1996 Saturn S-Series Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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User reviews for 1996 Saturn S-Series
Write a reviewUser rating:
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
User rating:
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 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 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 Pricing
Original MSRP
$10,885 to $13,685Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Roof
Sunroof: power glass
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Upholstery: cloth
Tires and Rims
Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
