If it's one thing that unites us here, it is our love for cars. They're not just means of transportation, as they have souls, and if they could speak, we would probably spend even more time in their presence. Our passion is directly tied to our knowledge of multiple models, and most of us can tell you the value of most rides that we encounter on the road.
They say a petrolhead reaches maturity when they come to terms with the fact that they will never be able to afford every vehicle they have a soft spot for, no matter how rich they are. Most of us will not own our dream machine either, and the least fortunate will not even step foot inside. But one can always dream that they will inherit a chunky amount of cash from a rich uncle they are not aware of, and when they do, they will know precisely what their next ride is going to be.
To me, the perfect garage comprises at least three cars: a comfortable daily, an exciting one to blast through twisty roads on weekends, and a proper 4x4, preferably with a premium twist - something in the veins of the G-Wagen. Consider yourself lucky if you've ticked all three, and keep dreaming about that blue-blooded exotic if you don't already own one. Our online ventures through the bowels of the used car market have gotten us face-to-face with countless vehicles, some more expensive than others, and most of them have eye-watering price tags attached to them. But not this one, as you already know.
It was the cheapest used car listed for grabs on eBay at the time of writing. Can't tell what it is? It's a Saturn Ion 2 Sedan, made by the now-defunct brand that GM killed in 2010. Do you know what other brand the American automotive giant sounded the death knell for that same year? Yep, that would be Pontiac. But this is a different story, and right now, we have to move to the pictured sedan, which has seen better days. It has a red finish that doesn't look that good at all, especially on the A-pillars and at the rear. The hood doesn't align with the grille and headlamps, which indirectly tells us that it's been involved in an accident.
Photo: eBay | kds*auto*florida*
Usually, this paragraph would have been dedicated to the interior of this sad machine. Only the thing is the vendor hasn't released any images of it. Nevertheless, we don't expect it to be in top-notch condition. After all, the exterior isn't either. This Saturn Ion 2 was born in 2006, and the odometer currently reads a little over 200,000 miles (~322,000 km). It uses the 2.2-liter straight-four gasoline engine, which was one of the three powertrains available for this model, producing 140 hp (142 ps/104 kW) and 145 lb-ft (197 Nm) of torque when it rolled off the line. For the 2007 model year, the engine was given a small boost courtesy of the ECU sourced from the larger 2.4-liter mill.
According to the listing, the red sedan with a tan interior is in the possession of a used car dealer in Pompano Beach, Florida. Thus, if you live nearby and want to buy it, then that's where you can see it in person. Depending on your car knowledge and negotiation skills, you should be able to drop the price a bit. But wait, we still haven't told you how much it costs. You are looking at $1,495 to make it yours, which is not bad for something that can presumably take you to and fro, though it is obvious that this ride targets someone who desperately needs a car until their financial situation improves. Hopefully, it doesn't take much to keep it running, and sourcing the necessary parts for that shouldn't be tricky at all.
As usual, whenever it comes to pre-owned vehicles, you should inspect them in person before transferring the funds and signing your name on the papers. The inspection should preferably take place in the presence of a trusty mechanic who is familiar with the respective make and model, as they could point out some hidden issues. That usually means being able to drop the price a bit, but on a car that costs less than $1,500, you shouldn't expect to buy it for a three-digit sum. Unless the vendor really wants to get rid of it.
That said, driving any vehicle surely beats riding a bike, taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking, to us petrolheads anyway, so if you had to buy a car for cheap and use it as a daily, which one would you go for? The offer isn't that varied right now, as you will have to fork out some $1,000 more for something drivable.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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