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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  plastic makes it posible - 2004 Saturn ION
  By krams - November 26 - 2:00 am

  handling is par but up to Honda civic

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  A great vehicle - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Melani - November 25 - 12:26 am

  My Saturn Vue was a pleasure to own. Never had a thing go wrong that required a trip to the dealer. I love it and highly recommend the Saturn for trouble free ownership.

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  Reliable 30 MPG - 2007 Saturn ION
  By 07saturn - November 23 - 11:09 pm

  2007 Saturn Ion company car with 163K miles. Drive 75 mph on the highway and get 30 mpg consistently. All electrical works with no problems, leather seats still look good (no rips or tears). Normal repairs with one exception. Exhaust pipe behind motor(flex pipe) is also attached to cat. converter. Over $700 for new pipe with converter at dealer. Front suspension bushings have been replaced twice. Motor runs great, uses no oil. Car is dependable and has not let me down.

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  Pats Car - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Patricia Cobb - November 23 - 7:16 pm

  It is a beautiful car to drive very comfortable, there is a lot of room inside the car thats why it is so comfortable, safety features are there. This is our 3rd Saturn and hopefully more to follow.

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  A lot of fun - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Tollag - November 22 - 10:00 am

  If youre looking for a FUN suv, give the 2004 Saturn Vue, with the 3.5 liter Honda/Tranny. This thing is a blast to drive. Its about as fast as my Mini Cooper S, but gives you all the comfort of an SUV. Ride is comfortable, and youre given a feeling of security. The thing looks mean with the new 17" stock wheels, and youre left with tons of uprgade options. DId I mention its fun to drive?

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  Becomes Junk after 30,000 Miles - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By supercell777 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  For the first 6 months, the VUE is great. It still turns heads, but it has become a 7 month-long nightmare of constant front end, suspension, and steering problems. Anything but freshly paved roads is not recommended. The interior is exceptionally noisy. The steering and suspension always rattles, and Saturn calls this "Normal." Many VUE owners agree. VUEs have rather pathetic build quality. I do not recommend the Saturn VUE to ANYONE. For a complete breakdown of all the VUEs constant problems, you can visit Saturnalia and choose the VUE Forum. This will help you make your decision to NOT purchase a Saturn VUE.

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  Not Reliable - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By TM - November 21 - 10:46 pm

  This vehicle is not reliable. I have had 7 warranty related issues in two years before hitting the 30,000 mile mark and they keep happening. The dent resistant panels may keep dents away but they are starting to come undone at the bottom so when you open the back doors the panel catches and the door has to be shut and opened again. This is not covered by the warranty either. I have had one door that would neither open nor close (at 8000 mi) and twice the locks froze up so the door will not shut until it thaws 30 miles from home w/ 2 infants in back. The entire onstar system was replaced. Carrier bearing had to be replaced (20,000 mi). Service not helpful either.

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  Love our little Vue!! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By vuefor2 - November 19 - 10:00 am

  We have had our Vue almost four months and we love it. So convenient and fun. We get stopped all the time by people who want to see it or ask questions. We have had no repair issues so far and we love our Saturn dealer!

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  Wow - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By John - November 18 - 11:40 pm

  I picked up my Black on Black XR about 5 weeks ago and have to say its the best car I have owned. The car handles great and the tires stick to the road. I see people trying to figure out what kind of car it is. Toyota and Honda better watch out if the general keeps building cars like this.

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  UNHAPPY VUE OWNER - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By goofy girl - November 15 - 10:00 am

  theres not enough room to write. my vue is just about a yr old w/only 14,000 miles and has been back to the dealership at least 10x for anything and everything you can think of. when i had it a month, it had to be towed. i have contacted Saturn Corp and filed an official complaint,and although they have been somewhat helpful, i dred driving that suv, i dont feel safe at all. i strongly urge anyone to NOT buy it. i am in contact w/a lawyer reviewing the lemon law. its a shame that after a year, i am looking to trade this car in. not only do i regret getting the Saturn, but I also regret that i bought it, b/c i feel like im stuck with it, i hate it!