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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  VUEto economy - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Saturn Vue - October 8 - 2:56 pm

  I have the VUE AWS 3.5 which has the Honda motor and also the Honda Auto Transmission. I also pull a Jayco tent trailer and on oru last trip from California up to Montana and Idaho (mostly hills) I got an average of 20 miles per gallon pulling the trailer with it On normal commuting mostly stop and go I average around 21mpg The vehicle as plenty of power with 250 hp and accleration is very smooth as is the ride compared to mostt SUV vehicles. Handling is pretty good and stable, and the VUE is easy to get in and out of. Saturn really thought this one out and really did a good job with

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  30,000 miles of torture - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Not Happy - October 8 - 4:36 am

  Where do I start. On my way to the airport the clutch went. Before and since it was fixed it is almost impossible at times to put into 1st gear, other times big problems shifting down to 2nd gear. Was informed that this was the way the car was designed, go figure. Air conditioning broke. Cap flew off windshield wiper fluid dispenser. Driver side door handle broke. Lid on console will never stay closed. There was a recall for something. Now it is in the shop once again to have the gear shift fixed also found out that not only does it need new brake pads but the rotors are rusted out and need replacing at a cost of $550. I dont want the car any more and am shopping around for a new one

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  I love my ION 2 - 2004 Saturn ION
  By BLACKBEAUTYION - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car since 2008 and besides the little problems I love it I have had just the normal maintenance done to it and I think Saturn should have been around still the have great long lasting cars I would have bought another Saturn I loved the whole car line I have talked to other owners who say they have never got the mileage out of the other cars they have owned

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  ONE GREAT CAR - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By ONE GREAT CAR - October 4 - 6:23 pm

  I have owned this car since 01/08 and bought it new. i am extremely happy with it in everyway. it rides as smooth as all of the other cars that i looked at in the $40 to $50,000 ranges and looks just as nice if not better. I have had hundreds of people looking at it and asking what kind of car it was and who made it because of its beauty. I am especially impressed with its smoothness and gas miledge. others may have rated this Saturn low but as for me two thumbs up Saturn.

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  Great Value - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By John H. - October 4 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Saturn. I previously owned an SW2 and an L100. I was in a serious accident with my L last year, but came away unscathed. Im sold on the safety and reliability of Saturns, but wanted more car around me. Hence, my move to the larger Vue. Ive had the car for 15 months, and love it. I went with the 4-cylinder, to get better mileage. The acceleration and power are adequate. Ive read reviews from owners unhappy with various aspects of the vehicle, but my experience has been good. Ive had only one mechanical problem - a front rotor that was defective. No drivability problems.

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  Getting Better...I guess - 2004 Saturn ION
  By AZgirl - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I had a 2001 SL1 which was Ok but I had a couple of problems. I got a smoking deal on the Ion so I went for it. I have not been satisfied with it so far. I had 4 repairs (radio, 2 different doors, both headlights and turn signals) within the first 3000 miles. Right now it works marvelously but I would not recommend the standard model to anyone. Not a single soul.

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  great car!! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By stevesteve21 - October 4 - 2:00 am

  This car is fantastic. I love the styliling and the handling

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  Needs Refining - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By King - October 3 - 3:50 pm

  Was very excited about initial purchase and like most buyers, noticed areas that can be improved upon. I expected fuel economy to be higher than 21 -still better than 17/18 with my 2005 Explorer. Im having issues with slack in the drivers pwr seat and all 4 of the function buttons on the mid dash suffer from intermittent operation. The sound system is worst than my 2003 Focus - I suspect the speakers are sub-standard. Overall I love the styling and comfort -especially the dual exhaust tips. Forgot to mention the service on the transmission after 2 months- leaking fluid due to a defective gasket.

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  Amazing - 2005 Saturn ION
  By DavePlaysDrums - October 3 - 1:16 am

  Added the Stage II performance kit. Highly recommended. Well worth the money. This car performs comparable to the RX-8 (the other choice with the quad door configuration) but is more practical as a daily driver. 48,000 miles and still love it every time I get in!

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  Transmission issues - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By horriblecar1 - October 2 - 11:44 pm

  I purchased this car 4 months ago used and now am experiencing issues with it. It was shaking back and fourth.... stop and go traffic was horrifying because I was afraid the rpms were going to drop and the car would shut off. Also the car had extremely poor pick up and when I would come to a stop the car would occasionally not go when I put my foot on the gas and then it would take off and sound like someone hit me from behind. Dont purchase this car better yet just get a bike...