Most people who've seen my post's by now probably realize that I along with my fieros, I very much enjoy saturns. So much so, that I'm contemplating the feasibility of swapping in a twin cam and 5 spd from one. Well, now my experience with these cars has moved into a new direction. I've now been driving my new 96 SL1 daily driver since 9-25. Everytime I see a post about gas mileage on this forum, I've advocated that saturns get amazing fuel economy. Now I can honestly say what I get in my SL1.
So far, I've gone 1339 miles on it (that I've already filled up for anyways I have another 150 on the trip right now) 33.23 gallons of gas. Bringing my now four tankful average to 40.29 MPG. This is somewhat combined highway/city. I project that pure highway would be 45+ which I will confirm either this week going to new york (if we drive that car), or in november when I go to virginia to pick up my girlfriend.
I should also mention, my driving habits probably reflect those gas mileage figures. I drive like grandma right now 10-15% throttle where I can which is about 90% of my time.
I was also going to add my thoughts on this car, at least as a daily driver, but right now, I have to leave, so the review of the car itself will come later.
Also, comparision, the turbo saturn was getting about 33 MPG driving the same way as I drive this one, and 25 MPG with my foot feeling pretty heavy
It's very comfortable, I haven't daily driven a fiero in about three years now, but going from memory, the saturn is as comfortable, if not more. It sit's higher, so ingress, egress is much easier. In my 10-15% throttle applications, you can't tell which car has more power, obviously, a car with 100 HP with the gas floored isn't going to go as fast as a fiero with 140 HP, but we're talking gas mileage here people. Besides, Torque on the 1.9L SOHC peaks at 2500RPM, so if you stay below 3K RPM, it's quite quick for getting moving.
The clutch is very light, at least compared to the four speed fiero I drove for a while. The engine is also very quiet, if you have the raido on at all, it's hard to hear the motor under 2500 RPM. It's also a very smooth motor, idling at a mere 700 RPM, you can't even tell it's there normally. Cruising speeds are great, 4th gear at 35 is 1700 RPM, 40 is 1900 RPM. 5th gear at 60 is 2150 RPM. So the gears are nice and long. (also consider that the wheels/tires are only 175/65/14's, SUPER TINY like 23 inch diameter or something crazy).
Braking is much more confident than a fiero (at least the fiero's I've driven). Steering feel is also good. My turbo SL2 has a quicker ratio rack with power steering, so, it's better for a sporty car, but the SL1 has no power steering, and a longer ratio rack. Effort is very similar to my 87 GT.
Handling, it's a daily driver, don't even think about it in all honesty, it handles alright, but those 175's just don't cut it if you want to take a corner quick. it feels ok, but you can feel the wheels/tires give out very quickly.
Anyways, for now that's all. If anyone is getting sick of gas prices, or would just like a viable alternative for daily driving, I'd highly recommend the SOHC saturn. Cheap, reliable, and way underappreciated. and by cheap, I mean, I paid $475 for a 156K mile 96 SL1 that needed a new cylinder head, but was otherwise mechanically sound. $600 ish dollars in parts later, I have a brand new motor and only roughly 1100 into a car that should go problem free for at least another 150K miles.
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11:56 AM
cooguyfish Member
Posts: 2658 From: Hamilton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2002
I honestly think that it is not that fast. I do have to say that it is a very reliable engine though. I'm going to be getting rid of it soon. While I like the Saturn, it is my wifes and it not the right car for her. She needs a more comfortable and quite car. She drives by interstate to work and the Saturn just lets in too much road noise.
It does get good gas milage though. If anybody is interested in it. It is a 5-speed, full leather, sunroof, all power, CD Player, keyless entry alarm. Runs good. The miliage I'm not for sure of, because the odometer stopped all of a sudden at 119,000 about 8 or 9 months ago. I change the oil regularly with Mobile 1, has a new alternator and radiator and catalytic converter.
I have been looking to replace my beater Caravan with something that gets much better gas mileage. I had been considering a Japanese vehicle, but with much trepidation and resistance. I had never before considered buying a foreign vehicle.
The Caravan was just to transport my pack of 3 big dogs safely several years ago, but now that they have all passed on, and I only have a little (23 lb.) dog now, I do not need the space requirements.
I will now definitely move the SC1 to the top of the list. BTW, I was in the die casting part of the Saturn plant several years ago here in Tennessee on an injection sleeve evaluation visit. I also saw the lost foam casting line in operation as well. Most impressive, some of the manufacturing ideas I saw implemented.
