the air

No I am not talking about the planet Saturn. Rather, GM’s “separate” division, Saturn, has recently started to up the ante in the highly competitive mid-size sedan market by introducing the Aura. The mid-size sedan category is currently dominated by the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, GM is hoping to change that field very soon. The Aura has a respectable starting price of around $17,000 and is priced to move directly against the similarly priced Hyundai Sonata. However, the glowing contradiction is that the Aura boasts a high-end price tag for the XR trim line at around $27,000. GM’s goal may seem unattainable, given the many miscues by the Saturn division, but the Aura has the ability to put GM back in the race and give both the Camry and Accord a run for their money. Or is that just my imagination?

Saturn has had a very rough 17 years. It started out in 1990 as a response to the growing forces of Toyota and Honda. GM marketed the division as a car that was made by Americans for Americans. Unfortunately, Saturn failed to capitalize on its niche by neglecting new designs and mediocre quality. Since its inception, GM has “revolutionized” the division twice and every time it has stalled into becoming an innovating brand. Perhaps the most revered aspect of Saturn is its “no-haggle” pricing. That means, the price you see on the window of the car is the price you pay. This is great, from a certain point of view, since you know that the person down the street from you will not buy the car at a much lower price than you. However, it also could mean that you may be overpaying for what you are actually receiving in return.

On the road the Aura is smooth, quiet and comfortable, conveying every impression of solid construction. That may be in part thanks to a magnesium reinforcing beam that runs under the dashboard to strengthen the body shell. A Saab 9-3…, which shares the same corporate chassis under the skin, seemed to creak and groan occasionally, a foible that’s absent in the Aura.

I think the Aura is the vehicle that will put Saturn back on the map. However, it has suffered greatly and many people are not willing to try another vehicle that does not have a proven track record. Both the Camry and Accord are pricier than the Aura but both the Accord and Camry give you two things that the Aura cannot promise yet, quality and reliability. In addition, many people may not be comfortable or even aware Saturn’s policy of no haggle pricing. As such, first time Saturn buyers might be turned off at the fact that they are not getting a bargain on the car. Although the base model is priced at $17,000, we are all well aware of how frugal GM is with base models. In addition, it is likely that a comparably equipped Aura will be around the same price as a Camry and Accord. However, in that case, you can easily bargain down the prices for the Camry and Accord and buy it at a cheaper price than you could with the Aura.

Saturn does not only need to worry about Toyota and Honda. Hyundai has made extensive strides with its Sonata and Azera models. Hyundai is now fully capable of boasting high quality and reliability at an affordable price. Many more consumers are willing to buy a Hyundai since it can offer you more features and amenities than the Camry, Accord, and Aura at the same price point. It would be worth the time to test drive an Aura, however, I would probably still lean towards a Camry or Accord or even the Sonata before throwing my money away at Saturn.

Source: MSNBC Article

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