2007 Saturn Aura

2007 Saturn Aura - Enter the Aura, the newest and best Saturn product yet. With thinly veiled European roots, the Aura—along with the sexy Sky roadster—portends good things to come from a planet that’s being reborn as you read this. The Aura is the first of Saturn’s new family of European-based or Euro-influenced products that drive and look nothing like the plebian Saturns of yore.

That said, the Aura’s Euro roots serve to its advantage in the driving department. On our preview drive, we found the hydraulic power steering to be nicely weighted and surprisingly quick off-center. The Aura’s long wheelbase combines with relatively firm shock/spring tuning to strike a good balance of ride smoothness and crisp handling, even with the 18-inch wheels that come standard with the uplevel XR.

The base XE comes with a 3.5-liter SOHC engine that produces 224 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. While devoid of character, the base motor has more than enough scoot for most buyers and compares favorably with, say, the 3.0-liter in the Ford Fusion. Upgrading to the XR brings a more sophisticated, DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 with 252 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to compete well with the likes of the Nissan Altima and the Honda Accord. Helping the 3.6 even more is a 6-speed automatic with available steering wheel manual shift paddles; the 3.5-liter comes with a 4-speed auto.

Interior stylists did a commendable job creating an eye-pleasing, ergonomically friendly atmosphere. All are nicely equipped, with XE models feeling reasonably upscale with plenty of standard features including OnStar, six air bags and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel through which you can see the Aura’s pleasant amber-and-white LED-lit gauges. In addition to the faster motor, XR models add more equipment, including automatic climate control, remote engine starter and a stereo upgrade.

So is the Aura a Camry-killer? Not quite, but it should give the Hyundai Sonata some worries. The Aura could benefit from better interior materials, dual-zone front climate controls and a rear center armrest.