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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  Excellent Commuter Vehicle - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Vclub33 - February 15 - 10:00 am

  I am rather impressed with the style and the ride of the ION 3. For a product from GM the ride is very quiet and smooth. I love the center instrument panel. It provides a clear view of the road, and allows me to have the steering wheel at level that doesnt interfere with the view of the instrument panel. Also all of the standard equipment was a big bonus. With the 3 I got the electric moonroof, electric locks, windows, AC, cruise control, cd player , 16 inch tires, and a rear spoiler, all for under 19000. You cant beat the price, plus the fuel efficiency was icing on the cake. I love my new Saturn, and I have received many great compliments on my new car.

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  Honda + plastic = great value! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Robert - February 14 - 3:56 pm

  This is my fourth Saturn (SW2 and two LW300s), and this is a great SUV. With the combination of Honda drivetrain, polymer body panels, and Saturn buying experience, it pretty much left the competition out of the running. It drives and handles great, has terrific acceleration, will easily tow my Harley Sportster, easy to get into and out of, and the MPG is terrific considering the performance of this 4900-pound vehicle. Ive added 18" wheels, performance muffler, side step rails, splash guards, vent visors, billet grilles, and have a K&N cold air intake kit on order. This SUV just gets better the more I drive it. Unique looks, performance, no-hassle buying experience. Its a winner!

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  2007 Aura XR - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Ken - February 13 - 9:40 pm

  So far, this has been a wonderful car. It is our 4th Saturn since 1997 and is the best so far. Ride is suprisingly quiet and smooth. Handling is "sporty" and with the longer wheel base takes the bumps in the road with little notice of the passengers. Workmanship is typical Saturn quality (this is a positive statement)and the only issue was OnStar didnt work out of the showroom but was resolved within a week of purchase. All in all, its Saturns best to date and it turns heads (we purchased black on black leather). My wife and I argue over who will drive it, she wins during the week and I get it on the weekends.

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  Best Family Car Available - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By matt - February 11 - 9:40 am

  This car is without a doubt to me, the best car for a family currently on the market (for those who are non-minivan lovers). The driver and passenger feel like they are in a luxury car, while the kids feel like they are in a roomy minivan-like environment, with a DVD player, 110V outlet for the x-box, and easy in and out due to the lower than most SUVs ground clearance. Our 3 year old can easily get in and out himself. Overall, its a fantastic car that is fun to drive yet has all the features that a busy family is looking for.

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  First new car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By HappyCamper - February 11 - 9:03 am

  This is my first new car. Ive only put 350km on so far. It is very smooth with strong acceleration. My only complaint so far is the sun-visor. It clicks-in at certain angles, but the settings are too far apart. I find it either blocks my view or doesnt block the sun.

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  Solid, solid crossover - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By dealing3000 - February 10 - 3:30 am

  We looked all over for a 7-8 passenger vehicle that met our needs. Since our family is growing we needed something bigger. We looked at many other SUVs/crossovers and this is the best of the bunch for the dollar spent. My wife and I love this vehicle. It drives great and hugs the road for an SUV. We recently went on a 1000 mile trip and it was the easiest ride I have ever undertaken. he fit and finish is top notch (way better than my 2007 VW Passat Wagon) and I really like the exterior and interior design of the vehicle. After 2000 miles we are getting 16 city and 24 highway. We hesitated at first when considering Saturn but we could not be happier with our purchase.

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  Love it - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By BALUSHNA - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Never thought that I would buy American again but so far so good. Love the smooth Honda engine and love the looks.

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  Love my Astra - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By rmittel - February 6 - 8:51 am

  After 2.5 years I still really love this car. Too bad they are no longer available here in the US. If Saturn had sold more cars like this they would still be around. Get comments from people asking what car that is, they love styling. Very firm fun car to drive. I live in Colorado and is great in snow. Have had no problems what so ever with vehicle. Dashboard controls a little hard to figure out as they are European based but not an major issue. A lot of car for the money I think.

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  Best Crossover - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Nichole - February 4 - 4:26 am

  I absolutely love my new vehicle. I was in the market to upgrade to a larger vehicle (Civic before). With the growing family and traveling 100miles/day to work, I need a vehicle that would be comfortable and with good mileage. I was not quite ready for a minivan so I continued to explore car lots until one caught my attention. This car is excellent on the road. It is a very smooth ride all the way. I could not be more pleased with my choice.

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  Freaking amazing car!! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By matthew_w - February 1 - 11:09 am

  Ive owned very many cars, but by far this is the best car ive ever had, put hankook tires under it and it will run forever... Great SUV fast, and powerful when needed!!