Saturn Aura XR

[!!!TED!!!]

Here are some revealing pictures of the Saturn Aura XR, taken today at the Barrie Auto Show by Polish_Kris. We were probing the quality, and found some very ugly deficiencies.

For starters, here is the outside, which looks pretty damn decent.

Then, we got inside. Also looking good.

The problems begin when you start looking closely at the details.

Pull on the upper and lower steering column surround and...it comes apart:

Then, theres that fake stiching:

The silver trim that wraps around the mid dash and flows into the door, does not line up, just as in the official pictures:

And, you can stick your finger in the seam with the DOOR CLOSED!

The glove box door hangs loose, and visibly mall adjusted:

Make your way to the back, and your greeted with trim that comes of the seats:

And hard plastic inserts, that, while they help with leg room, are not that great for the sides of your knees:

All this, at a price of......

While I like this car, all these small things conspire against it. I hope that these are early build issues. On the other hand, this was by far the worst collection of fit and finish issues out of all the early builds we looked at.

Something to think about.

[Flybrian]

What is this A/C excise tax?

[frogger]

I was at the show in Barrie today too.. I was a little disappointed by the XR as well, especially after seeing the 2007 Altima SE in the flesh (though I couldn't poke at its interior like the Aura's). Both were there in that underwhelming maroon colour.

The Aura suffers from chrome overload on the exterior IMO, I felt like I was looking at a Buick and it doesn't really jive with the rest of the car's details.

[Satty]

Has anyone else noticed that from a distance the Aura looks a LOT like the G6? Those interior issues really suck, so much for GM catching up in build quality.

[corvette_dude729]

I noticed many of those issues att the 2006 New York Auto Show. I, too thought they were just early build problems, or were because of all of the wear from the show. Now I am really worried about this. This is not what GM needs right now. HOW f@#kING HARD IS IT TO MAKE AN INTERIOR WITH GOOD QUALITY!! Come on, GM! I want to like you. I want to have faith in you but things like this make me think about things. I could never like a car company like I do GM, but they really need to step their game up, and I'm rooting for them all the way.

[pow]

It's decent enough... I'm still unimpressed by the interior's design, but at least the quality flaws aren't catastrophically bad. It's fine for $20K.

[corvette_dude729]

Unfortunately, I don't think "fine" is going to cut it, although I wish it could.

[Northstar]

In the one I sat in, the trim lined up fine from the dash to the door, so I'm wondering if that's something they fixed.

[Mr.Krinkle]

why dont you get closer with those picx? c'mon, man. thats the problem with these auto shows...people tugging and pulling and saying look how cheap this $h! is as they rip off a door panel. c'mon man.

these show cars take all sorts of abuse as it is without some jac off trying to prove how inferior it is. what kind of conclusion are you looking for anyway? wait let me guess.

get a frickin life.

[!!!TED!!!]

When it comes to GM, Im their biggest fan. I do like to pull and tug on cars to see how well built they are. In most cases, everything is as it should be, abused autoshow display model, or not. In this case, it was pretty bad.

I realise that this car has been crawled on by a bunch of people, but then so were the other models at the show. The new Chevy Aveo sedan, for instance, was rock solid. Nothing so much as squeaked in that interior. I was very impressed. It felt even better put together than the Cobalt.

I hate nit picking, and I want to love the Aura, but this just stood out as something not so good. I want this known, because we have people from General Motors who visit C&G. I want this car to be amazing.

Most people wont pull and tug, or look closely at the details. However, these are tiny things that will show up with daily use of this car in the hands of a customer eventually.

BTW, as a side note, the little center stack pillars in the Camry still come apart in your hands. And you dont have to tug hard.

I dunno, maybe I am being too critical. Then again, GM needs to compete with the imports. The imports had little or none of the issues found in this particular Aura.

[Croc]

I will be at LAIAS this upcoming season and believe me...I will nitpick the $h! out of these cars...last season I hated everything except some AUDIs, Acuras and a Benz or two...everything else was so cheap. VW interiors have gone waaaaay down.

[balthazar]

ALL of these 'deficiencies' are NO WORSE than the honda I rode in yesterday or the passat I rode in & drove about 6 times this spring, or the '97 audi a my friend's son owns, who's interior I detailed as a favor once. ALL cars have fit, finish & material deficiencies if you look hard enough. If the armrest pulled apart when used, yes of course; that's bad. But the collar under the steering column is not designed to be pulled on, is it? In fact, isn't it likely it's designed to be easily removable for under-dash access? Hm-mmm.

