Saturn LW300 station wagon shows a fresh face and DVD video
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The worldly mid-size station wagon bearing the Saturn badge of General Motors presents a stylish fresh face on new issues of 2003.
It also garners some evolutionary enhancements regarding powertrain performance, high-tech safety systems and optional gear for the entertainment of backseat riders.
Saturn's wagons in the L series -- larger, more powerful and sophisticated than the subcompact-class S series of sedans and coupes -- borrow a platform, suspension and various mechanical systems from several brands produced by GM in Germany and Sweden, namely Opel and Saab.
With these core components extracted from the Opels and Saabs, L series cars take on European airs regarding performance and handling ability.
Our experience behind the wheel in LW200 and LW300 wagons as well as L200 and L300 sedans includes stop-and-go sessions on the broad boulevards of Phoenix, quick-clip runs on the I-10 and I-17 freeways, and twisty time on two-lane blacktop routes weaving through Arizona mountains of the Sierra Anchas Range.
In every situation, Saturn's wagons impress with their keen mechanical precision, fast fire power and the level of comfort evident in cabin fittings.
Wheelbase employed by LW200 and LW300 wagons stretches for four inches more than S series cars, which sets up a spacious cabin with four doors, seats for five and comfortable appointments.
In the previous models of 2002, LW wagons gained more standard safety gear, such as curtain-style air bags concealed in headliners above side windows, an anti-lock system for the disc brakes and a traction control device, plus automatic headlamps and LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) equipment in the rear seat.
In addition, the LW200 received the sophisticated EcoTec four-pack engine.
This modern plant -- a dual-cam design displacing 2.2 liters and mustering a hardy 135 hp at 5200 rpm for the LW200 plus 142 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm -- was developed as a universal engine for service in various brands of General Motors.
It also appears in the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac's Grand Am and Oldsmobile's Alero, along with Saturn's Vue sport-utility and the L100 sedan.
LW300 stocks a two-cam 3.0-liter V6 with output of 182 hp at 5600 rpm and torque to 190 lb-ft at 3600 rpm.
The V6, based on an engine that powers Opel's Omega sedan in Europe, is constructed at GM's Elsmere Port Engine Plant in England and was originally designed to sustain high-speed sprints on the autobahns of Germany.
A four-speed automatic transmission, GM's workhorse 4T45E edition that appears in many GM products, mates with either the four-cylinder or V6 engine and does a good job of shifting in a smooth and unobtrusive manner.
The four-cylinder EcoTec plant also connects to a manual five-speed shifter, which Saturn obtained from Saab. It's tight and precise, with easy synch and a short throw.
After devising the structure and assembling all of the mechanical components for LW wagons, Saturn's designers dressed the original package in a slick individual style that conforms in shape and tone to S series models -- it's immediately identifiable as a Saturn, with the low nose and canted hood initiating a graceful arch over the passenger compartment but a boxy wagon's bay evident and followed by an abbreviated tail accented by corner tail lamps.
However, editions of 2003 go much further with modifications on the body to create an aggressive yet balanced posture while flashing some glamorous details.
Springs in the front and rear suspension systems were altered in height to modify the stance. Wagons now measure nine millimeters taller up front and eight millimeters lower in back.
The front hood has been sculptured to conform to the raised pose and allow for a taller and larger grille.
On the prow, new clear-lens composite headlamps wrap around the front corners and flank the bolder grille that provides for more volume of air flowing into the engine compartment for cooling.
At the sides, black rocker panels on the former models have been replaced by body-colored rockers to unify the package, as larger 16-inch wheels and tires bring a sporty look and optional chrome-clad wheels are now available.
These functional and styling changes to LW wagons also appear on L series sedans of 2003.
Like all Saturns, the wagons wear side fenders and door panels constructed from a molded polymer.
The pliable plastic resembles sheetmetal but flexes in the face of parking-lot mishaps such as an accidental encounter with a runaway grocery cart. Following such a collision, the panel will snap back to its original shape, leaving no dent or ding -- and no chipped paint.
Behind the skin, Saturn's LW wagons contain new materials to dampen noises and tame vibrations.
Improvements include new molded gaskets and fasteners designed to seal holes and gaps in body parts, foam insulation filling body cavities such as the area around the instrument panel, magnets added to the cabin headliner so it fits more securely, revised shock and strut valving to smooth out the ride quality over uneven pavement, and a new tread design on tires to deaden noise from the road.
In the spacious cabin, more changes are evident.
Touches of brushed aluminum show up on inserts around the center console, as faceplates on the analog instruments are cast in bright white.
European-styled seats are clad in upscale fabrics, with leather upholstery available.
The layout sets one front bucket seat for driver and another for a front rider flanking a multi-tiered console, with a bench for three in back and rear seatbacks split 60/40 and foldable to expand space in the cargo bay.
Saturn does a good job of stocking LW wagons with convenience features. Even the LW200 comes with air conditioning, power steering and a tilting steering wheel, plus power windows and a stereo sound package, and there are options for deluxe stereo gear, a sunroof, OnStar in-vehicle telecommunications equipment, and more.
The ultimate option is a DVD-base video entertainment system mounted in the front console with a seven-inch screen folding down from the ceiling for viewing by backseat riders. A pair of wireless headphones come with the kit.
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| 2003 SATURN WL 300 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size 5-door station wagon
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| Model Options: |
Mid-size 5-door station wagon
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| Wheelbase: |
106.5 inches
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| Overall Length: |
190.4 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.2-L I4
DOHC 3.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
2.2: Manual/5
Auto/4
3.0: Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/
ABS/TCS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front)
+ 2 (side curtain)
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| Gas Mileage: |
2.2 A/4: 24/33 mpg
3.0 A/4: 21/29 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 21,000 to $ 33,000 |
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