Saturn Aura wins 2007 North American Car of the Year -- Should it have?
Today at the Detroit Auto Show, the 2007 North American Car of the Year award was announced -- and the winner is the 2007 Saturn Aura, which beat out the Toyota Camry and Honda Fit.
The North American Car of the Year is awarded by a panel of 48 journalists (none of which are About.com staffers). Past winners have included the 2006 Honda Civic, 2005 Chrysler 300 and 2004 Toyota Prius.
The Aura has sparked a bit of controversy around here. About.com Cars test driver BJ Killeen attended the Aura press preview and thought the car was fantastic (read her 2007 Saturn Aura preview drive). I spent a week with the Aura more recently and while I agree that it's a stellar step for Saturn, I'm not convinced that it's the be-all and end-all. (For what it's worth, I also drove the 2007 Toyota Camry for a week and didn't think it was without flaws, either. The Honda Fit - now there's a car I was fond of.)
Which cars do I think are 2007's best? You'll find out towards the end of this month. Meanwhile, what do you think of the 2007 NACOTY award - did the Aura deserve to win, or should the award have gone to the Camry, the Fit, or some other car? Click the "comments" link and tell us. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
Comments
I think Saturn Aura deserved it.
If it was just quality/value of the car, maybe Toyota Camry Hybrid was better (only being hybrid gave it the edge). If it were not hybrid, I think Saturn Aura deserved to be the winner — it was the best midsize sedan from GM in recent times, and that gives it more significance for GM and for Saturn… Toyota makes a good camry every year, nothing new about it. The only thing different was styling this year, which I think was different for difference sake — just to take it out of blandness — but the new design itself sucks. Aura’s engine and transmission was where it took the leap, and external styling is perfect for this sedan at this price. Attractive but not outrageous. I have owned a new Camry in the past, and now own a new Malibu Maxx, and I like Maxx better for its versatility.
To cut it short, on a personal level, I love the Aura, and it might be my next new car, unless the new Malibu is really better.
I put over a thousand miles on an Aura RS recently, includung two seven hour days, and I think it is an absolutely marvelous automobile. BTW, my daily driver for the past 11+ years has been a Corvette, my present one being a 2005 C6. The Aura is a most deserving winner!
What is an Aura? Where did it come from? Trying to find some accolades
that it received thru the past! Can’t find too many if any. Now FIT…Most of us know and like the FIT. Only around for 7 months…but….just look at the reviews. The dealers can’t get enough of them. Lets see how the Aura does after 7 months. I drive a FIT…..You gotta love this thing. Wait til HONDA ramps up production and is able to supply the dealer body with an inventory. So AURA you have a few good months so do your best.
The Saturn Aura is a very good car, probably the best small mid-sized car built by an American company, but it still lags behind the best in class and does not deserve to be named “Car of the Year.” Close, but no cigar.
The quality of American cars has improved to the level of Toyota in just the last few years. Finally GM is getting noticed for it. Now if AboutCars would just open their eyes….
Hmmmm….I’m not sure that the award is subtitled “Most Improved Player”- its “Car of the Year” The Aura may be a giant step for Saturn/GM - however, buyers have been clearly voting with their feet/wallets. It will be interesting to see if GM has to build new factories to meet the demand- (Toyota is!) The Camry has the pedigree, the track record (sales and performance) and is on the street today delivering the cutting edge modern reality of hybrid technology today. I’m glad to see such a significant step in engineering by Saturn but where were the writer’s heads?
These comments are interesting but not too informative as most people have their biases towards certain auto makers and their comments reflect that. For my needs, I like my 02 Tahoe.
My wife and I were in the market for a new vehicle last year, and we test drove over 50 different models. Our final list, in order - 1) Saturn Aura, 2) Nissan Versa, 3) Mazda 5, 4) Hyundai Tucson and 5) Mercury Milan. We ended up buying the Mazda 5, because the Aura would have been too expensive with the options we wanted and the Versa was only available through order and waitng several months. We are very pleased with the Mazda, but if the Aura is still available when we replace our other vehicle, it will again deserve a close look.
