Well, you are acting as if everything with steel is rust/corrosion prone crap and Saturn was the second coming of god or something... Again, most, if not all, cars are rust-proof today. I know GMs are for sure, atleast.
Well, I have no qualms about earlier Saturns. I'd consider a 95 SC2 if I found one in excellent condition in my area, but even the sedans were nice. The thing is... the S-series was actually better than any other compact GM offered and wasn't an ugly and cheap looking mis-mash of plastic styled car that wasn't better than it's platform mates. If GM hadn't let the brand go on with only one model for so long, and then started giving it mediocre products, maybe those styling cues could have possibly survived. Saturn was a great idea in the beginning, but GM let it go to waste. Heh... the only place where it's useful to look into a rear view mirror is a in a city or highway setting. I live back in the country on dangerously curvy roads where strict concentration on the road is needed. Perhaps that's why I don't need to be glancing over to center mounted gauges to check simple things like RPMs, temp, etc. It's easier to just quickly glance slightly down from the road, instead of having to focus my attention to the right. And I realize they aren't that far away, I'm not acting like they are. Again, normally your eye sight is still focused straight ahead, but with center mounted gauges you have to focus to the right and essentially off the road (not literally, obviously). Although, I do think having to shift your body is a major exaggeration.As for the Mini, it's actually a cool car and the Tach is mounted (necessary since I only drive manual trannies) behind the steering wheel, as usual. Again, greatly prefer non center mounted gauges.