New Car Review:2003 Saturn L300 Sedan - The BIG One
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SEE ALSO: Saturn Buyer's Guide
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS
It was only three years ago that Saturn's L-Series was
introduced, but continuous improvement is a driving force at
Saturn. According to Saturn, there have been over 380 upgrades,
refinements, and new features added to the L-Series since its debut
in 2000. And so, the L-Series has been considerably reworked for
2003, with new exterior and interior styling adding character and
revised engineering adding refinement. Two grades of the 2003
Saturn L-Series are offered, the 200, powered by a 2.2-liter four-
cylinder engine, and the 300, with a 3.0-liter V6. If it's an L, it's a
sedan; LW means wagon.
Like the original small Saturn, the L-Series was designed to be a
car for import-oriented customers, and people who otherwise never
would have thought of a General Motors vehicle. While it is built in
Wilmington, Delaware, there is more than a little import in L-Series
ancestry. It is based on a platform used by Opel, GM's German
division. Few parts directly interchange - when the L-Series was
introduced to the press, we were shown all that did, which fit into a
box the size of a milk crate - but an intangible feeling remains.
I've been driving a top-of-the-line L300 sedan for the past week,
equipped with the ``everything included'' DVD Entertainment
Package. Even with that, it is priced at about the average level for a
new car today. But it is definitely not average, being closer in
specification and feeling to a near-luxury car. It's refined and
comfortable, with good power from its 3.0-liter V6 engine. Power
and luxury from Saturn? Believe it.
APPEARANCE: The L-Series has received a dramatic restyling for
2003. Gone is the conservatively-rounded nose, replaced by a
longer, chiseled front fascia with a chromed honeycomb grille and
slanting, wraparound headlights that give the a determined look.
The hood line is higher, which, with the new nose, helps give the
car the long-nose, short-deck proportions usually associated with
rear-wheel drive cars. The rear panel has also been restyled, with
European-looking triangular taillights replacing the previous full-
width applique.
COMFORT: Although it is not too large outside, there is much
more room than one may expect inside of a Saturn L-Series sedan.
The interior, too, has been restyled, but less dramatically than the
exterior. It still has the same basic upscale cosmopolitan two-tone
design, but some details have changed. Satin nickel-look finish
replaces woodgrain on the center stack and shifter trim, and the
main instruments now have dark lettering on a silvery background.
The standard upholstery has also been changed. The front seats
would be at home in a car costing considerably more than the L-
Series sedan's very reasonable base price, and the rear contoured
bench has generous head and leg room. My premium-equipped
example had leather upholstery as part of the ``DVD Entertainment
Package'', which also includes upgraded audio and climate control
systems, the OnStar telematics system, a power-adjustable driver's
seat, and more interior and exterior extras as well as the rear-seat
DVD system, which is centered around a seven-inch fold-down
LCD screen in the ceiling behind the front seats. A remote
controller and wireless headphones are included for use by rear
passengers while those in front can listen to a different program on
radio, tape, or CD.
SAFETY: All Saturn L-Series models have chassis construction
with a strong central safety cage designed to protect occupants, and
front and rear crush zones. Head curtain air bags are standard on all
models.
ROADABILITY: European heritage wasn't explicitly in the box of
parts that were inherited from Opel. But it made it into the L-Series
anyway, especially in the ride quality. Although the fully-
independent MacPherson strut front, multilink rear suspension of
the 2003 L-Series is unchanged in basic design, it has been refined.
Reversing the popular wedge look, spring heights of the 2003 L-
Series cars have been raised 9mm in front, and lowered 8mm in the
rear. That, plus new sixteen-inch wheels and tires and revised shock
damping and power steering valving give the L300 a very
comfortable ride and good steering and cornering response.
PERFORMANCE: If you equate ``Saturn'' with ``slow'', try an
L300. With 182 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque from its 3.0-
liter V6, and a reasonably light 3200-lb curb weight, it has plenty of
energy. Acceleration, particularly for passing at highway speeds, is
good, and is aided by a smooth, quick four-speed automatic
transmission. Although the 24-valve twincam V6, also used by
some of GM's European brands including Saab, Opel, and
Vauxhall, has an unusual 54-degree vee angle instead of the
common (and balanced) 60 degrees, a balance shaft and other
engineering tricks make it quiet and refined.
CONCLUSIONS: The Saturn L300 combines comfort, power, and
value.
SPECIFICATIONS
2003 Saturn L300 Sedan
Base Price $ 20,645
Price As Tested $ 25,715
Engine Type 24-valve dual overhead cam V6
Engine Size 3.0 liters / 183 cu. in.
Horsepower 182 @ 5600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) 190 @ 3600 rpm
Transmission 4-speed electronically-controlled
automatic
Wheelbase / Length 106.5 in. / 190.4 in.
Curb Weight 3197 lbs.
Pounds Per Horsepower 17.6
Fuel Capacity 15.7 gal.
Fuel Requirement 87 octane unleaded regular gasoline
Tires P215/55 R16 Firestone Firehawk GTA
Brakes, front/rear vented disc / solid disc,
antilock optional
Suspension, front/rear independent MacPherson strut /
independent multilink
Drivetrain front engine, front-wheel drive
PERFORMANCE
EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon
city / highway / observed 21 / 29 / 24
0 to 60 mph est. 8.6 sec
OPTIONS AND CHARGES
DVD Entertainment Package - includes: CD-compatible
DVD entertainment system with 7-inch fold-down screen,
wireless headphones, remote control; leather appointments;
OnStar communications system with 1-year safe&sound plan;
16-inch chromed alloy wheels; foglamps; AM/FM/cassette/CD
changer audio system; power driver's seat; automatic climate
control; heated outside mirrors;
extra interior appointments $ 4,060
Anti-lock brakes $ 400
Destination charge $ 610