I just bought an Aura XR, my last GM was a ‘65 Impala, this car is is fantastic!! The power, handling and the technology it comes with for the price are unbeatable!! I get stares and and commemts from people wanting to know about the Aura. GM/Saturn give yourselves a pat on the back…this is what the American public is looking for…looks, quality, technology, safety and at an affordable price. You do not have to drive a foriegn car to have this!!
As they say, perseption is reality. And it will be interesting to see if people will believe Toyota’s image of quality still exists (second highest recalls per vehicles sold)or they will give the Aura a solid look.
The SATURN AURA IS SPECTACULAR!!!! The best of Saturn and I think the best of GM. It is everything your typical American car is not AND everything good about a European car. Saturn Nailed IT!!! My hats off the Saturn! Amaze yourself, test drive an AURA XR!
Just ordered a loaded XE because the XR only has 2 leather colors. Glad to see this award and after a test drive on a few it’s no wonder it was voted tops for the year. This car has got it all and a back seat entertainment center for the kids is a first for a sedan. No more big gas guzzling SUVs to get the kids quite in the back. Great styling, great fit, great handling it’s a winner even if it didn’t get the prestious award. Welcome to the top Saturn.
Not sure what the other evaluators were using as judgement criteria but as for my line of thinking, Saturn shot themselves in the proverbial foot. First, at 6′1″ tall, I cannot get in the car without bashing my skull. Second, hip and shoulder room are more restrictive than the L series (which I own, as well as a Vue)and third, the vehicle can’t be flat towed which is important if you travel in a motorhome, as I do. Just my perspective.
YES THE AURA SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAR OF THE YEAR. I REALLY DO FEEL THAT THE AUTO EXPERTS ARE JUST PLAIN ANTI- DOMESTIC BOTTOM LINE.
A great stealth Q-ship in grey!
I like the interior layout.
Good decision by the Saturn folks to include the side torso and head curtain air bags as standard equipment.
I would not buy a new car without them.
Aaron G, if you are looking for less chrome or are looking for a 4-cylinder Epsilon platform without going to Europe,check out the Pontiac G6.
The Aura may very well be what is required for GM to start building cars. I notice most of the good Aura remarks are from diehard GM owners. It would be great to see GM come up with some new technology of their own. No more junk GM.
Nope…VW Eos should have gotten it.
saturn aura car of the year who pick that one what a joke !
I work for a Saturn Retailer as a service consultant. Since the Aura has come out I have had a chance to meet a lot of the new owners and every one of them loves their car. It is a great vehicle and a huge boost for the saturn brand. For those who bash the Aura without seeing and/or driving it need to open their minds a little bit. — Hands down, first year out… with the standard v6 and all the options…. Car of the year
Aura deserved it without doubt. I am not saying that Camry is a bad car either. The Aura looks more stylish, performs very well and has a good reputation as a Saturn. Camry or Fit usually recieve a lot of “You cannot go worng with Toyota / Honda so they must be better” kind of approach when comparing them with other cars, while a domestics car is always evaluated by many in a similar way like judging “he was an F student all the past years, so why should I belive that this excellent A+ this time is a not a strike of luck ” approach. And by the way I never thought domestics were “An F Student “.
It is about time Detroit shows what an American Car should look like and give the performance Americans want. What is a fit? It sure sounds like a health drink?
The Aura deserves to be COTY. It’s impressive for GM, but outstanding in its own right. While it’s easy to pick a Camry as COTY, I agree that a vehicle needs to be all new or significantly new, not a redesign of a vehicle that’s been around a while and is a carbon copy of itself. In addition, the Aura will have a Green Line version, so kudos to Saturn for not only making great-performing vehicles, but fuel-efficient ones, plus have excellent customer service at the dealership, something Toyota will never match!
