2000 Saturn SC2 3 Door Coupe | Retro Review

[@TruckingShooter]

Saturn deserved better then what they got.

[@bobhill3941]

They did, these were cool, I liked what they offered. An aunt of mine had an 02 ION over 20 years ago.

[@Dellonidas]

This was my dream car when I was in middle school

[@xxxpensive1415]

My ex wife was the same

[@Spidernick88]

I will never understand why the money was not spend just making a better Chevy small car. GM is absurd. Lol

[@carlosb6269]

Agreed. Corporate bean counters could only see the balance sheet and forecast figures. I recall how ‘edgy’ it looked at the time compared to other compacts of the time. Definitely deserved better.

[@herbiehusker1889]

I wish there was a modern affordable coupe like this.

[@ensignjimmy3237]

I wish there was too and we all say we want them. We didn’t buy enough of them to stick around in the first place. The Miata and BRZ/GR86 are withering away for the same reason.

[@herbiehusker1889]

@@ensignjimmy3237 those aren't exactly affordable.

[@ShanePatsy]

Hyundai Veloster was around for about ten years, I think they canceled it during covid

[@ensignjimmy3237]

@@herbiehusker1889 - adjusted for inflation the test car is more expensive than any of those 3 which is about the most fair comparison you can make with apples and oranges. The point was is that interest was waning then and we don’t buy them now even though we say we want them.

[@dean68w19]

Not that affordable for the time. Adjusted for inflation, the SC2 they tested was over $32k in today's money.

[@TTime685]

The leather fitment on those seat was superb lol

[@basshead.]

Puts Rolls Royce in shame.

[@LeftIsBest001]

I miss the time when there were options other than SUVs. 😔

[@palebeachbum]

Yes! And they were more affordable than SUVs.

[@oliverdelgado6952]

Or nasty crossovers

[@chadriddle3517]

I’m sitting right where these were once made ! I’ve also owned several of these in the past , I personally loved them

[@mrgurulittle7000]

Wow you actually live where the factory used to be? That’s cool.

[@agamemnon8163]

@@mrgurulittle7000no he is slacking at work watching KZbin videos 😤😡

[@mrgurulittle7000]

@@agamemnon8163😂😂

[@epicraptorman]

Yet the Veloster came out 11 years later everyone noted it's 3-door design and completely forgot that Saturn did it first

[@GeeEm1313]

Speaking of the 3rd door, I'm surprised it wasn't on the right side of the car. Getting put into traffic isn't fun.

[@Ethan2xm85]

I miss my old SL2. It was one of the few cars that I actually liked that felt like it was good at it's job. Also fixed pricing was a bonus too, no dealer nonsense.

[@LrulestheworldM8]

Saturn was peak affordable economy car. Exciting enough to top a chevy, and cheap enough to beat a toyota. And reliable. I miss this old car company.

[@basshead.]

Don't be ridiculous. No one can beat Toyota.

[@LrulestheworldM8]

@@basshead. You forget that there is such a thing known as 'the Toyota tax'. It refers to the on average $3000 extra price you pay to buy a Toyota new or used.

[@basshead.]

@@LrulestheworldM8 worth every penny

[@BCars_Garage]

These cars were so good and those engines lived forever!

[@palebeachbum]

I briefly owned a 1999 SC1 with the clamshell door. It had a 5-speed manual, dark green metallic with a beige interior. The SOHC 100hp engine was surprisingly adequate. Not a race car, but perfectly acceptable for a 2-door economy car. It offered fantastic fuel mileage. It was a comfortable car to drive. The build quality felt a little flimsy and I couldn't run it through an automatic car wash or use a high-pressure sprayer because the door seals were a lousy design allowing water into the car. I miss that car though. It was overwhelmingly a positive experience.

[@AndyRoss-z3t]

OMG. One of the slowest "sporty" coupes ever made. It was loud, harsh and utterly fucking slow under even moderate acceleration. That GM 1.9L engine was not one of GM's stellar achievements.

[@sjhudon386]

Except it easily got 40 mpg. And the twin cam was a gem.​@AndyRoss-z3t

[@AndyRoss-z3t]

@@sjhudon386 I had a rwin cam. My first new car. A 1997 SC2 silver 5 speed. It was far from a gem. The worst of Honda engineering was and is still better than this garbage.

