September 29, 2021 11:11 am by John DiPietro

Rare 2004 Saturn Ion Red Line Quad Coupe

Introduction
The Listing
Details and Specs
Photos

For September 29, 2021, our used car find is this rare (fewer than 6000 produced over four model years) 2004 Saturn Ion Red Line. It’s at a dealership in New York, and it’s priced at just $4995.

Here’s what makes this one special.

Introduction

Introduced for 2003, Saturn’s Ion model was produced through 2007. The coupe version was called the “Quad Coupe” due to its pair of small, reverse-opening rear doors that made access to the rear seat much easier. The following year things got very interesting for driving enthusiasts with the introduction of the Red Line performance version of the Ion coupe.

The aptly-named Red Line boasted a supercharged 2.0-liter inline-four with a robust 205 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual was the only transmission choice, and further indicative of Saturn’s seriousness with this car was the standard fitment of very supportive Recaro sport seats. Also standard were Saturn’s flexible, dent-resistant and rust-proof body panels.

In its road test of an Ion Red Line, Car and Driver reported that the Saturn sportster dashed to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds and that the engine “pulls hard at all rpm.” That’s seriously quick for a sport compact, easily blowing off the Honda Civic Si of the time (at 7.6 seconds). Handling was praised as well, as the car was judged as easy to drive fast thanks to its safe and predictable nature.

On the downside, the Ion was dinged for its odd center-mounted instrument display as well as the Fisher Price-like quality of various cabin trim pieces. But when you’re swiftly running through the gears or unraveling a winding road while being hugged by those Recaros, we doubt you’ll care about the door panel’s plastic finish.

The Listing

This 2004 example looks to be in good condition and thankfully hasn’t been “modded” by someone with a penchant for a goofy “cambered” stance, cheesy ground effects, and a buzzy coffee-can exhaust. It does have a modern, aftermarket Pioneer sound system that looks like it has Bluetooth and satellite radio capabilities, which is fine with us. With about 116k on the odometer it has fairly low mileage. During our search, most other Ion Red Lines we saw had miles in the 150-200k range.

Provided everything checks out (we always advise a pre-purchase inspection for older cars), this Ion Red Line looks like a ton of fun for just five grand.