New Here: Which car should I keep? 1995 Civic VX or 1997 Saturn SL
 

Hello,

I have found myself contemplating which car to keep...

I have owned my VX since 2006 and it has been a great car. I have put 70,000 miles on it in that time frame. It now has 165,000 miles on it. The put a new a/c in it about 1.5 yrs ago, compressor, expansion valve, condensor etc. It has new LRR tires on it with about 10,000 miles on them. It still looks pretty clean, it does need a wax. It is white with blue interior, I have 95 Acura GSR seats in the front, more comfortable. I also added an armrest from a 95 civic sedan. It has a nice CD headunit with USB port on it and aux to play your ipod. It doesnt leak fluids, it doesnt burn oil, it runs really well. The clutch doesnt have much grip left but it was like that when I purchased it in 06 and doesnt seem to have gotten much worse. It is a great car and I love Hondas but, I am thinking the Saturn has 1/3 the miles of the Civic.

Alas, I came across a really nice 1 owner Saturn SL with only 57,000 miles, this car is mint. The original owner babied the car, it slept in the garage. It was waxed 2-3 times a yr and you can tell. The A/C blows super cold, colder than the VX. The entire car is immaculate not a ding or dent on the entire thing. The headliner does sag a bit, I have never seen a Saturn of this vintage that didn't. The interior is super clean and the car does not appear to need anything. I do like that the car is OBD2 so you can use a Scanguage in it and get live MPG readouts while driving and make adjustments based on the readout. The thing that I don't like about it that it is an American car and though I have never owned an American car, I have heard horror stories. The only reason I am even considering this car over my 95 VX is because my girlfriend has a 99 Saturn SL with 145,000 miles and her family has owned it since new. The car has been very reliable and for the money they seem like nice little cars. The one I currently own is white with grey interior and it really is presentable for a 97. The Saturn is much quieter at interstate speed than the VX and has alot more power when you need it. I don't think the mileage is quite as good in the Saturn but I believe it is pretty close.

I have read alot of good things about the Saturn on this site and other fuel saving websites and would like some real world opinons from like minded people on this forum.

Which would you keep?

I am in Florida and both cars are rust free.

Thanks in advance!

I have only owned my VX for a few days now, but I can't imagine choosing a Saturn over it. As far as MPG instrumentation, you could use an MPGuino in the VX and be able to accurately monitor fuel economy, even in lean burn.

Although, if the quieter ride and the saturn generally appeals to you, that's all up to you. They are great cars as well.

It seems like the Saturn is the best bet.

I would make a point system, and decide which is more valuable. Is the Civic worth more? Which costs more to repair? Estimated costs to repair?

It will really come down to what suits your wants and needs better, bur the Saturn sounds a bit better.

Glad you are enjoying the VX. It was really nice meeting you and your friend and riding in the Neon! You two are road warriors making the trip down and back in one day.

I would vote for the VX over the Saturn if you are looking for longevity. I had a VX briefly that had over 414k on it, still ran fine and even had the original clutch.

VX all the way.

Sorry for not remembering, did we meet? Fill me in, my memory must be getting hazy...?

Yah dude civic vx's rule

I think that 1carnut meant me. I just met him on friday and bought my VX from him.

No, sorry for the confusion... I sold my VX to 2000neon recently and met him and a friend of his.

I have the same two cars in my drive way, the VX is mine and the Saturn is my room mates, her saturn looks brand new and has no issues and she really wants a VX because it can haul more stuff and is a nicer car to drive with fewer mechanical issues.
Her Saturn is a 2000, and my VX is a 1993, so the age spread is a little larger, along with the number of miles being a larger spread.
What kills VX's is rust, so if that is not an issue where you live then that car should be working fine with 400,000 miles on it as long as you do basic maintenance and repairs.

What kind of issues does your roommate have with the Saturn. I have another car that can haul a bunch of stuff if need be.

Which car fills your needs better. Which has better parts support. Which is capable of better mileage?

She's had issues with the front sway bar and it's a dealer only part, suspension all around wearing out faster then seems reasonable, starter went out and a few odd sensors, I forget what, but it's also a GM car so they have their own list of trouble codes on the computer that you need a GM code reader to read, I've worked on a number of Saturns now and am not impressed, their quality is better then that of a Geo Metro but it's not up to the standards that I've seen from Honda.

Thanks for the replies, keep them coming.

A friend of mine asked me yesterday if he should buy an original paint, 1 owner, clean old Ford pickup he had found. For $400. My answer was "Why are we even having this conversation?" Since you are posting this on a forum for economy enthusiasts, I will ask you the same thing. VX.

You have to make your priorities, and decide for youself.

Some people may place higher value on other things, like brands, or what have you. Although there may be some correlation between brands and service needs, it is not fact, and your needs and priorities will make the decision.