There are a lot of good comments here. The Aura definitely has more personality than the Camry, but I question whether it has as much broad appeal. This week I am driving a new Nissan Altima, and it’s a reminder that as good as the Aura is, other manufacturers also build cars that are very good — and with more variety. On the other hand, this is a bit like the Oscars — GM has been turning out some excellent cars for which they have gotten almost no recognition. Buick Lucerne, GMC Acadia CUV, even the little Pontiac G5 — all excellent cars.
As you know, Chevy Silverado pickup took Truck OTY over the Ford Edge and Mazda CX-7. Yeah, the Silverado is good, but so was the last one — if you ask me, the CX-7 is the more revolutionary vehicle. Plus no one’s yet compared Silverado to the new Toyota Tundra, which is just now coming out (and which I have not driven). So perhaps this is long-overdue recognition for a body of work?
god bless the great engineering, but the looks are sooo pedestrian. sorry, but i wouldn’t vote for this car unless i was 80yrs old. ‘course then i’d be too old to drive it!
I agree for the car of the year pick, in fact so much that within the next couple months, I’m trading in my 2006 saturn Ion!I test drove one and it reminds me of the caddy cts..
Every where I go friends say is that a new Lexus. I just say No it’s a Saturn. I have a MBZ CLS 500 in the garage. The Aura XR is a great car. Great job Saturn!
Way to go Saturn! With Toyota having to recall more cars than it sold last year(!), it is good to see quality being made a priority by a car maker.
As a former Saturn owner, I was very close to actually waiting on the Aura to come out before I purchased a new vehicle. Now I wished I had. Congrats Saturn, you truly deserve the award for this gorgeous new product!
I don’t give much credit to someone who drives a car for a few miles and defines themselves as an expert. Leave that to the people who OWN them.
I drive my Aura every day, just turned over 10,000 miles and this car is great. Performance is great, comfort and handling and top notch. Not perfect, but for the price, this american built car is something to be very proud of. Read more of my experince with the Aura at www.mysaturnaura.com
Coming from an Acura owner, I think this says alot!
I’m a Saturn Aura owner and over 6 ft tall. I find no problem with the head room in at least the drivers seat. Looking at the dimentions the aura’s headroom beats out that of a Camry.
I bought an Aura in November. It’s my 5th Saturn and I’ve been delighted with each of them. However, the comments I get from young folks (I’m a senior citizen) about the Aura are very exciting. My 30 something son said, “Wow, Mom. Even I would drive this one!”
I have over 8,000 miles using the Aura XR on several trips; this car is still fun to drive without uses…I have no regrets and I would highly recommend the Aura XR!!
I am 36 years old and live in the urban Northwest. Most people around here drive prestige-brand imports, and those who don’t usually aspire to. I have driven both the XE and XR models in the Aura lineup. The Aura is an excellent car, period. For the price, it is spectacular. For perspective, I currently drive an Acura TSX and have owned a Lexus. I found the build and materials quality of the Saturn Aura to be completely acceptable. The performance of the Aura is spectacular. The styling is sharp and eye-catching - pictures don’t do it justice. Ignore the naysayers and go try it for yourself, and then decide whether it appeals to you. The car writers are just trying to fill up Web pages with their criticism.
Yep,it deserves the 2007 NACOTY. Loved the L300 and find the Aura to be even more fantastic. It is moderately priced with a luxury car feel. I own the L300 and the 07 Aura both. The Aura if fantastic.
I own an Aura XR. The car is an excellent car. There is plenty of power and it is very comfortable. I have actually raced a few cars in it (Accord, RSX, Camry,) and I beat them all. It looks good too. The Camry, Accord and pretty much any other mid-sized car from overseas are for lack of a better term boring. There are a few things missing from the Aura like bluetooth, Mavigation and HID lights. Also I’vee seen some people saying that the car is difficult to get in and out of if you are not tall. Totally untrue. Albeit I do have my power seat as low at it can go but that is personal preferance if noting else. Other than that it is a great car.
