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Road Test: 2009 Saturn Aura XR 4-cyl, car review; The glow of fuel economy
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The four-cylinder engine has been the red haired stepchild of the Saturn Aura, like many other mid-size sedans regardless of make. The V-6 edition always gets the best of other stuff, and in fact, the premium model often is available only with a V-6. Four-cylinders need not apply, even if the four outsells the V-6, which it usually does.
The irony is that the bigger engine usually gets the slicker transmission. The Saturn Aura, for example, assigned the six-speed automatic to the six-cylinder, and that was available only on the top model, the Saturn XR. Those wishing four-cylinder economy were stuck with the base-trim Saturn XE and a four-speed automatic.Of course, the lower-powered four-cylinder could make better use of the six-speed automatic. With more ratios to choose from, it’s easier to keep the engine in its narrower powerband. But with a limited availability of the six-speed, those who pay more get the better stuff.
That’s changed for 2009, however. Not only is the four-cylinder engine available in XR trim, it also comes with the six-speed automatic. As something of a turnabout, the V-6 is no longer available with XE trim. The Saturn Aura is also available as a hybrid, though the “Green Line” model designation has been dropped.
The Saturn Aura specifications, however, put the Hybrid and four-cylinder six-speed as relatively close in power and fuel economy:
| 2.4L I-4 | 2.4L I-4 hybrid | 3.6L V-6 | |
| Valvetrain | DOHC 16-va;ve | DOHC 16-valve | DOHC 24-valve |
| Horsepower | 169 @ 6400 rpm | 159 @ 5000 rpm | 252 @ 6300 rpm |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 160 @ 4500 rpm | 159 @ 5000 rpm | 251 @ 3200 rpm |
| Fuel octane | 87 unleaded | 87 unleaded | 87 unleaded |
| EPA est mpg | 22/33 | 26/34 | 17/26 |
We recently tested a 2009 Saturn Aura XR 4-cylinder to see just how good it could be and whether it lived up to its high fuel economy rating without being a hybrid or having other expensive tricks.
The Saturn Aura is built on GM’s Epsilon platform, introduced on the Opel Vectra and Saab 9-3 and now used on a variety of GM vehicles, including the new Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6. And since Fiat and GM originally worked together on the Epsilon project, the platform is also used with a Fiat model. Which is to say that platform is not destiny as these comprise some very different cars.The Saturn Aura went into production as a 2007 model, built in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s an early example of GM’s renaissance and an example of GM’s improved quality. It’s still an inexpensive model, however, so interior trim isn’t as posh as, say, the Saab 9-3 on the same platform. One gets what one pays for. But the Saturn is screwed together well and the interior bits solid. The instrument panel looks classy, the climate control and radio knobs and buttons have a good heft to them, not the toy-like flimsiness of earlier GM—and by extension—Saturn efforts. The bits are mostly General Motors standard issue, but that’s good news for the Saturn Aura and in a larger sense General Motors too.
The Aura XR we tested is well-equipped in the Korean fashion, with lots of features, include paddle-shifting for the automatic transmission, 17-inch alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tires, power windows with driver express down and up and 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, leather with heated front seats, steering wheel radio controls, automatic headlamps and more.The Aura’s safety equipment includes front side-impact airbags, front/rear side curtain airbags, stability control, four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes and brake assist. The Saturn has five-star front and side impact safety ratings and a four-star roll-over rating.
The leather seating has novel styling, for lack of a better word, with strap-like features that make the seats look like someone skinned old leather suitcases to make them. It’s a good look, especially if you have an Indiana Jones fedora to go with it. The seats aren’t overly comfortable and the leather feels durable rather than cushy, but the seats are not uncomfortable either, and with enough support for the kind of driving a Saturn Aura owner is likely to do.
The Aura’s back seat is roomy enough and like other cars in this class better suited for two than the three suggested by its seat belts.
The Saturn Aura’s ride is actually rather nice, supple but with enough control for acceptable cornering. It never tempts a driver to play boy racer, which is well because that’s not the customer Saturn is trying to reach with the Aura. There’s enough road noise that the radio has to be turned up at highway speed, though it’s not particularly objectionable and wind noise was largely absent.
In a test loop that contained highway and intermediate speed roads with hills and some stop-and-go, we recorded 31.8 mpg. In primarily heavy urban driving we couldn’t do better than 21.8 mpg, so actually, our gas mileage isn’t that far off from the EPA estimate of 22/33. That compares to the last year’s four-cylinder with four-speed automatic EPA estimate of 22/30. Based on our overall driving, we expect that a 2009 Saturn Aura four-cylinder with the six-speed would better the EPA highway estimate.The downside is that the engine/transmission combo had to do a lot of downshifting and revving to accelerate or climb hills. It didn’t hunt badly on moderate hills but it can be busy. Someone got the programming right on the computer mapping on this transmission. At least that the gap between gears is not as great as it would have been with the four-speed automatic so there isn’t as much whirring when the trans does shift down. The engine is smooth and quiet for a four in casual use but it sounds rather strained when exercised.
So thanks to a greater concern for fuel economy and an equally important increase in six-speed automatic transmission availability, the red-haired stepchild is being treated a little more fairly these day…and so, one might add, would be an owner of a 2009 Saturn Aura XR four-cylinder.
| Base price | $23,450 |
| Automatic headlamps | incl |
| Stability control, brake assist | incl |
| 17-inch alloy wheels | incl |
| Power windows, driver express down and up | incl |
| "Leather appointed" seating | incl |
| Heated from seas | incl |
| AM/FM stereo, CD, RDS, aus. imput,, XM + 3-mos service | incl |
| Steering wheel radio controls | incl |
| Floor mats, front and rear | incl |
| Driver information center | incl |
| Bluetooth | incl |
| Advanced audio package | 425 |
| Convenience package: home remote, remote vehicle start, inside rearview mirror w/ autodimming and compass, ouside mirrors, power, heated, driver w/ autodimming | 590 |
| Sunroof | 800 |
| Carbon flash | 95 |
| Destination | 650 |
| Total MSRP | $26,010 |
Illustrations, top to bottom: 2009 Saturn Aura XR 4-cyl. All photos by John Matras.
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