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:
Showing 1181 through 1190 of 3,767.00-
New Owner - 2004 Saturn VUE
By PDC - November 15 - 10:00 amWanted roomy 4 door, easy to get in and out of (am 6 3"). Dont need 4 wheel drive but did want front wheel drive with limited slip differential. Honda engine with 5 speed tranny a big plus. Good fuel economy. $4,000 rebate off trade price a big plus. Like fold down right front seat. Is very smooth and quiet on the road. 1500 rpms is 60 mph. Dampens bumps very but there is some road noise.
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Great Value - 2008 Saturn Outlook
By R Perich - November 15 - 2:30 amWe were looking for a lot of vehicle at a reasonable price, and we found it with the Outlook. The vehicle is not getting the great mileage we desired (around 19), but the interior space more than makes up for it. We fit five adults and two child seats in the car and everybody had enough room. It handles well in rain, but high winds will surprise the new SUV driver.
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Sleek SUV - 2008 Saturn VUE
By Steve - November 14 - 10:36 pmGot a great deal on a 4cyl certified VUE so I went with it. The car looks great in and out, the only downfalls I dont like about it are the power of the 4 cyl (cruise control is not very comfortable) and the gas mileage for a 4 cyl(averaging about 23 mpg). I would recommend this if someone is looking for a sleek SUV that rides nice.
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Not your plastic Saturn - 2008 Saturn VUE
By YDKCooKiE - November 14 - 1:00 pmBeing my first SUV, Ive tried quite a few out; the Rav-4, the CR-V, Ford Escape, and little did I know the 2008 Vue was available. Upon going to the dealership, my fiancee and I took a test drive and we were sold. The vehicle looks much like a higher-class SUV rather than the cheaper 2007 model. The drive is great, comfortable, and extremely enjoyable. Ive been pleasantly surprised by the drive and quality of this car, and everywhere you look, theres something new you discover about it. Id easily recommend this to friends and family.
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I Love It! - 2004 Saturn ION
By docsmilitarywife - November 14 - 12:46 amVery satisfied with it so far. Havent had it long but its perfect for me. My husband got it for me. Its used but not badly. Just really been broken in good. We got the warranty on it too, just in case. Its got awesome pickup and looks fantastic. Its really an eye catcher. I love the leather and the stereo sounds awesome. The 6 disk cd changer is great, too. The brakes are really good and it purrs like a kitten when you really open it up on the interstate. I got a great feeling about this car and am sure we made a fantastic choice!
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Never get another one - 2006 Saturn ION
By dissappointed - November 12 - 8:06 pmI bought this Saturn for the safety features. I wish I would have done some more research and bought a Toyota or a Honda. I am very dissappointed. Not only is the car just over a year old, but Ive been to the dealership numerous times, twice for the brakes and they told me nothing was wrong with them. The carpet had a hole in the floorboard and had to be replaced, the gas mileage is horrible and now it just wont plain start even after they replaced the battery. Not to mention I live 62 miles from the nearest Saturn dealerships.
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My First Saturn - 2005 Saturn Relay
By My First - November 10 - 11:13 amThe Relay does not look like a minivan. That is what attracted us to this vehicle. Knowing that our family was in desperate need to replace our 02 Ford Taurus with a vehicle that would accomodate our childrens active lifestyle, the Relay was the answer. Saturns low key sales approach and excellent service reputation made this decision even easier. So far (only 7k mile)the family loves it, although I find the seats on the small side, Im 6ft 220lbs. No mechanical problems and the engine is very responsive. It was a good purchase.
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Great small SUV - 2004 Saturn VUE
By chris3259 - November 10 - 10:00 amI have put 15,000 km on my VUE and my son is driving it as well. I really like the 4cyl and 5 speed combo. You can loaf around town shifting at 2,000 rpm or keep it on the boil at 3,500 and it becomes very sporty and light on its feet. Reliability has been perfect, the dealer was very friendly, and gave me a package that beat the Ford Escape all day.
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Our First Saturn - 2006 Saturn VUE
By Bruce Walters - November 10 - 7:36 amThis is our first Saturn and we love it. My wife is the main driver of this VUE and we just got back from a trip to the Smoky Mountains in Tennesee. We put on 2200 miles after only having the VUE for 10 days. It performed very well and we got good gas mileage, about 27 mpg on the road.
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Love to Drive! - 2007 Saturn Aura
By Melissa - November 9 - 1:23 pmI have had my Saturn Aura for 6 months now and love it. From the moment I drove off the lot it has been a blast to drive. I have a 2 hour commute to work so I spend a lot of time in my car. Spending that much time in my Aura over the past 6 months I have learned the loves and the needs to change features of the car and the loves outnumber the fixes.
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Saturn Outlook 266 Reviews
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Saturn VUE 1,730 Reviews