Really only the door/dash trim misalignment & the seat trim are the ones I would take issue with- all the other points are merely indicative of modern interiors ('Snap-Fit' plastics). As far as the fake stitching goes; it will last far longer & be much easier to clean than real stitching, anyway.

BTW: Holy sh!t- 36K?? Egads.

[Sixty8panther]

For $36K I think you should get two of these things.

It's true about people destroying these cars at these

type of events... the Acura RSX at the autoshow a

few years back was stripped of it's shift knob, any &

all buttons, non-screwed in trim & even things like

the ashtray. People are assholes and the go there

just to destroy things. I hate Acura & Lexus too but

I think that's not cool... it happens to all the brands.

[Flybrian]

It's true about people destroying these cars at these

type of events... the Acura RSX at the autoshow a

few years back was stripped of it's shift knob, any &

all buttons, non-screwed in trim & even things like

the ashtray. People are assholes and the go there

just to destroy things. I hate Acura & Lexus too but

I think that's not cool... it happens to all the brands.

194216[/snapback]

Um, whoever owns the display cars do that themselves so people won't steal them for themselves. Also, few cars today come with ashtrays.

And the pricetag is in Canadian dollars.

[Matt276]

Typical GM quality. Come on Bob, show us that u can make a world class interior. Why don't you teach your workers to be more careful with parts adjustments.

[pow]

I will be at LAIAS this upcoming season and believe me...I will nitpick the $h! out of these cars...last season I hated everything except some AUDIs, Acuras and a Benz or two...everything else was so cheap.  VW interiors have gone waaaaay down.

194166[/snapback]

Nah... I live with a '98-'05 Passat everyday, and the '06+s are much, much better. I inspected an '06 "value edition" wagon a few weeks ago (wheel covers, leatherette, and all), and I still found it better than any other <$25K midsize interior. It's much more solidly assembled (less snap-fit) than our '02.

[Polish_Kris]

Typical GM quality. Come on Bob, show us that u can make a world class interior. Why don't you teach your workers to be more careful with parts adjustments.

194254[/snapback]

It's not the worker's fault, it's allot to do with Lutz himself, he's the one that is saving GM by cost-cutting everything he can, and it shows in all the new products that are coming out... a few years ago, there was a promise of quality, where is it??? The execs at GM are doing all talking and no action... Oh ya, and it's not going to help if you're pricing a domestic poduct at almost or if not the same price range of the Camry or Accord, what reason than, show a buyer choose GM's sedans over Honda and Toyota's???

Edited September 17, 2006 by Polish_Kris

[Croc]

It's not the worker's fault, it's allot to do with Lutz himself, he's the one that is saving GM by cost-cutting everything he can, and it shows in all the new products that are coming out... a few years ago, there was a promise of quality, where is it???  The execs at GM are doing all talking and no action...  Oh ya, and it's not going to help if you're pricing a domestic poduct at almost or if not the same price range of the Camry or Accord, what reason than, show a buyer choose GM's sedans over Honda and Toyota's???

194307[/snapback]

You are very uninformed.

FIRST of all:

This product has been given rave reviews so far, especially commenting on good quality in every major media outlet. This is certainly a more quality product than the Malibu or G6.

SECONDLY:

This car will be on the market for 3 model years before it is replaced with the Vectra/AURA.

THIRDLY:

You cannot see the quality improvements? Have you seen the Lambdas? The GMT900s? The new Cadillac SRX interior? I don't see all this rampant cost-cutting...in fact I can tell you that Lutz has INCREASED interior budgets. It has much been reported that when a car went over budget the interior was what was scaled back...and that they are no longer doing that.

So before you sit there and criticize Lutz, make sure you have the facts right.

[Northstar]

It's not the worker's fault, it's allot to do with Lutz himself, he's the one that is saving GM by cost-cutting everything he can, and it shows in all the new products that are coming out... a few years ago, there was a promise of quality, where is it???  The execs at GM are doing all talking and no action...

194307[/snapback]

It is the worker's fault if the trim doesn't line up from the dash to the door when it's supposed to. The Aura I sat in did not have that problem, so either the worker mis-assembled this particular Aura, or a last-minute change was made so that the trim would line up.

