What do you all know about Ion Redlines?

[random_hero]

So along my never ending quest to find a new, faster, better car...I came along this today...... 2004 Saturn Ion Redline. 5 pd, sunroof, power locks/windows. Rearco seats.....the battery is in the trunk however, and i'm not so sure thats stock. I've already been approved for $250/month for 60 months, with my car as a trade in ($1000) and $4000 down. The car currently has 31,107 miles on it.

The Good:
- 5 spd
- low miles/can afford it
- sunroof (fucking love it)
- S/C

The Bad:
- Aftermarket Stuff = abuse?
- Tires need replacing
- Spidering/chip in back bumper
- Rims have slight rock chips in paint
- Seats slightly stained

At home I make about $1500/month( 5 months ) ...at school I make about $600/month (6-7 months - I don't work weekends....possibilty for more $$$) My only concern is that there are some aftermarket items.....a dual guage pod with only 1 guage; Wiring in the trunk from previous system; Rims were painted black I believe - there are slight chips in them; The battery is in the trunk...which is kind of hard for me to believe is stock. I havn't driven it yet, but I did start it up, ect. and it sounded good....idled fine. I'm going to go test drive it in an hour or so....

Heres my situation - The escort is about to turn 110,000 - I go to school 300 miles away and make the commute from Buffalo to Upstate 4 - 5 times a year. I'm always nervous about something breaking down, going wrong 150 miles from anyplace I'm near/close to. With a car with 30,000 I really have to worry about that less. And oh yeah....I fucking love the sunroof. theres more pics



http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/akarandomhero4/100_1487.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/akarandomhero4/100_1488.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/akarandomhero4/100_1489.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/akarandomhero4/100_1490.jpg

[zxtuner98]

i hate those ones. the dash mostly. and the body. seats look awesome. you selling the scort?

[ravensguildassasin]

just to let you know the battery in the trunk is stock on those.

[random_hero]

added an engine shot. thank you, raven. i'm browsing the ion forums as we speak. I'm not a huge fan of the dash....but other than that its alright. not great,...its a saturn. but I'll let you know my opinion after I test drive it.

[phosphite]

It's pretty much the same as a Cobalt S/C, except the gauges are in the "wrong" place. Battery stock in trunk.

Go for it if you can afford it, should be a good ride. I wouldn't worry about the engine, they're pretty stout.

[Escort Pimp]

I would keep your ZX2 until you're done with school. During school, $600 will probably cover the payment, insurance and gas. What about the rest of your expenses?

[random_hero]

I have none...live on campus....meals are paid for in tuition

[zxtuner98]

The ecotec engine has proven to be good under boost. Its a nice motor. I just dislike saturns. Id pick up a cobalt ss s/c than an ion anyday. Although, its what you can get with your money. I agree with Pimp, just wait if you can. If you take care of your car, i wouldnt worry about stuff failing you.

[ZX2Fast]

I know a few people with the Cobalt SS. It spends as much time at the dealer as it does in thier driveway. Oh, don't break the shift cable, you'll be waiting nearly a month on one. It also isn't under warranty any longer. Any issues with it, and you will have issues, and it'll be out of pocket. If you are a fan of Consumer Reports, take a look at what they have to say about the reliability of this car. It isn't favorable. In fact, pick up a Consumer Reports Used Car Guide. It'll give you a great idea of what to expect from the used car market and real world reliabilty reports. Just a heads up, nearly half of the avoid list is GM.

[random_hero]

ok so after test driving it - it needs tires...the CEL and ABS lights are on....they're are supposed to check out/fix it. They're putting new tires on, and the A pillar was kind of loose, but they;re supposed to be fixing that as well. When I was driving, the boost guage was reading about 10PSI but stock it should be about 12-13 PSI .....

[random_hero]

So after a night of browsing teh INTERWEBZ I finally found this guys handle on the RedLine forums. Turns out several people said he drove it kinda hard. My brothers friend with an Acura Type S A spec may have even raced the kid...i'm waiting to hear back from him. The dealer just called and I felt free to inform him of all this as well. The trannys been apart 3 times, twice for a rebuild as well, aparently.

[jdrzx2]

Go find a used SRT-4, a few extra dollars into one of those will go a long way. Don't listen to the people that say they are over rated. They're just jealous their car cost way more and is still slower.

[zxtuner98]

Truth^ The srt4 has proven to be good. 2004 model is the best. LSD FTW!

[jdrzx2]

If I had been smart, I wouldn't have dumped my money into my zx2 and gone for the srt-4. I almost bought one when I lived in California. Upgraded turbo, fuel system, new intake, stronger internals etc...

The guy traded it for a STi, the dealership only wanted 18k for it 14k mileage. That car scared the shit out of the 5 of us that were in the car when I test drove it. I should have bought it.