[@glennvernes8305]

@@AndyRoss-z3twould you prefer Uranus?

[@punemax]

The Redline version of this got slept on.

[@BigWheel.]

You're thinking of the ion.

[@punemax]

@@BigWheel. thank you, I couldn’t remember the name, just that it was basically a Cobalt SS

[@cnon.]

​@@punemaxIon Redline came first , so the Cobalt SS was like an Ion Redline ;)

[@Ethan2xm85]

They were terrible though reliability wise. Mate of mine had an Ion and another the Cobalt SS. Supercharger issues on one around 50k and general interior disintegration on both (with the usual half of the electrics just not working half the time), they were way to GM influenced at that point and it showed. Older Saturns were a LOT better (had a Cobalt, and two SL2s and there was no comparison).

[@perrybeyer7531]

I had an '01 SC2 in race yellow with the 5 speed stick. One of the best cars I have owned to date. Fantastic on fuel and sporty enough to have a little fun. That 3rd door was great for throwing stuff in the back seat on errands. I loved it!

[@unicornharry7995]

The original beetle of the U.S., best utilitarian cars ever made. Actually super easy to work on everything was is at arms reach. Cheap to fix, the plastic panels are miles better than sheet metal. Super reliable. Provides excellent mpg in single cam, good power in the dual cam but less mpg.

[@Jay-z5w6g]

We've owned four "real" Saturns (the "S" cars). A new '97 SL2 that we leased for three years, a '95 SL2 that we bought used in the early '00s to tow around all over the country behind our motor home and kept for eleven years before handing it down to a family member, and an '02 SL2 which we bought used in 2013 for our sons to drive to school and still have it as a spare car. We also had a red '02 SC2 similar to the one in the video but with black leather interior, power seats, locks, and windows, cruise, a sunroof, and stick shift. We bought it used as a spare car and ended up driving it way more than we planned because it was so versatile, fun to drive, and got great mileage. My teen son and I even took it on a multi-week camping and hiking trip all over the Western US. It held all of our camping and other gear without an issue and did everything well. Unfortunately it got hit in the front corner and the insurance company totaled it and wrote us a check, incidentally for more than we had paid for it three years before. I still miss that car. Unfortunately, the '02 SL2 that's still in our household fleet still looks great but is getting harder to maintain and its days may be numbered. It was built at Spring Hill in the last month of '02 production, which was the last model year for the "S" cars, so it's one of the last built. My plan is to keep it going as long as possible, within reason.

[@michaelsimko7694]

Those Saturn SC cars were cool back in the 90s

[@Nancoman]

My wife and I bought a white SC2, in 1998. That was before the SC grew a third door. We loved it, and specially the traction control, with a button on the console. We kept it a few years, in our area, we were having some terrible winters back then, and I was worried someone would not see her little white car in the snow! Anyway, the car performed well for the 56,000 miles we owned it, and she never did get stuck, or break down, the whole time we owned it. Saturn was a decent company.

[@Cheezwizzz]

At least they paid attention to their customers 🪐

[@jp23x]

love my 2002 sl1, have had it for 9 years and 0 problems.

[@svpracer98]

In the summer of 2009, my parents bought what would be my first car, a 2008 Saturn Astra XR (5 door)... When the transaction was completed, I remember the dealership giving me a diecast model of an SC2 Coupe...

[@beyondu77]

Everyone I know who owned a Saturn absolutely loved them. My partner had one and my sister did too and they both really liked those cars.

[@gabe_20xx]

Ah the early 2000s, the last hoorah of the 20th century. Good times

[@douglasb.1203]

The early 2000's was the dawn of the 21st century?

[@gabe_20xx]

@douglasb.1203 yea but figuratively, it felt like you were still in the 90s

[@BigWheel.]

​@douglasb.1203 nothing really changed technologically or culturally until the the first iPhone came out really.

[@douglasb.1203]

@@BigWheel. I'm thinking Windows 95 and the advent of the PC changed technology more so than the smartphone.

[@OzziesRobots]

Saturn was turned into Pluto & deleted from the solar system

[@jasonmohning1708]

I loved my sc2. Solid car

[@sjhudon386]

I had 2000 SL1 and a 1997 SW2 both 5spd. They were great little used cars. Both had 250,000 miles without any major issues.

