Fun and FrugalYou’ve likely seen a Saturn Sky cruising down the street or in a parking lot. It’s a petite two-seat convertible with a manual folding top. With lines and curves more a little reminiscent of the vintage Shelby Cobra it looks like it breathes fire. So does it? You betcha!
The first thing you need to know about Saturn Sky is that there are two available power plants. The base motor is rated a modest 173 horsepower. With it acceleration is not bad at all. Sky’s curb weight is minimal which means the little motor makes the car go really fast.
But I drove the significantly more powerful Sky Redline equipped with a potent 2.0 Liter In-Line four-cylinder motor rated 260 horsepower. It’s turbocharged. Premium fuel is recommended, but not required. Performance around town is very nice, but at highway speeds the turbo comes alive. Saturn Sky Redline accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds flat. Top speed is calculated to be 120 mph. that’s plenty fast. For comparison, the base motor goes from zero to 60 mph in seven seconds.
Beyond the turbo what’s really interesting about this motor is the fact that it’s Direct Injected, or where fuel is shot directly into the combustion chamber. DI technology is renowned for its more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. The net result, less fuel makes more hp, especially at typical cruising speeds. And mileage is improved. At least, so long as you drive reasonably without jamming down the throttle hard every time you take off from a stop light. Also there’s an exotic valve train that all by itself spreads plenty of horsepower up and down the rpm band. Two transmissions are offered, either a five-speed manual or an automatic. I test drove the automatic and was very happy with it.
Sky Redline’s performance-tuned suspension, is a step up from the base model. So naturally it follows handling manners are exemplary. The little car is low slung, lightweight and rides on big tires mounted on alloy rims. The track, or the distance measured between the left and right wheels is extra wide, which provides a more stable foundation. Sky’s new 18-inch alloy wheels are shod with Goodyear Eagle high-performance all-season tires that grip the road like there’s no tomorrow, summer, winter, spring and fall. All these things pay big dividends when negotiating corners and curves.
What about comfort? In spite of the sport suspension’s stiffer ride, the car remains fairly comfortable thanks to the rear suspension’s generous up and down travel that smoothes bumps. Leg room is just OK. Shoulder room is tight. I’ve done long road trips in Sky Redline and never got tired.
For safety sake Saturn offers dual-stage frontal air bags, one in the steering wheel and another strategically located in the instrument panel on the passenger side. The standard item passenger sensing system (PSS) utilizes the latest in sensing technology that turns the front passenger air bag on or off depending on the size (age) and position of the front-seat passenger. Other notable standard features include standard OnStar safety and security system; tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system; and remote keyless entry system replete with a panic alarm, and an engine immobilizer with PASSKey III theft deterrent feature.
The convertible top is lined, which insulates against wind noise and ambient temperature. So the ride is quieter. If not even more important the cabin stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer. To open Sky’s canvas top reach up and unlatch the handle positioned in the middle of the windshield lip. Then get out of the car and fold the top away into the trunk. It takes longer to read about it than to actually do it. The rear window is glass and heated. Glass is more durable than plastic.
When the top is up trunk space is minimal, with barely enough room for a couple of bags of groceries. Fold the top down and into the trunk and you have even less room. No big surprise, there’s no spare tire. In case of a flat there’s a complimentary puncture repair kit and OnStar.
Standard items include cruise control, power windows, power mirrors, dual front airbags, anti lock brakes and power door locks and variable intermittent wipers.. I especially like the oversized radio knobs and rotary air conditioner knob. Redundant radio controls are placed on the steering wheel hub along with cruise controls.
A real eyebrow raiser, Sky’s basic warranty term has been expanded from three years and 36,000 miles to five years or 100,000 miles. While the body is guaranteed against rust through for six years or 100,000 miles.
The first thing you need to know about Saturn Sky is that there are two available power plants. The base motor is rated a modest 173 horsepower. With it acceleration is not bad at all. Sky’s curb weight is minimal which means the little motor makes the car go really fast.
But I drove the significantly more powerful Sky Redline equipped with a potent 2.0 Liter In-Line four-cylinder motor rated 260 horsepower. It’s turbocharged. Premium fuel is recommended, but not required. Performance around town is very nice, but at highway speeds the turbo comes alive. Saturn Sky Redline accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds flat. Top speed is calculated to be 120 mph. that’s plenty fast. For comparison, the base motor goes from zero to 60 mph in seven seconds.
Beyond the turbo what’s really interesting about this motor is the fact that it’s Direct Injected, or where fuel is shot directly into the combustion chamber. DI technology is renowned for its more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. The net result, less fuel makes more hp, especially at typical cruising speeds. And mileage is improved. At least, so long as you drive reasonably without jamming down the throttle hard every time you take off from a stop light. Also there’s an exotic valve train that all by itself spreads plenty of horsepower up and down the rpm band. Two transmissions are offered, either a five-speed manual or an automatic. I test drove the automatic and was very happy with it.
Sky Redline’s performance-tuned suspension, is a step up from the base model. So naturally it follows handling manners are exemplary. The little car is low slung, lightweight and rides on big tires mounted on alloy rims. The track, or the distance measured between the left and right wheels is extra wide, which provides a more stable foundation. Sky’s new 18-inch alloy wheels are shod with Goodyear Eagle high-performance all-season tires that grip the road like there’s no tomorrow, summer, winter, spring and fall. All these things pay big dividends when negotiating corners and curves.
What about comfort? In spite of the sport suspension’s stiffer ride, the car remains fairly comfortable thanks to the rear suspension’s generous up and down travel that smoothes bumps. Leg room is just OK. Shoulder room is tight. I’ve done long road trips in Sky Redline and never got tired.
For safety sake Saturn offers dual-stage frontal air bags, one in the steering wheel and another strategically located in the instrument panel on the passenger side. The standard item passenger sensing system (PSS) utilizes the latest in sensing technology that turns the front passenger air bag on or off depending on the size (age) and position of the front-seat passenger. Other notable standard features include standard OnStar safety and security system; tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system; and remote keyless entry system replete with a panic alarm, and an engine immobilizer with PASSKey III theft deterrent feature.
The convertible top is lined, which insulates against wind noise and ambient temperature. So the ride is quieter. If not even more important the cabin stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer. To open Sky’s canvas top reach up and unlatch the handle positioned in the middle of the windshield lip. Then get out of the car and fold the top away into the trunk. It takes longer to read about it than to actually do it. The rear window is glass and heated. Glass is more durable than plastic.
When the top is up trunk space is minimal, with barely enough room for a couple of bags of groceries. Fold the top down and into the trunk and you have even less room. No big surprise, there’s no spare tire. In case of a flat there’s a complimentary puncture repair kit and OnStar.
Standard items include cruise control, power windows, power mirrors, dual front airbags, anti lock brakes and power door locks and variable intermittent wipers.. I especially like the oversized radio knobs and rotary air conditioner knob. Redundant radio controls are placed on the steering wheel hub along with cruise controls.
A real eyebrow raiser, Sky’s basic warranty term has been expanded from three years and 36,000 miles to five years or 100,000 miles. While the body is guaranteed against rust through for six years or 100,000 miles.
Wheelbase 95.1 inches
Engine 2.0 L I-4
Horsepower 260 @ 5300
Transmission 5-spd automatic
Curb weight 2975 pounds
Mileage 19/28 mpg
Fuel capacity 13.6 gallons
Base price $27,940
Price as tested $32,250
