1996 Saturn S-Series Review

The nicely redesigned Saturn SW1 station wagon has a lot more going for it than Saturn's typical high customer satisfaction.

This front-wheel-drive wagon is practical and fun to drive. It also is pretty affordable--costing $11,995 with a five-speed manual transmission and $12,825 with the quick-shifting four-speed automatic, which was in the SW1 I recently tested.

The well-built SW1 has been made quieter than its predecessor, but the interior noise level still is higher than it should be.

The 1996 Saturn sedans and near-identical wagons benefit from the first big styling change since Saturns debuted for 1990. The new SW1 is a lot more attractive, and a higher, rounder roofline translates into more headroom. New door uppers contribute to longer openings, which ease entry and exit.

The interior comfortably seats four 6-footers, although there's scant room to spare. The 60/40 split fold-down rear seatbacks open up the just-average rear cargo area to make it easy to plunk bulky items like a power lawnmower back there.

The interior has firm-but-comfortable reclining front bucket seats with good side support--and also contains the nicely revised dual-airbag dashboard that debuted last year. I

nstrumentation is easily read, but horn buttons still are inconveniently placed near the bottom of the steering wheel rim.

Most Saturn dashboard controls are within convenient reach, and the majority of them have the smooth feel once delivered only by controls in Japanese cars such as Hondas and Toyotas. Saturn is learning that little things mean a lot.

Owners of the SW1 can breathe easier in typical crash-bang shopping center parking lot situations because vertical body panels, such as doors and fenders, are made of a plastic-like material that shrugs off dings and rust. The hood, roof and trunk are made of steel.

The 100-horsepower SW1 lacks the 124-horsepower dual-overhead-camshaft engine of Saturn's higher-line SW2 wagon. But the SW1 costs $900 less and still is fairly well-equipped.

Standard are power steering, tachometer, tilt wheel, rear defroster/wiper/washer, AM/FM radio, dual outside mirrors, console with cupholders, remote rear hatch and fuel door release and fairly wide 70-series tires on 14-inch wheels that contribute to better handling and braking.

Dual air bags and daytime running lights are among safety features, and the side impact protection meets 1997 federal regulations.

Order the optional ($795) anti-lock brakes and you get a standard traction control system--no matter whether the SW1 has a manual or automatic transmission. Last year, traction control came only with automatic transmission models.

Unusually for a small wagon, the traction control system cuts power gradually to front wheels when it detects one of them is slipping. The system, which can be manually disengaged, is automatically activated each time the wagon is started; a driver thus won't get caught off guard in a slippery situation when he or she suddenly needs added road grip.

Watch those options because they can appreciably increase the price. For instance, air conditioning is $920. My test SW1 had a $1,940 option package that would be pretty hard to turn down; it contained air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, power right mirror and power locks with remote keyless entry.

The SW1's single-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder provides lively performance for a 1.9-liter four-cylinder--even when hooked to the automatic; such a transmission usually stifles performance of smaller engines such as the SW1's.

The SW1 motor is noisy when pushed hard, but is fairly smooth and quiet most of the time. And the SW1 is highly economical, as a subcompact wagon should be. It delivers an EPA-estimated 28 m.p.g. in the city and 38 with the manual and 27 and 36 with the automatic.

The SW1 is slightly quicker with the manual, but that transmission needs an improved shift linkage.

Making the SW1 fun to drive are a responsive engine, quick steering and a firm-but-supple suspension with an all-independent design that provides sharp handling and a comfortable ride.

This is one desirable little workhorse.