Saturn right-sizes new wagon

Saturn right-sizes new wagon

By RICHARD WILLIAMSON

Scripps Howard News Service

When you're trying on clothes and you find something that actually fits, that's a nice feeling.

Those blue jeans that you bonded with in the Wal-Mart dressing room are likely to remain your favorites, no matter how many wash cycles they go through.

The same thing can be true of cars.

I've driven cars that didn't fit, regardless of their price range. I could manipulate the eight-way power adjustable seats and the telescoping steering wheel all day without ever feeling truly comfortable. Ergonomics is a game of inches, and not all players can be winners.

Then, there are cars that make you sit up and take notice that God is in his heaven and you can reach everything on the dash without working at it.

Such a car is the 2000 Saturn LW2, a wagon that Madison Avenue pitches as "the next big thing from Saturn." It would be more honest if they called it "the first mid-sized thing from Saturn."

The "L" in "LW" stands for "Larger" and the "W" stands for "Wagon." This distinguishes it from the SW, in which the "S" stands for "Smaller" and the "W" stands for? Anybody? That's right, "Wagon."

How badly did Saturn need this car?

Well, let's put it this way. Even with a rock-solid base of loyal customers, some people who had outgrown Saturn's S-models were thinking about skipping the next picnic in Spring Hill, Tenn.

The Saturn "experiment" basically proved that you could build a franchise with just one basic car in your lineup for a decade, provided you delivered outstanding customer service, excellent reliability and enough variety in the body styles to keep people interested.

The S-series came in coupe, sedan and wagon with a choice of two basic engines.

When it came time to add a second car to the showroom, GM imported Opel blueprints from Germany, designed a larger Saturn body and rolled out the finished product at last year's Spring Hill picnic, even though final assembly was done in Wilmington, Del.

Is this car really a Saturn?

Who cares? My question is: Why has GM been holding back a car like this from American buyers all these years?

Former General Motors Chairman Roger Smith wanted to prove that Americans, and his company in particular, could build a car as solid and reliable as a Toyota Corolla. Now that GM has established that milestone, current Chairman Jack Smith can simply ring up Germany and tell them to send over "the next big thing."

"Oh, and by the way, you wouldn't happen to have a compact SUV you could send along, would you? Nah, didn't think so. I guess we'll have to design that ourselves."

Wagons the size of the LW2 are really on the comeback trail these days. Instead of being seen as something June Cleaver would drive, today's wagons are sporty and hip. Young people who might shun a SUV would certainly feel comfortable in a compact to mid-size wagon.

With a base price of $21,360, the LW2 comes with a 3-liter, double overhead cam V6 engine that feels like a big step up from the 4- bangers in the S-series. The imported engine has 182 horses that breathe through 24 valves and never sound labored in a common driving situations.

While the V6 engine is standard in the LW2, the lesser LW1 uses a 4-cylinder engine rated at 137 horsepower, roughly the same as the base Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.

With a 0-60 mph time of 8.5 seconds, the LW2 would produce a photo finish in a race with the V6 Volkswagen Passat and the 222- horsepower Nissan Maxima GLE. With a braking distance of 131 feet from 60 mph to 0, the LW2's power discs and ABS system come close to best in class.

Fuel economy is an unimpressive 20 city and 26 highway miles per gallon for an estimated annual fuel cost of $819.

The sport tuned suspension tells you this is a European car, providing athletic ride and handling.

Saturn generously endowed the LW2 with standard equipment, including fog lamps, a cargo cover for the back end, alloy wheels and 15-inch performance tires.

Under the roof, you get air conditioning, cruise control, and eight-speaker stereo with AM/FM/CD and cassette players, power windows and locks, split-folding rear seats to enlarge the cargo bay, wood grain accents and a leather wrapped steering wheel.

2000 Saturn LW2

DATA

TYPE: Front-drive, mid-size, 5-passenger wagon.

PRICE: $24,135 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Wilmington, Del.

POWER: 3-liter, 24-valve, DOHC, 182-horsepower V6 engine; four- speed auto transmission.

FUEL ECONOMY: 20 city, 26 highway mpg; estimated annual fuel cost $819.

CHASSIS: Enhanced, sport-tuned suspension.

BRAKES: Power discs, ABS.

LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 190.4 x 69 x 57.3 inches.

WHEELBASE: 106.5 inches.

CURB WEIGHT: 3,230 pounds.

STANDARD: Fog lamps, cargo cover, alloy wheels, performance tires, air conditioning, cruise control, eight-speaker stereo with AM/FM/CD and cassette players, power windows and locks, split-folding rear seats, wood grain accents, leather wrapped steering wheel.

OPTIONS: Leather package includes leather upholstery, heated front seats, leather door trim ($1,095); ABS ($695); six-way power driver's seat ($325); premium stereo, $220.

Copyright 2000
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