Cost-cutting does not show on all the new products... the new products feel more expensive than the older ones that they replace. The Aura I sat in had none of these problems (granted it was at a dealership so I wasn't see what I could pry off). The GMT900s are top-notch in quality, and apparantly the Aveo is as well (from Ted's thread on it).

Oh ya, and it's not going to help if you're pricing a domestic poduct at almost or if not the same price range of the Camry or Accord, what reason than, show a buyer choose GM's sedans over Honda and Toyota's???

194307[/snapback]

Well, if the product is just as good as a Honda or Toyota for the same price, then I see no reason for a buyer to not choose the GM product unless they're bias.

[mightymouse]

Pull on the upper and lower steering column surround and...it comes apart:

The trim is designed to clip on with no exposed fasteners, unless you're

servicing the cluster or column, please don't tug and pull &#036;h&#33; apart ...

Did you just leave it gapping, or did you snap it back together?...

Same with the seat. Why do some people think they have a right to yank

on stuff 'til it comes apart, then bitch about it ???? Because you think you're

an automotive journalist? Thanks for your stunning insight, sir.

Edited September 17, 2006 by mightymouse

[!!!TED!!!]

I did fasten everything back. I love cars too much to walk around destroying them. Thats not the kind of person I am.

Im not a journalist by a long shot either.

And yes, I know this stuff is designed to clip. Its just so easy for it to be dislodged versus other cars. Thats what I find interesting.

Also, it makes for good discussion on a Sunday, when C&G is ussualy dead.

[mightymouse]

I did fasten everything back. I love cars too much to walk around destroying them. Thats not the kind of person I am.

Im not a journalist by a long shot either.

And yes, I know this stuff is designed to clip. Its just so easy for it to be dislodged versus other cars. Thats what I find interesting.

Also, it makes for good discussion on a Sunday, when C&G is ussualy dead.

194332[/snapback]

I'm glad you did ...I cringe when I see soooo many others, esp. kids, yanking

apart display cars.... Did you notice the lower B-pillar trim that can stab you

in the back upon entry/egress? Thats the part the bugged me about these cars

[!!!TED!!!]

Did you notice the lower B-pillar trim that can stab you

in the back upon entry/egress? Thats the part the bugged me about these cars

194344[/snapback]

No, I missed that. Sounds evil.

[VenSeattle]

The silver trim looks better than the wood. The center stack looks better integrated than the new Chrysler Sebring. At least the Aura's radio head is the same color as the surrounding trim. The fake stitching doesn't bother me. Several manufacturers have "molded" fake stitching.

My Saturn dealer has an Aura. The door trim matches up to the doors just as in Northstar's experience. Everything else seemed tight and buttoned down. I wonder if this car has been traveling the circuit for awhile. Did you guys happen to notice the build month?

Ted's criticisms don't bother me much. I ripped the Avalon apart at an autoshow for similar problems... Just a couple of the several pics I had on Avalon flaws... (How much is the Avalon in Canadian dollars again???) So I wasn't easy on it either. Then again, I'm a target for the Avalon (PA Owner), so I the Avalon attempt personally.

[regfootball]

Has anyone else noticed that from a distance the Aura looks a LOT like the G6?  Those interior issues really suck, so much for GM catching up in build quality.

194115[/snapback]

i sat in an aura yesterday. is it just me, or are the Aura's seats in front the exact same as the G6? I mean, right down to the cloth and also the plastic thing behind the seats. The plastic thing is the same as the Malibu also.

The cat is out, the Aura is a nicely reworked G6. Won't dethrone the Accord, but still seems less disingenuine than a Camlee and more sporty than many other mid sizers.

[regfootball]

HOW F CKING HARD IS IT TO MAKE AN INTERIOR WITH GOOD QUALITY!!

194119[/snapback]

it's not. there are just so many losers and incompetents, espeically in decision making capacity, still at places like Ford and GM, who need to be fired or demoted to make apoint that it is unacceptable to continue this sort of visible cost cutting. The public doesn't want it, its unaaceptable, and its insulting to consumers. It shows that GM does not want to compete and would prefer to not give customers their best.

it shows that the folks in the highest levels at GM still think they can pull fast ones on the public in order to stuff their own pockets. It shows they still don't get it. It shows they put self before customer. Mostly, it shows an arrogance that needs to be REMOVED.

until they clean house and get rid of the lifers who have no clue about this stuff or don't care, or seem bent to gain satisfaction bent on screwing the public, then the cost cutting will continue.

