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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  Love my Vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By lwhiteley - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I havent had my Vue very long, but so far I love it! I bought the red line model right off the show room floor and wouldnt trade it for anything! It looks good and drives excellent! In five years I hope to trade it in on another Vue.

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  coldmomma@aol.com - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Geraldine M. Taylor - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Ilove my Vue and its fun to drive

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  Love It!!!! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Kelley - November 18 - 10:13 pm

  I LOVE My Saturn! It has been very dependable & handles excellent! Other than Oil Changes, I had to replace the crank position sensor which was about $85 (A very popular problem in these vehicles) and Im about to change the sway bar links here pretty soon. (also another common problem in VUEs) I take great care of my VUE. Oil Changed every 3,000 with Mobil 5,000, Waxs, Mid-Grade Gas, I get about 24MPG, I love it and expect it to last another 75,000 or more!

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  The car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Corey - November 17 - 8:53 am

  This car is the best thing out there right now, and im not just talking about in its price range. If youre into comfort and design in a car, this cars dual suicide doors make packing friends or cargo a breeze while compartments, switches, gauges and adapters are all placed around the driver where they should be. If youre into performance, this again is the pick of the litter. You can beat Porsches, BMWs, G35s, and every other car claiming to be a performance machine.

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  Good But Not Great! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Greg - November 13 - 3:50 pm

  The price is what sold it, along with the good fuel economy for an AWD and the safety rating. The interior is a bit skimpy. Not very many compartments for stuff. Also the drink holders in the front are not very convenient. You have to nearly bend over to the side to get to your drink and you have to look at it which cant be very safe. It wouldnt take much to make this a great car.

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  Not good - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Croll - November 13 - 1:53 pm

  When closing back tailgate the slot to pull it down faces upward so your hand slips out before you get it closed. The bar to help you get in the front seat is back to far and if you grab it and swing in you will slam against the center post.Needs to be moved foward. Center console stinks. Back too far. The 4 cyclinder does not have enought power. When you use cruise control even the slightest incline kicks it into passing gear and there goes your gas mileage. OnStar is pretty good. Need real bumpers. Cant even get a rear wiperblade without ordering it. Gas mileage is not that good for a 4 cyc.19to 23. Door will not stay open when you open it and slams back into your leg . Need a door lock pas

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  Did well with my second Saturn - 2006 Saturn ION
  By MIKE - November 11 - 10:56 pm

  I had a difficult choice to make for an automobile that was good on gas and comfortable to drive. I found it in the Saturn ion 2. The interior is a good size with all the items that I need to haul around. The mileage is better than expected. The ride is great even on rough roads. The ION rides as if it was heavier than it really is. Changing the oil is a breeze when compared to my previous automobile. I had to jump my wifes car and it was easy to figure out where to place the cables on the ion. The fold down back seat is a real plus when hauling. The visibility is great with the positioning of the dash and the front window position. I am very happy with my purchase, the price sure was right

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  Overall good car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Wayne - November 1 - 10:00 am

  There are definitely some pros and cons to this car. On the plus side, Ive never had mechanical problems, it has a great sunroof and very responsive steering. Its a reasonably comfortable ride although you might find it a little cramped. On the downside, lack of engine power. I dont think this thing could outrun a slushie truck going up a hill. The cupholders where you have to dislocate your arm to get your drink, the very tiny side mirrors, and the paint job wore off after only a few months. Now of course we also have to deal with lack of service, as there are only 2 dealers in my city who are authorized to work on Saturns.

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  Do not buy! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By tigerlily - October 28 - 2:30 pm

  We bought to replace a too small Honda Civic. I loved it for the first year and its been nothing but problems since. We had to replace the thermostat and the drivers side seat heater. he check engine light goes on and off all the time and the low coolant light comes on and off as well. The brakes dont last and now we have coolant leaking out and mixing with the oil. Getting rid of it as soon as possible!! Loved the interior design, just hate the problems.

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  vue...its getting there! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By tbone8856 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  having owned a jeep grand cherokee & mazda tribute i rank the vue in the middle with the jeep on top