Originally posted by cooguyfish: I paid $475 for a 156K mile 96 SL1 that needed a new cylinder head, but was otherwise mechanically sound. $600 ish dollars in parts later, I have a brand new motor and only roughly 1100 into a car that should go problem free for at least another 150K miles.
Just wondering how you figure you have a brand new motor by putting a new cylinder head on it?
Tim
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09:20 PM
cooguyfish Member
Posts: 2658 From: Hamilton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2002
Just wondering how you figure you have a brand new motor by putting a new cylinder head on it?
Tim
new cylinder head, new bearings, new piston rings, new everything but the block, rods, and crank actually.
Everything that is known to fail on them has been replaced. I don't know, I think it's mostly because the guy (saturn tech) that helped me do the work told me it was basically rebuilt and that I had to break it in.
My Dad has a 1996 Saturn SL2 with the DOHC 1.9. The car gets pretty good gas mileage with the automatic (25-32 mpg), but not nearly as good as your car. I don't think its that bad, it handles pretty well (for a sedan), its as quick as my Fiero I'd guess (120 hp vs. 135 hp). I like it a lot more than my Grandmother's '96 Accord, the handling is so much stiffer in the Saturn and it feels like a fun car to drive. Plus, aren't Saturns like, decended from the Fiero in a way? I though they were made in the same way as the Fiero, and with plastic body panels.
BTW, you know anything about swapping a Saturn 1.9 DOHC and 5-speed into a Fiero? ------------------ I am the signature virus, please put me in your signature so I can spread
[This message has been edited by Tinton (edited 10-17-2005).]
Me and my wifes first car was a 97 Saturn 5 speed, plain jane with no options exept power steering. We drove that car for 6.5 years and put 210K on it before we traded it in. It still had many, many miles left on it but we needed something bigger with 2 kids growing up. The only parts I ever had to replace on the car was a fan motor and the Atl, well beside the normal wear items. That car got well used and never once left us stranded, even with the yearly trips to Cali in it over the big mountains. I wanted to get another Saturn but my wife wanted something differant all because of the looks, woman and picking cars for the looks kills me. I hated to trade ours off but had no use for it with the new car, my Fiero and mt old truck. The Saturn was forsure one of the best cars I have owned so far in life.
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02:17 AM
PFF
System Bot
cooguyfish Member
Posts: 2658 From: Hamilton, OH, USA Registered: Mar 2002
its as quick as my Fiero I'd guess (120 hp vs. 135 hp). I like it a lot more than my Grandmother's '96 Accord, the handling is so much stiffer in the Saturn and it feels like a fun car to drive. Plus, aren't Saturns like, decended from the Fiero in a way? I though they were made in the same way as the Fiero, and with plastic body panels.
BTW, you know anything about swapping a Saturn 1.9 DOHC and 5-speed into a Fiero?
when my 96 SL2 5 spd was stock, I raced an 88 fiero GT auto and one buy about 3-4 car lengths at 80 MPH, a GT 5spd versus a DOHC 5 spd should be very even, with the fiero being stronger down low, and the twin cam being faster up top.
Yes, they are the only other cars made that are built like a fiero, this was 40% of the reason that I started looking into saturns when I was looking for something other than a fiero
I'm working on details about swapping the 1.9 into the fiero, so far my concerns are
1. axles. I really want to not make custom axles, but I don't know how wide fiero axles/trans are compared to the saturn axles/trans. 2. I have to figure out the wiring (this was expected though) 3. shifter/linkage, I'm trying to find a 93-95 twin cam S-series car that I can strip the engine, trans, wiring, shifter, cables, etc etc out of so I can start seeing about putting one into the fiero. 4. width, the the intake manifold sitting out 6 inchs wider than the motor, it may be a tight fit in the fiero. from the fire wall to the trunk, the fiero is not as wide as the saturn is from the fire wall to the front of the car. the twin cam fills the saturn pretty well too.
my goal is this. 93-95 DOHC, MP3 tranny, lighterweight wheels (less than 12 lbs if possible), stock 91-92 header, custom exhaust, AEM cold air intake, some fuel tuning (lean it out a bit, they run rich stock), lightweight flywheel (it's 8 lbs!!!), act street clutch, and I think that's all right now.
this motor is SO LIGHT, I can see getting a fiero down to 2400 (or hopefully less) lbs. there's been people getting 15.2-15.5 with just the intake, header, and full exhaust in the saturn with crappy traction. I think I can hit 14.5's with awesome traction, the lighter flywheel/fuel tuning, and great driving. while still getting 30+ MPG daily driving, and low 40's highway.
Then I'll do a mild turbo set-up, T3 super 60, 4-6 PSI, about 200-240 HP (crank), and shoot for low, mid 13's.
