Edmunds: Ion Redline

[ifcar]

Negative to Positive






Back in 2003, we tested a Saturn Ion coupe, but didn't like it much. The rear access doors struck us as functional cool, but the mediocre seats, no-feel-in-the-wheel steering and unexciting handling left us cold. We closed that road test by saying optimistically, "The forthcoming Ion Red Line series coupe, with its promise of around 200 horsepower, supportive sport seats and a tightened-up suspension?could pump a lot of life into the nearly flat-lined Ion."

So here we are, two years later with a snazzy Pacific Blue 2005 Saturn Ion Red Line with 205 horsepower, a five-speed manual, Recaro sport seats and a tweaked suspension.

But is this jockish brother to the couch-potato Ion coupe as good as we thought it could be? We had a week of daily commuting, a session at the test track and a flog down seriously twisty Angeles Crest Highway north of L.A. to find out.

Takes a Licking
"No spoiler?" a colleague asked in mock amazement upon checking out this quasi-tuner sport coupe. That's right, no gaudy rear wing stuck on the trunk lid, a rare sight in this youth-driven segment, and a detail that appealed to the umm, more "senior" members of our staffers.

But there's still enough eye candy here to show the masses you're not driving a base Ion coupe. A larger air intake in the front fascia, simulated brake cooling scoops in the front fenders, handsome 17-inch wheels, slightly flared rockers and a discreet "Red Line" badge on the rear add the requisite attitude. And if you really need it, an extroverted "aero-wing" spoiler is optional at $380.

A unique feature of the Ion, and most other Saturns, are its flexible body panels. Yes, they result in larger body panel gaps (to allow expansion and contraction), but the first time you witness them saving your door from a nasty dent you'll be glad the Ion has them.

Functionally Fine, Aesthetically Not Exactly Aces
In the past, the Ion's cabin has taken well-deserved knocks for its abundance of hard plastic trim that comprises most of the dash and door panels. And although Saturn has given it a different texture and dressed up the center stack with faux metal trim, it's still not going to be confused with an Acura RSX. But look at those seats! Genuine Recaros, with all the support and comfort that their racy design promises. And they're nicely complemented by a meaty, leather-wrapped steering wheel that feels great in your hands.

White-faced gauges add to the sporty feel, though most editors still don't like the odd location atop the center of the dash, claiming the dials are hard to read at a glance.

Saturn must be aware of the problem. For 2006 it has added a combination boost gauge and "ladder tach" on top of the steering column to the $1,500 Competition Package. Three pairs of lights, two yellow and one red, flank the boost gauge and indicate certain rpm, ostensibly so one can check their revs without looking over at the tachometer itself. At the factory settings, the first pair of yellows light up at 4,400 rpm (where peak torque occurs), the second pair at 5,600 rpm (at peak horsepower) and the last pair (the red lights) at 6,200 rpm (300 rpm shy of redline). You can shut them off or change the settings to your preference.

The Ion's rear access doors prove useful, making it easy to chuck a gym bag or sports equipment into the backseat. Of course, it also eases ingress and egress for rear passengers, who will find a pair of nicely contoured buckets back there. What's not useful are the cupholders, they're so shallow that a bottle of water does the Weeble's thing until it ultimately falls out.

Supercharged Sprinter
With 205 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, the front-wheel-drive Red Line's supercharged 2.0-liter "Ecotec" four (shared with cousin Chevy's Cobalt SS) certainly qualifies as a muscle-bound mill. Coupled to the blown engine is a five-speed manual, no automatic is available. Running through the gears, the stick is smooth gate-to-gate, if a bit rubbery in feel. Although the clutch stroke is sportingly short, it still manages to be linear, making smooth takeoffs and gear changes a snap.

We did notice that the engine tends to hold onto revs a bit when you back off the gas while changing up. It wasn't a problem, as in some other vehicles where it makes for somewhat slurred upshifts, but something we noted. Still, this is the best four-cylinder to ever roll out of a GM plant. Smooth (thanks to balance shafts) and eager (thanks to 12 pounds of boost) right to redline, it doesn't give away much to the Japanese.