Edited September 17, 2006 by regfootball

[pow]

i sat in an aura yesterday.  is it just me, or are the Aura's seats in front the exact same as the G6?  I mean, right down to the cloth and also the plastic thing behind the seats.  The plastic thing is the same as the Malibu also.

The cat is out, the Aura is a nicely reworked G6.  Won't dethrone the Accord, but still seems less disingenuine than a Camlee and more sporty than many other mid sizers.

194439[/snapback]

The rear seats are identical, too. The placement of the switchgear, buttons, etc, is all identical.

[red]

Great review, Ted. I do much of the same when looking at cars, new or old.

The thing is, these loose parts will only get more loose later on. Nobody likes driving a car with loose trim panels...why would you want to buy one with poor build quality from the start?

No matter how much I may like a car, I will not buy it if the vehicle displays any deficiencies in build quality. Simply put, this example of the Saturn Aura is not well built.

[Cory Wolfe]

The problems begin when you start looking closely at the details.

The silver trim that wraps around the mid dash and flows into the door, does not line up, just as in the official pictures:

194084[/snapback]

I definitely noticed that in the two Auras I checked out. These weren't show cars either. I also noticed that on the one, the side molding on the exterior, front door to rear door, didn't match up. So yeah... It's not just show cars.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I don't care, really. You're supposed to drive the car, not set around and act out your porn star fantasies with your finger and the dash plastic. (I'm talking to you, Car & Driver.) As long as there's no gray rubber overlay being used on the dashes that bubbles up and peels in the hot sun like on my S-10's steering wheel or in a relative's '99 Silverado, I'm fine. (Also, guess what happens after it peels? You get to see the darkest plastic I think I've ever seen used in a vehicle. Period.)

Edited September 18, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[regfootball]

The rear seats are identical, too. The placement of the switchgear, buttons, etc, is all identical.

194468[/snapback]

i swear the tan cloth fabric was even the exact same as the tan cloth used in the G6, same pattern, everything.

Edited September 18, 2006 by regfootball

[Intrepidation]

That's pretty horrible. My Shadow and Jessica's Prizm are built better than that. It may be an absused showcar, but how hard is it to fix the flaws before displaying it? It makes teh Aura look pretty crappy next to the new Altima and Sebring, which look quite well built from the pictures Ted took. C'mon GM, this car looks great, building the f@#king thing as good as it looks.

Question: are the door arm rests hard plastic or soft?

I have to say, out of the Sebring, Altima and Aura, I like the Aura's the least. I hate how the center stack isn't symmetrical, and how the controls just look shoved in their, but at least in metallic trim it looks better.

[tosil]

I sat in a Aura at my dealership, it had the misalignment issue on the door as well..... out of 4 cars on the lot, only one matched perfectly on both sides. Love the car, but if I were to by one, I would look for this sort of thing before I signed.... get your sh%t together GM!!!!

[nzr]

So much for GM's improving quality. Highly dissapointing.

[Matt276]

GM: FIX THE FIT AND FINISH OF YOUR CARS.

[AmericanRevolution]

Ok, guys, if you believe that, you're living in early 2006.

The trim problems have INDEED been fixed. Go to your nearest Saturn dealership ASAP to see for yourself. Misalignment in trim: Fixed. Trim pieces wanting to fall off: Not happening. The main thing is that there still is the fake stitching.

Also, that price? Nope... it maxes out a little over $27K. And for a little over $27K, I can easily that a few small issues - and there are, of course, a few small issues, as every car does from the Camcord to the Altima to any other car under $30K. (And above $30K, as well.)

Also, the driving dynamics in this car is great. I've driving M Roadsters, GTO's, CTS's, G35's, Accords, Camry's, so on and so forth, and this car is sweet. It doesn't handle like an M Roadster, and it wont shove you into the seat like the GTO, but it's given the class its in, it's easily the best all-around car - by far. The only car that can outhandle is would be the Mazda6 in this class, and while there's a number of other cars (Camcords for example w/ the V6) that can beat it to 60 and to the 1/4, it feels quicker than some of its competition. It's also very refined, very fun to drive.

I highly suggest you guys go to your local Saturn dealership and see for yourself. After all, the REAL PRODUCTION cars are out. And look FAAAAR better than any pic can say about it.

[AmericanRevolution]

I definitely noticed that in the two Auras I checked out. These weren't show cars either. I also noticed that on the one, the side molding on the exterior, front door to rear door, didn't match up. So yeah... It's not just show cars.

