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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  Just Bought-- Phooey on the Editors! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By KyleKizr - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased my new Black, Ion 3. Honestly, its a car to like, not to love, but its a car to like a lot. Youre unlikely to name this car, or get a gooey feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see it, but it will get you from point a to point b, not break the bank, and be reasonably fun, too. The great financial incentives got me -- I was able to qualify for a student discount (including 90 day payment deferral), 0% financing for 60 months and $1000 "down payment assistance". Its a fun to drive, slightly unique looking, and good for people like me owning their first car.

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  Vue exceeds my expectations! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Danenjoyinthe vue - January 13 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best vehicles I have ownwe. The service at the dealer is great and the car itself has been awesome. I thought I would own Hondas forever but, Saturn changed that. Compared to my old CRV the is 10xs better.

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  awesome...my 1st saturn but not last - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Diana L - January 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my 1st Saturn and definitely not my last....I love it

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  2008 Saturn VUE is fantastic - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Chy - January 12 - 9:23 pm

  My family had owned 2 Saturn SL1Â’s for 11 problem free years. We knew that the local Saturn dealership was fantastic so when my mother needed a new car we took her to check out the Astra. That is when my sister and I spied the 2008 VUE. We were both impressed with the build quality and materials used in the interior. We test drove both the 4 cylinder and the XR V6. Both drove well, but the 3.6 engine was the clear winner. By the end of the day,my family purchased 1 Astra (another fantastic car) and 2 VUEÂ’s. The 2008 Saturn VUE is just fantastic. It drives like a dream, has plenty of power, a comfortable interior, flexible cargo area and many thoughtful features. Definitely test drive it!

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  Excellent - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By compnurd - January 12 - 5:16 pm

  Car is wonderful. Gas mileage has increased wondefully as the car has climbed in mileage. Very quiet ride. Handles excellent. Way better build quality compared to older Saturns.

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  Saturn Aura - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Hugh - January 11 - 5:46 pm

  Excellent vehicle, GM is eating Toyotas lunch on this one. Great performance, 29.7/gal highway. The panoramic roof is a beautiful option, however I think you compromise some body rigidity with a sunroof so large, but interior noise is still very low. Soft ride with no body roll when cornering, and handles beautifully in the snow. Thanks GM, this one is a keeper!

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  Great SUV - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Dennis Quigg - January 11 - 6:33 am

  This is my wifes car. She researched 16 SUVs prior to purchase. The last three(3) was the Lexus RX-350, Acura MDX, and the Saturn Outlook. All three have almost identical bells and whistles. The Lexus was the quietest, however the Outlook was almost as quiet. All handled well. Lexus didnt seem to take corners quite as well as the outlook/MDX. The cost for the Outlook was about 10K less than the other two. And the Outlook had 100k warrenty, with 0% financing for 60 mths. I cant comment about the mileage yet, not enough driven miles.

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  Awesome! - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Anderson - January 11 - 3:03 am

  Driving this baby is like hitting the jackpot at the casino. I always get amped driving it. Love the sound of the engine. Has outlet for my kids to play their video games. The amount of space is ridicuous. It can fit a giant if you wanted.

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  Ridges Vue - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Ridges Vue - January 10 - 2:30 pm

  Over all this has been my favorite thus far. The interior could be a little more solid as the windows leak air. My family loves to take this car everywhere we travel. For being and SUV you cant be the MPG at 24.

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  From Acura to Aura - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Glenn - January 8 - 6:06 am

  While researching my next car purchase I discovered almost by accident the Saturn Aura. I was checking out the Sky Redline as a potential weekend fun car - and parked nearby was an Aura XR. The lines of the car impressed me, and I liked its stance on 18" rims and rubber. I decided on a test drive and was again impressed by its handling, the interior styling, and the available options. The XR had everything and even more than my 2001 Acura RL, including steering wheel paddle shift, adjustable pedals, and a separate rear seat audio system with wireless headphones. I love it so far, now it just needs to match my Acuras reliability.