2007 Saturn Aura Review

Saturn Aura – Review: Saturn once billed itself as a different kind of car company. Those were the days of plastic body panels, a lineup that consisted of a sedan and coupe, and no-haggle pricing. Today, that company has morphed into a full-fledged unit of GM with a sometimes fuzzy take on that no-haggle deal and a healthy lineup of everything from roadsters to full-size crossovers. For 2007, the Aura midsize sedan gets added into the mix, and to be sure, this is not a different kind of car. Subjectively preferred over its twin, the Pontiac G6, the Saturn Aura aims to take on the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry with attractive style, commendable power, and questionable build quality.

What We Drove

A few months back we attended a driving event in San Diego. For the return trip to Orange County, GM loaned us a 2007 Saturn AURA XR for a week of evaluation. Since our tester didn’t include a window sticker, we had to do some calculating to figure out the price. We came up with $28,019, which is based on the XR’s $24,345 base price, a $650 destination charge, and optional features such as XM satellite radio ($199); an Enhanced Convenience Package with power pedals and a power passenger seat ($425); premium floor mats ($100); leather upholstery and trim with heated seats ($800); and a full-length sunroof ($1,500).

Performance

Packed under the hood of our Saturn Aura XR was a 252-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, an engine that proved completely capable of scooting the 3,647-lb. sedan around town with easy, jumped up to highway speeds without hesitation, and dug down deep for impromptu lane changes at a moment’s notice. The refined V6 was hampered by torque steer and a six-speed automatic transmission that had a few issues. We occasionally noticed delayed and abrupt shifts, and the counterintuitive steering wheel paddles were not fun to use. Only functional when the gear lever was in M, a push equaled an upshift and a pull was a downshift – we prefer each side dedicated to either upshifting or downshifting. We recorded 17.2 mpg over the course of one week.

Handling

Saturn engineers have done a commendable job in terms of the 2007 Aura’s handling. The steering was sensitive at slow speeds but took on a comfortable weightiness at highway speeds, and while there was plenty of road feel for a family sedan, it’d probably come up short in the eyes (or hands) of enthusiasts. Even so, the Aura tackled on-ramps with verve as the Goodyear tires held the road well and the suspension kept the ride well balanced. You won’t be slicing and dicing with Corvettes and Ferraris, but the Aura’s handling is ready to scrap with the best in the midsize family sedan segment. Equally impressive were the responsive brakes, which featured an easily-modulated pedal and provided telling feedback.

Visibility

Buyers of sports cars know, or should know, that they’ll likely have to make some sacrifices, including great outward visibility. To address that issue, they may want to fill the second bay of their garage with a 2007 Saturn Aura, a family sedan that features ample side mirrors and generous amounts of side glass that take the guesswork out of determining what’s in the next lane. The rear outboard headrests don’t fully retract, but the tall and wide rear glass negates any ill effects on visibility.

Fun to Drive

Fun is a very subjective word. If you’re a NASCAR driver, a day in the life of a corporate accountant may not feel like a good time. On the other hand, if you’re a felon who recently spent two months in the hole, walking outdoors might cause you to become downright giddy. For its part, the 2007 Saturn Aura XR, with its well controlled ride, comfortable interior, and eager V6 engine doesn’t really qualify as fun. Entertaining may be a better word, especially for those who try to trick themselves into believing that the paddle shifters are useful or offer the slightest modicum of sport.

Front Comfort

The Aura is a very comfortable car to drive in due in part to padded door sills and armrests, a rubberized center armrest that slides forward for a proper fit, and plenty of overall room. We especially appreciated our tester’s height-adjustable driver’s bucket, dual-setting heated seats, and the manual tilt and telescoping steering wheel. Put together, these features all work to create a hospitable interior. The seats are supportive and spacious, and while the bolsters are a little soft, they’re fine for keeping you planted when aggressively tackling on-ramps.

Rear Comfort

Let’s describe the Aura’s rear seat as fine. Why? Well, for an upper trim car with a sticker teetering on $30,000, we were expecting just a bit more, like a fold-down center armrest, or a recline feature, or soft front seatbacks, or a center headrest. The lack of these features doesn’t warrant a “NO SALE!” yelled across the negotiating table, but they’d surely all be welcome additions. But, there are a few highlight to point out, including wide-opening doors that make for easy ingress and egress, generous foot and head room, adequate knee room, and a supportive bench, albeit one without any bolsters to speak of.

Interior Noise

Rigid and quiet. Those are two words that manufacturers increasingly use to describe virtually any new or significantly redesigned model. Ford is using what it calls Quiet Steel in its SUVs and Buick has been promoting how its Lucerne beats its Japanese rivals in the area of sound insulation. Now you can add a midsize Saturn sedan to the list of low-decibel rides. Despite rolling on 18-inch Goodyear tires and its classification as a non-luxury vehicle, the 2007 Aura is surprisingly quiet, allowing for easy conversation at highway speeds and providing a welcome respite when navigating through snarled traffic after a hectic work day.

Loading Cargo

Useful trunks are overrated. That’s what Saturn Aura owners must believe. The covered box in the tail of this midsizer is shallow, so tall or bulky items must be avoided or beat into submission. That’s bad if you’re charged with toting Jr.’s science project to school; it’s good if you’re packing you mother-in-law’s fragile birthday present. Granted, the split rear seat folds down for added carrying capacity, but the rear parcel shelf sits so low that, again, you’re limited on what you can stuff in there. If you’re thinking that there must be some saving grace, guess again – the lid lacks a grab handle, the trunk opening is small, and the liftover height is a little too lofty.

Build Quality

When things are on an upward swing, there’s almost a guarantee that there will be a hiccup or two along the way. In this case, the upward swing is General Motors’ quality improvement, and the hiccup is the 2007 Saturn Aura XR we drove for a week. At first, we loved the look, but once we started looking closer we were just a group of shaking heads and gritting teeth. Inside, the left dash didn’t line up correctly, the rickety center console was misaligned, the switch panel on the driver’s door was popping off, and the rear portion of the headliner was not secure. Things were a bit better outside, where we found some inconsistent gaps but little else to complain about.