners would love to move up to an Aura wagon.
There are some negatives. It takes a while to locate the heated seat button on the side of the cushions. The heater takes a while to warm up and the shifter and console are lighted by LEDs that could be a bit more potent. The quality of the interior plastics isn't what it should and the steering wheel didn't tilt. In addition, the redundant control buttons on the steering wheel are too small and too recessed. The A pillars are large and block your vision of pedestrians.
There is a good-sized trunk and the rear seats fold and split for even more storage room. It is also nice to have a remote start feature for those days when you can't face a cold or overheated vehicle interior. The cupholders are average as is the glove compartment and center console in terms of usefulness. I would look for good safety scores and a regeneration of interest in Saturn if these types of vehicles are going to be the fare.
Dad's view: Front wheel drive, a heavy ride, and an abundance of standard features are the striking images one is left with after testing the Aura. The V6 sedan shares its basic underpinning with the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx hatchback and the Pontiac G6. However, the Saturn offers a more compelling package for most families. It is better handling and less floaty, but its forte is out Camrying the Camry starting with its interesting, but unexciting exterior to its interior which has a dynamic gauge package, but nothing dramatic. As for value, it is truly here. I would challenge any potential foreign car buyer to drive this Saturn and notice any deficiencies in ride or performance except for the transmission, which spends too much time searching for the right gear at the slightest provocation. Fuel mileage was all over the place with a high of 26 mpg and a low of 18 on regular unleaded.
The base model XE has 224 horsepower and a 4-speed automatic transmission while the upscale XR has 252 horsepower from a much more sophisticated engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission that can be manipulated with steering wheel paddles, and I highly recommend the later version. Overall, a great value but is that enough to capture the past glory is the big question. I hope Saturn puts some ad dollars behind this one.
Young working woman's view: You get ABS and traction control, and if you order the XR there is even an antiskid system plus an automatic dimming mirror and front side airbags and curtain side airbags, an automatic climate control, OnStar assistance with GM's new "turn-by-turn" navigation service that is much better than any GPS and you have a Saturn that is very attractive to those in my demographic zone and a bargain to boot. It rides very well, has enough snap to make you feel a bit invincible on onramps, and has noticeable looks.
The General Motors warranty is three years or 36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper warranty, five years or 100,000 miles for major components, and a reassuring five years or 100,000 miles of roadside assistance.
We had the optional leather upholstery, power-adjustable pedals, sunroof, and a "panoramic" sunroof with a tilt-up front section and rear-sliding panels and each was interesting, but not really necessary. I would go for the Enhanced Convenience Package that includes six-way power passenger seat, and the adjustable pedals for those that travel long distances. I felt this was a very interesting Saturn and, although this might be taken as an unkind remark, it reminded me of the Oldsmobile Aurora in more than name.
College going male's view: The standard stereo includes an MP3-compatible in-dash six-disc changer and an auxiliary input with separate rear-seat audio controls and wireless headphones are a terrific feature, albeit one that still does not have the sound quality I would want. It does have an interesting amber color scheme and the CD readout does give useful tag information that enables you to easily pick the specific tracks you want to hear. Indeed you can get this unit to hold an abundance of pages and presets for the personalization of your listening mood. The Aura has eight speakers with the combo tweeter and woofers being mounted on the rear deck and the others in the front door and A pillars. All of this does a good job of quieting down the noise generated by the wide tires and the wind from the side mirror area. As for the OnStar, it is nice, but the cost is now nearly $27 for the Directions and Connections plan that is the most desirable. However, you do get a one-year free subscription to the Safe and Sound plan. You can also phone through the OnStar system, but you have a separate time charge for that option. There is also an optional XM satellite radio that I have become addicted to.
The stereo headsets fit into a tidy compartment which means that you probably won't lose them as easily as those that simply fit into a seat pocket and this is an exceptional feature of the Aura. Despite this, clearly the one area that Saturn skimped on was electronics, although it does at least offer hands-free calling. On the other hand, with prices in the low $20,000 range it is very competitive.
I found that the Aura could easily be mistaken for a European sedan at first glance, but the transmission and the gearing make it more of a touring car than a sporty one. There is plenty of legroom in front and back and the steering wheel has a manual tilt and telescope feature. The leather seats are comfortable, but you tend to slide a bit in frisky driving situations. If you are tall you might want to forgo the optional sunroof. The brake feel was a bit soft and I would have liked a different tire on the Aura, despite the fact it did help the handling. The four-wheel disc brakes did stop the Saturn straight and true, but not in that short of distance. The Aura does not have brake force distribution that may also factor in the distances recorded. I figure the car's brakes had probably been roughed up prior to our test. I also found that you could turn off the traction control with a switch located in front the center console. Again, the controls were in a bit of a Saabish location as were the power seat controls.
The noise was off putting over some highway surfaces. Luckily the stereo was easily up to the task of masking this noise. I think you could get to 60 miles per hour in less than seven seconds with the Aura, but it has a noticeable lack of acceleration after that mark. In other words the engine likes to rev, but once past 5000 rpm it would prefer not. I liked it, but I kept on thinking I was driving a Buick with a bit more style. Still can't believe this is a Saturn.
Family conference: The best Saturn ever is not an understatement. It isn't perfect, but for the money it is a great value.
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