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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  Best car I ever had - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Carole Chenot - January 6 - 7:30 am

  This car helped make driving in the snow a less frightening experience; handling so well. It was also comfortable to drive, got good gas mileage, handled beautifully, sat solid on the road. I lost it in a divorce and would love to have another one, but cant afford it. My daughter and her husband bought a Saturn Vue because they liked ours so well. They were expecting and liked all the features the Vue had to offer for their new baby. It holds so much; weve taken it on several trips and it carried everything we needed. I highly recommend the Vue.

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  2005 VUE - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By blomoriello - January 6 - 2:26 am

  Hard to beat the price Saturn gave us at the time - great on highway and for the size good mileage - the Honda made engine is smooth, great response

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  Great Choice of a Car - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Shellybean - January 6 - 2:00 am

  I have now owned this car for a little over a year and still to this day I have no reservations about buying this car, it gets me where I need to go and with great gas milleage (which is good for a college student!!!!)

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  We love our VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Marlene Boothroyd - January 4 - 10:03 pm

  We purchased our 2005 VUE to tow behind our 40 motorcoach. It tows like a dream. You never know it is there. We find the color (Dragonfly Green) does not show the dirt from the road and rinses off easily. We especially like the added space in the rear that holds a full cart of groceries and then disappears into the floor when not in use. Our dogs have plenty of room when the back seats are folded down, but a bonus is, one seat can be used while the wider of the two is folded or visa- versa.Easy loading from back or side doors, too. In our opinion, this is the best mid size SUV and it doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Also two full size bicycles fit inside when we need to use them, a huge plus.

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  Best choice for my first SUV - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By Mrs Hill - January 3 - 7:16 pm

  I fell in love when I drove my sisters 07 Vue and counted the days till I could get my own. The V6 has tons of power and it handles well. So far Im getting about 18.6 miles per gallon and Im happy with that. The XM radio is addicting and makes long drives nice. You cant go wrong with this SUV.

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  2nd Saturn Ive Owned!! Theyre Awesome - 2004 Saturn ION
  By rabecke - December 31 - 2:00 am

  Saturns are always reliable and economical. I am only 21 and have chosen to buy from Saturn twice. My 1996 SL1 never broke down on me and when it was time for a new one, I couldnt resist the ION Quad Coupe! Thanks Saturn!

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  Great SUV, Great Price! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Jer - December 25 - 10:03 am

  This vehicle has been one of my best. I traded in my Jeep for my VUE and have never looked back. It is stylish enough to not feel like Im driving a minivan, but practical so that I can transport my two kids.

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  Surprised by the 2.4L 4 engine - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Rex - December 24 - 6:33 am

  I bought the 4cyl model for the mileage, and though I test drove the car extensively, Im still impressed that 2.3 liters moves the car well. Im now getting 31mpg on the highway driving about 70ish. The mileage improved after a few thousand miles and a change to synthetic oil. I installed a low-flow Airhog air filter and the power and mileage improved! Impressive handling, and styling. A small drawback is the visibility. Overall a fantastic deal for the money.

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  Repeat buyer - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Teri - December 19 - 11:03 pm

  I had one of vivid yellow SC2s and loved it. However, I needed something that my elderly father could easily get in and out of, and the VUE is perfect. My father easily slips into and out of the vehicle with no problem. The ride is smooth and quiet. I love this vehicle! We will be buying one of VUE Redline editions in the spring.

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  I could have done much, much worse - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Jack - December 19 - 10:43 pm

  My first car was a 96 Saturn SL, manual. If this had been my first car, Id have no complaints at all. Unfortunately, it pales in comparison to the 96 SL. Sure, its more comfortable, and looks more upscale, but -- and this is a big but -- it gets about 10mpg less than the SL, and isnt quite as fun to drive. The OnStar was either a big help or a terrible tragedy in the making, since it told me to change my oil once around 5000 miles and then not again until 13000 miles. I decided to let my subscription expire, but wow! Talk about saving me a bundle on maintenance.