On this 4th

"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura) 07/04/2016 at 14:05 • Filed to: None

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Let’s remember one of the most underrated American brands ever: Saturn.

Saturn would be in prime position in the market right now. Quirky is in, and Saturn did quirky pretty well. Scion ended up picking up their no-haggle pricing model (for the record Scion would still be alive if Toyota put some effort into it). Take for example the new Chevy Trax.

The car is essentially a non-luxury version of the Buick Encore. Except it takes itself far too seriously to succeed as what it is. What we needed was a car of similar mission, that acts and looks like it wants to have fun. However, the Trax could never be that car, its saddled with being a Chevy truck/SUV. That means it has the incredibly big shoes to fill of vehicles such as the CK truck, Blazer, and S-10 (yes that name used to mean something). Long story short, it has to do it’s best impression of the S10 Blazer, all stalwart and serious. How cool would a Saturn version get to be?

Also, consider the new Cruze. The car is saddled with the mini-Malibu look, which is saddled with scaling down the Impala. Don’t get me wrong, the new Impala is beautiful. But we’ve made a clone of a clone. That never works. The Ion was boy racer, and comitted to the bit. It was the automotive equivalent of having a quote-along with your best buds to the first Fast and Furious movie. And the Astra was ahead of its time, bringing economic hatchbacks with some flavor back to America before anyone wanted them. It was literally ahead of its time. Not to mention that the car it was based on in Europe got a ridiculous performance version. I think a winning recipe.

And that, that’s the thing.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:16

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We’ve had the Fusion almost two years now and I still haven’t grown attached to it like I did the Vue. It had some character the Fusion doesn't have and I can't put my finger on it. Plus there weren't 20 million of them on the road since they were only made two years.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:17

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Saturn never made anything that interested me...except the Sky. The solstice doesn’t do anything for me...but I would do unspeakable things for a turbo Sky.

djgreenlava > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:18

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I liked the Astra quite a bit. It was a good looking hatch in an odd way like a Saab. The large glass roof was great.

El Rivinado > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:20

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My only experience with Saturn is the 2005 Ion my best friend is still driving that was his first car. I haven't driven it, but that car is like a torture chamber.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/04/2016 at 14:23

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And the Vue’s claim to fame wasn’t that it stole a celebrity’s nose...

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > El Rivinado 07/04/2016 at 14:25

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A really good friend I had in college had an Ion Sportcoupe 2.4. That thing was awesome. He junked it up and was a bum and couldn’t make the payments though.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:26

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I still swear the Vue’s interior was vastly better put together than the Fusion. It never once had to go back for panel fitment or ratting issues, the Fusions been back 4 times at this point for different interior quality control things.

Probenja > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:29

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So basically you want Opel?

Oh wait...

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 07/04/2016 at 14:30

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Sky Redline*

And I mean they weren’t for everyone. That’s the side effect of being different.

LongbowMkII > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:32

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You didn’t even mention a Saturn in all this. Just some rebadged GM products.

MultiplaOrgasms > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:33

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Saturn Vue: Known to europeans as that mediocre SUV that Opel/Vauxhall made

Saturn Astra H: Known to europeans as that mediocre hatchback that Opel/Vauxhall made. Also Opel/Vauxhall performance versions of that era were generally terrible.

Saturn Sky: Known to europeans as that sports car Opel sold that wasn’t as good as that mid-engined sports car Lotus made that Opel/Vauxhall sold before it.

If it wasn’t obvious already I still don’t understand why people (usually american) show so much love for those americanized Opels.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:37

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All of you kids saying Saturn isn’t for you because of things like the Ion and Vue are missing out on why people like Saturn. The S-series. The SC and SL were the staple of my high school parking lot and they kept fucking going and we beat the snot out of them and they handled relatively well. They were a staple of autocross in the 90s too. It’s weird feeling old before 30.

Probenja > MultiplaOrgasms 07/04/2016 at 14:42

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Well imagine how bad the American products were back then if Americans want the mediocre european ones.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > MultiplaOrgasms 07/04/2016 at 14:43

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Because of how bad our true domestics were at the time. It gave the “buy American” crowd who weren’t in the market for a truck a chance to buy something a little less shit than a Malibu or Cavalier.

Svend > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:45

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Saturn could really of been North Americas Vauxhall/Holden/Opel. If it flunked then it wouldn’t of damaged the Buick or GM name.

The Astra could of followed onto the current Astra.

MultiplaOrgasms > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/04/2016 at 14:47

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Couldn’t they have bought a Focus? At least the Focus wasn’t shit. Then again I can’t speak for the post-2004 US Focus because the rest of the world had moved on to the 2nd generation by that point.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 14:48

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Actually, it wasn’t that. Quite the opposite; I found the incredibly bland and boring.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > MultiplaOrgasms 07/04/2016 at 14:56

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There used to be (might still be, dunno) serious Ford/GM rivalry in the sense that alot of people were either Ford or Chevy guys.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > LongbowMkII 07/04/2016 at 14:57

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Seriously..... Let’s talk about how there needs to be a Spec SC class at LeMons!

Sam > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 07/04/2016 at 15:04

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That was the whole point. They were making commuter cars for cheap, reliable, A-B travel, not thrilling supercars.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/04/2016 at 15:06

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Killing an S-series requires deliberate negligence. They’re lovable cockroaches.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Sam 07/04/2016 at 15:08

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Exactly. They were terrific at that, and I would certainly recommend one to someone, I just don’t have any desire to own one.

LongbowMkII > MultiplaOrgasms 07/04/2016 at 15:11

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The 1st gen focus was pretty bad here.

fintail > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 15:25

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I might be alone in this, but I always thought these were quite good looking for the era:

shop-teacher > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 07/04/2016 at 16:02

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You’re too young to remember when Saturn had a good reputation. A reputation for building quirky, yet extremely reliable cars. By the time you were a kid, it was just badge engineered blandness.

shop-teacher > fintail 07/04/2016 at 16:04

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You’re not alone. I’m considering buying one for a Rallycross beater. I always liked them.

shop-teacher > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 16:05

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The original Saturns were great. So much potential water by badge engineering and corporate in-fighting.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/04/2016 at 18:35

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Also, Saturn was smart enough to get a Honda engine for the Vue.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/04/2016 at 18:37

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If I was in a position to need something that cheap but and still reliable, those would be some of my first choices.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > fintail 07/04/2016 at 18:37

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Same!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 18:39

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First gen did. Second gen used all GM motors.

LJ909 > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 18:44

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There’s a guy in my neighborhood that runs around in a tuned second gen green SC. Its pretty quick. And loud. I didn’t know there was an aftermarket for them.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/04/2016 at 18:51

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Which one did you have?

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > LJ909 07/04/2016 at 18:53

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It was the only decent compact domestic during the time of the first F&F movie. I don’t think the aftermarket had a choice.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 19:15

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Ours had the 3.6L V6 and 6-speed auto. Properly quick for a 4,000lb+ crossover.

Long Live the Longdoor > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 07/04/2016 at 21:50

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I just bought one of these for $500 to learn to drive stick:

Pretty excited about it! Tomorrow I hopefully find out what she needs to get legally on the road.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Long Live the Longdoor 07/04/2016 at 22:12

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Nice! Congrats.