2003 Saturn Ion, looking at purchasing one.

[MinamiKotaro]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
it was doing only 21-25mpg


I get upset when mine dips below 34. I still got better than 25mpg when I was running E85.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
it was doing only 21-25mpg


I get upset when mine dips below 34. I still got better than 25mpg when I was running E85.


Ok, i'll bait. lets compare apples to apples here. is this ion or S-series, AT or MT, city or hwy, what speeds, hyper-milling or regular driving?

 

[Rat407]

The guy must not want to sell it. He isn't trying very hard to get a key for it so I can test drive it.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: Rat407
Originally Posted By: Chris142
safelite glass is junk

Just curious as to why it is junk?


Three for my car had distortions making look like a funny house in certain vantage points. Really poor quality control....

 

[Run]

Originally Posted By: Rat407
The guy must not want to sell it. He isn't trying very hard to get a key for it so I can test drive it.


That is when I offer 500 As Is. Then walk away.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
it was doing only 21-25mpg


I get upset when mine dips below 34. I still got better than 25mpg when I was running E85.


Ok, i'll bait. lets compare apples to apples here. is this ion or S-series, AT or MT, city or hwy, what speeds, hyper-milling or regular driving?


As you can see in my signature, it is a 2004 Ion. 2.2, MT. Combined city and highway.

[censored], Mom's VUE 2.2 with the CVT gets 24 mpg. For an Ion to get low 20s, it must be extreme stop and go traffic with massive idle times.

 

[JustinH]

My 03 5 speed Ion would get 30MPG on the nose in mixed driving.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Combined city and highway.


that didn't exactly answer my question. by hypermilling or slow hwy driving, one can increase MPG quite dramatically, but it's not practical for most driving. I can get as high as 70mpg in my prius by hypermilling, but i prefer to drive with the flow of traffic and get around 50mpg instead.

here are the official mpg figures for: 03 AT ion 21/29; 04 MT ion 23/32.
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=18592&id=19660

looks like i'm slightly beating the EPA for city and you're slightly beating the EPA for hwy. apples to oranges.

but, here is another data point from fuelly. real-life is somewhere 22-31mpg for 2.2 engine ion.
http://www.fuelly.com/car/saturn/ion?engineconfig_id=20&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

BTW, @JustinH, both AT and MT are 5-speed in those years, LOL.

 

[DweezilAZ]

Lurked for years on this site. My first post.

I have owned an 05 ION for 11 years since new. Ignition switch and sway bar bushings [twice] are the problems I've had. Original battery lasted for nearly nine years.

Gas mileage has always been better than the EPA #s before and after they revised them. 23-24 to as high as 36-37 on trips to OR and UT on major freeways. Records go back to the first tank till today.

The manual version I hated since the 95 SL1 I had was so intuitive to use. The ION's felt like a chore so I got the automatic, especially for driving in LA traffic at the time.

Aside from warranty work for the two items mentioned above, the car has required nothing other than oil, gas and tires. No oil burning to report.

The Saturn forum is a great resource. I've been on it for 13 years.

 

[AntsinmyEyes]

i believe the 2003s and other early 2.2 ecotecs had issues with the timing chain oiler and guides. i would steer clear if you can hear any chain rattle at all. Also the chain tensioner goes bad on most years.

Had the front struts, sway bar endlink and bushing noises real bad but no oil leaking or consumption on mine. Driving mostly city ive gotten 26 mpg on average.

Been a pretty fine car though id say.

 

[DweezilAZ]

Additionally for 05 the ION went to the GM 4 speed auto as opposed to the Aisin 5 speed in 03-05. That had a problem with shift flare that was usually fixed with a re-flash. The GM sourced automatic seemed to be a better fit.

And IIRC the CVT was a collaboration with Fiat when they were aligned for a period of time.

Avoid the CVT [or vTi as Saturn called it] in the Quad Coupes from 03-04.