The SC1 is low slung, so getting in is a bit like, literally, dropping in. And getting out is somewhat of a climb.
One tester's initial reaction to the interior was "plain, but not unattractive." Good summation. The cloth
is good quality and the pattern pleasingly subtle. The theme is ovoid shapes and rounded corners, with a
modular center pod for audio and climate controls.
Simplicity is repeated in the instrument cluster which has a speedometer, a tachometer, a fuel gauge and a
temperature gauge. The steering wheel is adjustable up and down.
There is no lidded console, just an open catch-all tray. Two cupholders sit in front of the shift lever,
one with a removable ash tray insert.
The seating position is close to the floor, the window ledge high, so shorter occupants may feel a bit deep
into the SC1.
We found the seats rather uncomfortable, even on short runs. The bottom cushion is short front to rear and
lacks support for even average-height occupants. Similarly, lateral support for back and thighs is less than
we would like.
With the driver's seat in position for a six-foot driver, a six-foot rear passenger found his knees virtually
under his chin. The rear seats are little more than padded depressions, so don't sentence friends to extended
periods back there.
But let's not make too much about the back seats. This is a small sport coupe built for fun, not rear-seat comfort. Saturn's sedan and wagon models have more rear seat room if that's what you need.
The SC1 is not quick. Those 100 horses do a decent job of moving the little coupe down the road at a moderate
pace, but just aren't up to anything much more demanding. According to Saturn, if you wring out all the
performance in there, you will hit 60 mph from stop in a leisurely 10.5 seconds. The question, of course, do you
want to go more quickly than that?
If you do, you need the SC2.
We recommend against pairing the base engine with an automatic transmission, so you should move up to the SC2
if you need an automatic. Otherwise, you'll be severely lacking in the acceleration department, which can make
passing and merging onto busy freeways a bit challenging.
The engine, five-speed transmission and clutch made a happy threesome on our SC1. The shifts were smooth and
the clutch was linear in its operation, which means there was no sudden engagement point. And the engine delivers
its power in an even flow.
The handling is quite good, we found, with the suspension happy over almost any surface. Over a favorite piece
of twisty road the SC1 could be persuaded to take on a more aggressive personality if we shifted into third, and
left it there, squirting from corner to corner and dealing only with the throttle and the steering wheel.
That's for when the boy/girl racer impulse hits. In the normal mode, the SC1 easily settles into a satisfying motoring rhythm. It feels light and compact, the engine sounds are muted and wind noise is very low. The SC1 is simply fun to drive, thanks to its nimbleness.