Saturn Van

The may be an odd question, but what makes the Saturn Van a Saturn other than
the name? What is a Saturn? Is it just a brand name? I bought a 98SL2 new
and have driven it. I thought Saturn was for the material of the outer shell
that did not rust and resisted dents. I have a pamphet about the Saturn Van
but what makes them different?

 

Do you mean Saturn VUE?

What differences are important to you?

The buying experience and the substance of contruction impressed me. I asked
what the expected roll-out price was and the salesman gave the right one
number. My 98SL1 felt like a truck. There was substance to that small car,
whereas a Neon was a windup rollerskate with too much air time driving over
road seams. The backs of the Neon controls where hollow. The Cavalier is
less car, and Metro even less. The Metro speedometer toped at 80 and engine
was high strung.

I'd say Saturn is humanistic and practical, while other companies advertise
machines for machines.

 

I think he probably means the new Saturn Relay, which is essentially a mini-van.
http://www.saturn.com/saturn/images/gallery/s_b_relay_gallery_ex4.jpg

The Relay is from a shared GM platform. The Chevy Uplander, Pontiac Montana and Buick Terraza are all the same as the
Relay, and all 4 are being built on the same assembly line. The Relay has a steel body - not polymer. What makes it a
Saturn? Just the name. It's a completely different direction for the company.

 

How many Saturn products share their platform with other GM products. Is
there a big difference between the brands, or is it like comparing Ford
Taurus to Mercury Sable?

 

The Relay is the first.

In the case of the Relay, no.

 

You're question is difficult to answer because Saturn has been going
through changes in the past some years and will soon share GM's Kappa
platform. Prior to the Ion and L300 Saturn was very unique when
compaired to other GM cars. The Ion uses GM's Ecotec (which is a Opel
engine) and the L300 uses a Opel Platform. I do not recall what platform
if any the Ion is shared with.
To tell what GM cars are based on the same platform all you need to do
is look at the 4th character of the VIN. Camaro's and Firebirds are both
F-bodies. Sunfires and Cavaliers are both J-bodies. Bonnevilles and
Lesabre's are both H-bodies. You get the idea...

 

You forget Opel... Everyone forgets Opel...

 

Actually, no.....The first is the Vue and it Chevy brother the Equinox
Then the Relay and it's Chevy, Pontiac and Buick counterparts
And last the Ion and the Chevy Cobalt

Each of those share the same platforms.

Jim
Spring Hill, TN

 

the Relay looks so plain and bland compared to others on the market, with SUVs
out of fashion, and NO polymer ? I don't know how they expect to sell these
things ! It's dated when introduced. Yuk.
E
'04 Ion 1