1996 Saturn S-Series: Prices, Reviews & Pictures

by Eric H

Aug 24, 2020

For the year of vehicle prices to high compared to model 2001Aug 24, 2020

by Anonymous

May 02, 2014

The car has hundreds of problems but mine has 340,000 miles (yes you are reading that right), burns 2 quarts a week, no pressure in any of the pistons, (40,35,50,35 Seriously the thing raddles horrible under load trying to stay running) but it is the train that thought it could and does. it is a beater car there are better ones out there but mine is just what it is....Original engine and head.May 02, 2014

by Bryan M

Mar 05, 2013

It is a decent cheap car that will get you where you need to go. Doesn't handle well, doesn't have lots of power, and doesn't look very good. It is a great starter car or for someone with a low budget.Mar 05, 2013

by Danny P

May 26, 2012

Can't find a REAL problem with the car, other than little stuff about the interior. Definitely could use some sound dampening material under the carpet, ride noise would go WAY down. Oh, and when the eyelid gears go.. Totally annoying.May 26, 2012

by Kyle F

Mar 25, 2012

Has a very tight steering radius. Makes a good daily driver. Might put some performance into it, although parts are a bit hard to find on the aftermarket side. So far, all the parts I've put into it are dirt cheap.Mar 25, 2012

by Karson Z

Jul 02, 2011

It's a 5 speed so the acceleration is all on you. Braking is just fine. It handles good but was made without power steering. It has only needed one repair since I've owned it. It looks great, black with gold flakes. Gas mileage is fine 35-42mpg maintenance is cheap Jul 02, 2011

by Jason T

Nov 22, 2010

performance is pretty good for a 4-cylinder. Bought it for $350 and it needed an engine, which I had one. Gas mileage is around 30 mpg in the city, and around 35 mpg on the highway. Overall, fun car to drive.Nov 22, 2010

by Anonymous

Oct 10, 2010

I love this car... It's great on gas. It doesn't have much power in fourth or fifth gear but makes up for it in the first three. it has a performance switch on the shifter to shorten the first four gears as well.Oct 10, 2010

by Nick K

Jul 22, 2010

5 speed manual 4 door sedan purchased for $500. Descently quick depending on the shifts. Topped mine at 121 mph and clocked 0-60- at 9.2 s. Very fun to drive only wish it would have been rear wheel drive. 35 mpgJul 22, 2010

by Albert D

May 10, 2010

This car was amazing. I put a new power steering pump in it when I ot it and that was the only thing to go on it other than regular wear and tear. It was suprisingly roomy when the seats were folded down. I used it to bring all the lumber and concrete home when I fenced in my back yard(only 2 trips).May 10, 2010

by Trevor H

Apr 24, 2010

Great car with great mpg. Great car to get if you're looking for a day to day driver. Only paid $600 for it because the last owner thought the owner was going bad, turns out all it needed was a tune up. Totaled the car years back, still miss it.Apr 24, 2010

by Joe R

Mar 03, 2010

fun little car not much of a back seat. but thats ok i got long legs. i did a custom paint job on the inside and out with blue pinstripes and accents inside and out. with blue neons underneath and inside. wish i had some pics of this car. i looked pretty cool when i got done with it. till i high school chick rear ended me and bent the frame. Mar 03, 2010

by Keith R

Nov 19, 2009

performance did not lack at all it has a very powerful 2.0 four cylinder DOHC engine, it was very sturdily built, appearance isint the greatest but that is ok, it got great gas mileage, with little to no harsh maintainence, and this car as a stick and with good handling is a blast to drive!Nov 19, 2009

by Justin J

Nov 09, 2009

I have had this car for about 6 months now (11/2009) and its a pretty nice car. I bought it to get better gas mileage and keep the miles of my other vehicle. The only problem I have with the car is that it burns oil. I did a few things to slow the process but all the 1.9L's have this problem eventually. I just rack the miles on it and it has been really reliable for me.Nov 09, 2009

by Chad D

Oct 25, 2009

It's not the prettiest but noone can take it from me. It's incredible on gas, and shift very smooth. First owned stick so lovin that also. I can't really have fun with it yet because it's still all stock but i promise by the time I'm done wit it it'll run at most 12.5 in the 1/4 mile.Oct 25, 2009

by Paul V

Aug 27, 2009

Its a beater with a heater, gets me to and from the train. Handles well, but its slow and old and falling apart, but since all I do is park it at the train station all day, I am trying to avoid parking something nicer in that part of Chicago.Aug 27, 2009

by Gina C

Aug 05, 2009

Don't ever waste your money replacing a saturn sunroof. It will just break again within a month. Jammed doors also are common with these. Good on gas. Barely a scratch in collisions. Handles great in bad weather, may have skidded once in 3 years. Not really fun to drive, but safe.Aug 05, 2009

by Frank Z

May 07, 2009

Interesting design, unique body structure. Unpretentious, but manual trans. connected peppy I-4 to the road. Not bad handling, fun to drive around suburban and country roads. After work, stepping on gas and enjoying the ride, though it was just one mile, would melt all that grocery bagging stress right away. Not as much fun as the 350 V8 in the caprice, but oh well. Not hard to maintain. Hit a pheasant once, took out light, and light only. Liked light doors that wouldn't swing out, easy maintenance, small but comfy, if no one sitting behind me. Spun out once on an icy road, going speed limit. Luckily people coming other way were able to slow.May 07, 2009

by James S

Dec 25, 2008

Good ol' single cam. One of the slowest Saturns ever made. this car was originally green, but we sanded it down, primed it, and wrote all over it with sharpies and spray paint. It gets ~38mpg and can haul everything I own from school and back. What more could you ask for?Dec 25, 2008

