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Show KETO, / \UTOMOTIVE FRIDAY Saturn makes SL sedans more user-friendly Rm Ollesst0 Lg-5-9 Access is restricted along Interstate 15 through the Salt hake Valley due to reconstruction. Interior and dune 23 Closed I] #7Closed basnewinstrumentcluster displays, sound andclimate systems By Ann M. Job For The Associated Press Not too long ago, a good reputation, affordable ‘pricing and friendly showrooms did much to popularize the Saturn. But a lot more is needed today against rival small sedanslike the Focus and Echo. This helps explain why Saturn restyledits long-running SL sedans for the 2000 model year. They now feature sleeker (though still snouty) styling, a revised interior and some new equipment. All while wearing a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $11,125 plus destination charge on the base SL. Saturn says its goal was to work from customer and retailer feedback to make the car more user-friendly. Someofthe changes are subtle. The test SLI, for example, wore new bodypanels for a mildly more modern appearance. But the SL’s overall shape — with trademark wedge-shaped front with horizontal headlamps — remainsfamiliar to anyone who has looked at a Saturn in the last 10 years. Those side body panels, by the way, continue to be made ofSaturn’s renowned dent-resistant polymer. The automakeralso continuedits nearly annualritual of working to make the four-cylinder engines in its small cars quieter. This year, the effort focused on a new intake manifold and a lower bearing ladder added to the 1.9liter, double overhead cam fourcylinder enginein the uplevel SL2. In the test SLI with 1.9-liter, ‘Schedule subject to change TheSalt LakeTribune single overhead cam four cylinder, I still heard a good amount of engine noise while driving. There was some road noise from the 14inchtires, too. But I was pleased with the “‘oomph’’ from this 100horsepower engine whenit started off in first gear, and I got up to speed in decent time. Torque, 114 foot-poundsat 2,400 rpm, was felt in this five-speed manual model. With gasoline prices rising, the Saturn’s fuel economy counts. My model was rated at 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg onthe highway. The Ford Focus has a base fourcylinder engine with 110 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque, while the Echo’s fourcylinder puts out 108 horses and 105 foot-poundsof torque. The antilock braking system (ABS)in the SLshas changedtoo. Saturn has reducedtheinitial clattering sound that comesas the system kicks in during panic stops and should deter drivers unfamiliar with the system from reflexively lifting up on the brake pedal. Another welcome changeis the upgrading of the base SL and SLI tires. They’re still 14-inchers, but wider for better handling in this front-drive car. Overall, the SLI rode in a mainstream fashion.Steering felt numb, however, and the car’s 37.1-foot turning circle seems large when compared with other small cars. For example, the Focus has a 35.8-foot turning circle, the Echo 32.2 feet. Easier to detect are the interior updates. Seat fabrics are new, and the dashboard sweeps over the front passenger side looking clean and The 2000 Saturn SL1 sedan, which features new body panels, has a sleek, yet subtle exterior look. almost spartan. There are six cupholders. The SL instrument cluster, alwayseasy to read, has new displays including an oil changealert system that works off vehicle mileage as well as engine temperature and engine revolutions. The horn has been movedto the center of the steering wheel and cruise control adjustments are on its spokes. Soundand climate systems have been updated,too. Saturn also added more track to thefrontseats, providinga full 42.2 inchesoffront legroom.This beats the Echo’s 41.1 inches but not the 43.1 inches in the Focus. I felt 1 was struggling to sit up straight in the SLI so I could see the hood whilealso trying to keep a good distance from myairbag. Yet try as I might, I never saw the hood as I drove. In contrast, the newer small Focus and Echo sedans have different, moreuprightfrontseating positions than oldercars like Saturns. Focus also includes a standard, height-adjustable driver seat, which helps short drivers immensely. As you'd expect in a small car. the SL's rear seating is tight for three adults but OKfor two.I liked the rear windows that go down nearly all the way. Rear legroom of32.8 inchesis far less than the 37.6 inches in the Focus and the Echo’s 35.2 inches. Yet, the Saturn is longer, overall, than either competitor. Saturn’s trunk space also is smaller than in the Focus and Echo. Saturn’s S-Series sales, which include coupes and station wagons as well as the sedans, have been declining from a high of more than 285,000 in the mid 1990s. Sales this year are on paceto fall below 200,000 — a mark notseen since the early 1990s. Satums had been a fixture at the top ofthe small-carcategory in J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Studies. But three other cars topped the list in the study released in May. Still, Consumer. Reports: lists reliability as better than average: and IntelliChoice continues tocall Saturn SLs ‘*best overall values” in the under $15,000 bracket Overthe years, 63 percent of all S-Series sedan buyers have been women, the automakersaid. Av age age is 44, and 46 percent are single. Average household income is just over $55,000. Manufacturer's suggested retail pricing including destination chargestarts at $12,780 for a base 2000 Focus. 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