2000 Saturn LS2
Rubbing elbows with the big boys
Story & photos by Eric Schofield

Egads – the Gods must be crazy!  Sending modest and humble little Saturn to challenge the likes of Honda, Toyota and Ford Motor Company?  If history repeats itself, we must be witnessing the modern day version of David versus Goliath.

One of the fiercest and most heavily contested battles are in the family sedan segment with the three ominous titans of Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the Ford Taurus waging a war allowing for few outside contenders.  These three models have been slugging it out for years with the lead changing hands on several different occasions.  The Toyota Camry has been the reigning champion for the past several years.  The competition here is so fierce.  What makes Saturn think it has a chance to penetrate this tough market?

Making a full size passenger car makes logical sense if you’re Saturn.  The phenomena of Saturn ownership focuses around customer loyalty.  Saturn owners are often repeat buyers and they tend to recommend the brand to their friends often.  Just a few months ago, I received a business card from a Saturn salesperson and on her card it read – “3 Time Saturn Owner”.

Take a look at the type of cars Saturn has made since their creation.  Their best selling line has been the SL series, a compact car delivered at a very reasonable price.  Many of these cars were sold to first time car buyers and college students.  It only makes sense that Saturn come out with a car that was the next level up for their aspiring college grads.  After owning their SL-2’s through the first several years of their careers, an advancement in pay naturally allows for MORE CAR. 

Rather than giving up on the car buyer that has moved up the corporate ladder, Saturn is attempting to embrace their loyal legions and continue the car ownership legacy.

One of the first obstacles that Saturn will have to overcome is their current image of being a manufacturer that caters to the lower end.  They’ve already started a mass marketing campaign and more people are noticing the larger L-Series sedan.

Our test model was the LS-2 which has a V-6 compared to the base LS and LS-1's 16-valve 4 cylinder.  The LS-2 sedan is a fine car in many rights.  A smooth and moderately aggressive fascia lends to a handsome look, a long slender body, and an attractive rear end with a spoiler to boot.  Bigger, better, yet it still looks like a Saturn.

There's a lot more than just good looks that have come with the new LS-2.  In order to compete with the big boys, good driving characteristics and amenities are a must and Saturn has certainly delivered on many of the key things that will be important to customers. 

The LS-2 has a well laid out interior providing easy entry and lots of space for the passengers.  Nice wood grain finished accents give richness to the interior and easy access to the AC/heat and radio/cassette/CD player are pluses in the ergonomics department.  The only glaring drawback is the dashboard looks horribly “plasticky”.  The "plasticky" finish plagues the dashboard, center console as well as the door trim.  Saturn could eliminate this problem easily by making the console and door trim smooth rather than "faux leather".

Saturn has always done things differently and the placement of the window control buttons are illogical.  Most manufacturers will place the controls on the door but Saturn continues to place their controls on the console.  To make matters worse, the transmission shifter separates the controls for the driver’s side and passenger side forcing the driver to reach around the transmission shifter to operate the passenger side windows.  Granted, this saves money for the manufacturer because fewer buttons and electronics are required but remember, this is supposed to be a higher level automobile.

Ergonomically, most controls are within easy reach for the driver though the implementation of the controls are bit different compared to other automobiles.  The 6-way power adjustable driver's seat (which was very comfortable) had the controls facing up rather than on the side of the seat. This is not a bad implementation at all and was quite easy to use, it's just different.

The LS-2's 3.0 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 produces 200 hp and provided plenty of punch and was by far the most powerful Saturn we've driven to date.  The power doesn't come as abruptly as in an Accord but it does come smoothly showing the good job Saturn has done mating the 4 speed automatic to this competent engine.

The 60/40 folding rear seats are incredibly easy to use.  Large handles and locking mechanisms make the seats very usable and provide for added cargo space to the already roomy trunk.  

Back in the LS-2 are Saturn's trademark dent resistant doors and fenders. Ten years ago, my first thought when I encountered this phenomena was that Saturn had done an incredible marketing job of actually convincing people that these plastic parts were better than traditional sheet metal. Let me tell you, these dent resistant panels are great for keeping your car great looking for the long haul. But for some reason, I don't feel as though they work as well for a higher end automobile such as the LS-2.  When paying over $20,000 for an automobile, you just expect a more solid "thud" when you close the door.  Nonetheless, people love the doors and I'm sure Saturn will keep their trademark.

Overall, the LS-2 is a fine automobile which will win many converts and will help Saturn retain the loyalty of their established buyers as they upgrade to a higher level of automobile.  Seating comfort and storage space are top notch in Saturn's latest offering and the engine and transmission are more than acceptable when compared with the competition.  A little more tweaking and Saturn could have a world class automobile on their hands. 

Consider the fine customer service of Saturn dealerships and Saturn's unbelievable money back guarantee (30 days or 1,500 miles), you really don't have much to lose by checking one out. We think it's certainly worth a look. 

Styling	Amenities	Ergonomics	Power	Handling	Comfort	Roominess	Cargo Space	Fun to Drive	Bang for Buck	TOTAL
7.5	7.5	6.5	7	7	8.5	8.5	8.5	7	8	76