Short Take Road Test
Disappointment manifests itself in direct proportion to expectations. In this instance, our expectations were tempered by our first Ionization, a road test of the brand-new Ion sedan in the January 2003 issue. Thus, we weren't so much disappointed in the dynamics of this Ion quad coupe as we were mystified.
Think of it as expectations mired in semantic slippage. Our test car's window sticker noted "sport-tuned suspension," for example, and Saturn publicity cites "sporty handling." By whose standards wasn't mentioned.
Here at C/D, sporty handling means limited body roll, minimal understeer, brisk directional changes, plentiful grip, and quick steering. It also includes a firm ride mitigated by supple damping and limited up-and-down motion in the suspension.
None of the foregoing has much to do with the quad coupe's behavior on demanding back roads. The Ion displays zero enthusiasm for hasty turns, particularly bumpy ones. It took very little prodding to provoke howls from the P205/55HR-16 Firestone Firehawk GTA all-season tires-the most aggressive rubber available in the base quad coupe inventory-and very little effort to achieve terminal understeer.
There is a flabby quality to this car's behavior, like a former athlete whose moves have been muffled by a diet of pizza and beer. Numb steering and the vague engagements of the five-speed manual shifter don't help, either.
On the other hand, if the Saturn's subjective scorecard is uniformly C-minus, its objective report card is better. Its stopping distance-189 feet from 70 mph-and skidpad performance-0.80 g-are above average for this class, and with the manual transmission, its 140-hp, 2.2-liter DOHC 16-valve Ecotec four hauls the coupe's 2888 pounds to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. Beyond that, the relaxed suspension tuning yields a cushy freeway ride.
But the quad coupe's greatest appeal has nothing to do with dynamics. Saturn's system of four doors-two standard front portals augmented by rear-hinged demi-doors in back-optimizes rear-seat access and enhances coupe utility by about 93 percent. The sides of the car open like clamshells, and the absence of B-pillars means adult-size people can fold themselves into the rear without a coating of Mazola. The only surprise is that this excellent idea hasn't become more widespread.
Cargo versatility is another strong suit. At 14 cubic feet, the trunk is bigger than most others in the compact class, and the front-passenger and rear seatbacks fold flat to expand packable space. Small hatchbacks can digest more, but this is as good as it gets for a coupe with a proper trunk.
We note that Saturn has made a number of interior trim updates-regrained vinyl, monochrome instrument panels, new fabrics-even though the car has only been on the market for a year. And we note further that our test car's uplevel all-black interior, complete with optional leather trim ($700), looks better than the multihued décor we've seen in other Ions.
Ergonomically, we give the Ion coupe high marks for its driver sightlines, but we object, once again, to the placement of the instrument pod, which resides atop the center of the dashboard. This allowed Saturn to install a sporty steering wheel with a small diameter (13.8 inches), but the notion that glancing to the right for operating info is better simply does not wash.
The biggest ergonomic offender, though, is the tiny center console jutting up between the front seats. If you can avoid whacking your right elbow on this misbegotten installation, you obviously have an extra joint or two in there somewhere.
Our quad coupe tester was enhanced with $3165 worth of options. Besides the leather, biggies included a $725 power sunroof, $325 for XM satellite radio, and $250 for the rear wing. The total came to $19,515, for which you could grab a Ford SVT Focus three-door or a Mini Cooper S.
We'd be inclined to keep the ABS and traction control ($400) and the curtain airbags ($395), but even with pruning, the quad coupe's bottom line would be a little over $17,000. Not bad for a good-looking little coupe (better-looking if the ride height were reduced about three inches) with a good array of standard features.
But if you're interested in a quad coupe that registers on the C/D fun-to-drive meter, tune in next month, when we'll introduce you to the supercharged Ion Red Line edition. Hint: The words "sporty handling" and "sport-tuned suspension" definitely apply.
