2003 Saturn ION Interior Review at Automotive.com
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Saturn
ION
2003

2003 Saturn ION Review: Interior

Below is a full, detailed 2003 Saturn ION review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless exp ...     read more
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2003 Saturn ION Review

All-new model is more than a charged particle.
Interior
The Saturn Ion comes with a stylish, youthful interior.

Immediately noticeable is the center-mounted instrument cluster, a feature popularized by the Toyota Echo and the Mini Cooper. The advantages, according to Saturn are that the instruments are at the same level as the outside mirrors, which makes them easier to see when looking straight ahead. There's no need to look down, only across. They also allow for a smaller steering wheel with more adjustments, as there is no need to look through the steering wheel to see the gauges. The center-mounted speedometer gets mixed reviews. Tall drivers are likely to find it just as convenient as one mounted conventionally in front of the steering wheel. Short drivers, who sit nearer to the steering wheel, will have to turn their heads to look across to the speedometer.

Ion's interior design themes consist largely of interlocking half circles with different textures available. In places it works well, but there are some parts where butting plastic panels look a little cheap. The open dash design gives the Ion an airy feel.

We found the electric window switches a bit hard to locate in the dark as they are not illuminated and are located rearward of where we expected them, but at least they are conveniently mounted on the door and not on awkwardly on the center console as with previous Saturn models. Some people will like the small steering wheel but others will find it less easy to use than a larger one.

Thanks to the high roofline, passengers in all four seats get decent headroom. Rear passengers benefit from slightly elevated (theater) seating, as the seats are located two inches higher than the front seats, offering an improved view. Rear-seat legroom is adequate and if the front passengers are short the front seats can be slid far forward as they have longer seat rails than normal. This also means a taller person can enjoy even greater leg room in front as long as there are no passengers in the rear.

We did not like the front seats. They lacked side support, both on the seat bottom and on the seat back. Also, they are on the small side, narrow and short. At times, we felt like we were sitting on a padded bar stool, about to fall off. Drivers who like deep, supportive seats, and drivers who like armrests or something to lean on may not be comfortable in this car.

The coupe might have great access thanks to the rear opening doors but the sedan gets a really big trunk. Indeed, with a capacity of nearly 15 cubic feet, and a practical shape, the trunk is bigger than any in its segment and is as big as those in many mid-size cars.

Safety features include dual-stage driver and front-passenger airbags and optional curtain side-impact airbags for improved head protection for both front- and rear-seat passengers. Onstar, GM's telematics system for emergency use and for obtaining information while driving is available as an option.

Forward visibility is inhibited by thick A-pillars in front, while the view over the right shoulder is reduced by wide C-pillars.

A nice in-dash six-disc CD changer is available that features big buttons and knobs to control audio functions. All stereo systems should be ergonomically designed this well.

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2003 Saturn ION