Saturn L-Series

Saturn L-Series
Saturn
aka
Production	2000-2005
Class	Mid-Size
Body Style	Four door sedan, Five door wagon
Length	190.4 in
Width	68.5 in
Height	56.4 in
Wheelbase	106.5 in
Weight
Transmission	5-speed manual 4-speed automatic
Engine	2.2 liter inline 4 3.0 liter V6
Power	137 hp @ 5800 RPM 135 lb-ft of torque at 4400 RPM 182 hp @ 6000 RPM 184 lb-ft of torque at 3400 RPM
Similar	Toyota Camry Chrysler Sebring Honda Accord Nissan Altima
Designer

The Saturn L-series was a line of automobiles sold by General Motors' Saturn marque.

The L-series mid-size sedans and station wagons were introduced in 2000. They were based on the Opel Vectra B and manufactured at a GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware. The L-series was available with I4 and V6 engines.

Poor sales of the L-series caused GM to cancel the line for 2005. The first L-series car was built in May 1999, and the last one rolled off the Wilmington line on June 17, 2004, after a short run of 2005 models. About 406,300 L-series cars were built in this period. The plant was then retooled to build the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters.

The replacement for the L-series, the Saturn Aura, arrived in August 2006 for the 2007 model year. The Aura is built on the Epsilon platform, also shared by the Pontiac G6 and the Opel Vectra C.

See Autopedia's comprehensive Saturn L-Series Review.

Recent Changes

The model was discontinued in 2005. It has been replaced with the 2007 Saturn Aura.

Year by Year Changes
2001: Inflatable side-curtain airbags became optional. Trim names changed (see Design Quirks and Oddities below.)

2002: Curtain side airbags made standard. Optional rear-seat DVD entertainment system, 6-disc in-dash CD change and automatic climate control.

2003: Restyled front fascia and interior. Sixteen-inch alloy wheels standard on 300 models, optional on 200.

2004: Standard anti-lock brakes.

2005: Wagon model dropped.

Styles and Major Options

The L-Series was available in sedan or station wagon configuration. The sedan model could be equipped in three trim levels, the wagon in two. Listed below are notable differences between trims for the 2000 model.

L100

• 4 cylinder engine
• Power assisted front disc/rear drum brakes
• 5-speed manual transmission
• Air conditioning
• AM/FM radio

L200
In addition to or in place of L100 features

• Power windows
• Cruise control
• AM/FM CD radio

L300
In addition to or in place of L200 features

• V6 engine
• Automatic transmission
• Alloy wheels
• AM/FM CD/Cassette radio

Wagon models were equipped similar to sedans, but were only available with the automatic transmission. They also came standard with rear cargo cover and roof rails.

Major Options
Not available on all trim levels

• Head curtain airbags
• Alloy wheels
• ABS with Traction Control
• AM/FM CD radio or AM/FM CD/Cassette radio
• Leather upholstery
• Sunroof
• Six-way power driver's seat

Pricing

L-Series Trims
L100	L200	L300	LW200	LW300
MSRP
$14,495	$16,750	$19,495	$18,835	$21,360
Invoice
$xx,xxx	$xx,xxx	$xx,xxx	$xx,xxx	$xx,xxx

Gas Mileage

As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Engine
Inline 4		V6
Transmission
Manual	Automatic	Manual	Automatic
MPG
24/32	23/32	-	20/26

Reliability

Warranty options and scheduled maintainence information should be mentioned here.

Safety

Standard Safety Features

• 1st and 2nd Row Curtain Airbags
• Traction Control
• Driver and Passenger Front Air Bags

The 2002-2005 L-Series was tested by the NHTSA and the full results can be found at safercar.gov.

Rating (Stars)
Front		Side		Rollover
Driver	Passenger	Front Seat	Rear Seat	2WD	4WD
4	5	3	5	4	-

Photos

Pre-facelift Saturn L-Series sedan

Saturn L-Series station wagon

Colors

Exterior colors are listed based on interior appointments.

Trim	Interior
	Cloth			Leather
	Grey	Tan	Black	Grey	Tan	Black
L100	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red	Dark Red Medium Gold	-	-	-	-
L200	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Blackberry Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	Blackberry Bright Silver Green Silver Blue	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Blackberry Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	Bright Silver Cream White Green Dark Red Blackberry Silver Blue
L300	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Blackberry Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	Blackberry Bright Silver Green Silver Blue	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Blackberry Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	Bright Silver Cream White Green Dark Red Blackberry Silver Blue
LW200	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	-	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	-
LW300	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	-	Bright Silver Cream White Dark Blue Dark Red Silver Blue	Dark Red Medium Gold Green	-

Main Competitors

• Toyota Camry
• Chrysler Sebring
• Honda Accord
• Nissan Altima
• Dodge Stratus
• Pontiac Grand Prix

Hybrid Models

No hybrid models of the L-Series were produced.

Unique Attributes

If there are any features of this vehicle that sets it apart from other vehicles in its class, then mention those unique attributes here.

Resale Values

Add more fields as necessary.

<MODEL> Year
Year X	Year X-2	Year X-3	Year X-4
Resale Value
$	$	$	$

Criticisms

Please make sure to keep critiques in a third-person point of view. If using criticisms from a reputable automotive source, then please make sure to cite the quote.

Worldwide

If the vehicle is sold in other markets worldwide, then this is the section to mention that information. Also, mention if the <MODEL> goes by another name in these other markets.

Design quirks and oddities

The L-series cars were originally designated the LS (for sedan) and LW (for wagon). However, this caused great confusion and anger from both Toyota and Ford, who both sold LS-series cars (the Lexus LS and the Lincoln LS). The vehicles were then renamed L-series. (Some have also suggested that the name changes were a result of customer complaints over Saturn's "SL" and "LS" series cars, which were both on sale at the same time.)

Awards

List out notable awards that the model has recieved while in production. Boldface the company or orgainization that gives out the award, and Italicize the name of the award.

External Links

• Saturn L-Series Homepage
• SaturnFans Forum

This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Saturn L-Series. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Autopedia, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.