[@Greig300]

Mazda… be like hmm… I think we will steal that door idea.

[@bghoody5665]

Weren't there some extended cab pickups that used it as well?

[@palebeachbum]

@@bghoody5665 Yes.

[@6ec6YRFPTcC]

Honda Element and Hyundai Veloster too

[@Ethan2xm85]

In Jeremy Clarkson's voice: ""And make it worse..."

[@mattwolf7698]

​@@6ec6YRFPTcCThe Velosters door wasn't a suicide door but it was still interesting.

[@Skyhawk1987Turbo]

Loved the first generation Saturn coupe

[@texas994a]

There really ought to be an encore of the 80s marathon THIS WEEKEND!

[@waynemccort2613]

I have a 2002 SC2 with 87,000 Miles on it. Electric windows and sunroof, nice ride.

[@lilypark8735]

I was ready buy one after graduating high school, then they killed it. Japanese imports were super popular that era. Saturn won my heart over all those Japanese brands.

[@MicahTheBeast]

I remember when these came out. One was featured at the entrance of a department store in the local mall, and the third door was really cool to me at the time! Alas, both the department store and Saturn are now defunct. Fun while it lasted.

[@youtubasoarus]

Looks cool! I think Saturns were under appreciated. Not a fan of GM at all, but these were neat. They were trying to push somewithing with those plastic body panels.

[@Slowgroovin]

Had a 95 SL. Saturns were good cars.

[@MarkMeadows90]

2:52 Man, I thought the transmission gear grinded there for a second lol

[@ericbritton9346]

I had this car 11 years ago with a manual transmission. The Saturn SC1 coupe in red exterior and beige interior. Bought it used for $3000 with at a dealership with 150,000 miles. That third door can in handy, even for my two daughters at the time. A different kind of company, a different kind of car.

[@jp23x]

i purchased my 2002 SL1 w/ 70k miles in 2015 for 3k from some old lady that got it from another old lady.

[@mwaldyke]

I had a 1996 SC2 (2 doors). I really liked that car. I still think the plastic body panels were a good idea. They never rusted (in Michigan) and they didn't dent. My car was backed into by a neighbor three times without needing a trip to the body shop. I thought a little wider panel gap was a worthwhile compromise.

[@williamporter8458]

I had an SC1 for 10 years and zero problems. So many people I knew had Saturns and loved them too. And lots of these little Saturns had Ivy League colleges and grad school stickers on the back of them. GM had happy and upwardly mobile customers in the palm of their hand (after spending millions to create Saturn to fight Honda and Toyota) and still managed to squander it all away with multiple bad decisions.

[@thimble288]

A friend traded his beautiful black SC coupe in on a Jetta. It was weird when he had to admit that his new German car wasn't built as well as the Saturn

[@bspep3]

Almost bought one of these used a while back but dude sold it while I was driving to his house 😢

[@mrgurulittle7000]

Saturn was too cool for boring GM.

[@NinthDensity]

I’m actually impressed!

[@SolamenteVees]

That Sirius/XM Watercolors soundtrack

[@PliskinHK]

Weird that the door never caught on with more coupes. Sure the RX8 did it too but the Saturn was able to do it while still preserving the 2-door coupe look

[@bhd812]

$18k fully loaded! Laugh all you want at the specs but that price is amazing!

[@rabit818]

I had an SC1 and it was reliable. My only beef, the body/door rattle

[@scottbuchele4814]

I'm about to mark 10 years with my 2000 L Series. Wouldn't have it any other way

[@JosephDCM]

I had a white one of these with an automatic back in the day. Owned it for about 8 years. I loved it but that backseat would flood as it got on in years.

[@rafapenson]

This car's front end remind the Asian giant hornet face. 😂

[@luciolamota]

For sure, this car has peculiar headlights, and this front end reminds this insert. 😂

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Gm killed one of their best reliable cars! My niece bought one brand new then. And she put over 200 thousand miles on it before giving it to her father my brother. He then put another 50 thousand miles before he couldn’t drive no more because of health issues.

[@mbox314]

Saturn was a cool brand. If they did not have typical GM longevity I feel it would have been a real hit.

[@lucasworktv]

I miss Saturn 😢

[@prins_af_danmark]

SATURN FROM SATURN!

