By definition, a coupe is a two-door vehicle. That's just how it's always been, until this year. True to form, Saturn has done something completely different with its 1999 SC2 sport coupe--they've added an extra door. They've also added some new options and tried to quiet the cabin. We eagerly took the wheel this spring to see how the "different kind of car company" fared in its endeavors.
First of all, it's important to remember that everybody who buys a Saturn is paying sticker price for it. That's their pitch and they're sticking to it. Saturn executives emphasize the pleasant buying experience over the messy price haggling at most dealerships, thereby selling their cars to everyone for the same full price. Amazingly, that stance has proven to appeal to many happy, American Saturn owners who despise the art of the deal. Now, if you've accepted this fact and are still interested in Saturn's sport coupe, here's the lowdown.
For 1999, Saturn dared to go where no car manufacturer has gone before. They added a standard third door to their smallest car in an effort to provide easier access to the tiny back seats. The third rear-access door allows small children (and only small children should attempt this) to scramble into the back from the driver's side. The door operates just like a third door on an extended-cab pickup truck: it can be released only after the driver's door has been opened, by pulling on a small handle hidden on the inner side of the extra door. Saturn's third door opens suicide-style, leaving a large access area to both the front and back seats at the same time and making it easy for parents to herd little ones inside. The downside? Dropping kids off at school or softball practice will require the driver to open her door first, then step out and unlatch the back door before the child can be let loose.
The small window attached to the third door does not open, however, so don't expect to cool down the interior without getting your hair mussed up. A plus for the extra door is that it provides easy access to luggage, pets or goodies that may be stored in the backseat. Anyone who's ever gone on a road trip or camping excursion with a two-door coupe will appreciate this utility. This innovative feature also makes cleaning out the inside of your car less of a hassle. Let's be honest: crawling around on the floor with a vacuum nozzle is much more enjoyable when your body is not wedged in between the front seat and the car's body panels, right? Additionally, Saturn hopes its third door will make the SC2 more convenient for disabled drivers who may need to carry a wheelchair in the back.
After receiving complaints and criticism about the ridiculously high noise levels inside their cars for the past 10 years, Saturn engineers attempted to tackle the problem once and for all. They succeeded. We slipped behind the wheel of Saturn's 1999 SC2 coupe in mid-April and found that wind noise, engine noise and road rumble had all been quelled considerably. We still noticed a slight hissing sound coming from the sunroof area and were aware of some road grumble permeating the cabin on not-so-smooth highways, but the Saturn exhibited no more noise than you'd find in other small cars in this class. To quiet noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, engineers installed new pistons, crankshafts and connecting rods. Environmentalists should be happy to know that these engine improvements also brought about a one-mpg fuel-economy increase.
The 1.9-liter, four-cylinder twin-cam engine snuggled under the hood of the SC2 makes 124 horsepower and 122 foot-pounds of torque @ 4,800 rpm. In real life, those specs mean that while we were satisfied with the car's passing power on the highway, we were begging for more oomph when stoplights turned green. Also, the engine made quite a racket when we demanded extra speed quickly, and when turning the steering wheel at low speeds, we noticed an unnerving clunking sound emanating from the steering column. And despite the improvements engineers made to the noise levels produced by the SC2, we were still irritated by other sounds, like the creaky plastic surrounding the driver's cubicle and the squeaky cloth seats.
Driving the SC2 in the twisties turned out to be a good time, thanks to a sport suspension that tackles road irregularities smoothly and wide tires that grip the road well. Saturn also gave its SC2 some new equipment, like redesigned wheel covers and optional 15-inch alloy wheels, in an effort to make the car sportier for 1999. Another option is antilock brakes with traction control, which will cost an extra $695. The base price for the SC2 is a reasonable $15,445, but most folks will at least want to spring for the $1,320 power package that makes it convenient to lock doors, open windows or set the cruise button. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, driver's seat with six-way direction control and lumbar support, premium cloth seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with tilt adjustment, and body-colored door handles.
Despite Saturn's willingness to try new things, we weren't smitten with the SC2, especially once we crawled inside. First off, the door hinges were so loose that we couldn't step in or out of the vehicle without the door crashing against our leg or body. The front seats felt mushy and squeaked when we moved, and the back seats had little legroom or headroom to accommodate anything bigger than a toddler or a pet. Cost cutting was obviously the motivation for having only the right side mirror operate electronically. Even with the power package, the left mirror had to be adjusted manually, which seemed silly and strange.
The view out the left rear side of the car was terrible. Those who like to look over their shoulder in addition to checking the side mirrors before changing lanes will find it impossible in the SC2 because the B-pillar, headrest and seatbelt loop all conspire to block that area. Additionally, the gear shifter between the two front seats felt extremely rickety. When pushing the manual shifter into the next gear, all of the plastic surrounding the module shook and shimmied. Plus, the shifter itself felt loose and wobbly in our grip.
Finally, interior materials felt like they'd been pulled out of the scrap pile. The stalk used to engage the turn signals required a good pull or push to get it working, made a loud clicking noise in the process, and then tended to stick in the "on" position. A small indentation in the top of the dash acts like a tray for stray goods, but is not textured so everything slides around noisily. The traction-control button located above the climate controls has an orange light that stays on when the system is on. This seems logical, but is actually distracting because most people will leave traction control on all the time and then have to stare at the light constantly, thinking it's a dash warning of some kind. There is only one cupholder in the front, and the driver does not receive a vanity mirror even though the passenger gets one--without lights.
All griping aside, we found that the car's instrument panel was clearly designed with large lettering, air vents were well-positioned and the center cubby was quite large. Plus, the rear seats offered two dry-cleaning hooks and a console with two cupholders and an extra storage tray, the sunroof had both a tilt and slide option, and the glove compartment provided a nifty partition to keep pens and sunglasses separated from the owner's manual.
Unfortunately for Saturn, the SC2 competes with popular coupes like the Volkswagen New Beetle, Honda Civic and Chevy Cavalier--all of which offer adequate standard equipment, are priced low and can be incredibly fun to drive. Since the other cars' prices can be challenged and Saturn's cannot, we'd suggest taking a good look at your options before going the no-haggle route.
We applaud Saturn for its unique third-door concept and appreciate the quieter cabin. But while the SC2 has received essential improvements for 1999, we are still not thrilled with the car overall. Our suggestion to Saturn for 2000: Do something about the cheap quality of the SC2's interior materials. You've redefined the coupe, after all; we know you can make a difference.
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