Hello...I am new here, and, alas not very knowledgeable.
I have a 2001 Saturn SC2 coup which has taken me all about (some 150k miles) with minimal problems, but now needs major transmission work. My local repair folks, who are thankfully not inclined to take advantage of me suggested I "unload the car". They suggest the $1500-2000 repair isn't well spent, considering the age of car and everything in it. Anyone have any experience with the longevity of this type vehicle? I've loved the 3rd door and after 10 years, it feels like a good friend......

Any input GREATLY appreciated,

Thanks!
-ivorytickler

 

Actually and practically the suggestion is correct.
Now it is up to you where you want to spend your money.
On one hand I am aware of many of these things running 3-4 hundred thousand miles. If that is what you are willing to spend your money on, that is up to you. That same money might buy another late model Saturn, or make a dang decent down payment.
On the other hand if you have an emotional attachemet to yours and you want to spend the money on it, who is to argue.
2 years ago I spent about $1500.00 in cash on parts to fix, and paint to paint and interior work along with about 150 hours of my own time to refurbish my 1994 with 100,000 miles on it. I like the car, I enjoy driving it and it came out looking almost new and driving that way.
Was it worth it? Nope, the cash value is about $600.00 at the moment if I am lucky. Worth though is not what I can sell it for. It is what I can drive and enjoy the car with and drive the money out of it. Still driving it, still like it, and not sure what I am going to do the next time it takes that much work to fix it up again.
But I think a used Caddy Coupe will take its place when that happens.

 

Thanx for your input uncljohn. It's amazing there are some out there with 3-4 hundred thou on them. Wow! I guess one can just keep rebuilding and rebuilding, if one knows how/is inclined, right? But getting parts for this coup as time goes on, with Saturn poofed out of existence could be trickly. I'll probably follow the suggestion because I need reliable wheels, and often in bad weather. Sigh.....

Any ideas how to sell a vehicle like this?

Your caddy coup sounds like a fun idea..! A friend has loaned me an old celica convertible which is bridging the gap for the moment. I'd put the top down if the temps would heat up out of the teens....

 

How to sell a 10 year old car with 150,000 miles on it? And needing expensive transmission work. Not really a good question. There was a time in my life when I lived in an area where something 10 years old was a real novelty. What with salt from winter ice and the beating the cold gave the cars it was not uncommon that something with 100,000 miles on it also had major body parts missing, the interior was damp and rotting and you were lucky if the engine and transmission actually functioned. I would by a 2 year old used car, pay for it over the next 2 years as parts slowly fell off and I racked up the miles at close to 30,000 miles a year and then the 3rd year when It was paid for I drove it until it crapped out and towed to a junk yard and bought another 2 year old used car.
So 5 years and something over 100,000 miles was the life my cars.
I live now where winter only arrives if I drive to it.
I have 1 40 year old car, 2 30 year old cars and a couple 35 year old cars. They to are orphans but parts availability is still adequate sort of due to mechanically many parts were still being made for use long after the company died. And they have become popular collector cars and reproduction parts are available not to count my own personal parts stash.
But Saturn? A company that was what? About 20 years old when it died? And as close as I can tell the S series which really were good cars and pleasurable to own where a single model with no parts sharing and the only ones actually designed and built by the company. All others were referred to as corporate platform based cars, also referred to as badge engineered or back in the day, assembled from proprietary sources. Using bits an pieces and some cosmetic differences if that much but in many cases the only cosmetic change was the badge that identified the brand name. And those bits and pieces in many cases came from corporate or proprietary sources of other cars that were either sold in limited numbers in this country or not sold at all making it almost impossible to keep them running.
If you wanted to.
And despite the fact that many of them are really nice cars at face value, so were the ones the pieces came from and there was no particular advantage to buying a Saturn other than product loyalty which isn't being sold or marketed these days.
My best guess? Unless you get lucky the odds are the best value you will get out of your car being an Orphan and Broken is $200.00 a ton from a wrecking yard.
Personally I hope that you have driven your value out of the car and enjoyed doing it. Be glad for that and figure out how to get on with life.
I have spent way to much maintaining my Saturn. There is no logic behind that other than I frankly like the car and enjoy driving it. It is a hobby so it keeps me happy and busy.
And I will drive it the money I spent on it out of the car and when it quits I will be sad as it will have been the end of a happy era.
And if I can afford it when that happens a 2 year old Caddy coupe is my next one. If not.
Well, I have a couple of older cars in the driveway and am building a Chevy motor as I type, that and a 700R4 transmission and my 1976 AMC Hornet Station wagon keeps looking good.