[@cwalden918]

I always thought the Saturn headlights looked so weird..and still do

[@billschlafly4107]

The daytime running lights look cross eyed.

[@sjhudon386]

People always flashed their high beams at me

[@cwalden918]

@@billschlafly4107 my thoughts exactly lol

[@Johnny127ful]

Looks like a bootleg 300zx.

[@Jonathan-ns8is]

🤘🤘🤘

[@ethan_r_brown]

I daily drive a 96 SC1 with a 5 speed. 145,000 miles. Not one issue

[@nyzsunny]

The one the legend John Davis.

[@Jonathan-ns8is]

I miss my Saturn. So I bought another one😂😂😂

[@l.devinfisher5762]

These were the best cavalier s as well

[@gregkelly2145]

I kind of lump the original Saturns in with GM's EV1. Great idea, great potential and ahead of its time , then ruined by GM's patented mismanagement.

[@JohnEvans-ct6mz]

I wonder why the review was for a 2000, but the car they tested was a ‘99? He mentioned an “updated interior”, this car had the interior that came out in 1995 and was what they used until ‘99.

[@Jonathan-ns8is]

Try to pull a fast one 🤔🤔🤔

[@dvStl]

The last of the unique Saturns before they all became rebadges of other GM vehicles

[@tkewrestler2662]

I always wish the original Saturns had not been allowed to die on the vine. Imagine, if they had maintained their initial momentum….

[@dimaslopez-dejesus2371]

2+1=3 And More!

[@tc3sean]

34 in everyday driving ! Jesus, with a turbo 4 cyc these days and two decades we still cant touch these mpg numbers, aside from a hybrid power train. US govt needs to let these simple ICE vehicles back into existence..

[@minimoto99]

Problem is, America doesn't want small, light, manual cars - otherwise you could still have great MPG. It's not even about EV vs ICE. Consumer demand means the majority want large auto trucks/crossovers, with all today's safety kit they weigh a ton, then you need a stronger engine to pull it along.

[@palebeachbum]

Most compact cars now are rated in the low 40s on the highway. My 2018 Elantra routinely gets in the mid-40s at 70mph with the AC on.

[@ericharrison619]

Not going to happen with the average US driver buying overweight lumps of boring minivans pretending to be an suv. Or worse yet, the $80k limo trucks that haul nothing but the driver and perhaps the family on the weekend...All in 20 exciting shades of white/silver/black.

[@TDogCA]

Buy an ND Miata. Mine routinely gets between 36-41 on the highway and it’s a blast to drive!

[@kenkozawa9810]

Generally never cared for American cars especially from that period but somehow I always had a soft spot for the SC2 and Ion..

[@minnybiker4505]

I absolutely loved my 2 Saturn sedans... They were awesome until GM...GM'd.

[@82_KID]

Oil burners 🔥

[@palebeachbum]

Yeah, that was a common issue on the dual overhead cam engine. The single overhead cam engine had a problem with the head cracking.

[@Rosso488]

How’d you trick out the door?

[@cdldriver2348]

I remember that commercial!

[@marstondavis]

Sixty to zero in 132 feet? We've come a long way from that. Sixty to zero now will be around 100 feet.

[@timgt5]

I always thought these were very handsome cars, cannot say the same for the ION which followed. Saturn got screwed by GM management and lost its role as Honda/Toyota/Nissan fighter and became just another generic GM brand., Worse they ended up with the Beta versions of newer designs. The Colbalt was much improved over the ION, the Malibu and G6 were better sorted than the Aura and so on.

[@Jonathan-bk3dq]

The first-generation Saab 9-5 was a way better version then the Saturn L Series as another example. Saab improved the 2900 platform, while GM/Saturn cheapened it big time.

[@sampsonleevon1982]

I wanted that to be my first car...

[@albear972]

GM/Saturn should have put that baby suicide door on the passenger side of the car. 98% of the time passengers get into a car from that side and not the driver's side. Or heck, have the doors on both sides. Maybe GM/Saturn was being optimistic and thought of the export RHD market where that would be on the passenger side. 😁 And 2:05 Service engine soon. 😂

[@TheRealCropDusterOB-GYN]

It took a great deal of engineering to develop a car so uncomfortable for anyone over 6' tall

[@glennvernes8305]

It’s funny you watch MW’s review of the’92 SC Coupe and it looks almost identical to this car. Could be part of the problem.

