?? Obviously you've never owned one, so I understand how you can go forming such flawed opinions. The mechanical quality AND the build quality are top notch. I can only speak about the SL1/SL2, since those are the only ones I've ever ridden in, and I've seen nothing but good things consistently.

General rule of thumb is that if a Saturn was built in Spring Hill TN, it's thumbs up quality, if it was built elsewhere like the newer ones, then it's plain ol' GM quality.

 

I remember the disappointment I felt when I was in a friend's Saturn Sedan back in the early '90s. The "specially designed" automatic transmission was incapable of a smooth shift and the interior quality was attrocious. There were little ill-fitting platic plugs over the screw holes on top of the dash and the driver's side airbag looked like it had been salvaged from a Pontiac Bonneville - pretty much where it came from. Since then I've seen Saturns where the bottom of the steel door frame was rusting away - plastic body panels must have taken the place of proper rustproofing. Overall, I can't say that a Saturn is superior to any car.

After all the hype about "import fighting," I don't think Saturn is even able to compete with the improving Korean brands, let alone Honda. Saturns aren't exactly cheap, and they arent Toyota's either.

 

I can't justify or even comment on anything other than SL1/SL2 because those are primarily the ones I'm familiar with and I've had nothing but good luck with 'em, as has everyone I know who has come into contact with one. And SC1/SC2 is basically the same thing with 2 doors. The shoddy interior you describe doesn't sound typical at all.

anyway as far as the main topic, I wouldn't really expect Saturn's status to be affected even if sales are really crawling as slowly as people have said. If it ever became situation:critical, I would expect GM to throw a gob of money in Saturn's direction as a final attempt to revive them, inadvertently taking away more of Saturn's receding independence. And when that revival failed, then Saturn's future would come into question, if they have the same generally anemic / useless models as today. But for now they are still ON the downward spiral, at worst, as opposed to being at the bottom of it. Things could change for the better. Either way I don't care, but I want to see the SKY in person sooner or later; that's about all the interest I have in them.