Souped-up Aura XR makes for a nice ride
HUME, Va. -- Saturn's Aura midsize sedan really is two cars.
Drive the uplevel XR with its high-performance V-6 and sporty suspension and you wonder where, sweet car, have you been all this time?
But get behind the wheel of the base XE and the impression is less impressive: Nice car. Could use some tweaking. Pretty darn good, though.
PHOTOS/AUDIO:Saturn Aura with Healey's comments
Saturn likes to brag that the Aura has a V-6 engine standard, while rivals have four-cylinder powerplants in their base models. But the memory of $3 gas this summer might make buyers more interested in the perceived fuel-economy benefits of a four-cylinder.
Two Auras were tested: A preproduction XE that would be priced $21,795 and a nearly loaded, regular-production XR, $26,919.99.
The XE and XR were challenged on Virginia interstates and two-lane back roads in the vicinity of this village. Here's what stood out, good and otherwise:
• Styling. Crisp, handsome, sufficiently tailored to draw at least brief notice from those import fans who heretofore wouldn't have considered a domestic car.
• Interior. Nicely done; classy for a mainstream sedan. The back seat is reasonably roomy. The contours of the seat back are a bit lumpy, though, compromising comfort.
Saturn likes to point out that it bothered to wrap the inside of the windshield pillars in cloth instead of presenting them with a hard plastic surface. Nice touch. Even the interior of the trunk is well-done. Fully lined, which not only looks classy, but also cuts noise.
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