Great test. That Saturn sure had alot of equipment for the price. Neons were all gone 15 years ago. Ratty jettas held on another couple of years. The Saturns were kept until the subframes all rotted, maybe 5 or 7 years ago. The Corolla and Civic are all that are left. But the last Civics from this era are rotted tuner specials with no interior on their 8th engine swap and 10th transmission, while the mini-Lexus Corollas are still everywhere providing reliable basic transportation to average people. Magnificently engineered and built cars.

@emeyer6963

Жыл бұрын

That about sums it up.

@Mikey-xz4vn

Жыл бұрын

I still see some of those Saturns putzing around. Provided the owner(s) regularly rustproofed the undercarriage, it along with the polymer body panels would last nigh-on to eternity

@retrocompaq5212

Жыл бұрын

in canada theyre all gone since last 10-15 years execept the saturns but as a mechanic i remember working on those cars, the saturn and corollas were impossible to kill, civic was no good, drivetrains were weak af and the hondas upper front balljoints were junks too, corollas were dangerously slow and boring like a junk lexus, saturn was a way better car to drive but damn was ugly af, toyota and gm still havent made a car this good this cheap since, now its all trash that even the most reliable lexuses are barely better than 10yo bmws

@MidnightPolaris800

Жыл бұрын

Lol i see neons quite often still. The dohc engine rips all other competitors ass

@Stressless2023

Жыл бұрын

I think the oil burning 1.9L engines in the Saturns killed most of them - Only the ones that had owners who kept the oil level topped off lasted long enough for the subframes to rot away. Dodge Neons definitely had a short shelf life but I remember alot of people including us kids loving them when they came out in early 1994, they actually turned heads on the road, interesting how a cheap 9 thousand dollar disposable car could have that effect back then lol.

Out of these 5, the only one I see around today are a few Hondas and a lot of Toyotas

Wild how VW kept that 115hp SOHC 2L around until 2015.

@matthewbowen5841

10 ай бұрын

Actually they killed it then brought it back! Twice!

@user-kw2xr3yu8v

10 ай бұрын

It was a great engine, very reliable and got really good gas mileage but just didn't have much power.

@bonesnharmony3422

7 ай бұрын

awsome range when u can also by the gt-i

Also, the Corolla was expensive for what it was due to a strong yen. My dad had a base model and with options such as AC, cassette, center console, and a couple other things, it cost almost $16k. No clock, no visor mirrors, the trunk didn't fold, and the car didn't even have manual mirrors. You had to adjust them with your thumb! In 1996! Also, there most certainly was not room for four adults in that thing. The rear seat was a penalty box. My knees would ache and cramp up riding in the back.

@scdu

8 ай бұрын

My parents had a saturn and it came without a passenger side mirror and power steering! We still had some pretty bare bones cars in the 90s.

I still see that body style Corolla on the road today. The Neons are all gone.

@retrocompaq5212

Жыл бұрын

the saturn and corolla were the only reliable cars on that list, toyota never made a car that good since

@MidnightPolaris800

Жыл бұрын

Your dreaming 😂

@casualsuede

Жыл бұрын

You see it all over the place if you're in SoCal, the civic too.

@mworld2611

Жыл бұрын

​@retrocompaq5212 old Saturns were built different

@fallguy4209

9 ай бұрын

Still see plenty of neons

Wish they had included the redesign 1995 Mazda Protegé

@nwezetx1

Жыл бұрын

Wasn't available? You can't wish for what wasn't possible, when it was a 1995 model unlike the Neon that only pretended to be one.🤦

@scdu

8 ай бұрын

​@@nwezetx1your tone is so weirdly rude for no reason

@nwezetx1

8 ай бұрын

@@scdu You people are hypocrites, that's why. I couldn't care less about your whining.

This Civic aged very well. Specially the hatchback and coupe.

GM botched Saturn big time. They were extremely reliable and had a dedicated customer base. Once they started using the same powertrain among chevy, pontiac, buick, gmc, and saturn, it was all over.

@landonbenford8369

8 ай бұрын

There was a big story in Motor Trend's July 2023 edition about that. I'm researching and finding out more and more that Inside Politics ate away at GM 20-40 years ago more than anything else.😓

I turned 16 in 1994 and got a brand new 1994 VW Jetta GL the new body style- it was the hottest thing on the High School parking lot, I swore I was HOT STUFF, my parents had 1 rule, NO PASSENGERS today 06/28/2023 I drive a 2022 VW

I wanted to see the Mazda Protégé. It was a true gamechanger in the early 90s.

