1998 Saturn S-Series Compact Car Review & Performance

About the new exterior look. All coupes now have exposed headlamps. In the first generation, the

headlamps on SC2 models were pop-ups.

The roof takes a gentle arch to the rear glass, then down to a stubby deck lid. The rear bumper is

massive and is a significant styling feature. It's also body-colored, unlike basic editions of the sedan

and wagon. The taillights wrap around and the trunk lid is covered with reflective materials of various

colors--red, yellow, white. The trunk lid opens to vertical and the lift-over is quite low, which makes

loading easy. The rear seatback has a 60/40 split.

All in all, the SC1 is about as good-looking as coupes get these days, unless you're enamored by the

radical design of the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

All Saturn bodies use a space frame which allows the use of polymer doors, fenders, quarter panels and

fascias, a feature that helps keep Saturn owners so loyal. This material is highly ding- and dent-resistant;

it's also rust-proof and recyclable. Major repairs require the simple removal of a panel.

Saturns use a standard MacPherson strut front suspension with a tri-link design at the rear--two

unequal-length links to control lateral movement, with a single longitudinal link looking after fore

and aft movement.

Brakes are disc in front, drums at the rear. As mentioned, the ABS is optional ($695), but includes

traction control, which can be switched off if the driver desires. Tires are a modestly hefty P175/70R-14

for all Saturns. Optional tires for the SC1 are P185/65R-15 radials mounted on aluminum wheels.

The SC1 is low slung, so getting in is a bit like, literally, dropping in. And getting out is somewhat of a climb.

One tester's initial reaction to the interior was "plain, but not unattractive." Good summation. The cloth

is good quality and the pattern pleasingly subtle. The theme is ovoid shapes and rounded corners, with a

modular center pod for audio and climate controls.

Simplicity is repeated in the instrument cluster which has a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel gauge and a

temperature gauge. The steering wheel is adjustable up and down.

There is no lidded console, just an open catch-all tray. Two cupholders sit in front of the shift lever,

one with a removable ash tray insert.

The seating position is close to the floor, the window ledge high, so shorter occupants may feel a bit deep

into the SC1.

We found the seats rather uncomfortable, even on short runs. The bottom cushion is short front to rear and

lacks support for even average-height occupants. Similarly, lateral support for back and thighs is less than

we would like.

With the driver's seat in position for a six-foot driver, a six-foot rear passenger found his knees virtually

under his chin. The rear seats are little more than padded depressions, so don't sentence friends to extended

periods back there.

But let's not make too much about the back seats. This is a small sport coupe built for fun, not rear-seat comfort. Saturn's sedan and wagon models have more rear seat room if that's what you need.

The SC1 is not quick. Those 100 horses do a decent job of moving the little coupe down the road at a moderate

pace, but just aren't up to anything much more demanding. According to Saturn, if you wring out all the

performance in there, you will hit 60 mph from stop in a leisurely 10.5 seconds. The question, of course, do you

want to go more quickly than that?

If you do, you need the SC2.

We recommend against pairing the base engine with an automatic transmission, so you should move up to the SC2

if you need an automatic. Otherwise, you'll be severely lacking in the acceleration department, which can make

passing and merging onto busy freeways a bit challenging.

The engine, five-speed transmission and clutch made a happy threesome on our SC1. The shifts were smooth and

the clutch was linear in its operation, which means there was no sudden engagement point. And the engine delivers

its power in an even flow.

The handling is quite good, we found, with the suspension happy over almost any surface. Over a favorite piece

of twisty road the SC1 could be persuaded to take on a more aggressive personality if we shifted into third, and

left it there, squirting from corner to corner and dealing only with the throttle and the steering wheel.

That's for when the boy/girl racer impulse hits. In the normal mode, the SC1 easily settles into a satisfying motoring rhythm. It feels light and compact, the engine sounds are muted and wind noise is very low. The SC1 is simply fun to drive, thanks to its nimbleness.