The all new Saturn Ion has not been receiving rave reviews from the automotive press lately. But really, what do they know about the needs of the average buyer? Everything is compared to a BMW or the all mighty Honda. Probably whoever provides them with the most lavish (all expenses paid) trips to "introduce" the cars...

Well, I am testing this car for what it is supposed to be: a relatively inexpensive, reliable, honest compact car for the average American buyer.

First, let me tell you I hated the new design when the 1st photos came out. I thought it was clumbsy, and heavy looking. The coupe still has too many vertical lines in its profile. And the rear quarter part should be a window. But the car I drove was all black, and these lines almost disappeared. I must say, it looks pretty sharp in person.

The interior is at least pretty original. The steering wheel also seems better in real life. The whole look of the dash seems pretty simple, and kind of relaxing to look at. The "center pod" with speedometer is angle towards the driver and takes seconds to get used to. It just look weirder than it actually is. But if you look closely, there are almost no soft plastic inside the car. Practically everything is hard. But I have also seen that in many Toyota models lately.

The cheapest looking part of that interior is the console. And the cheap looking design of the automatic shiftier doesn't help... The controls work nicely, but the "ION" logo on top of the CD player looks like a tape player. A strange and cruel joke for those who still have tapes to play.

The back seat is OK. Not worse than most 2 door cars. If you need more, you should get a sedan anyway.

The cloth on the coupe, looks a bit better than the ugly "jazzy" pat ern in the sedan.

The big attraction of this car is the availability of the rear "quad" doors. Like one of these pick up trucks. Let's call them what they really are: Suicide doors.

Every coupe should have them. They really make a difference. Even if you don't carry people in the back. When you open both front and rear door, you have this huge opening to load stuff. Just like the Honda Element.

It's just too bad the inside of the door is molded in 1 piece. Again, it makes it look cheap.

One other thing you notice: the huge gaps between the body panels. It seems really strange, and looks pretty bad, especially on a light color.

But there's a reason for it: the plastic body panels expend slightly with heat, so these gaps are actually needed.

You can see here, how the optional leather completely transform the interior. I recommend it. Money well spent.

But enough already ! How does it drive ?!! already, how does it drive !?Well, the 1st thing you notice, is how refined the engine is compared the previous generation car. That 4cyl is the same being used in more GM cars these days, and I think it is one of the best small engine out there. It is quiet, and the few times you hear it, it sounds great, so you don't mind pushing the car a bit. And it always has enough power.

And the seating position is higher than I thought. More like a sedan than a sport coupe. It gives you the impression you drive a larger car.

The truly amazing piece of work in this car is the all new CVT automatic transmssion. Similar to what's used in the Mini Cooper, Nissan Murano or Audi A4, this is the best transmission I have driven so far. There is no gear shifting. It is just amazingly smooth and responsive. When you want to push the car a little, instead of downshifting like a regular automatic would do, the engine just revs up, and the car goes.

It really makes any other transmission feel like the dark ages. It is also available with the 4 cyl Saturn Vue. But not in the Ion Sedan(???)

The suspension is always confortable. But the steering is very strange. It is fine on the highway. But around town, the new "electric power steering" feels like one of these video game steering wheels. It is pretty loose in the center, and when you turn, it just feels like a remote control. But I guess you could get used to it.

The biggest complain I have about driving the car, is that it doesn't feel very solid. On the highway, you notice the lack of insulation. The engine is quiet, but road noise can get pretty high. It just doesn't have that solid, heavy feel that more and more cars have.

All in all, the Ion Coupe doesn't have the "quality feel" of a Civic or Corolla. But driving any of these cars make me feel like I'm 65 years old!

And the Honda's engine is much less powerfull, and doesn't seem more refined. As for the Corolla, it's surprisingly noisy, with almost no low end power. And both these cars look lik ethey were designed 15 years ago...

The Saturn does have some cheap plastics, and it doesn't feel like a block of granite. But it doesn't rattle either. It looks much more modern than a Civic Coupe. It's more fun inside. It drives nice. The engine and transmission are great. And it gives you the feeling you are driving something different. Some personality.You just "remember" it. It's no Mini Cooper, but it's way more fun looking than almost anything else for the price.

II do recommend the leather, for those who can afford it ($700). It is unfortunately, only available on the Ion 3 trim. I also recommend the oversized sunroof ($725) . And the amazing Stereo option ($290).

GM is known for incentives. And Saturn is no exception. You should check out availability of 0% financing, and cash backs. And the great "overnight test drive". Saturn still offers their "30 days money back warranty". If you like the car, you cant' really loose. And the dealers are always great.

IfIIfI You want more info? click HERE.