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