King Riffle Drives the 2007 Saturn Aura and Hyundai Elantra, '05 Pontiac G6(000)

[King Riffle]

I'm combining these two to save space.

First, the '07 Aura. This would be the top of my price range, if not a little above. Notes:

-Great looking car

-Interior is high quality. Unlike almost every other GM I've ever driven, the Aura's interior feels like someone actually put effort into it. I also like what they did with the interior lighting. The ceiling lamps aimed towards the cupholders is a nice touch.

-No interior rattles or noises (~30,000miles)

-Feels slightly cramped inside. The high beltline and dark interior might not have helped. Still, it felt small inside for its size.

-The 3500 has plenty of power, and is relatively quiet.

-Suspension was stiffer than I expected. I didn't take it on any curvy roads, but I expect it to handle quite well.

-No "Scan" feature on radio

-Same oddly-shaped steering wheel as the Cobalt I drove.

All in all, it was one of the best cars I've driven. I've other cars to test, but I think I have my heart set on the Aura. Hopefully the bank and insurance company agree.

As an aside: The dealership was one of the nicest I've seen, and the salesman was one of the most helpful. Far above many other GM dealers. I can see where Saturn gets its reputation.

Now, the '07 Hyundai Elantra. I've been wanting to drive one for a while:

-Odd styling, but looks rather upscale compared to others in its class.

-Interior looks and feels high-quality, but there were some rattles (~30,000miles)

-The interior feels very spacious, the trunk is enormous.

-Quick in town and on freeway onramps. It never felt short on power.

-Very possibly the most "planted" small car I've ever driven. It feels like a much larger car than it actually is. The suspension soaks up bumps well, although it does it with some noise.

This dealership was also very nice, and the salesman was friendly.

[IROCNROL1]

Not that I'm prejudiced or anything, but your Elantra commentary definitely sends mixed signals.

Odd styling (subjective) and some rattles were the only negatives that you mentioned, along with numerous strong points. So why were you disappointed?

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by IROCNROL1

Not that I'm prejudiced or anything, but your Elantra commentary definitely sends mixed signals.

Odd styling (subjective) and some rattles were the only negatives that you mentioned, along with numerous strong points. So why were you disappointed?

He thought it was an Electra.

[King Riffle]

Originally Posted by IROCNROL1

Not that I'm prejudiced or anything, but your Elantra commentary definitely sends mixed signals.

Odd styling (subjective) and some rattles were the only negatives that you mentioned, along with numerous strong points. So why were you disappointed?

I expected the interior quality to be better. Imo, rattles and other interior bit noises shouldn't exist in a good interior. The Rio I test drove two years ago didn't have any rattles.

Other than that, it was a pretty nice car. I'd still consider it (I'd rank it above the Aveo and Cobalt, though I should take a Cobalt for a longer drive).

You also have to keep in mind the fact that I drove the Elantra ~15 minutes after the Aura, so the Saturn was still fresh in my mind. It's kind of unfair I suppose.

Edit: I've reconsidered this, and have taken that line out of my original post.

[Family Man]

As an '07 Aura XE owner, I have to agree with most of your points.

The interior lighting at night is really sharp, and the guages (backlit) are very nice.

My main concern it Saturn's choice of colour (yellow), since the radio and guages tend to disappear when sunlight comes through the back window.

As for no "scan" on the radio... Hmmm, I'll need to check that out. I have no problems with the steering wheel. I upgraded my wheel with radio controls and leather and it is very comfortable.

The 3500 V6 is very powerful (more than enough for a mid range family sedan), although fuel economy is mixed. My city driving mileage since it has gotten cold out has dropped to about 16MPG, although highway mileage when nice out has been very good (about 30MPG running 75 to 80MPH).

I don't really have any complaints about the interior holding up. My two gripes:
1. the metal bar that runs across the dash does not properly line-up with the same piece on the drivers door. Looks good on the passenger side, however.
2. no gear selector light. While I am not asking for letters/numbers to appear inside the speedometer, GM could have at least put some sort of indicator next to the shifter.

Trunk is a good size, and the struts make filling it very easy.

I have roughly 10,000kms (6,200 mi) on my Aura and everything has been trouble free, except for the dealer ripping me off on my oil change, however that has been rectified. I can hardly wait for spring so that I can take off these ugly 16" steel wheels with winter tires and put my 17" wheels back on (again steel, but with the "chrome" hubcaps which looks spectacular).

[IROCNROL1]

Originally Posted by LAMRONH

He thought it was an Electra.

Actually, I expected to be challenged on my claim of nonprejudiciality, but alas, no takers (or givers, for that matter).

I did get to check out this spectacular vehicle at the Chicago Auto Show, along with the Genesis, and Tiburon. Unfortunately, we were only there 5 hours before deciding to flee back to Cedar Rapids in order to avoid the impending snowstorm, so these were the only 3 cars I got a chance to look at. That's somewhat disappointing, because I really wanted to see the ZR1, Bumblebee, G8, CTS, Enclave, and everybody's concepts too, but I started at the top in case I had to bail out prematurely.

The Genesis is a car that I would definitely consider when I get older (make that more mature, since I'm already older). It exudes so much quality that it was actually sticky. Leaving the "H" off the hood shows how serious Hyundai is about breaking through the artificial ceiling. Not only do they save money by deleting it, but you don't have to risk scratching the paint before gluing on the Lexus emblem. Pure marketing and production genius.

[King Riffle]

I wouldn't consider the steering wheel a "Problem", it's just different.


Anywho, the bank said no to the Aura.

On the other hand, I did find a nicely equipped 2005 Pontiac G6(000). It was snowing rather hard when I drove it, so I didn't do too thorough a test. Notes:

-Interior was nice enough, not quite up to the level of the Aura. There were one or two minor rattles (may have been ice).

-The steering wheel is just aweful looking.

-I didn't play around much with the radio, but it looks a bit confusing.

-Feels more spacious inside than the Aura.

-Better visibility than the Aura, although it has the same thick A-pillars.

-GREAT in the snow.

-Drives pretty much the same as the Aura, though I think the suspension is a bit softer in the G6(000).

On another note, the power windows in the Taurus stopped working today. Woo...

[cs1992]

I'd really like to test drive an Elantra. The reviews I have read are mostly positive and most people seem to be happy with their purchase. I am most curious about the interior size. I believe that it is actually classified as a midsize sedan and is noticeably larger than its Corolla/Focus competitors. Also, gas mileage seems to be better than expected for this size vehicle.

[King Riffle]

Originally Posted by cs1992

I'd really like to test drive an Elantra. The reviews I have read are mostly positive and most people seem to be happy with their purchase. I am most curious about the interior size. I believe that it is actually classified as a midsize sedan and is noticeably larger than its Corolla/Focus competitors. Also, gas mileage seems to be better than expected for this size vehicle.

It is big inside. Very spacious. The trunk, like I said, is even more huge.