2007 saturn aura reviews11/24/2023 ![]() Details include lights behind the inside door handles, so they're easy to find. The fit and finish are well done and there are soft-touch materials throughout. The exterior might be inspired by European styling, but inside it's all corporate: switchgear is borrowed from the communal parts bin, but it's simple and easy to use (with the exception of a mirror switch mounted too high on the door, and a low-slung, two-stage seat heater control that requires too much eyes-off-the-road attention). My tester was further appointed with leather seats, sunroof and power-adjustable pedals, which come bundled with a power passenger seat. The XR ups the ante with auto-dimming rear-view mirror, power seat, six-disc CD with satellite radio, automatic climate control and 18-inch wheels. Standard features on both models include a/c, LED taillamps, cargo net and keyless entry. Tall drivers may find the sloping A-pillars a bit too claustrophobic, though, and the tall trunk steals some rearward visibility. The attractive, uncluttered body has just enough chrome on its nose, which echoes the new Saturn corporate face. In any case, the six-speed does very well on its own, shifting smoothly and with no gear hunting on hills. I have small hands, and found it tough to reach them. The controls are redundant, with upshift and downshift on both of the push-pull paddles. The XR's transmission includes a manual mode, accessed by paddle shifters on the wheel it's about average for the segment and doesn't shift quickly enough for truly spirited driving. StabiliTrak stability control is standard on the XR model, but unavailable on the lower-end XE, although both models come with side and curtain airbags. It's confident at highway speeds while still easy enough to take around obstacles at parking-lot speeds. Still, this Saturn is no marshmallow: it handles well around hard corners, takes off sharply with virtually no torque steer, and its hydraulic-assisted rack-and-pinion power steering is firm but responsive. All engines run on regular fuel.īased on a platform that also underpins Saab, the European Opel and now the all-new Chevrolet Malibu, the Aura boasts handling that combines agility with the slightly softer ride generally favoured by North Americans. The transmission is a six-speed automatic.Ī 3.5 L V6, producing 219 horses for 2008 models and mated to a four-speed automatic, is an upgrade in the base XE model should you want more grunt than the standard four-cylinder. My XR tester came standard with the 3.6 L V6, which makes 252 hp. But for 2008, the company has added a 2.4 L four-cylinder, which is also the basis of the Green Line Hybrid version, a model that mates the gas engine to an electric motor. The 2007 only came with a choice of two V6s. Of course, no matter how nice they are, fancy gauges are not a basis for a car purchase.īut little touches like that are indicative of a major turnaround at Saturn, producing a car that I feel rightfully won its North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit auto show last January. First, the white instrument needles make a sweep of the darkened cluster and then, slowly, the gold and white lines and numbers fade in. At 98k+ the Aura is still performing like it did new with very low maintenance needs.When you start up the Saturn Aura at night, there's quite a show. An Audi or BMW may be more desireable and out of the gate may perform better, but once they come off warranty, the maintenance costs are outrageous. Configured like that, it is the best touring car you could get for under 30k or even 40k. I did not like the feel of the car with 18" rims so I switched to 17" and put the extra inch into the tire. This has been an inexpensive car to drive from the maintenance standpoint. replacement of both catalytic convertors, one of which was under warranty.I have just under 98k on my Aura XR and it has been in for: I hear less road noise in this car than almost any car I have ever driven in. With better tires the car handles as well as almost any touring car on the market. In bumper to bumper traffic it is best to switch to manual shifting because the shifting can become fairly rough. It does struggle with quick shifting from 3rd to 4th. The Aura XR has very adequate power in almost all ranges.
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