Overview & Reviews

The Saturn brand, which was part of General Motors, has been discontinued as of the 2009 model year. Though popular in its early years, Saturn suffered from poor sales and was shuttered as part of GM's bankruptcy reorganization.

Despite its sad end, Saturn started with a bright future. After losing market share to Japanese imports during the '80s, General Motors launched Saturn, a new division that began selling small, low-priced cars in 1990. The division promoted itself as "different," with Saturn dealers offering no-haggle pricing and friendly customer service.

Saturn made its debut with the S Series line of vehicles. Available in sedan, coupe and wagon configurations, these Saturns differentiated themselves from other GM products with all-new platforms and flexible plastic panels meant to resist denting. Additionally, the brand was granted its own plant, with all Saturns being built at a dedicated facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee. These first Saturns weren't exactly built to burn rubber; they were powered by engines that offered from 85-124 horsepower. The payoff, though, was that these were among the most fuel-efficient vehicles of their day, offering up to 40 miles per gallon (when equipped with a manual transmission).

Just after the brand's conception, GM boasted that Saturn vehicles would benefit from rapid evolution, but in the early years, this wasn't the case. The brand's vehicles saw only one redesign in their first decade of existence. The revamp took place in the mid-'90s, and for the most part, it was only skin deep. Exteriors were spruced up and interior room saw a slight increase.

The Saturn brand enjoyed some success in its earliest years, fueled by buyers who were in love with its unique approach to customer relations that included "no-haggle" pricing. By the turn of the century, though, the novelty had worn off. With dated platforms and a limited range of products, the marque was neglected by GM, and disappointing sales figures showed that buyers had taken note and chosen to spend their dollars elsewhere.

GM responded by ramping up its commitment to the Saturn brand. In 2000, it rolled out the L Series; sharing a platform and an engine with the Opel Vectra (one of GM's European products) the sedan was the opening salvo in GM's ultimately futile fight to resuscitate the struggling brand. An SUV, the Vue, was unveiled, as was a minivan, the Relay. The S Series was replaced by the lamentable Ion, which was available as a sedan and a coupe. GM also added a hybrid to the lineup, with the introduction of the Saturn Vue Green Line.

Later, Saturn included the sporty Sky roadster, the midsize Aura sedan, the compact second-generation Vue crossover and the full-size Outlook crossover. For a brief period, there was also the European-sourced Astra compact hatchback.

Despite the increase in product quality, however, the Saturn brand effectively collapsed in 2009. As part of GM's bankruptcy proceedings, Saturn was offered up for sale. Initially, it was believed that the Penske Corporation would take over Saturn. But the deal fell through at the last minute, thereby spelling the final end for GM's import-fighting experiment.

User Reviews:

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  05 ION - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Thomas - August 24 - 7:03 pm

  This is the second Saturn that Ive owned. The ION has what the market needs. Mid range in price, and a new look and feel compared to the SL2 that I had for the last three years. It has good power, even on hills. Fuel mileage is great, considering the cost of gas, and is coming in at 29 mpg (city)

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  Best small car on the road in the US! - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Joey Astranomical - August 18 - 12:30 pm

  This car looks like it is a generation ahead of any other car on the road. I get a lot of positive comments about the styling. The second question you get after "what is it?" is "what does it get for gas mileage?" I have the 5 speed stick and I consistently get mid 30s mpg.

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  06 Blue Ion3 - 2006 Saturn ION
  By 06BlueIon - August 18 - 10:33 am

  I bought this Ion new, a little over two years ago. For my first brand new car I was very pleased with my purchase and remain pleased as the miles add up. Utilizing a 5 speed manual and the 2.4L engine this car can handle itself with ease on the highway and throughout the city, I also average about 34mpg with a 50/50 mix of city/highway driving. The vehicle has been relatively trouble free with only 3 minor warranty claims. Besides that, Ive just kept up with regular maintenance. Excellent car overall that doesnt deserve the amount of negative reviews it receives. ery happy with my Ion!

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  Awesome little car. - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By travis - August 14 - 5:13 pm

  Just traded my 2006 Civic in for this little car. I went with the 4 door XE version, but in the 5-speed manual. I love the car. It is one of the best looking cars on the road today. The first day I had it, four people came up and asked me what it was! The car feels more solid, and is more European then most of the "European" cars being sold in the US... it was built in Belgium. Ive only averaged 27 mpg so far, which is short of the 32 I got consistently in the Civic. But the build quality smashes the Civic. I was stunned with what I could get with such little money! The buying experience was amazing and so far no problems with the car at all.

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  Outstanding Surprise - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By dstick1 - August 11 - 1:33 pm

  I am profoundly pleased and surprised at how wonderful this vehicle is to drive and own. This is definitely worth a look and drive if you want a great SUV.

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  Lookout for the Outlook - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By jonhel - August 9 - 1:33 am

  This SUV is the cream of the crop. Just finished a 4,000 mile vacation, and had a MPG of 25.6 MPG. The trip included both interstate highways and city driving. The ride is so smooth and quiet its hard to believe you are actucally in a vehicle Couple of drawbacks-the 12 VDC outlet in the dash, will not take a drink and a charger at the same time, due closeness of the cup holder to the DC outlet. The clothes hangers in the rear, are over the third seat area. Although I made a full length rod from electrical conduit, the clothes still folded up with the luggage. Other than those two items, I found nothing wrong with the vehicle.

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  Happy With My Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Miss Chris AZ - August 6 - 11:13 am

  I have had my Vue for almost a year and am very happy with it. It is a fun car to drive and the interior is very comfortable. It gets reasonably good gas milage and has been very reliable.

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  Saturn ION Review - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Dinerobill - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Overall a very nice car. I had been a Honda driver for many years but local dealershiop began high pressure sales techniques so, so long Honda. I really enjoyed doing business with folds at Saturn. I have even brought my car back to dealership for scheduled maintenance.

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  My Coupe - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Twos Girl - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I love my new Saturn coupe. It is extremely reliable and fuel efficient. My car normally can get approximately 35 miles to the gallon driving mostly highway. I have incurred a broken heat shield on my muffler but instead of Saturn welding it back in place, they replaced the entire muffler. Saturn has wonderful representatives who are very helpful in assisting you with any problems or questions you might have.

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  Snow Eater! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Mike - August 6 - 1:13 am

  We bought our Outlook in August 2008 (traded in a BMW 330CiC). We bought it for its HUGE interior and cargo space as well as its seating for 8. No other vehicle can compare within its class. It drives great, gets decent fuel mileage for its size, and is very comfortable. We had our first "big" snow here in DC a week ago (6-10) inches and my wife was hesitant about driving the Outlook in the snow. We have owned other SUVs in the past and snow was not their strong suit. However, this thing was like a snow plow. No slipping, sliding, or any problems. She loved the fact that she didnt have to "do anything" because it is AWD. Great winter vehicle!!