http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=100893

That was one high mileage Ion before the head cracked. Speaks well of the Ecotec's durability, IMHO.

I wonder if that is a mileage record for the Ecotec?

 

No comments? I think that is excellent durability, not the cracked head but the overall 365,000 miles it went before that happened.

 

I have a comment. I am sorry to say it, but the guy is a moron for buying a Honda after his Saturn gave him 365,000 miles before having that type of problem. What will it take for GM to gain loyal customers? Sometimes I feel like I am the only person who feels this way...I hope his precious Civic is a lemon. Sorry, this is just what came to mind after reading this. What a great car that Saturn was. If I got 365,000 from a car I would trade it for the same make.

 

Hey, I know what you mean about GM loyalty, my HHR is one of three GM cars here at the homestead.

1995 Cavalier, 193112 miles
1999 GMC Yukon, 134100 miles
2006 HHR, 36520 miles

And I have to plans for replacing anything for 3 more years, then I'll probably trade in the Cavalier.

 

+1

For all the yuppies that brag about their Hondas and Toyotas that are going to make it to 300,000, even though we all know they'll trade 'em at 60,000 when the warranty runs out, it's a great story with a bummer of an ending. Karma's a jealous mistress and I bet the wheels will fall off that Civic. Or it'll get stolen for parts.

One time my Dad's old assembly plant received a customer comment card from an '88 Chevy Celebrity owner. They received the card in '98 from GM public relations. Apparently, the owner was cleaning out the car because he was trading it in on a new Olds and found the card in the glove box and decided to fill it out. After 10 years and a tick over 350,000 miles, the power steering rack decided to crap out. The old 2.8 V6 and 4t40 tranny still ran like new, but the paint was from one of those years that PPG sold everyone bad paint, so the car looked like hell.

They framed the card. Unfortunately, that assembly plant was shut down a year ago because nobody wanted to buy their cars anymore. 2,500 jobs LOST.

 

very well said 'hhrcrafty'...you & I would get along well. I love your posts, you share a lot of the same feelings as I do. GO GM. I couldn't have said it better than you did.

oh, and by the way, SCREW toyota & honda...

 

Last year I bought my son a 1999 ION with 255,000 miles on it, (a local trade) still running great, and got 47mpg hwy on a trip from Nebraska to Pennsylvania! Gets great mpg in around town too!

Of course I am sure you all know who designed the Ecotec engine, Lotus of England.

 

Good to know that

 

Hope I can get that kind of miles on my HHR. At 53 years old and only driving about 10,000 miles a year, they will be able to bury me in it.

 

If it's a '99, it's actually an S-series Saturn, the original Saturn car. ION wasn't introduced until 2003. No ION gets 47 MPG, one of many reasons why Saturn loyalists abandoned the marque.

I'm not quite sure about the accuracy of the Lotus origins of the Ecotec. Ecotec was developed by Opel and Fiat using a blank sheet of paper. The only engine I'm aware of Lotus developing for GM was the LT5 engine used in the Corvette ZR1.