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2007 Saturn Aura XR
Date in fleet: Oct. 13-23 As-tested price: $26,820 Powertrain: 3.6-liter V6; fwd, six-speed automatic Output: 252 hp @ 6400 rpm, 251 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm Curb weight: 3647 lbs Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 22.9/21.4 mpg
WILSON: Handsome, well-assembled, quiet and strong, the Saturn Aura may not make much of a dent in the marketplace among committed Toyota and Honda buyers, but if you're peddling Volkswagens and Nissans, it should worry you.
I came across just one thing I wished was different: At in-town speeds (25-40 mph), a half-throttle downshift in the six-speed is preceded by a long pause, then a big surge. I think it's probably gear spacing that produces the surge; it's probably a 3-2 or 4-3 downshift-maybe a double-down 4-2-and the gap between ratios is large. But the pause is disconcerting.
You can bypass it entirely by taking control yourself, using the M position on the console shifter and the steering wheel "paddle'' controls, but the point is that this stands out as an unrefined element. ...