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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  Saturn VUE- - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By stpetegirl - July 21 - 2:00 am

  the vehicle is very nice- but when spending close to 25,000 I feel like the vehicle shuld be a little more nicer then what it is.

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  A big headache - 2004 Saturn ION
  By A big headache - June 30 - 7:06 pm

  I really like the look and price of this vehicle. However, I have been to the dealership at least a dozen times with serious problems. The car has less than 40,000 miles and Im on my 3rd transmission, 2nd drive-line, 4th stereo, 2nd steering column, and have had my check engine light come on a couple of times. The Saturn service department has been unpleasant and unprofessional to deal with. This is my first and last Saturn. I am getting rid of this car ASAP.

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  The good, bad and the ugly! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By cbruckner - June 23 - 11:58 am

  I bought my 2008 Vue 14 months ago with 33,000. I loved the comfort ride and all the bells and whistles, with the heated leather seats and nice interior design. Other than having to change the battery, with under 50,000, I had no problems or issues. Until last week while I was driving home and the RPMs started reving up and going back down and then the transmission felt like it wasnt engaged and I was stranded alongside the road side waiting for a tow truck. Verdict...transmission needs to be pulled to determine the extent of the problems. Now I have a rental with no promise of when my vehicle will be up and running again. Thank God it is covered under the 100,000 power train warranty!

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  A Very Mixed Bag - 2003 Saturn ION
  By rdcarney - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I drive over 20K/year for work, and need a reliable and economical vehicle. The Saturn Ion specs out much better than the Cavalier that Im used to driving, plus my wife is in love with the Ions looks and features. What I didnt know is that the drivers seat would hurt my back so badly after driving for 30 miles or more. I would recommend NOT buying this car to anyone who has had any kind of back problems or tight muscles. Also, there is too little useable storage space within easy reach of the driver; there isnt even a safe place to put a cell phone with an earpiece attached. Im wondering what kind of individual they designed this car for?

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  Its a love/hate kind of thing - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Desiree - June 10 - 1:53 pm

  I feel in love with this car when I wasnt even car shopping. I had to have it! I purchased mine about a year ago and its been in the shop 8 times already! The check engine light and battery light are always on and the dealership cant seem to fix it and he convertible top and weather stripping have been replaced twice! It is indeed a head turner but its also become my worst nightmare!

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  Love the Styling - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Sky Que - May 1 - 6:00 am

  My experience has been less than sterling. After having the car for the first 3 months, Ive had the car in the shop twice, rear end replaced and brake lever keeps coming apart. Gas mileage average. Only great thing I can say about the car is service has been great. Sales and service staff have been outstanding.

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  DO NOT BUY A SATURN, I REPEAT DO NOT BUY - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Matthew - April 7 - 2:36 am

  I purchased my Saturn ION 3 brand new. This car has DEPRECIATED the worst out of any car I have ever owned. I was coerced into buying the Extended Service Contract being told I could turn it in later. Well the Extended Service Contract DEPRECIATES also. With only 22,000 miles on this car it is starting to fall apart. Brakes are going bad, the fan makes and irritating noise that they tried to fix but failed to do, etc. I should have spent the 20,000 dollars on a CIVIC would have been worth more than my Saturn which is now worth less than 10,000. I also had a new Toyota Camry, JUNK. Fell apart at 20,000 miles. Both made in America. Both JUNK. DO NOT BUY DO NOT BUY DO NOT BUY

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  Buyer Beware!! GM knows about problems - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By anglins4 - February 28 - 7:06 pm

  There are not enough characters allowed to convey all the problems you will have if you purchase this car. We bought ours new in 07 and loved the space in the car and how it drove. Within the first year we started having problems with leaking from the sunroof, windows, airbags, under the glove box. We had to pay $600 for repairs when hundreds of others had complained to GM about the same problem. GM has a recall/bulletin on the exterior lights but say our VIN number is not included so even thought we have the exact problem they wont even listen to us b/c of the VIN number. Crazy! Do Yourself A Favor....Stay away from this car!

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  It wasnt my first option. - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Aisha - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I believe that this vehicle lives up to the Saturn standards. So if you never liked Saturn to begin with this isnt the car for you. Its not very flashy but its pretty comfortable and reliable. Its not the best buy but it will get you from point A to point B.

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  most troublesome car owned - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By yankeesnj - December 9 - 10:00 am

  Compared to any other car I have ever owned, this car has been the most troublesome, less reliable car. Required several repairs, each of which took multiple attempts before the dealer could fix the problem. Both major issues were blamed (by the dealer) as design problems. This car was traded in (after owning it for only 14 months) due to the fact that I did not trust taking across country when moving. Although it was a great car to drive when it was working, the lack of reliablity caused this to be the worst car experience I have had.