Drivetrain: 2.4-liter, 164 horsepower, 4-cylinder engine with four-speed automatic transmission and electric motor assist.
Fuel economy: 24 mpg city, 32 highway (based on revised EPA testing methods)
Possibly the biggest thing the Aura Green Line has going for it is that it's a Saturn Aura. The Aura is a handsome car that handles and drives more like a European sedan than a typical GM car.
But with its 4-cylinder engine and smaller wheels wrapped in low-rolling-resistance tires, the Aura Green Line loses much of the power and pleasure that marks the top-line Aura. The Green Line just isn't fun to drive, and the Aura's relatively heavy steering, which feels right on a car with more gusto, feels out of place and annoying here.
The Green Line 's engine is noisy when pushed hard, and the car often feels underpowered - or at least hesitant to use what power it has. It's quick enough from a standing start, but if you need to go from, say, a slow-moving highway lane into a fast one, the Green Line's transmission won't downshift until you mash the gas pedal all the way to the carpet.
I got used to that, though. Once I learned what was needed for some get-up-and-go, l just smashed the pedal whenever I needed passing power. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.
