I work in the parts dept. for a Saturn dealer, and I had the opportunity to drive an Aura XE 3.5L a couple days ago. I used to own a '98 SL2. The Aura is light-years ahead of the S-series cars in every aspect. I was amazed at how much better the Aura was - exterior, interior, powertrain, etc.

I'll start with the exterior. Everyone has seen pictures. The headlights and taillights are a little large for the car, but they're not bad-looking. The general shape flows nicely, and is certainly better-looking than the Camry or Accord.

The interior is a gigantic step forward from the S-series cars. The faux-wood trim provides a nice accent, as do the carbon-fiber pattern gauges. The leather seats are comfortable and supportive. The leather steering wheel feels solid, and has a good texture. There are a few chrome trim pieces here and there to brighten things up. Again, the interior looks better than the Camry's or Accord's. Trunk space is great. One thing I noticed while driving the car - it's quiet. Most cars in this class have some wind/tire noise. There was very little tire noise and almost no wind noise whatsoever while driving the Aura, and this was on the highway.

It handles well compared to the other cars in this class. There isn't much noise when going over bumps, either. The engine isn't earth-shattering, but it moves the car easily. The transmission's gear ratios could be better optimized for acceleration, though. The Aura also brakes well.

It's easy to see why this car was voted the North American Car of the Year. It's a huge improvement for Saturn, and it's more than a match for the Camry and Accord. I was very impressed with it, and wouldn't mind having one as a daily driver. If I were to purchase one, though, I'd go with the 252 HP 3.6L engine.

 

We leased one because it was a much better value than the Accord and Camry too. Nicer interior and you could get a V6 and a good amount of options for the same price as a base 4 cyl. from Honda and Toyota.

 

I have nothing but very good things to say about the Aura. It looks great inside & out, very stylish. It's put together well. It has good power. It's quiet. I once said it had the potential to be the next Ford Taurus in that it had the potential to set new standards for mid size cars, and could potentially transfer into high sales numbers.

Although the new Malibu is stealing all the thunder lately at GM, I still think the Aura is about as good if not better in almost every aspect.

 

I drove 2 Auras briefly but was very impressed. However the 3.5L was a dog (my wifes Old Grand AM gt could smoke it)--the 3.6 pulled hard off the line and sounded great.

 

I think part of that is seat of the pants feel (gearing?). The Aura weighs around 300 pounds more than a Grand Am GT, but the 3.5 is a slightly larger and more refined version of the 3.4 found in the Grand Am GT and has 30 more horses and 30 more pound feet of torque. Both cars run the mid 7s 0-60.

 

I test drove the Aura twice and was impressed with the relative power (4 cyl), breaking and handling of the car. Interior felt very comfortable and felt very safe with both side curtain and front airbags, standard. I also like the tail lights better then the Malibu but I like the Malibu front end better.

A huge dislike about the car is those plastic wheel covers. Sure, they fooled me at first but when I really looked at it, it was a huge turnoff. The only other wheel option is the thin spokes and I don’t believe those are optional on the base model. Another dislike is that sliding cup holder cover in the center console.

Some reviews I have read have some complaints about the electronic power steering on the 4 cyl engines. Can you give any info on that?

Nick

 

Cool...
Though I do kind of wonder what real basis for comparison you have when you talk about the Accord and Camry. If you work at a Saturn dealer and just now got a chance to drive an Aura, and your main direct comparison has been a 10 year old Saturn... I'm wondering how much if any actual seat time you've had in a new 08 Accord and 07+ Camry.

 

According to the Saturn site base cars get 17" steel wheels w/plastic wheel covers, there are optional 17" aluminum wheels available and 3 different styled 18" wheels.

 

I am pretty sure the 3.5 is the base Aura engine, the only way to get a 4 cylinder is the Greenline model and I don't know if those are out yet.

 

Nope, there are 2 XE models, the I-4 and the V6.

Nick

 

Yah, for $1,500 to $2,000 as an upgrade. Even the base model LS Malibu has a rim.

 

When did they add the I4? I know it launched w/ the 3.5 and 3.6 only. I guess they wanted something to compete directly w/ the 4 cylinder Camry and Accord.

 

Not sure. I became interested in buying one about 2 weeks ago and both dealers I went to so far had 4 cyl XEs on the lot.

 

Will a 6 speed auto be available like on the Malibu LTZ 4 cylinder?

 

I used to work at a Honda dealer a year ago. Although I haven't gotten a chance to drive an '08 Accord, I did get to drive the '06 and '07 models on a daily basis. I can't imagine the '08 is radically different from those models. I also have a friend with a new Camry, which I got to check out. The Aura is easily a match for these two cars. I threw in the '98 SL2 for comparison because it's a recent Saturn car, and the differences between the two show how far Saturn's lineup has come in a short time.