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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  Its fun to drive this "family car!" - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Big Red - December 2 - 6:26 pm

  I did a great deal of research on this vehicle and its competitors before we bought. The Saturn was the one that had the size we needed and the look we wanted. Finally I am driving a family car that I feel is meant for a young, active and fun family! This car is comfortable, durable, gets great mileage for the size that it is and looks fantastic! I am a 1st time Saturn owner, and Id say Ill be a Saturn owner for life now! I am so glad that we chose the Saturn Outlook!

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  Great Vue. - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Ronbo - December 2 - 8:10 am

  We really love this car. It is very comfortable, quiet and very fast. The interior space is very roomy, especially for such a small vehicle. The AWD gets you where you need to go and gives you a very secure feeling. This is just simply a very fun car to drive.

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  Awesome ride! - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Redline Sky - December 2 - 12:13 am

  I love this vehicle. It feels so good to drive, makes me want to drive it. I have a 2001 Miata that is a dog compared to this and other than a few interior quibbles, this car is awesome! The looks are fantastic, seems put together well, and its fast! Have only had it for a week but have already put 600 miles on it. If you want an inexpensive sports car, this is it and its worth the wait!!

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  Yip Yap - 2003 Saturn ION
  By yamen - December 1 - 10:00 am

  I went in to only test drive an Ion 2, and ended up buying an Ion 3. Due to good timing and stroke of good luck I bought the Ion 3 w/ ABS for less than the stock Ion 2s cost. Everything on this car is an upgrade from my previous 1994 Toyota Tercel. I love the looks inside and out. It has great acceleration and handling and I really enjoy all the little extras(anti- lockout, auto headlights, power everything, etc). Overall, Im very satisfied with this car.

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  Perfect for a family of 4! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Justin - November 23 - 11:06 am

  Way better than my previous 2007 Tahoe because of a bunch of reasons. I honestly dont see any problems with the 4 cylinder on the interstate. Ive been up to 80mph many times and it is very quiet and smooth. I live in Indianapolis where its mostly flat so it could be different in the mountains but we have went up and down several hills and it has plenty of power for me. This newly redesigned Saturn Vue is just right for a family of 4. I had a difficult time finding out if a family of 4 would be able to comfortably fit in this vehicle. My kids are 1 and 3 and they love the aftermarket DVD player. I could see where this vehicle would get tight for a family with teenage kids.

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  excellent - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By blazin - November 19 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle is fun to drive and very comfortable.

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  VUE is the best car EVER made!!! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By chicago gal - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I debated between purchasing the Saturn Vue SUV for $25,000 and a BMV SUV for $45,000. I could afford either one, but chose Saturn. My VUE SUV rocks!!! It is so fun to drive. I LOVE the interior, how can Edmunds call it bland"??? The interior is very large and well thought out. I love Saturn SUV and plan to drive this model for the rest of my life! I would never drive anything else.

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  I Love My ION! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Susieq1975 - November 19 - 2:00 am

  The people at the dealership were friendly and NOT pushy! They didnt bug me about extras and only explained what i asked. Wonderful experience! Before I even went to the dealership, i called and told them what car i wanted and what features i wanted. Within hours, they had the exact car available for a test drive. Not just an hour long test drive, but a 24 hour test drive. By the end of the 24 hours, I was in love.

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  fun to drive - 2004 Saturn ION
  By danirae - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I feel that the car is cool to drive around in. Alot of people have stopped to ask me what it is... how the doors work(in quad coupe) and to generally comment on how much they like it.

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  **THIS 2004 ION ROCKS!!!***** - 2004 Saturn ION
  By AJ WOOD - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR!!! I TEST DROVE THE CIVIC, CAVALIER, SUNFIRE, MAZDA 6, 3, AND MITSUBISHI LANCER... NONE OF THEM EVEN COMPARE WITH THIS ION, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE PRICE!!! THIS 04 ION ROCKS! YOU WILL LOVE THIS CAR. I DONT UNDERSTAND THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS BY THE SO- CALLED "EXPERTS"... THE 04 ION WAS THE MOST COMFORTABLE, INNOVATIVE, MOST POWERFUL, APPEALING, AFFORDABLE, ROOMIEST CAR IN ITS CLASS... YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!