This generation of Civic is one of the best vehicles ever built!

The best looking Civic and the best looking Neon competing

My family owned 96 Saturn SL1 sedan. Went over 200,000 miles in 14 years, until my nephew totaled it. It was ultra-reliable 😊

@monkeywkeys3916

11 ай бұрын

That's incredible.

@abromc454jive

3 ай бұрын

My best friend got a used 94 as a wedding gift in probably 2005 or so. She drove it for awhile, her dad used it to commute, they gave it to me, I eventually gave it back to them and they both drove it for years. The odometer broke at 165K prior to my ownership. It lasted well over 300K if I had to guess. It was amazingly reliable. It didn’t even have any oil on the dipstick when they gave it to me. The transmission finally died and it was so rusted by then it wasn’t worth fixing.

Wish they could of added the Nissan Sentra as well

@engineer_alv

Жыл бұрын

The B14 Sentras were just a couple months away from release.

@briabba123

Жыл бұрын

The Sentra was not a good car at this time

@engineer_alv

Жыл бұрын

@@briabba123 the best Sentras were arguably B13 to B15 generations. Once the B16 debuted for 2007MY reliability went downhill.

@nwezetx1

Жыл бұрын

​@@engineer_alvYou got it. B15 ran longer to engineer the cost out of it for '04, before developing B16 from 2002-06.

@nwezetx1

Жыл бұрын

​@@engineer_alvJanuary 5, 1995, so it was many months after this spring '94 segment. Although the B14 design came out in JDM in Dec 1993, it took another 13 months to be sold here. The final engineering drawing for the B14, were sadly eveb completed in early 1991, than less 6 months after the B13 arrived in USA in September 1990!

Regardless of what anyone says... The Ford Escort was an excellent car that should've been on this list. Yes most were hatchback, but it was also available as a sedan.

@misterwhipple2870

9 ай бұрын

I agree. My brother got 201,000 miles out of one. It should have gone farther, but . . .

@OldDood

9 ай бұрын

I agree with you the Ford escort was a decent little Econo box. However, the Corolla was the king. Plus also back then the Corolla was the GM Prizm Or should I say the Chevy Prizm. I test drove a Chevy Prizm back in the mid 90s and I did not know it was basically a Corolla then. Because I was so perplexed Chevy came out with such a decent little car.

I've owned four of these (different generations) They all have good and bad qualities. Love these retro reviews!

That Toyota's probably still being daily driven

@misterwhipple2870

9 ай бұрын

My wife had an '85 Corolla her parents gave her for her senior year of high school. After she died, I sold it to a Baptist preacher. He is STILL driving it!!! Nobody could touch Toyota! 39 years and still going.

"Anti-Lock is Available"

95 neon base 5sp no air 2.0 sohc with 313k miles and still going

@mhassouneh

Жыл бұрын

Right on 👍

@Stressless2023

Жыл бұрын

Impressive.

@mervinprone

Жыл бұрын

How do you survive with no air conditioning

@Wasmachineman

11 ай бұрын

@@mervinprone Simple: live in a colder climate.

@mervinprone

11 ай бұрын

@@Wasmachineman I live in Northern Ontario. It doesn’t get much colder than that, unless I leave the planet.

Always wanted to see this comparison...thank you... hope to see more.

the Best Corolla ever!!!

Missing are the Escort, protege, and Cavalier. I had a 94 Cavalier. It was a pretty good car. No engine trouble.

@matthewbowen5841

10 ай бұрын

They had all rusted by the time they organized this test 😁

@abromc454jive

3 ай бұрын

I still have a 94 Z24!

gosh those twin cam 4 cylinder engines sounded good

Saturn wagon SW2 and Corolla wagons were amazing.... the Honda had the best shifting manuals though

@nlpnt

Жыл бұрын

No Jetta wagon in the US until the Mk4 but the Golf hatchback was pretty spacious. Unfortunately for the family-car buyer, Civic hatchbacks had only ever been 2-doors up to that point and until their 10th gen reappearance and the wagon had been dropped after 1991.

