Even my wife says the SS is a far better car. I like the Ion as a family car, very nice looks and very practical. Ours is the Ion III quad coupe fully loaded. Honestly the brakes suck, the VTI transmission is a pain and the overall ride is not that impressive. I looked at the Redline and was unimpressed.
Our SS is a very nice, quiet, comfortale and stable ride. As far as GM goes, overall I'm confident enough to sink $50,000 dollars in their product. Not because I sell them as I also sell Toyota but because I believe they are good cars. I am not down on the Ion, it is only in comparision to the SS.