Compare the two vehicles side by side!
Compare Side-by-Side

Saturn SL1 (you didn't say if it was an SL1 or SL2) with a 5 speed is EPA rated ("new" EPA figures as of a few years ago) at 24mpg city 36mpg highway, Civic VX is EPA rated at 37mpg city and 45mpg highway, the EPA's figure for cost to drive 25 miles is $3.42 in the Saturn and $2.39 in the Civic VX, average person drives around 25 miles per day so the Saturn is going to cost you over a $1 per day more to drive! that web site figures the average person drives more then that per day and says the Saturn is going to cost you an extra $600 per year in fuel.

Those are EPA numbers, so yes, the average person on here is going to be doing better then them in both cars but they use the same test to get those numbers on both cars so it's a level field.

Look at the aftermarket parts for a civic and then aftermarket for a saturn. There are more parts for civics, more people own civics, and honda just makes damn good engines. Civic dominates the aftermarket which means cheaper prices. Compare prices of things like alternaters/fuel pumps and post the prices here and then make your decision.

bump

First of all, take the “American car” phobia and throw it out the window. They all break, PERIOD. One certain badge on the hood over another does not ensure that you’re going to get a better or worse car. I’ve been working on cars for years and I’ve seen failures from ALL of them. However, certain models do have better track records than others and certain brands do tend to have more issues with some of their models. Basically what I’m saying is that buying a Honda, for instance, does not mean you’re going to have a more reliable car than buying a _______<fill in the blank.
That being said, I do know Saturns and I currently own 2 of them; a 93 SL2 and an 04 Vue.
Here’s some thoughts:
You didn’t say SL1 or SL2, that does make a difference.
The SL1 is a SOHC engine and also has taller gearing in the transmission. What that means is better MPG and a more relaxed cruise rpm.
The SL2 has the DOHC engine and is a bit peppier. The shorter gearing, however, has it turning 3000rpm at interstate speeds and mpg is definitely worse (by 3-5 or so on average) than the single cam. If you’re not afraid of a project, single cam transmissions will swap over to a dual cam. I’ve been contemplating this swap for a while now in an effort to get “the best of both worlds”. :cool:
The twin-cams typically have a “sportier” suspension also and rear sway bar although I wouldn’t call either of them a “great handling” car. Probably on par with a typical standard (non-SI) Civic though.

Here’s some general Saturn attributes (from my experience):
Positives:
-Both engines are capable of running 300k mi +. My SL2 (twin cam) has about 230k mi on it and is dead reliable.
-Saturn S-series tend to be very simple and easy to work on :thumbup:
-parts are cheap (rockauto.com has just about everything-no dealer necessary).
-their reasonably comfortable for 4 adults
-they don’t rust. I don’t know how big of an issue rust is where you are but here it’s a MAJOR problem. :( Finding a 20 yr old Civic w/o serious cancer issues is like trying to find Bigfoot riding on a Unicorn. :rolleyes: Saturns hold up MUCH better not only because they have plastic bodies but because the metal parts just don’t seem to rust like other cars.
-a twin cam is capable of 40mpg and a single 45+ without extreme hypermiling. Just smart, careful driving will net you some pretty darn good mpg’s for their size. Keep in mind though; auto-tragic versions will be down a couple mpg vs. what I said.
-their CHEAP to buy, CHEAP to maintain, CHEAP to insure and CHEAP to drive. Their low-cost transportation at its finest. :cool:

Negatives:
-aftermarket support is minimal. You’re going to have to be creative if you want to mod.
-They use oil. For whatever reason, most S-series seem to use some oil, even since new. They don’t smoke or dump it out of every seal in the engine, they just seem to “eat” it. From what I’ve read, mine is on the “excellent” end of the scale and it goes through ¾-1qt every 3000mi. Some have been known to self-destruct because the owners never checked and they run themselves dry. If you’re looking to buy an S-series ask the owner how much it uses. If they can’t tell you they’re either hiding something or their neglecting the car to an early grave; walk away.
-They are hard to get in and out of. Their seating position is low and it makes it a bit of a pain to get in/out. This is an issue for some (mostly older folk) and not for others. It’s a minor annoyance for me but not enough to make me shun the car.
-their kind of bland and boring. There’s no “sportiness” or “fun to drive” factor with an S-series. Their just simple A-B transportation.
-The headliners do fall over time. The bright side is that it can be fixed for about $100 (that’s what mine cost me) at any decent upholstery shop.


You already have a good car from a fuel economy and reliability standpoint. If the fact that you’re mileage is getting “high” has got you spooked, relax. A well cared for Civic will keep going until the body falls off. If you’re just looking for something different, you could do far worse than a S-Series. However, it’s more of a “lateral” move as an SL isn’t really “better” than a Civic in any significant way.

Both are good cars, but considering the running cost and replacements availability the Civic is a better deal.

I couldn't have said it better myself. From a reliability stand point Saturn has proven itself time and time again. Keep oil in her and it will run till the end of time! Don't know much about the Honda's other than they rust if you just think about road salt.


My dad has an SL1 that he gets 47MPG in average and he doesn't even know what hypermiling is lmao......