We had the Neon in Australia; it was badged a Chrysler Neon. I remember the reviews in the motoring press praising the styling, the interior space and the punchiness of the 2L engine; but they lambasted the atrocious build quality and the 3-speed automatic - 4-speed autos were the norm by then. Still, they were very popular, and you did see them on the roads. I remember them being very cheap compared to the market leaders: the Holden Astra, the Ford Laser, the Toyota Corolla and the Nissan Pulsar.

@matthewbowen5841

Жыл бұрын

And the 2nd gen Neon STILL had a 3 speed! And it was just about the only car I can remember that was sold in the US with the European style front power, rear crank windows. It was an ambitious and ambitiously cost-cut vehicle.

@fernandochaves9665

11 ай бұрын

Also sold as Chrysler Neon here in Argentina. Today you rarely see them. I don't know the number sales back then..

I wish I still had my 7th gen Corolla.

Here in the USA the Volkswagen Jetta, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are still going strong. The Saturn and Neon stopped production years ago and have been long gone.

Interesting comparison, thanks for sharing... Saturn's logo is really cool..

I still miss my 96 SOHC Neon coupe. Haven't seen one in years. I'd probably make an offer on the spot if I did.

It is important to note, but I may be wrong, but the Saturn is the only one with a timing chain

@marshalmagooo3899

Жыл бұрын

You are correct , both SL1 and 2

I pick the Corolla my mom used to have the wagon version, and I loved that thing

The Neon was a good little car. The Toyota Corolla and Honda civic are all that's left these days.

I had a 1993 Corolla so I should be rooting for it to win! I like Civics and Jettas too

Heart says Jetta, head says Saturn

The only car you see on the road today is the Toyota Corolla, I mean 100s of them. Still stylish and dependable. The others are long gone. New England eats up cars.....

I still regret not buying my mom’s hunter green 1997 Saturn SL2 from her when she bought a Vue. Peppy performance and 30+ MPG easily. We went to the homecoming in Spring Hill, TN in it. It was a shame to see GM slowly take over until it was no more.

Im amazed how Volkswagen in the mid 90s even in their cheaper cars are optioned with auto all power windows and a lot of cars today don't have it

Awwwww! No love for the Impreza! I'm hurt!

Living in the rustbelt really tests cars, as our heavy salt use in the winter melts cars, so from a body integrity standpoint, we don't see many older cars.. but i still see Neon's and the occasional saturn.. things like the VW, saturn and corolla are long gone.. ironically

@matthewcaughey8898

Жыл бұрын

That’s cause they didn’t have stuff like POR-15 then. Used on a subframe that stuff will ensure that what kills your car ain’t going to be a rotted subframe

@rustbeltrobclassic2512

Жыл бұрын

@@matthewcaughey8898 I see cars 2-3 years old with body rot and frame damage, no amount of por15, or spray on coating will save mid weatern metal.. fluid film doesn't stand a chance.. lol..

3 speed with no over drive, that's ancient even by 90s standards.... must be a busy ride on the highway, I am surprised by the Saturn, leather seats, powerful engine, available 4 wheel disc ABS equipped brakes, that was quite a bargain. Then GM started doing its thing.

our rustless Midwestern neon is still going strong

June 5, 1994 Roy Rj

could you imagine...what the discontinued car brands be like today if they havent shut them down?

Didn't the Escort outsell all of these cars back in 94? Also what happened to the Cavalier

@mworld2611

Жыл бұрын

They mentioned in the beginning that they were only testing the "best in the segment." Which makes me wonder why the Neon is up there lol

I'm choosing the Saturn, Honda, or Toyota. Never have seen the VW in years. And used to see a ton of Neons and some on occasion.

Coming from an acura owners snd honda lover i would have bought the corolla but in black

My sister had a civic that lasted 20 years

Let’s be honest: the Toyota and Honda are the only cars still running today.

For roominess the three cars I would go for would be the Dodge neon Geo prizm or Toyota Corolla okay the difference between a a prism and a Corolla what's the cheap badging that fell off either car. The car with the best handling add roominess was the neon because of the cab forward engineering. The Saturn and the Volkswagen seemed a little cramped for someone over 6 ft .

Hey, look. A first gen Neon that isn't missing huge chunks of paint. I understand that Chrysler was trying a new, more eco friendly system. But the lack of real world testing came back to bite them on the ass. They did eventually tweak the method and got it right. But never seriously acknowledged the problem to begin with and didn't announce the change, so most people assumed even later models would have issues with the finish.