With all that torque on tap, feathering the throttle off the line is necessary to avoid sending the front Dunlops up in smoke. Once rolling, jumping into the throttle yields a 0-to-60-mph time of 6.7 seconds. A blast down the quarter-mile takes just 14.6 seconds, a quicker time than we recorded in the '06 BMW 330i we tested recently and faster than most cars in this class. A free-flow exhaust adds to the fun with its slightly aggressive and snarly tone.

Against EPA ratings of 23 city/29 highway, we averaged 23.1 mpg. Not bad at all considering we had our foot in the boost at every opportunity.

Fleet of Foot
Along with the power upgrade, the Red Line receives a sport-tuned suspension (independent up front, semi-independent torsion beam setup out back) that's lowered 10mm and features firmer spring, damper and bushing rates as well as larger stabilizer bars. Mounted on those alloys are 215/45ZR17 Dunlop performance tires.

Although it doesn't boast a fully independent suspension like some more expensive rivals, it's a well-sorted setup that provides rock-solid handling, plenty of grip and fine balance when zinging the car through a set of S curves. In the slalom, the Red Line ran through the cones at 61.1 mph, certainly respectable, though that performance still trails the Cobalt SS (64.9 mph) which runs 18-inch Pirelli P Zero Rossos and weighs about 100 pounds less. When you're not playing Speed Racer, the Ion provides a supple ride that won't beat you up on broken pavement.

The limited-slip differential which is also part of the Competition Package is appreciated when powering out of low-speed corners, though it was still possible and fun on really tight corner exits to light 'em up at times due to the healthy dose of torque on tap. Heavy-duty, equal-length halfshafts do their best to mitigate torque steer. Under hard acceleration in a straight line the car pulls straight, but when blasting out of those tight corners some torque steer does surface.

We're happy to report that the electric-power steering has been recalibrated for the Red Line and the result is a pleasing heft in the wheel and a precise on-center feel. With this Ion, you feel connected to the front wheels. Still, the steering felt unnaturally heavy at times, such as in slow, tight corners, but overall it's much improved over Saturn's other setups.

Disc brakes all around aided by standard ABS are up to the task of quickly reining in the Red Line. Stopping from 60 mph consumed only 121 feet of pavement, and whether on the track or during the daily grind, the brakes are strong and easy to modulate.

Pocket Change Pocket Rocket
All told, the Red Line is a well-rounded, if not very refined package ? ripping performance, confidence-inspiring handling, a decent ride and great seats make it a choice for enthusiasts on a budget. And for 2006, the price has been lowered about $1,500, making the '06 version of our test car listing out at $21,770.

If you're looking for a cabin with Audi-like craftsmanship, then let's be honest, this just ain't your ride. But if a grin-inducing driving experience is what you're after for around $20K, then there's a good chance the Saturn Ion Red Line will get you all charged up.  

[Raghavan]

Seems like they liked the car...

[SaltyDog]

That's good news.  The back door looks so dorky though.

[Raza]

As far as looks go, the Ion isn't bad.  The rear profile looks a little Grand-Am-meets-Impala-ish, but from every other angle it's fairly attractive.  I like the idea of the rear suicide doors (are they dependent on the front doors, like the RX-8?) and the interior doesn't look so bad.  However, at 20 grand, I don't know if that's the car I'd be buying.

[ifcar]

I thought you hated center-mounted gauges? This is no Z8.

And no, the rear doors can't open independently.

[Raza]

I thought you hated center-mounted gauges? This is no Z8.

And no, the rear doors can't open independently.

:D

I do hate them, but the quality seems fine from here (though as they said, it would rival no Audi), however I was mostly referring to seat design and the aesthetic values.  

[ifcar]

The RedLine's seats are indeed very nice, but the actual quality of the materials and their assemby can't match the better like-priced vehicles.

[Raza]

I think honestly, though, I'd get something like a GTI 1.8T and swallow the price difference over the month-to-month.  It's a nice choice, though.

