The Splendid Co-Driver's brother and sis-in-law
bought a slightly used Saturn SC2. Here's what they thought:
Dear Judy & JJ,
We've just been back from our first weekend with the New Car. Are we happy
with it!
We made arrangements to pick it up on Thursday night, since we were leaving
for Tobermory on Friday, right after work. We went to the Dealer at about
7:30 pm, and spent about 40 minutes crossing the Ts and dotting the Is
on the paperwork. The salesperson, Ian, then let us examine our new car
closely, and ask all the questions we wanted. They took our picture to
put onto a calendar, made sure they had our Calgary address, and we drove
away. (Not before they gave us a new can of Saturn Window Cleaner!).
We took the 427 up to the 401, and down the Allen to visit a plant store
so we could buy some plants as a gift for Aunt Noreen this weekend. Unfortuantely,
the place closed at 7:00pm, and we were too late. Susan knew that she'd
have to come back on Friday, after school but before we left for Tobermory,
to pick up some plants. On the way back home, driving along Dupont, we
finally rolled up the windows and shut the sunroof, to listen to just how
quiet our new car was.
And we heard this "shk-shk-shk-shk-shk-shk..." noise, that was at such
a requency that it certainly seemed to be in time with wheel rotation.
Somewhat disconcerted, we stopped at the first pay phone we could find
to call Ian at the Dealership. Unfortunatly, Ian had already left for the
evening, but the salesperson who did my paperwork was there, remembered
me, and suggested that I could bring it back to the dealership after work
the next day. I had to explain that we were planning to leave for a trip
immediately after work, and that that plan wouldn't do.
She put me on hold for half a minute, then came back and suggested that
I call the dealership when I got to work the next day, and they'd come,
pick up the car, have a look, and return it before I was done work. I explained
that Susan would have it that day in Mississauga, but we'd go ahead with
that plan.
So the next morning, Susan phoned and found out that Ian was off that day
and, being our salesperson, was the one who was supposed to authorize a
vehicle pick-up like the one that was suggested. By the time she called
back at 11:00, the staff had received authorization to pick up the car,
and took instructions from Sue. Before 2:00, the car was returned to the
school parking lot, and we learned that one of the rear brake rotors had
been rusty (we expect due to not having being driven for two months since
we arranged to buy it). They replaced the rotors and brought the car back,
all within two hours! (not only that, but the driver-side rearview mirror,
which Sue found to be difficult to adjust in a side-so-side fashion, was
magically fixed when the car was returned. It would seem that they had
a look for other stuff while they were at it).
This, my friends, is Customer Service. And this kind of service really
pays off where it counts; After learning that the car was returned and
in full working order, she immediatly raved about the Saturn Service to
her whole class. And it's this word of mouth that ultimately sells more
cars, I'm sure.
Friday was a humid, *very* warm day, and driving from Mississauga to Bathurst
& St. Clair across the 401 (stop & go traffic) would normally be
a gruesome task on a Friday afternoon. But despite the weather and traffic,
Sue found the trip completely enjoyable. The Automatic Transmission &
Air Conditioning paid for themselves on that day.
The trip up to Tobermory was wonderful. I drove the entire thing, and found
the combination of adjustable seats, lumbar support, and cruise control
the right mix to get me there without any tired or stressed body parts.
And we had 4 adults and one happy puppy.
The car's a dream. I know I'm going to enjoy the drive out the Calgary
later this month. And I'm getting used to the bulky turn-signal lever.
The Drink holders (sans-ash-tray) fit water-bottles, pop-cans, and take-out
coffee-cups without fear of tipping. We realized after obtaining an Ontario
Road map that you cannot really put the map in the door compartment without
folding the map one extra time. Sure, it fits in the Glove Box, but we've
been spoiled by the 323 in this respect. However, we found that the back-of-seat
mesh holders will do fine for this task.
The real value of the SL*2* option showed in overtaking and passing other
vehicles on the highway. With 3 1/2 passengers and luggage, it still accellerated
like a bat-out-of-Hell, with all the control and stability I could ask
for.
I've really only used the Cruise Control for any duration on Dad's old
Buick, so I haven't used on lately. But the Saturn Cruise control is so
smooth, so consistent, so easy to use, I had to smile every time I used
it. (Of course, after slowing down to meed the lower speed limit through
a town, and re-entering the higher speed zone, the urge to press the button
and say "Engage" in a proper British accent was *very* tempting.)
The sound system is great. But I'm no audiophile, so what do I know?
Overall, I'm completely happy with our new car. Thanks to JJ for passing
on your SC2 review, and all your other comments. That's all for now!
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