[@mozogao]

Motorweek got paid

[@SataniaMcDowel]

Finally

[@Yormsane]

Saturn would have been a great brand for GM to launch some early EVs. But instead, the godawful van and SUVs appeared in the line-up, and we knew the end was nigh. I still have a soft spot for that wedgy lil' SL-Series wagon from the early 90s, though.

[@minimoto99]

I had to double take when he said '2000 year'. I thought this was easily mid 90's at the latest.

[@LeftIsBest001]

Oooooh so edgy.

[@oliverdelgado6952]

24 years ago😮

[@TrailBlazerSS502]

No one even dared to copy anything like this.

[@mymomsaysimcool9650]

My uncle had an SC2 he bought new. He traded it in with 300,000 miles. Traded for an Altima. Seriously doubt he’ll get anywhere near that Saturn’s mileage.

[@bradkalman2353]

Wasn't there a red line version of it?

[@davidbaron6647]

I miss Saturn GM screwed up. not thing else needs said

[@stupid8911]

The Hitman is also a family man??

[@Thankyou_3]

Great gas mileage. These corrupt manufacturers nowadays pushing EVs and Hybrid that barely get any better gas mileage nowadays. Bring back these great cars from decades ago.

Saturn is where Tesla got styling ideas from.

[@jackdough8164]

It was dumb putting the third door on the drivers side though

[@Jonathan-ns8is]

That's where I put my wheelchair is in the backseat. If the door was on the other side it'd be too hard for me

[@RoadCone411]

The young girl who gets out of the back seat (with surprisingly more legroom than it would first appear) will be in her 30s today. I was a fan of Saturns when they first came out but less so by the late 90s/early 00s era. These cars were always plasticky but somehow the quality look and feel felt downgraded; that dashboard reeks of Cavalier and Lumina, which is not a compliment. It started looking more like corporate GM and less like a rogue division within the giant conglomerate. With that said, this car still has reasonably good performance for this price point, and that is worth something. You rarely see Saturns of this era on the road now.

[@hobbymanx9200]

I might buy one. I recently found a red SC2 in mint condition for sale. Looks like it’d be a good tuner project. I once thought of an Integra RSX but this one looks sleeker so I’m interested. Seen some slammed, they looked real cool like a UFO on the ground.

[@jhomrich89]

Dear auto manufacturers bring back affordable practicle and durable cars like this, not cheaply made 40 to 50k generic blobby looking crossovers that have a major breakdown right out of warranty...

[@pitman4121]

Something not right with John Davis, he did not ding the car for having only two gauges in the instrument cluster.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Suicide doors really did mean something

[@madmeh2929]

The problem with the third door is in parking lots. If parked next to another car, the back seat person has to enter first, lest they be blocked from entering by the open door. And if the backseat person is a guest, then they usually don’t know how to operate the door. It’s better in theory than in practice for the third person, but it’s great for the driver to easily throw stuff in the back seat. This was better employed on the Honda Element.

[@P.E.O.ll-RhodesScholarGraduate]

🤗👏👏👏🤗 Pontiac family

[@TheCosmicGuy0111]

Broooo nicr

[@Andyface79]

Too bad these broke so easy. Saturn was a cool idea. Of course if GM had just kept building decent cars for their regular brands, it wouldn't have been needed.

[@douglasb.1203]

Tweaks love Saturns.

[@AlexanderJohnR]

That music! 😂

[@cydonian0417]

Let me guess. Motor Week "just loved" everything about it. Like every other car they've ever reviewed.

[@minimoto99]

LOL

[@Jonathan-ns8is]

😂😂😂

[@ストリークドスパインフット]

今のクーペから失われたものの全てがここにはある

[@leotide1990]

I believe the year in the title is incorrect based on the body style and interior; the Saturn SC lineup received the clamshell door for the 1999 MY, then received an interior and exterior facelift for the 2000 MY that do not match with the video

[@cobracharmer6178]

Correct me if I’m wrong. Saturn had plastic panels and steel doors. It was powered with Honda engines?

[@Jonathan-bk3dq]

Um, those are not Honda engines. The only Saturn to ever have a Honda engine, was the first generation Vue with the optional 3.5 J V6. The front fenders and door panels are denting resistant plastic like panels. The doors of course are steel on the inside for safety.