The 2009 Saturn Aura quickly claimed the dubious honor of the year’s Most Difficult to Find in a Crowded Parking Lot award.  It seemed like every time I left a store, a five-minute search would ensue to locate the wine-red vehicle.  It’s not that the roads are choked with Auras, or even that the car’s styling is particularly forgettable. It’s just that the Aura is so darn quiet.

Saturn’s new midsize sedan doesn’t shout.  It flashed onto the scene as an all-new vehicle for 2008, as a part of Saturn’s impressive resurgence, but that’s just the big stick this car carries.   The Aura is one of the smoothest and quietest cars I’ve ever been in, at idle.  Oh, Bentleys and big Lexuses are good at isolating the outside noise, but the Aura was preternaturally quiet with the windows open.  I actually checked to make sure I hadn’t gotten a hybrid model that had shut the engine down while we were stopped; that’s how quiet it was.
And that sums up the Aura nicely, as well.  This car is very quiet, both in manner and in mood.  The Aura means to follow in the footsteps of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and will endear its owners through its very transparency.
The car is the picture of good-looking anonymity.  It stands out just enough that it looks nice in the driveway, but there are no surprises in the Aura’s styling now that we’ve gotten used to the notion of Saturns being something other than weird little plastic cars with a rabid following of non-car people.  Forget all of that; the Aura is just a car.   It’s got a bold chrome grille with a Saturn badge up front to let you know what family it belongs to, and it’s got modern, clean-cut fender lines that prevent it from looking too much like an appliance.  It’s got subtle hints to remind you that it shares DNA with the sporty Sky, and it’s got a high decklid and LED taillamps to mimic the current European style.
The interior appointments are similarly pleasant and transparent.  That preternaturally quiet cabin features handsomely colored, low-gloss furnishings.  The leather interior is especially handsome, with two-tone brown hides and a contrasting-colored dash.  Saturn’s orange-backlit gauges and indirect interior lighting provide a subtle warm atmosphere for four or five adults.    XM satellite radio and front, side and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment.
Driving enthusiasts need not apply; the Aura will put you to sleep faster than a mug of hot milk and a lullaby.  That’s not a bad thing; though.  Saturn has never pretended to be a division with serious sporting pretensions anyway; if you’re looking for automotive caffeine, you’ll need to step down a few doors to Pontiac, GM’s “Excitement Division.”   A choice of four- or six-cylinder power is offered.  The 2.4 liter four-cylinder makes 169 horsepower, and is also used in the hybrid-electric version of the Aura.  Even in non-hybrid form, the four-cylinder Aura returns over thirty miles per gallon on the highway, and it’s the creepily silent engine we sampled as well.  169 horsepower doesn’t seem like much on paper, but the four-cylinder Aura is no slug.  If you just gotta have more power, be advised that last year’s antiquated 3.5 liter V6 is gone, leaving only the more modern 3.6 liter, 252 horsepower unit with variable valve timing and smooth horsepower delivery.  A paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission is now offered with both powerplants.
The Aura drives without drama or pretense; it’s all about comfortable seats and a nonthreatening, relaxing drive.  Got a stressful job?  The Aura will cocoon you in an air of calm, no matter how crazy the other drivers on the road get.   Standard anti-lock brakes keep the performance confident and secure.  StabiliTrak stability control is also standard equipment.
Unpretentious motoring also comes with an unpretentious MSRP.  Aura pricing starts at $23,450 for the XR model.  My tester featured an upgraded audio system and a convenience package and stickered for a very reasonable $25,410.

Specifications:  All specs are for the 2009 Saturn Aura.
Length:  190.0 in.
Width:  70.3 in.
Height:     57.6 in.
Wheelbase:  112.3 in.
Curb weight:   3436-3523 lb.
Cargo space:   14.9 cu.ft.
Base price:  $23.450
Price as tested:      $25,410
Engine:   2.4 liter DOHC inline four-cylinder
Drivetrain:  six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower:   169 @ 6400
Torque:  160 @ 4500
Fuel capacity:  16.3 gal.
Est. mileage:   22/33