Overview & Reviews

The Saturn Relay was one of General Motors' minivans supposedly styled to have the look of a rough-and-tumble SUV rather than a plain-Jane family shuttle. Marketed as a "crossover sport van," the Relay had a longish nose, more aggressive styling and a roof rack to lend an SUV persona. However, the basic body structure and sliding doors remained true to the minivan segment's guiding principles.

The Saturn Relay was certainly family-friendly, with a folding third-row seat and optional 40GB digital media system that could store and play thousands of MP3 music files or a few dozen movies. Missing in action, though, were popular safety features like three-row side curtain airbags and a back-up camera.

Consumers never warmed to the Relay, however, and after just a few years on the market, Saturn pulled the van in favor of its new large crossover, the Outlook. As a choice for a used minivan, the Relay provides solid family transportation to be sure, and if price is a major issue, it will typically cost less than comparably equipped class leaders. However, more demanding shoppers who don't mind spending the extra cash will likely be happier with one of several other popular rivals.

Most Recent Saturn Relay

The midsize Saturn Relay minivan was produced from 2005-'07. Mechanically, it was related to GM's other vans, the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander and Pontiac Montana SV6. Originally, there were two trim levels simply named 2 and 3. Standard Relay 2 amenities included power accessories, air-conditioning, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, antilock brakes, first- and second-row side airbags and keyless entry. The Relay 3 added rear air-conditioning, a power driver seat, alloy wheels and upgraded interior storage.

Noteworthy options included the "PhatNoise" portable 40-gig digital media system, dual power-sliding side doors, a navigation system, rear park assist, leather seating, a sport-tuned suspension and a stability control system. For the van's final year, Saturn added a Relay 1 trim level that dropped some features in exchange for a cheaper price. The stability control system also became standard that year.

At first, all Saturn Relays came equipped with an underwhelming 3.5-liter V6 that made 200 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard. No other powertrain combinations were available, though buyers could opt for all-wheel drive. For 2006, a 3.9-liter V6 with 240 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque became optional on front-wheel-drive Relay 3 models. For the final year, Saturn made the big engine standard and discontinued all-wheel-drive availability.

The Relay could seat seven, and the folding third-row seat was split 50/50 for added versatility. A pleasing two-tone color treatment with faux wood accents dramatically brightened the cabin and lent an upscale ambience. Folding center trays between the first- and second-row seats were available, and an overhead rail system provided rear-seat access to storage and climate/entertainment controls.

When shopping for a Saturn Relay, we recommend trying to get a model with the 3.9-liter V6. This engine offered commendable performance around town and made quick work of merging and passing on freeways. The Relay's suspension was on the soft side, delivering a smooth ride and average handling for this class. Upgrading to the optional sport suspension provided tighter handling, though maneuverability in tight spaces was still compromised by the van's large turning radius.

User Reviews:

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  Make for Moms - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Saturn Relay - July 12 - 12:20 am

  This vehicle is the best vehicle that I have ever purchased. It roomy, kid friendly, it drives like a Cadillac. Its has the room to accomodate my 3 kids with all of their sports equipment. My gas mileage is wonderful. It is a family vehicle. I compliment Saturn for producing a family vehicle at a resonable cost. I had to evacutate for Hurricane Rita with my new van. I was so pleased with the roominess and gas mileage. I had my family as well as my 87 year old grandmother with her walker and weelchair in my vehicle. I just cant say enought about my experience with the Saturn. I love it.

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  Could be better - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Bryan - April 25 - 5:53 am

  Our Relay has been a vehicle that our children have come to love with the built in DVD player. We couldnt go anywhere without it. It is a smooth ride with a few bugs that need to be worked out. The molding has a problem with sticking to the vehicle. Our tires (Continentals) were worn to the wires after 11,000 miles. The automatic sliding passenger door pops when closing. Other than that we really like the vehicle. OnStar is not the best thing if you dont live in the city. Have tried using it when things go wrong with the vehicle and they cannot get the contracted towing companies to come out to give us a tow. The first year service is ok for free but we would not pay for OnStar.

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  I love my Relay - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Lisa - April 5 - 9:40 pm

  I am torn with the gas prices skyrocketing. but I love the car so much, so much room, comfort for 7 adults, removable seats, storage, there are so many great things about this car

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  Youre Going to Love It! - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By ShuShu - April 2 - 5:33 am

  This ride is so smooth. I love to drive it as well as ride in it. The outside noise in minimal to none. And DVD comes standard. It is just a nice fun reliable car.

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  Mixed blessing - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Scott Nelson - January 22 - 2:46 pm

  Our Saturn Relay has been a great vehicle to drive and carry the crew around in. Good acceleration and handling for a large vehicle. The trim needs a lot of work! Exterior trim is peeling off, door trim and plastic mouldings behind the sliding doors peel off when the door opens. Interior trim around both front doors is broken, and fell off, what a pain.

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  2005 Saturn Relay - Love it - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Happy Customer - January 16 - 2:00 pm

  Weve had our Saturn Relay since the middle of 2005 and love it. We have almost every option available and had few problems. Its comfortable to long distance travel especially with kids. We travel 8 to 12 hours with 5 kids and its a complete dream. Weve had a problem with the DVD player but other than that its been great. I wish it had a little bit better gas mileage than 18-21 mpg during these days of high gas prices but other than that I love it.

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  The good and not so good - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Evets - January 10 - 8:50 pm

  We wanted a van and chose a Saturn based on the design and performance of the 3 Saturns we owned previously. While we really like the interior design and economy (avg 26 hwy) it seems this may have been rushed to market without adequate testing. There is a howl that eminates from the windshield at highway speed that cant be resolved, moulding and interior trim have simply fallen off, the automatic door wont close for no apparent reason(not good in a Michigan winter), there seem to be random rough idle issues. No breakdowns but just not the level of quality we had experienced previously and come to expect. We wont buy GM again.

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  Be Careful - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Not Good! - November 19 - 10:30 pm

  I was a first time Saturn buyer and being newly married and now having 4 children I needed something for us all that was also affordable. I chose the 2005 Relay. Very nice looking outside and inside, good sound system and DVD player! A week later it started having acceleration problems. Warning message was Reduced Engine Power. It was replaced. This happened 3 more times over the next few months. I had to threaten legal action but Saturn replaced my Relay. I got a 2006 VUE as the replacement and have been very happy so far. My situation may not be normal; but it happened. Be careful when thinking of buying this vehicle.

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  Its Been Good to Me - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By franmorr1966 - November 1 - 2:14 am

  This car has been reliable and comfortable. I have nearly 82,000 miles on this car and other than replacing the rear wiper motor (after warranty), the car has only needed normal wear and tear service.

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  Great choice for this family of 6 - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By JBM - August 24 - 4:40 am

  Getting a Saturn Relay turned out to be one of the best moves weve made. Having four kids, we wanted to make sure we got a vehicle that would be convenient for all of us. Sometimes you dont know if its the right vehicle until its too late. And that can be unfortunate. as it turns out we picked the right one. The kids all have their "favorite seats" and they enjoy long rides keeping occupied by watching a movie, listening to music, or playing video games, all with the option of using dual channel wireless headphones. As far as driving goes, it handles great, I like the way the Relay sits up, its not to high off the ground like some SUVs, its perfect.