by James S

Dec 25, 2008

Good daily driver. Bought the car for $300 when I was working at the Saturn dealership. Not exactly a fast car, but it did get good mileage. No repairs needed until 268,000 miles, when the slave cylinder died 3 times in one year.Dec 25, 2008

by Anonymous

Dec 17, 2008

I love my Saturn SC2. It gets great gas mileage and has a sporty look. However, the electrical system leaves something to be desired. The drivers side auto door lock doesn't work. The drivers side power window will roll down but not back up. I cannot close the headlight covers - the motor continues to run if I do. One headlight will close but not open back up and has to be opened manually. The sun roof works sporadically and the windshield wipers have a mind of their own - sometimes turning themselves on and stopping halfway across the window. The headliner and door liners have peeled off. The car handles well and is fun to drive.Dec 17, 2008

by Karl Y

Sep 05, 2008

This was my first car. It was my Dad's for 4 or 5 years and then I owned it until it hit the 10 year mark and my parents decided to sell it while I was gone. It was definitely a Saturn and even though it in wasn't the sweetest looking/performing car I loved it! Some of the greatest features were- plastic doors, 4 cylinder engine that sounded bigger than it really was, leather seats, and great engine response and handling. It will forever be one of my favorite cars (mostly because it was my first). Sep 05, 2008

by Alexander D

Jul 28, 2008

Performance- manual, sticky first gear after a long drive. Decent acceleration. braking is fine. Build quality- has very few problems for its age. rear driver seatbelt is stuck, and rear passenger window doesn't work. sunroof does not work, either Appearance- gold paint with khaki fabric seats and black leather clutch and steering wheel. ceiling fabric in back seat was ripped a long time ago and is gradually peeling. has a spoiler Cost of Ownership- approx. 32 mpg, which is great for a 13 year old car. only real problem was emissions monitor comp was broken and had to be replaced last year Fun- not especially, but it is a manual, so if you like those, sure.Jul 28, 2008

by Joey F

Jun 13, 2008

SLOW!!!!!! Good enough though. Still faster then Honda Civics and the like.Jun 13, 2008

by Darnell M

Jun 03, 2008

One of the best SATURNs I've owned!Jun 03, 2008

by Anonymous

May 02, 2008

Drove great, good on gas mileageMay 02, 2008

by Kyle R

Apr 30, 2008

This was my first car, and it served its purpose well enough. It's a four-banger, and it gets roughly 35 solid MPG. I've never had ANY problems with it. Never once had to tear it down and fix something. Served for 3 good years, until I wrecked it :-(. Apr 30, 2008

by Anonymous

Apr 26, 2008

this has been a good dependable vehicle that has generally been a good runner.Apr 26, 2008

by Anonymous

Apr 23, 2008

I love my car, its very reliable has good get up and go for a four cylender. And it has EXCELLENT gas mileage.Apr 23, 2008

by Rachel K

Mar 31, 2008

It was a good first car for me. I had very few problems with it. Mar 31, 2008

by Ryan H

Mar 24, 2008

Never had any problems besides normal wear. GREAT gas mileage while still having plenty of power. Fun to drive - it was a manual (of course). Very comfortable and sporty with great handling.Mar 24, 2008

by Timothy C

Mar 23, 2008

sleeper its light weight and gets up n goesMar 23, 2008

by George S

Mar 19, 2008

It was a good starter car for me when I got out of University and started to working. It had some style and Saturn was stil relatively new and so had some allure. But overall it wasnt too exciting to drive - infact bored silly.Mar 19, 2008

by Valerie M

Feb 03, 2008

comfy seats, great handling and accelerationFeb 03, 2008

by Jack W

Feb 01, 2008

Sparky the wonder Saturn was a great car... but he couldn't handle the roads I wanted to go on... traded in for a Jeep.Feb 01, 2008

by Daniel H

Jan 26, 2008

Amazing car, especially for an automatic, tops off at 98mph stock when the ECU decides to limit the cars performance. Is able to handle windy, steep mountain roads as long as you've got decent tires installed. Looks like a granny-mobile, but is a sleeper for a twin-cammed four cylinder.Jan 26, 2008

by Andrew C

Jan 11, 2008

Handles great. Has sway bar and all that fun stuff. Can do 90degree turns in 2nd at 40kmph with no tires squeeling. Very plain interior but somehow I really ended up liking it. With the fold down back seats its amazing what can be packed in there.Jan 11, 2008

by Mike B

Jan 06, 2008

Granted, this car only cost about $10,000. However, in the time I owned this car (and it got serviced every 3 months/3,000 miles), it died on the dealer's lot twice (two separate times) and the door seals leaked on both front doors. Jan 06, 2008

by Seth F

Dec 31, 2007

The car breaks every other week, but is amazing to drive. It accelerates quickly, and gets great gas mileage. Feel like its about to explode after 75mph though.Dec 31, 2007

by Steve B

Dec 23, 2007

Way too much fun for such little power. But it will have plenty of that when I"m through with it. Dec 23, 2007

1996 Saturn S-Series Reviews, Pricing & Specs

User reviews for 1996 Saturn S-Series

What users have asked

1996 Saturn S-Series Pricing

Trims & specs

1996 Saturn S-Series 4 Dr SL Sedan

1996 Saturn S-Series 4 Dr SL1 Sedan

1996 Saturn S-Series 4 Dr SW1 Wagon

1996 Saturn S-Series 2 Dr SC1 Coupe

1996 Saturn S-Series 4 Dr SL2 Sedan

1996 Saturn S-Series 4 Dr SW2 Wagon

1996 Saturn S-Series 2 Dr SC2 Coupe

Other years

1996 Saturn S-Series For Sale