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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  Maybe its just me - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Ednava58 - September 14 - 10:00 am

  Service writer is great. I bought the car in December and its been in the shop at least once a month since I bought it. Dont even ask about December and January. Two main complaints, there is a knocking noise, like someone is pounding on my car near the gas tank and Saturn hasnt found a fix for it. The other complaint is sometimes while driving, its feels like my transmission is slipping, or not change gears. This is one of the problems that I keep taking my car in, they did an upgrade once, but of course it never does it when a technican is riding with you. I think I would love this VUE if it didnt have problems, I think its possessed.

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  You get what ya paid for - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Caligirl - September 4 - 6:36 pm

  I purchased this car with 50K for $7K. I really got my moneys worth which wasnt much. The right headlight refuses to work, it runs hard, the engine cant take going 70 mph, and the whole car seems to be made of cheap, cheap plastic. To top it off, my engine light turns on then after a few hours to a day it turns off by itself. And no one can figure out why it does that! Buy this car if you want a cheap compact gas saver.

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  Very Disappointed - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Big D - August 24 - 3:16 pm

  This car has potential, but Saturns execution is very disappointing. I got the service record from the previous owner when I bought the car - 21 complaints, some major. Then in the past 6 months I have had to replace or repair the radio, trim pieces, wheel bearings, the list goes on and on. It has such potential, but Saturn just does not deliver.

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  Thought it would be better - 2004 Saturn ION
  By psyculman - August 22 - 9:00 am

  I bought my Saturn based on friends who owned older ones. But, my Ion reflected GMs usual utter disregard for customer loyalty. The front suspension rattled @20,000 miles, the ignition switch froze in 20 deg. weather, the wiper gear case broke off, front wheel bearings began to make noise at 60,000 mi. After 4 yr my $2,000 warranty, 5 year warranty, "applied from the "day" the car was "assembled", so did NOTHING! The morning the check engine light came on, and I could not discover why on my own, I went directly to Toyota, and, bought a Corolla. End of story. See other reviews listed here on this site, if you can get a used Ion, cheap, its probably going give you good service, but beware.

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  A bad used car-fails to start - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Mike Dbn - August 14 - 2:06 am

  This Saturn has the infamous "Passlock" anti-theft defect. The IC chip in the ignition column switch fails to recognize a genuine key and fails to start, usually in winter, but this has happened other times as well. The IC chip has been replaced twice, but I refuse to pay $300+ for an out-of- warranty repair. Not a reliable used car because of this. Also, the McPherson struts are noisy in winter, and make anoying "click" sounds. Seats feel cheap (no back support). Electric steering is too tight and you might oversteer into the next lane. Bad blind spots on both side pillars. Basically this is a 2004 Chevy Cavalier with plastic side panels. A real dog!

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  Third Saturn owned, Ion bad choice - 2004 Saturn ION
  By kellyd - August 13 - 6:10 pm

  Ive been driving Saturns for almost 10 years now. I swore by them until the Ion.I no longer have it as it was totalled in an auto accident recently. The only damage was to the front underside. The hood was completely intact. Ive always bought Saturns for their safety features as well as price. However, the seating was very uncomfortable, especially for longer drives. My seats stained very easily, including water stains. The battery was defected and had to be replaced 2 days after purchasing it (brand new)! It was replaced again last year. I was unable to start the car right away in cold weather on certain days. This started 3 years after purchasing it.

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  not bad - 2003 Saturn ION
  By UTstudent - August 3 - 10:00 am

  The overall platform of the vehicle seems strong and stable, allowing for a better than expected ride. The 140 HP engine provides ample power. The steering is "quirky" (overly sensitive without the expected feedback). The position of the gagues may be impressive for young drivers but not for older ones. Overall seems to be a good car.

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  Engine Failed, the worst car ever - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By mginsc - August 1 - 1:07 am

  This car fit the bill for a single mom who had to shuttle around kids to events, friends, trips, etc. Soon after purchase, I took the car in for repair after the check engine light came on. The timing chain was replaced under a recall. I was told that metal was in my oil because of it. Then my transmission began malfunctioning and it was the transmission control module. Then my power steering went out because of faulty design on the hose. Then oil was leaking into the throttle body so a gasket was replaced. After that final repair, I made it 3 miles down the road and my engine seized. Do not buy this car. I will never buy GM again. Ever.

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  Our Life with the Vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By dnldaway - July 27 - 10:00 am

  We really liked our Vue. We drove it across country and it was very comfortable. However, gas milage was TERRIBLE....we traded it in for an L- Series.

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  summer car - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By little Mac - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I found that winter driving is not all that great. I put in two sand bags over the rear wheels. New tires on car, "all weather" do nothing for the car. Car is way too light with all the plastic in it. Rocks when cars/trucks pass. Fan squeeks when on low.. windows fog up and feet freeze as well as your rear passengers. Engine is VERY loud and outside sounds are like the door isnt even shut. Drink holder very awkward for driver. 8 cargo has to be on dash to fit.