194512[/snapback]

Apparently it IS the show cars. I dont know where you saw those 2 from, but every single production Aura I've sat in (I work at a Saturn dealership detailing and moving into sales) - which means a LOT - do NOT have that problem. So either you sat in pre-production Aura's, or the very earliest of the earliest of the earliest Aura's to hit show rooms. Because they're all fixed now.

[AmericanRevolution]

I just noticed the guy who originally posted is from Canada, so my bad about the price thing. Granted, $36,470 Canadian dollar = $32,585.7756 U.S. dollar, so it should be much lower for fully loaded unless prices in Canada have been raised for some reason over US Aura's.

[sciguy_0504]

I don't think I'll ever be into this gen Aura. It's just average to me, I guess. The prebuild/car show (hopefully) issues are slightly disappointing but you can't make blanket statements based on one car. I do agree, though, that you can see the G6 if you look closely enough.

One question: what do you mean by fake stiching?

Edit: I wrote this before I read the second page.

Edited September 18, 2006 by sciguy_0504

[rueben44]

In the one I sat in, the trim lined up fine from the dash to the door, so I'm wondering if that's something they fixed.

194137[/snapback]

I am thinking th same thing because I have sat in several and driven it and it was not that bad like in those pics. That must be some early model that they are using for shows. Actually GM was using a red on for shows as I remember. Anyway in real life it was not that bad.Still they should not show the car like that anyway. As for the stitching it does not bother me because it is just on the door arm. You would swear it was on the dash and console the way some of you are tripping about it.

Edited September 19, 2006 by rueben44

[Intrepidation]

So is the door armrest hard plastic or soft?

[PurdueGuy]

To all critics of this car... test drive it.

The ones I sat it had properly aligned door panels, too.

[Cory Wolfe]

Ok, guys, if you believe that, you're living in early 2006.

The trim problems have INDEED been fixed.  Go to your nearest Saturn dealership

I highly suggest you guys go to your local Saturn dealership and see for yourself.  After all, the REAL PRODUCTION cars are out.  And look FAAAAR better than any pic can say about it.

194955[/snapback]

Apparently it IS the show cars.  I dont know where you saw those 2 from, but every single production Aura I've sat in (I work at a Saturn dealership detailing and moving into sales) - which means a LOT - do NOT have that problem.  So either you sat in pre-production Aura's, or the very earliest of the earliest of the earliest Aura's to hit show rooms.  Because they're all fixed now.

194967[/snapback]

Suuuuure... I believe you...

I'm obviously not the only one that experienced issues with production Auras. Besides, being that you work at only one Saturn dealership, how can you speak for all Auras delivered across the entire country and into Canada and such? Just saying...

[Northstar]

Suuuuure... I believe you...

I'm obviously not the only one that experienced issues with production Auras. Besides, being that you work at only one Saturn dealership, how can you speak for all Auras delivered across the entire country and into Canada and such? Just saying...

195238[/snapback]

Did you look at the build dates on the ones you saw? Unless they were built recently, you have no evidence that it hasn't been fixed.

[Cory Wolfe]

Yeah, that was such a high priority for me.

Unless someone works at the plant and inspects each and every Aura that is built and sent out all through out the country, no one has any evidence that anything's been fixed at all. I know what I saw. You know what you saw. He knows what he saw. Others know what they saw. Even then, that's what? .01% of all Auras made? Again... just saying...

[tosil]

I surely believe that the issue has been fixed, but why oh why did the few slip to dealers?... I mean come on, three out of four cars had alignement issues when I visited my dealership. Question is, can it be re-aligned before the customer takes delivery, or are these permanant defects for those affected cars? I don't see how you can adjust the hight of a door panel, or even the dash.

[SobeSVT]

Consumer Report took delivery of one of their Aura testers just to find this very first surprise.

Source

[Flybrian]

I have a Buick Roadside Assistance sticker on the window of our Bonneville...whoop-de-doo.

[frogger]

The bad trim alignment and seemingly overall shoddy quality don't bother me. What bothers me is how drab that interior is. This is supposed to be our European style fighter?

The imports don't get nearly as much chrome on the exterior for your $. Atleast not in this decade.

[pow]

Consumer Report took delivery of one of their Aura testers just to find this very first surprise.

Source

197038[/snapback]

Wow, I haven't seen an unintegrated key for a loooong time. Key and doorhandle quality make a huge impression on the buyer, IMO.