that is the one car on yahoo answers that I see the most questions about transmissions. Saturn is no longer made, The General Motors company stopped making them a few years ago, there are no new parts being made, and the ones out there for sale are cheap because they were not very good. Save your money, and have patience. You want to try and find a toyota, a honda, or a nissan thats it those three ONLY And do not buy a front engine tront wheel drive car. These were cheaper for the company to produce, they do not last as long as front engine rear wheel drive cars, and can cost two to 8 times as much to repair, which is why I do not recommend front engine, front wheel drive cars. sadly all the rest are pretty much crap.
a subaru all wheel drive makes the list. these are pretty sturdy little cars too. Nowadays, you have to be very careful about buying a used car. There are lots of people selling broken down wrecks these days. Please have patience, this is the hardest part, keep saving your money, the higher your price range, the better your car, I know its tough but people will lie and cheat and try to hide a problem, so I always do a cold start test drive, I discuss with the owner not to start the car, overnight and then show up in the morning to test drive it. Some cars with transmission problems just beginning, will not move when cold after sitting overnight for about the first 10 to 15 minutes. I open the hood, if the heat rolls out in my face I know its been started anyway I know the owner is hiding something , and walk away.
If its cold, I start it up listen for any loud bangs or rattles, and look for clouds of smoke out the tailpipe. The car should smooth into a high idle in 5 to 10 seconds , i GIVE it a minute or two to warm up, and then take off and drive it like you stole it. Any used car that will run, drive, and stop good cold, and get up to freeway speed (55mph) in the first 5 minutes or so may not be in too bad of shape.
Here is a web site with free information on how to buy a used car. www.samarins.com there is also a section on used car reviews that may be helpful. Try to test drive any used car for at least 30 to 40 minutes, it takes most cars 20 minutes to warm up properly..
And check all the turn signals the lights, the radio, the heater, all the windows all the way up and all the way down several times, make sure all the cruise control works things like that, before you call your mechanic. I talk to my mechanic ahead of time, and work out a deal where he gives me an hour of his time for 70 bucks, that gives you a better idea of what condition a car is in. Above all have patience, you may not know what you are looking for, but you will when you find it, pass on the worn out broken crap some kid owned. (I dont buy cars from teenage boys) and try to find an older adult owner, who did not beat the pee out of the car first, then try to sell it. www.nada.com also has prices in the consumer section for cars that are more than 20 years old in the classic section, be aware of what something is worth, so you do not pay too much.