I just purchased the Saturn Aura. It is an awesome car!! I love it! I absolutely think it deserved this honor. Considering the price, handling, and other features, it outperforms Toyota and Honda. I am totally impressed with all of the technology that GM offers. I love onstar, the advanced audio, leather seats/adjustment. My daughter loves the wireless headphones. She can listen to her music while I listen to mine. I highly recommend this car. It is great to see an American car doing so well.
I was really hoping that the Kia Rio Wagon would win… Oh well, maybe next year.
I just switched from a BMW to a (gulp) Saturn Aura XR. I was totally prepared to miss the excitement of driving a high performance car, but much to my continuing surprise I love the Aura. While not quite as responsive as the smaller sporty BMW, the overall performance, appointments and luxuries (two-tone leather seats) actually have made me a very happy and proud Saturn owner.
Actually J O’Dell The Saturn Dealers have been having trouble with supply of the Aura. I have seen far more Auras on the road than Fits(Sounds like a health club). The Aura has been all out amazing in its sales. In fact I think that Saturn will be one of GM’s dealers that could actually make a profit this year. The car includes traction control which makes handling awesome and comes standard with a V6 that can get between 30 and 60 MPG on the highway and the car is in a very affordable price range. You really cant get much better than that. I congradulate Saturn for their acheivements and wish them good luck in the future because they will be around for many years to come to take customers away from Honda.
My first impression of my Saturn XR very positive. So much so, I bought one. In fact, most people who see it think it’s a great car.
However, the more I drive it, the more I realize that GM missed on many of the details.
For example:
The loud clicking turn signal - reminds of a typical rental car.
Plastic arm rest with fake stitching -noticed after I purchased the car.
Rear headphones are great but they don’t fit in the back pockets. Lackluster instrument pannel. If you are going for the European look, go all the way.
No lock on the glove compartment.
No back arm-rest.
No navigation option (yes…I know about Turn-by-Turn).
Panoramic Sunroof sun shade doesn’t go all the way back.
Rear axle carpet well looks finished, but push on it…large gap seems like they just molded the carpet over it
I know it’s fake wood on the dash, but at least attempt to make it look real.
Wipers lack substance. Lookes like they pulled them off the rack.
Cell phone holder doesn’t fit the RAZR. I guess nobody bought that phone.
Nice styling and good overall value, but from my point of view they could have hit it out of the park.
Everything has it’s price, but some of the details I mentioned are just a matter of smarter and better engineering.
I think the author needs to stop choking and get that japanese d*ck out of his mouth, just like half of this inbred and backwards country needs to do. Wake up AMERICANS, buy American, or your job could be next to go. And if you drive a jap car, hopefully your job is next to go.
Here’s a question for you, Dodgebum:
I own a Dodge that was built by Canadians and a Honda that was built by Americans.
Which car does more for American jobs?
– Aaron
The aura is a great vehicle….and if i had a c*ck, you toyota lovers could suck it. Just b/c Toyota is better at keeping their recent quality issues on the low….look at the Tundra–thousands of bad vehicles made it to the dealers…and now buyers are screwed b/c their trucks can’t switch gears…how sad : (
Or what about the sludge in their engines…that they attempted to deny was warrantied????? You foreign lovers are blind to the future. Keep buying foreign, support their countries, and watch the economy fall. Hopefully your kids go to college, b/c they wont make it workin for foreign makers. They rape their wages and run from the union…and not to mention, the profit goes back to the japs…hmmm sounds like a great future dominated my management and loss of privilege.
Goes to show that no one car company is free of imperfections. GM for instance, had problems in the past, but if you look at them now, (like the aura), they have the best warranty(100,000 miles) and the quality is there.
Buy American & support america,….the more you buy, the more union jobs and better wages there will be for our people.
If you buy foreign,ya maybe you’ll employ some americans, but they make significantly lower wages, less benefits, and are people are not hired if they have EVER been affiliated with any union. Sounds like americans being taken advantage of to me.