Autonet.ca: Import fighter, take two Saturn LW1 -- "Saturn's new motor is the best 4-cylinder engine we've seen from a domestic automaker on this side of the Atlantic."

I'm glad to hear that. :-)

I subscribed to Consumer Reports Online today to see what they had to say about the Saturn L-Series Wagon. They compared the LW2 to other very nice European wagons -- and it came in last. However, it was also the cheapest of the cars, and still more expensive than the car I'm buying.

So, while I may not be getting a Volvo, I'm getting what I'm paying for, and I think it's pretty darn good. And at 2.4% lease financing (couldn't afford to purchase it), it's a pretty good deal.

One important thing is that buying a Saturn is easy. There's no stress. You can say and do whatever you want at the dealership, because you know it won't change the price. And Consumer Reports found that Saturn dealerships had the highest customer satisfaction rating (quite ahead of the pack actually) in its last survey.

Saturn is definitely a different kind of car company.

Compare that to the pushy people at the Toyota dealership telling me their 6.9% lease financing is the "sharpest deal in town". It cuts like a knife. I'd love a Toyota Sienna but not for $6K more and 4.5% higher lease rates, over 48 months rather than 36.