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Why the ION should have not been killed

Ya Saturn. Why did you kill our car? Discuss.

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Permalink Reply by Rob on April 10, 2008 at 2:19pm: Steve,

Would any of the Opel Astra OPC components be available to us here in the States then for "aftermarket" tuners? If so, would those be through a Saturn retailer?

Rob; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Steve Janisse on April 11, 2008 at 10:00am: Hi Rob,

Sorry for the late reply. We do have a few "Saturn" accessories for the Astra, however, they are mostly appearance items and/or convenience items (sport pedals, cargo convenience nets, etc.) and not performance-related.

We did show an Astra Tuner Concept at last fall's SEMA show (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=123190), and are now meeting later this month with tuner companies who may be interested in developing (or importing) performance accessories for the car.

http://www.sema.org/main/semaorghome.aspx?id=59410

Stay tuned. We're hoping to get something ramped up soon!

Steve; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rob on April 11, 2008 at 10:34am: NP Steve,

Yes I saw the tuner car. Nice, if not a bit understated in looks. Being on the Sky Roadster forum, there are a few tuner companies there so I'm sure the Astra will need to get some many companies to fall in line for it to be taken seriously. But seeing the Euro versions of the car I think will provide some great aspirations for those on this side of the pond.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mike Spadoni on May 10, 2008 at 10:09am: I guess I'm guilty of ION love, since I have owned two (my 2004 ION 2 2.2/auto and my current 2007 ION 3 2.4/auto). I adore my current ION, now with 5000-plus miles. I have not had one bit of problem with the car, and people who have taken a ride love it. I love driving it; the heavy duty suspension and the 2.4 engine make it fun and capable on the freeways and surface streets. I have no plans to modify or change the basics; it serves as my only vehicle for commuting to work, covering stories (I'm a reporter) and other duties. I also plan to take a trip to California this summer, just to get it out running--if the price of gas isn't too high. But I'm getting 25 to 30 MPG these days, so it's not so bad. I know my next car will be another Saturn, but I love my ION so much, I don't know when I will trade it in. For now, I'm enjoying the last of a breed.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Joey (JJgigs90) on April 9, 2008 at 7:05pm: Well its a classic thing ......if the astra sells well then chevy will make a version of it to, then axe the astra in a few years. I only wish that saturn imported the Opel performance packages too. They have the potential and Saturn needs to carry on what the Sky started....an entrance into small performance cars. Two words describe it ....VXR and GTC.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ejafus on April 9, 2008 at 11:27pm: I like the Astra, I do. But I do feel abandoned, and here's why:
- The Ion was a sedan. The Astra is a hatchback and its sedan version is not available in Canada/US. For those of us that are more price-conscious but do not care for hatchbacks, the options available under the Saturn brand are reduced as a result.
- Some of the options that were available in the Ion3 are not available in the Astra. While the Astra offers a lot of better options (stability track as an option in XR) and up-close it is very impressively designed, I have to reconsider choosing an Astra because it does not carry some of these options (like Auto-Dimming rear-view mirror, (this is ridiculous I know, but cupholder placement is poor), one less power outlet.. a lot of the little things I have come to rely upon in the Ion3.
- The images circulating the internet prior to the Astra launch for the ION redevelopment project, real or not, were outstanding and ensured my next purchase (I'm drooling just remembering those photos), but those plans did not come to fruition.
- One reason in buying the Ion is that it was a small car that looked bigger than it was because of its impressive exterior styling, making the car look more expensive than it was. The Astra is a smaller-looking car.
- The only other sedan Saturn offers is the Aura, and it is gorgeous, but it's much higher-priced and I feel a bit too large. Plus some of the options I have become used to having in the Ion3 raise the price of the Aura that much higher in forcing you to choose packages to get them, instead of being able to get them individually.