@Stressless2023

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I bet the white paint on the Neon in this test started flaking off even during those 0-60 runs lol I remember seeing them regularly with large areas of missing paint, usually white painted cars.

@misterwhipple2870

9 ай бұрын

Detroit had a baaaaad delamination problem in the '90s. They forgot how to paint cars. My dad had a 1940 Pontiac (in Minneapolis!) and the paint NEVER peeled. I think they were trying to find a "green" paint process. There ain't no such thing.

corolla❤

The only of these I regularly see on the road still are the Saturn, Civic, and Corolla. Haven't even seen a neon in a parts yard for 10 years now, they were just about dead right off the showroom floor. Volkswagens of course died if you so much as turned the key in the ignition.

@jblyon2

Жыл бұрын

We had an absolutely brutally incompetent woman in the office at one point. Messed up absolutely everything she touched. Then one day she mentioned she previously worked at Chrysler on the original Neon project, and it suddenly all made sense!

@galil_6863

Жыл бұрын

​@@jblyon2LOL

@therealcarlmarti

Жыл бұрын

I still see Neons and Jettas. They are both tough cars, actually. Maybe not to the level of a Corolla but the 2.0 ABA in the Jetta is one of the most durable engines ever made. I've seen both the VW and Neons with well over 400,000 miles on the original engine and (manual) transmissions.

they didnt bother painting the bumpers on the neon

The Honda was head and shoulders better. I had one of this generation, great cars.

The Saturns were so cool looking

We need cheap cars under15$ grand...not 40$ SUVs....now....teal green as well

@march24-lp4pv

8 ай бұрын

Tell that to your precious government.

@vicp8772

8 ай бұрын

@@march24-lp4pv Canadian government now sucks

I test drove a neon. It was an awful car back then. Loud, buzzy with a crap 3 speed automatic.

@richief5451

Жыл бұрын

You can tell in the video, look at the trunk. No liner. I’m sure it was loud as heck back then.

Civic, Corolla, the best.

aaaaand...the Corolla is still on the road today while all the others have been crushed.

My sister bought a new Neon that looked like the test vehicle. Zero options. She kept it about a year and traded it for a blue highline. It wasn't a good car. Paint peeling, head gasket failure multiple times

How plastic car behaves in crash test?

@engineer_alv

Жыл бұрын

good enough for the time being since only the body panels were plastic. The frame and side impact beams were all steel like any other car

@user-dy5wb5nx4c

Жыл бұрын

Saturn cars' body designs are very different than the other competitors, it's called space frame(there are a lot of tests that this unique design is so much safer than the others). They perform pretty well in crash tests, you can look it up online and discover more special things about Saturn!

@Thecarguy1254

Жыл бұрын

By modern standards, very poorly. By 1995 standards, very well. In the mid-90's IIHS crash testing, Saturn placed ahead of the Volkswagen and Neon and had similar results to Corolla and Civic.

1996dnen

The neon kicked all the competitions ass

@zythr9999

Жыл бұрын

😅

@Stressless2023

Жыл бұрын

Probably only in design and performance but definitely not reliability lol. That 0-60 time was impressive but those engines were super buzzy, loud, and unrefined, not to mention quick to blow head gaskets. Good handlers though and most people loved how they looked when they first came out, especially with the catchy and very 1990's "Hi!" slogan.

@matthewcaughey8898

Жыл бұрын

@@Stressless2023 being a 1990s kid who graduated in 2000 many of these cars were hand me downs from your parents. Kids with Neons were always buying a ride with someone cause the thing broke down again. I had an 86 Subaru I drove. One kid accused it of being a POS to which I responded “ how many times has my POS given you a ride when your dodge is in the shop again.” He shut up right after that

@mworld2611

Жыл бұрын

But where are they now? 😂

The Neons were hot garbage. Not only that, they were dp easy to steal. A friend's ex girlfriend had one and it was stolen, along with thousands of other.

😂Honda civic

Volkswagen Jetta for the win

cars were better those days ❤

@mofayer

Жыл бұрын

You prefer rattle can death traps? All of those were horrid compared to today's cheapest Mirage.

@sightt

Жыл бұрын

@@mofayer all cars were at that technology level those times. what I say is designs were more simpler and analogue, and no fancy junk, more transport oriented.

@mworld2611

Жыл бұрын

​@mofayer no crappy electronics and computers, easy to work on, exceptional gas mileage (even by today's standards), cheap to maintain, what's not to love?