A friend of mine was looking at one of these for his wife in 2004...What say the Rx8 lovers...."Saturn Ion Redline"
It has the same 4 door suicide idea...much like the sc2 but four instead of three...It's also supercharged....Est 1/4 mile 15 flat..

I'd be concerned with its crash worthiness.

Does saturn not have a good crash test record...I really don't know...

I don't think they are horrible, you could go to www.nhsta.com to get more information. I question crashworthiness because of the lack of the B-pillar. The RX-8 has the center reinforced tunnel and side curtain airbags.

I don't believe the ION has either. I could be wrong, though.

It sounds like it will be a direct competitor with the RX-8 (albeit at the lower end of the price scale). At a quick glance the cars are going to seem comparable (4-doors, similar performance times, and similar hype) but if you look a little closer the differences I think will be very apparent. With the advantage going to the RX-8 for better fit & finish, larger/more robust brakes, fully independent suspension, RWD, etc... Where the Ion is going to fair better is price, more functionality (I assume the rear seats fold flat), and cheaper to get more power (ECU/boost controller). Well at least that is my opinion on the matter. ;)

Hey guys thanks for the input....I'm sure the interior won't even compare to the rx8...I personally think that all saturns seem a little cheap inside..but it'll be intersting either way...

The backseat in the ion is TERRIBLE- on the RX-8, your feet go under the seat in front of you- in the ion, there is nowhere to put your feet. And while it would be nice, I don't imagine the interior of the Ion Redline is much better than the standard Ion, which is also terrible.

Pease note, these are just my opinions....

noted and thanks for the input...

And it's not a rotary. ;)

How very true toadman...

I think Speed Racer's right. Low end competitor with the 8 but definitely a neat little car for the intro to sport compact crowd or a second fun car.

I was not impressed with the saturn when I took a test drive, but that was the sc, not the ion. I think the cars are on two diffrent levels in regard to quality and comfort.

If you are looking at the total package, the 8 wins hands down.

And the doors are a BIG issue!

I've owned two Saturns. Both were the SL-2, a 1994 and a 1997. While I can't say I've been near a Saturn Ion, I don't expect the quality has improved *that* much since then.

Now that you have the background to show my opinions aren't entirely baseless, I'll say this:

Saturns are absolute piles of crap.

NO AMOUNT of "tuning" (slapping a bolt-on supercharger on the engine) or giving it a fancy new name (the "Redline"?) is going to change that.

You're comparing apples (RX-8) to turds.

Can a Saturn and a Mazda RX 8 be compared even??? Cheaply made car.

I think so, comparing the RX-8 to the Ion Redline is just as valid as comparing the RX-8 to the S2000. The 8 doesn't have any direct competitiors but it definitely shares traits of many of the cars on the market. Sure the pros/cons of the 8 will vary with each comparison and with the buyers expectations. That should make for some interesting discussions. :D

Common traits:
• Ion - suicide doors
• S2000 - high revving, high Hp/low torque engine, rear wheel drive
• G35 - 4 seater, rear wheel drive sports coupe
• etc...

Originally posted by cruzdreamer
Can a Saturn and a Mazda RX 8 be compared even??? Cheaply made car.

My point exactly. You may as well compare an Escort with a BMW.