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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  great ride - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By wide-glide - March 29 - 10:00 am

  we really enjoy our vue, and people are always wanting to check it out!

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  so far so good - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By geoff - March 29 - 10:00 am

  Nice vehicle, V6 very powerful in all situations. Getting on to highways is a blast-nobody takes advantage of this little truck. Surprisingly good on gas. Getting 22 mpg. on the road. Smooth shifting automatic! Plenty good A/C. Quiet ride. Roomy. Good looking.

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  Nice Little VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By AH Sprite MK4 - March 29 - 12:16 am

  4 cyl 5 speed manual nice little VUE, good handling but little light on the power. Yet, not impressed with the MPG so far. 22-24 in-town and hi-way but have not had the Vue long enough, bought it coming off a lease at 25Kmiles, for the Lucas injector cleaner to work. I also own a 96 SE Coupe 5 speed manual and love it at 140K miles getting 30+MPG using Lucas Injector Cleaner. I used an engine analyzer and it appears the O2 sensor may not be working quite right as it should toggle between about 0.1V to 0.9V (pulse width modulation) which is between lean and rich. Might be more on the rich side. The dealership will look into this as it might be the cause of low MPGs.

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  I love it - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Mr. Adams - March 28 - 4:46 pm

  Its been almost a year and I have to say I still love my Outlook. I have only one issue, I really wish I got a little better gas mileage. I am averaging about 17 mpg city right now. Would love a couple of miles more. I have a baby and lots of god children and the Outlook carries all our stuff around no problem and everyone has their place. I have only owned Saturns and they are definitely getting better with age.

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  The Best Car "Out(look)" There - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By outlook owner - March 28 - 2:20 am

  It is an adorable car! The "coaco" color is so cute! This is my most reliable car ever! Ive had it for over a year, no problems so far. Not even a little oil leak! I love it!

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  My 2005 3.5L Saturn Vue - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By maojr - March 27 - 12:30 pm

  I bought this car for my wife because, (1) it has a plactic outer shell and never gets dimpled (2) supposedly it has a Honda Engine. It also had a 0.5% interest on the loan...what a deal. Its just now giving some problems. Had to replace the middle drive-shaft support and spider bearing. Otherwise no major problems/issues after 120K miles. This is the first signs of major ware so I expect a little at a time as the mileage increases with more use. We use this car every day! I would buy/trade another with the same features....too bad they are no longer available.

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  So far so good - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Marshal - March 27 - 10:00 am

  purchased vehicle like most of us from reviews and opinions-Suv has power V6- a looks of interior room. But somethings you stop & thick what are the thinking--no under dash lights, map lights shine in your face, sun visors is too small, no dash board indicator for cruise control. Overall the Vue drive well and appears to well built.. Time will tell..follow up in a few months

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  AWD V6 - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By traffic - March 27 - 12:06 am

  The 07 Vue is a nice-looking car. Good pickup. It even seems more powerful than the V8 SUV I traded. I like the steering wheel radio controls, safer. It seems roomy enough, even though it is much smaller than my old SUV. I had to get used to it being lower than my old SUV as well as the window buttons not being on the window, but so far not a problem.

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  Pleased with our choice - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By iresponse - March 23 - 7:20 pm

  Shopped nearly all makes of crossovers and minivans to replace our aging Windstar, and couldnt be more pleased with our Outlook. Have not had any problems, it is a pleasure to drive, solid feeling, and very smooth on the freeway. Selected the XE with most options because we liked the interior appearance better than the XR.

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  Safety first! To the uninformed... - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By shawna - March 23 - 6:40 pm

  Saturn VUEs have a 5 star front and side impact rating. This is due to the side polymer body panels plastic as some would say. Behind it is a steel space frame that protects you AND saves you money. I got broadsided by a large truck, Im not talking a pickup truck, but a delivery truck. To my disbelief the damage was minimal. A simple matter of replacing the panels on the passenger side was much nicer to my pocket then replacing all doors and fender. Drop out engine is a plus. Drives beautifully and I love it. Someone else said they hope they dont get hit by a VW, but I say bring it on VW, and large delivery trucks, too! I feel safe as can be.