May 19, 2008
Talk about a longitudinal review: 12 years and over 273K miles!
Tim Keirnan offers a single-point perspective on owning his Saturn
SC2 coupe, which Saturn iterated to a point of near-perfection for
Tim's car needs back in 1996. Saturn "refreshed" the model from
1997 onwards and it was never the same. Mechanic Jake Huey and
automotive human factors engineer Ken Mayer join Tim inside and
outside the car for a thorough discussion of Saturn's innovative
designs for the 1996 SC2.
* Lost Foam Casting of the engine for smaller size and more
accurate tolerances
* Polymer plastic body panels for dent resistance, rust prevention,
easy maintenance, and end-of-life recycling
* Superlative UI design on the dashboard gauges, heating and
cooling system, radio, and even the engine compartment (so owners
and mechanics can reach the most frequently-serviced parts
quickly)
* "No haggle pricing" and no-pressure dealership experience
* Terrific fuel economy (40 mpg at 55 mph, 36 mpg at 70 mph)
(manual transmission)
The customizations Tim and Jake did to the car used parts from the
following sources that can help anyone's car perform better as
stock parts wear out:
* Eibach springs at http://eibach.com/
* KYB struts at www.kyb.com/products/
* K&N intake filter at www.knfilters.com/fipk/fipk.htm
* Centerforce clutch at www.centerforce.com
The larger-diameter cat-back exhaust system for the SC2 is no
longer made, but anyone can commission a good (mandrel-bending)
local muffler shop to fabricate something suitable.
We will have an automotive user experience panel discussion later
on to continue our look at car customer experiences.
Finally, the international Usability Professionals Association
conference is coming up! See http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/conference/2008/index.htm