It would seem GM is trying to bridge the gap by offering the Aura with a V4 engine but the price differences are still quite high.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by S. Phelps on April 10, 2008 at 12:37pm: I want the ION to come back..I love the car and would like to have one that isn't old to give to my kids when I have them somewhere down the line...It's an awesome car that should have never been let go...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rob on April 10, 2008 at 2:43pm: I own an Ion Red Line and a Sky Red Line. So yes, I'm a performance oriented driver. I had a discussion just recently about the 140-hp Astra. Remember back to the days of the S-Series when the SOHC was 95-hp and the DOHC was 125-hp? For the general use for the market, especially in these days of ever increasing gas prices, the Astra brings to the table, a well built car with decent power and fuel mileage. To fill either of my Red Lines in the Chicago area was around $40. Not cheap especially if you use it as a daily driver. And being in the snow belt, try driving either of these in snow covered streets or in my case alley getting to my garage space that is never plowed. Not an easy task this past winter, scraping the suspension of the Ion going in and out of the alley and navigating the ruts created by other vehicles. I've test driven the Astra. I liked the looks of it at the auto show and wanted to see how it handles. It's a much more solid car, no where NEAR as many squeaks with the body flex, especially from the rear access doors on the quad coupe. My only issue is how the gearing is for 1st and 2nd gears. The Ion was a decent replacement for the S-Series as much as it was killed by the auto critics when it was reviewed. I wasn't a fan of the sedan version myself, but I decided that when Saturn built a performance car, I'd buy it if I felt it was worth it. Having owned a 2001 Ram Air Trans Am previously, I felt the Ion Red Line was a good compromise. Lower insurance, smaller and less likely to have issues regarding theft etc.

Should Saturn/GM have replaced the Ion? Yes. It was unfortunately NOT the sales winner it was hoped to be with it's improvements over the S-Series. The coupe version with the RAD was and is a great thing provided you are not blocked by another vehicle in the parking lot. The sedan, like I said, I wasn't a fan of. It had way too many body lines to it and as much as I hate Chevy's cars, the Cobalt version was a better looking sedan if I had to only choose between the two. There were lots of good things about the Ion and many are loyal to it. But there were too many things with the Ion that needed to change and the only way to do that was in essence, start over.

The Astra has been around for quite some time and is extremely popular and an unbelievably flexible platform. Poke around the Opel, Holden and Vauxhall sites. You'll see a car that ranges from nothing but a grocery getter to a downright street legal race car. IF you're willing to spend 30K for an AWD Ion, then pick up the Astra and get the parts shipped from Europe and build yourself a GTC, OPC or VRX in your garage. The car has also been tweaked by performance builders in Europe and its just a matter of time before those in the US do the same.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by PSVUE on April 10, 2008 at 7:00pm: What I really can't understand is why Saturn never tried harder to market the 2.4 L ION with a few more up graded features. The 2.4 L with the was a vast improvement on the 2.2 in of itself at only a small difference in cost. If the GM intended to move the Saturn brand to the higher price range now seen in the Astra, a couple of hundred $ added to the 2.4 L ION3 would have allowed more features that might have lifted it above the basic image it was unfairly stuck with because of its lower priced brethren. No knock intended here on either the Astra or the 2.2L Ecotec ION. I just believe Saturn missed a great opportunity with the 2.4.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rob on April 11, 2008 at 9:48am: I agree with you about the 2.4. It certainly gave a greater appeal to the Ion with little extra cost. I remember reading somewhere that Bob Lutz is aware of the power concerns being voiced with the Astra here in the States, however, the cost of meeting emission standards right now is prohibitive to bring the performance versions over. URGH!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by BoostHard05 on April 11, 2008 at 1:52pm: Boooooo....

GM is a multibillion dollar company, quit bein cheap and give us an LNF Powered, Astra Redline.

And bring the ION back... who is gonna pick on the Cobalts now?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rob on April 11, 2008 at 2:53pm: Yes, they are a multibillion dollar company and one that is struggling to be profitable. Saturn has not been a money maker for GM yet. There is a commitment finally from GM to Saturn, lets get a foundation built before the ship sinks even more.

Not sure what you mean by "pick on the Cobalts now?"; ▶ Reply to This