[random_hero]

I was looking for used SRt4's the stealership the redline was at had one a week prior, but sold the basterd within like 3 days. no one else is rumored to have one around. I've checked with quite a few and no one knows of anything. The Redline seemed cheap, and was pretty quick. I had a nice test drive ;)

[random_hero]

oh yeah, I drove the SRT4 caliber...no thanks.

[NYRichyone]

Don't buy the car...it is beat, and I walked it until 95.

PS: I better get that hood back, if/when you buy/sell/trade.:biggrin:

Your cousin's friend may be my cousin with the A-spec( Brandon)...he can't drive the car to save his life.

[random_hero]

yep thats brandon. hahaha

[random_hero]

So I'm thinking about going and offering them to take it off their hands for $9,500....... what does everyone know about haggling with dealers?

I know its been there for about 3 months. they want it gone.
I hear their dealership is closing within the next few months.

[Beodude123]

Dude, I wouldn't buy that car. If it's been apart that many times, and isn't running as well as it should... It's going to be less reliable than the Z. Mine is over 110,000, but I'm not really scared of it falling apart. It's a pretty reliable car (the Z).

[CT9A]

DO NOT buy a redline or a ss cobalt for that matter. I got my SS brand new its not even 2 years old yet and only has 33k on it. Ive had the shifter cables break twice, finally I took a set and made them stronger with some jbweld. Now the input shaft bearing is bad in my transmission. Thankfully gm is going to warranty it. I don't even drive the car hard. Its only been to the track 3 times, and the gas mileage is so bad when you don't drive like a old person that I rarely rev it past 3k. Their are horror stories of warranties gone bad on cobalts and redlines. On top of all that with the stock supercharger the most power you can make with out worrying about melting you pistons is around 260-270whp because of how much heat it makes. Also the the superchargers bearings are worked very hard if you install anything past a stage 2(risk of over spinning it).

Some Warranty horror for ya below
1. Stock clutch cant hold much more then stock power(cant even hold stock power if you like to slip the clutch alot). The only clutch that can actually hold any kinda power is made by Exedy and is $1200+ for some reason the stock replacement, and other "performance" clutches suck even Spec
2. The transmissions gears and the non lsd diff are weak, the lsd trans only rated to 260 ft lbs
countless guys have broken them and gm screwed them.
3.Even if your not making enough power to break the internals If you don't replace the stock engine mounts with either inserts or new solid mounts, and launch the car you run the risk of cracking the transmission case from wheel hop. Which is not replaceable under warranty, because Gm says its cause is abuse by the driver.
4.Even after you do that you still run the risk of breaking the axles if you launch the car, and the clutch actually grabs. Which gm will not warranty either If there are signs of abuse. The aftermarket axles rated to 400hp are $800.

Kliff notes

shifter cable ends are made of weak PLASTIC!
clutch sucks
Transmissions are weak
axles are weak
the stock supercharger is nearly maxed out with just stage 2 kit

If your gonna get a new car get something that doesn't have the same problems as a zx2 lol

[Connal]

So I'm thinking about going and offering them to take it off their hands for $9,500....... what does everyone know about haggling with dealers?

I know its been there for about 3 months. they want it gone.
I hear their dealership is closing within the next few months.

You want to know about haggling with dealers, talk to me.

It depends on what they want for it, and what they own it for.

Think of it this way, I show you a trade value on your car of 4,000. What I am really giving you is 2k. The other 2k I absorb on the price of the car. Now, I own that car for 10k, I'm asking 14k. That extra 2k I just showed you, I am still making a 2k profit.

Now it depends on cars. Something like a suburban they will be more likely to make a killer deal on. Something like a redline that will be snatched up in a few days, no way. If they can sell it to someone else for more, they are going to.

However, what you want to do is go in, talk to a sales manager. Say "Hey, I'll buy that car out there for 1,500 over what you own it for a house deal."

Being a house deal they don't need to cut in a sales person on the commission. They will be more apt to work with you.

After that, they are going to (depending on their strategy) show you a paper. It will go something like this.

13,000.00(Vehicle Price)
1000(trade equity) Here is a good place to mention they won't give you what you want on a trade. That is fine though. Price is irrelavent.
4000(money down)
8,000 (Money Difference)
100 (plate)
345(tax)
50(fees)

8,495 (total)

217.32 a month for 60 months with bank financing.

Now don't bother doing the math, I made the numbers all up.

Now you say "Ok, that isn't bad. I was looking to be more at 200 a month." Then they will go into a long winded speach on why you are paying more. For the options, the style, etc etc etc.

They will then write down something like 209.57 a month etc etc.

If you want a price out the door it will be slightly different, but similar.

If they won't work with you be polite, and respectful and say. "Well, I don't know. Give me a day or two to think about it."

They want to sell that car today. Car sales is a "now" market. They will likely come back with a lower number. If not, just leave and think it over for a day or so.

That is basically the short version of it.