[NomisR]

Overall, the car looks decently appealing, what I don't like about it is definately the gauges in the middle, it's hard to read at a glance and distracting in the center.  Another problem is it being FWD.  With the RSX-S being a torqueless wonder and FWD, I can easily spin the wheels, would be a lot worse with the Redline..

[Raghavan]

Overall, the car looks decently appealing, what I don't like about it is definately the gauges in the middle, it's hard to read at a glance and distracting in the center.  Another problem is it being FWD.  With the RSX-S being a torqueless wonder and FWD, I can easily spin the wheels, would be a lot worse with the Redline..

It comes optional with an LSD.  

[ifcar]

Overall, the car looks decently appealing, what I don't like about it is definately the gauges in the middle, it's hard to read at a glance and distracting in the center.  Another problem is it being FWD.  With the RSX-S being a torqueless wonder and FWD, I can easily spin the wheels, would be a lot worse with the Redline..

It's no harder to glance to the right than down, it's just different.  

[Raza]

Overall, the car looks decently appealing, what I don't like about it is definately the gauges in the middle, it's hard to read at a glance and distracting in the center.  Another problem is it being FWD.  With the RSX-S being a torqueless wonder and FWD, I can easily spin the wheels, would be a lot worse with the Redline..

It's no harder to glance to the right than down, it's just different.

Don't underestimate the power of habit.

[ifcar]

How long can it take to adjust to looking at a different place to find your gauges, 15 minutes?    

[Raza]

How long can it take to adjust to looking at a different place to find your gauges, 15 minutes?  

I don't know.  But I do know that I drove a car for two years daily and then drove a different car for a year, and when I got back into my old car, it felt completely foreign.  There's a comfort zone when it comes to these things.  Also, this comes with a whole new set of problems when it comes to glare, angling, and other things.  

[giant_mtb]

I don't like the side profile, but it looks alright.

[NomisR]

How long can it take to adjust to looking at a different place to find your gauges, 15 minutes? 

I don't know.  But I do know that I drove a car for two years daily and then drove a different car for a year, and when I got back into my old car, it felt completely foreign.  There's a comfort zone when it comes to these things.  Also, this comes with a whole new set of problems when it comes to glare, angling, and other things.

What he said.

[ifcar]

All that means is that once you adjust, you can't go back easily to what you had before, but you can adjust. Not that one way is rigidly right.  

[NomisR]

All that means is that once you adjust, you can't go back easily to what you had before, but you can adjust. Not that one way is rigidly right.

Well it looks ugly.. how about that?    

[280Z Turbo]

The Ion is just remnants of the old GM, IMO. Huge body gaps, cheap interior, etc.

I kind of liked the Ion Redline when I sat in it at the auto show. It has some good ideas, but overall it's not an attractive car to me. It has a weird stance that looks high off of the ground.

[SaltyDog]

It gets "pwned" by the SRT-4.  So what if it's slightly cheaper.

[ifcar]

It's much easier to drive on a daily basis.  

[Raghavan]

It gets "pwned" by the SRT-4.  So what if it's slightly cheaper.

Try to drive the SRT-4 on a regular basis.  

[ifcar]

Says the person who claims he would have no trouble driving an Elise or Exige on a regular basis. <_<

[Raghavan]

Says the person who claims he would have no trouble driving an Elise or Exige on a regular basis. <_<

I can, but most people can't.

[ifcar]

I'm not going to say anything here, but anyone else is free to. <_<

[Raghavan]

I'm not going to say anything here, but anyone else is free to. <_<

My dad testdrove one, and i was in the passenger seat. I didn't think anything was wrong with it, but my dad hated the SRT-4 because of its hard suspension.

[ifcar]

And you've had experience in the Elise too, I take it, for comparison? No?  

[Raghavan]

And you've had experience in the Elise too, I take it, for comparison? No?

I've sat in one. Does that count?  

[Secret Chimp]

It looks like it has wheels that are way too small or fender openings that are way too big.

[ifcar]

And you've had experience in the Elise too, I take it, for comparison? No?

I've sat in one. Does that count?

I think you know the answer to that.