Why not to buy a saturn

[rattrod17]

I recently purchased a saturn ion quad coupe last june and cleary was not thinking about the lack of winter capabilites saturn offers. The main reason being all plastic body panels, up until now has not bothered me, but just today, i hit some black ice on a curve landing and driving on a foot tall snow bank eventually pulling off of it. It didnt seem to do any damage until i pulled off and realized that my bumper had shattered along a 40 ft long, foot tall snow bank .. truly amazing when plastic gets cold and brittle.


(Crack on the driver's side is from a different time when my car was hit by a plow)

this one clearly shows the missing pieces of my bumper

 

[Northstar]

It's amazing how that stuff sneaks up on you.


P.S. Anoka Sucks

 

[Eric.]

Uh...don't drive into snow banks? Not really a Saturn problem, here...

 

[Northstar]

Uh...don't drive into snow banks? Not really a Saturn problem, here...

He drove on black ice, basically once you are on it you are just along for the ride.

 

[buickgnx88]

Oh Dylan... Anyways, plastic panels are in general a bad idea. Yes they pop out after being in a minor accident (in warm weather of course), but in any other case they just crack and break off. At least with steel panels (and to an extent fiberglass panels), they can be easily repaired by welding in new steel/popping out the dent/(grafting on a new piece of fiberglass).

 

[niky]

Of course... the last time they sold a compact car in America with a steel bumper was...?

 

[buickgnx88]

True...course the reason being plastic bumpers are easier to form/make.

 

[YSSMAN]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the replacement panels on the Ion aren't that expensive? If that's the case, my friend would have had a $40K Saturn by now...

 

[Tornado]

My best friend's sister has replaced every panel on the car that was plastic on her SC2, so she loves them.

 

[Duke]

Of course... the last time they sold a compact car in America with a steel bumper was...?

I was just going to say that. Is there anything that is formed metal in that area these days, compact, cheap, luxury, whatever?

 

[daan]

I'm not getting how that's just a Saturn problem.

 

[niky]

I was just going to say that. Is there anything that is formed metal in that area these days, compact, cheap, luxury, whatever?

I'm pretty sure Jeeps still have steel bumpers. Most off-road afficionados prefer them.

(websearch)

Hmmm... don't know about the others... but yeah, apparently it's standard on the Rubicon (which is an awesome off-roader), along with skid-plates.

(websearch... EDIT):

Yeah, it's standard on the Wrangler line-up.

 

[Joey D]

I can think of far many more reasons not to buy a Saturn then a bumper cover cracking based on something you did because you had inadequate tires, were driving too fast for conditions and didn't know how to control your car.

 

[Jondot]

I recently purchased a saturn ion quad coupe last june and cleary was not thinking about the lack of winter capabilites saturn offers.

...what, like impenetrable titanium bumpers? Nasty Jeeps aside (which have metal covered with bits of plastic), everything has a plastic bumper. Know why? Because they're cheaper to replace when you inevitably hit something. Or when someone inevitably hits you.

Anyway, why do you even care? It's already had a snow plow driven into it - wasn't exactly pristine in the first place, eh?

 

[buickgnx88]

I can think of far many more reasons not to buy a Saturn then a bumper cover cracking based on something you did because you had inadequate tires, were driving too fast for conditions and didn't know how to control your car.

Woah woah woah, calm down Joey. It actually has fairly new tires which are supposed to be good in the winter time. I can say he is a bit inexperienced for winter driving, since it is his first year with a license. The spot where he hit the snow bank though is notorious for people sliding off the road.

Nasty Jeeps aside (which have metal covered with bits of plastic)...

I take offense to that!

Anyway, why do you even care? It's already had a snow plow driven into it - wasn't exactly pristine in the first place, eh?

Well it is our dad's car, and when he gets upset it sort of wears off onto the rest of us.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I'm not getting how that's just a Saturn problem.

Uh...don't drive into snow banks? Not really a Saturn problem, here...

Exactly. Saturn actually makes excellent cars.

 

[Northstar]

People really need to lighten up. I'm sure when you got your license you weren't any better at driving than him.

Also, his point was that you shouldn't but a Saturn because it's 95% plastic and can break easily.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Exactly. Saturn actually makes excellent cars.

This. It's more of insufficient drivers ed program, coupled with M+S tires if I have to guess.. With proper studded tires and winter driving education, this could had been avoided.. Unless he was exceeding the speed limit and forgot to think about the extended braking distances in slippery conditions, then it was just karma getting to him.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

People really need to lighten up. I'm sure when you got your license you weren't any better at driving than him.

Also, his point was that you shouldn't but a Saturn because it's 95% plastic and can break easily.

Our point is that the majority of vehicles have fiberglass or plastic that covers the external parts. (This helps prevent external rust) Crash just about any car in the winter into a snow bank and its going to shatter just like that. My 2005 Subaru RS has cracked pieces in the front where the previous driver smashed it. Even brand new trucks have plastic on them now. The bumpers are still metal underneath but the bumper covers (just like the red saturn pic in the first post) are just plastic covers. Thats a bumper "cover" that is cracked. Not the bumper. Look under that red cracked bumper cover and I guarantee there is a huge steel square bumper behind it.

 

[Joey D]

Woah woah woah, calm down Joey. It actually has fairly new tires which are supposed to be good in the winter time. I can say he is a bit inexperienced for winter driving, since it is his first year with a license. The spot where he hit the snow bank though is notorious for people sliding off the road.

Then just say, "hey I was in an accident, live and learn I guess". But to say the car is inferior because of something he did, makes no sense (granted I can think of a lot of reasons why Saturn's are inferior though). Very rarely is an accident the fault of the car, most of the time the problem lies with the goon behind the steering wheel.

And before anyone asks, yes I've been there, I've been that goon before. I made some bone headed moves when I was younger with the Blazer and damaged it. I learned not to do that again.

 

[Omnis]

Dude, you got hit by a snow plow.

 

[buickgnx88]

Actually he just slid into the plow, and was probably only going about 15mph anyways.

 

[Jondot]

I take offense to that!

Sorry

People really need to lighten up. I'm sure when you got your license you weren't any better at driving than him.

Whether or not that's true we can't gauge, but when I reversed into a concrete post last month I don't recall blaming Ford for making cars not suited for use in West Yorkshire multi-storey car parks. I might have blamed the multi-storey car park a bit I'll admit, but still...

Actually he just slid into the plow, and was probably only going about 15mph anyways.

Huh, so this:

my car was hit by a plow

isn't strictly accurate then...

 

[buickgnx88]

Nope, and I should know!

 

[a6m5]

I'm pretty sure Jeeps still have steel bumpers. Most off-road afficionados prefer them.

(websearch)

Hmmm... don't know about the others... but yeah, apparently it's standard on the Rubicon (which is an awesome off-roader), along with skid-plates.

(websearch... EDIT):

Yeah, it's standard on the Wrangler line-up.

There are plenty of trucks that comes with steel bumpers, but like you & Duke were saying earlier, just about all cars have plastic bumper covers. If the OP was talking about plastic fender, quarter panel, door skin, etc., I guess that might make sense(they might still get damaged).

 

[Eric.]

Dude, you got hit by a snow plow.

Actually he just slid into the plow, and was probably only going about 15mph anyways.

And that makes him sound like an even worse driver.