The 2009 Saturn Aura XR is at the office, can you feel the excitement? No? Neither can I.
The 2009 Saturn Aura XR is a simple sedan that offers best in-class fuel economy, European-inspired styling and a refined interior with Euro-tuned driving character. I am reading this from the fact sheet I was handed when I got the keys to the Red Jewel Tintcoat painted Saturn Aura. I drove this car for about a week, until I realized that this little fact sheet lied to me…
If this is Euro-styling, then Europe has run out of ideas.
When Saturn says that the Aura has European-inspired styling, what they mean is that they took a Saturn badge and stuck it on an Opel Vectra. GM took a car with bland styling, which happens to be for sale in Europe, rebadged it as a Saturn Aura and then told the US market that it is European-inspired styling. That is the same as my saying my basketball game is Paul Pierce-styled because I am wearing a Celtics T-shirt. When in reality, the Saturn is a design that is rather uninspired just like my basketball game (I need to hit the gym…I just got winded typing that last sentence). The Saturn is a basic sedan that looks like a basic sedan, plain and simple.
The 2009 Saturn Aura XR I was given came equipped with the new 2.4L inline 4-cylinder Ecotec engine. The fact sheet promised me 22 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. I drove the vehicle as I would normally drive my own personal vehicle, and I managed just less than 18 mpg.
The Ecotec engine of the 2009 Saturn Aura could be a successful Investment Bank CEO in that it promises a lot but fails to deliver yet still has a job.
The transmission on the Aura is a 6-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted shift control buttons. I don't understand the need for such a system when the 4-cylinder engine is putting out 169 hp/160 lb-ft of torque and the transmission is programmed to shift at the appropriate time. Why would you put this feature on the car? The tapshift tranmission was sluggish with regard to its reaction when I pushed the paddle to shift. I kept the car in regular automatic mode after playing with it for a few days. There is nothing sporty on this car, and I feel the tapshift system on the Saturn Aura is a needless distraction.
The interior of the 2009 Saturn Aura XR is not terrible. The instrument cluster is basic and uncluttered and lends itself to ease of use. The seats are comfortable enough. You could survive in this car on long trips. If you have passengers on a road trip, they would enjoy the optional rear seat audio that comes with a pair of headphones. You can use this sound system to tune out the rest of your group after you become annoyed that they decided to stop for In-N-Out Burger instead of Arby's like you wanted. The rest of the group is right though…In-N-Out is the right choice here.
The Saturn Aura's radio and climate controls are simple and cleanly laid out.
Standard features on the Aura include ABS, dual front airbags, driver and front passenger side impact airbags, remote keyless entry, 17-inch alloy wheels, a power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats and an auxiliary input jack for mp3 devices. This is a solid list considering the base MSRP of $23,450. The Saturn Aura I was driving had a few optional packages ($295 for the Red Jewel Tintcoat paint? Seriously?) which brought the price up to $25,410. Initially I looked at this price and thought it was solid, but that is because I have been driving expensive vehicles lately. At the $25K price point, there are a few other vehicles I would consider before I looked at the Saturn Aura XR:
• The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI – This car has incredible fuel economy, a great interior and a sporty ride all for around $22,000.
• The 2009 Ford Fusion V6 SEL AWD – For around $25,000 you get a sedan with a solid V6, all-wheel drive and more standard features than the Saturn Aura.
• The 2009 Mazda MAZDA6 Sport – When I had a chance to drive the redesigned MAZDA6 recently, I was very impressed. The 4-cylinder engine coupled with the revised manual transmission is a great combination to go along with the new styling–all for around $20,000.
The 2009 Saturn Aura XR left me scratching my head. It is a $25,000 car that feels like a $15,000 car. I actually felt depressed while I was driving it and thought they should rename it the Saturn Emo. GM needs to find a way to get this car in line with its competitors before it is too late.
P.S. If you think Saturn can't make a good car, then you need to look around at the rest of their lineup. The Saturn Vue is a solid SUV that has a great hybrid option and I recently got to spend some time behind the wheel of the Saturn Sky Redline…stay tuned for that review in the coming weeks. That car is lots of fun.
View all the 2009 Saturns at NADAguides.com, the leader in vehicle pricing information.