[Manbearpig]

No

[random_hero]

no? :(

[Beodude123]

DO NOT buy a redline or a ss cobalt for that matter. I got my SS brand new its not even 2 years old yet and only has 33k on it. Ive had the shifter cables break twice, finally I took a set and made them stronger with some jbweld. Now the input shaft bearing is bad in my transmission. Thankfully gm is going to warranty it. I don't even drive the car hard. Its only been to the track 3 times, and the gas mileage is so bad when you don't drive like a old person that I rarely rev it past 3k. Their are horror stories of warranties gone bad on cobalts and redlines. On top of all that with the stock supercharger the most power you can make with out worrying about melting you pistons is around 260-270whp because of how much heat it makes. Also the the superchargers bearings are worked very hard if you install anything past a stage 2.

Some Warranty horror for ya below
1. Stock clutch cant hold much more then stock power(cant even hold stock power if you like to slip the clutch alot). The only clutch that can actually hold any kinda power is made by Exedy and is $1200+ for some reason the stock replacement, and other "performance" clutches suck even Spec
2. The transmissions gears and the non lsd diff are weak, the lsd trans only rated to 260 ft lbs
countless guys have broken them and gm screwed them.
3.Even if your not making enough power to break the internals If you don't replace the stock engine mounts with either inserts or new solid mounts, and launch the car you run the risk of cracking the transmission case from wheel hop. Which is not replaceable under warranty, because Gm says its cause is abuse by the driver.
4.Even after you do that you still run the risk of breaking the axles if you launch the car, and the clutch actually grabs. Which gm will not warranty either If there are signs of abuse. The aftermarket axles rated to 400hp are $800.

Kliff notes

shifter cable ends are made of weak PLASTIC!
clutch sucks
Transmissions are weak
axles are weak
the stock supercharger is nearly maxed out with just stage 2 kit

If your gonna get a new car get something that doesn't have the same problems as a zx2 lol

Sounds like a wonderful tuner car! Great reliability, lots of power holding capability for down the road... I'm going to get two for myself today!


But really, those things sound like a huge joke. They look alright, but now that I know how bad they are.... I would never even consider getting one. It sounds like they just kept the stock Cobalt drivetrain, and slapped a semi powerful engine on it. It just can't take the power.

[CBZx2]

Personally I wouldnt put too much consideration in it since the tranny has been apart 3 times already and it was apparently beat by the previous owner

[CT9A]

The funny thing is they didn't. The ss and redline have what gm says is a better transmission then the normal ones(2.2 and 2.4 engines have a getrag and the SS and RL have a Saab trans).

[corby_baby]

i have never seen that car and i like it. sad that it sucks to be abused and crap. gl on the car search eric

[Manbearpig]

No as in I do not approve of settling on such a POS car. Not that the redline isn't going to be an upgrade...but this one looks like its going to cause you and your wallet much grief.

Pass 100%.

[99fordzx2]

Definately stay away from this car. To be honest, the Z is pretty reliable if you dont beat the hell out of it. My Z has been in the shop twice for major repair. Once for the tranny, (ricer stage, tried to do one too many burn outs) lol, the other was the timing belt went out at about 145k miles. Other than that she's been good to me. I say keep the Z a bit longer, like until your done with school, or pass on the Saturn and look elsewhere. Good luck though.


-D

[random_hero]

Yeah. well I found all this out from a 3rd party. Found out the old owners name is mike and he has a white evo. In my little ass town, there is 1 evo. it is whte....his name is mike. I'm going to his place of work tommorrow, hopefully find out a bit more...see if the rumors are true! Offer the stealership $700 over what they gave him for it =p

[CT9A]

I'm telling you don't buy it. You would have better luck buying a DSM..lol. Seriously though you will be kicking your self in the ass for the entire time you own the car. I got mine BRAND NEW and have had problems with it since week 2 of owning it.

[Beodude123]

You can get better, more reliable cars for cheaper man, just say no!

Seriously, with this many people saying no... You should walk. I know it gets exciting with the thought of a new car, but it's not worth it in the long run.

[Buster]

Plus, it's ugly. :D

[Beodude123]

LoL That doesn't help very much.

[BlackEscortGT]

It sounds like a bad deal. Just my two sense. Maybe the cobalt SS sucking so bad is why they cahanged the S/c to a Turbo on the 2008 models? are they just as bad? O and in 2009 the Cobalt SS will be turboed also, and come in Automatic. lol just some info. My girl is getting a cobalt sport.

[CT9A]

No they changed them to turbo for 2008 because the supercharged cars were no longer emissions compliant, and they no longer have a contract with Eaton for the m60. The car is still going to be crap though. Yes they have a better engine now, but the trans is still the same. They say they fixed the wheel hop issue, and improved the clutch. This doesn't change the fact that the new engine makes 260tq. and the trans is only rated to 250 with out lsd and 260with. So there is going to be people breaking axles and transmissions left and right.