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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  No Surprise - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Maine man - September 23 - 10:43 pm

  Saturn has come back! This is the best vehicle Saturn has ever offered. It has style comfort and class. It holds its own with anyone. The quality and ride is in par with larger SUVs. We love this vehicle our large teenagers fit in it with ease. Often we have to transport kids to and from sports and extra things. We have purchased a Saturn for the first time in 1991 and loved that car but we soon out grew it. Now that Saturn has come out with this true crossover it helped us to come back to the Saturn name. The engine has plenty of power for hauling kids and gear plus it can tow a small camper or a trailer for our snowmobiles. We are very pleased with our new Saturn Outlook and will enjoy.

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  Best SUV Ever! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By dawn143 - September 22 - 1:30 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned and its a Saturn! I just came out of a loaded 2006 Range Rover HSE and I would have never even thought about a Saturn Outlook XR AWD but after test driving it, I fell in love with everything about it. It is so roomy inside, the styling is very up to date and it drives with so little effort. It doesnt look big from the outside, the profile is very low but dont let that deceive you, inside is spacious with room for 7. Its a little sluggish off the line but if you downshift you make up for that. My only complaint are the doors, they tend to close on their own after opening them, tough with kids but you over look it. A must buy!

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  Best car i ever had - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By saturn08 - September 21 - 8:56 pm

  This is my second Saturn. I love this car. Rides nice, handles great. People cant believe it is a Saturn

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  The car to own for 2007 - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By James Smith - September 19 - 8:43 am

  I have always been interested in Saturns, but finally I took the plunge and am blown away at how sweet this car is. Deluxe luxury, fantastic performance and a European high quality finish and fit make this by far the swankest auto that I have ever owned. I have been a die-hard VW fan for years, but between this and the Jetta, this presents way better value and quality for my money. Based on the Aura, were definitely also replacing our next car with another Saturn product. These guys have turned their game on. Watch out competitors, Saturn is back in the game!

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  Bang for your buck! - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Rebecca - September 18 - 2:36 pm

  The ION 3 has had lots of improvements in the last few years and has a lot more pull to it than our 2004 ION 2. It handles beautifully and has a heavier feel to it, which makes driving it all the more fun. Less road noise, too.

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  Our 3rd Saturn since 2000 - we love them - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Sarge-E5-USMC - September 15 - 4:36 am

  Best car I have ever owned. Saturn (sorry to see them go) makes one hell of a quality car. We have had a 2000 L300 which we sold after 1 year only because my wife has a lead foot and thought she was "Mustang Sally", a 2004 VUE and now a 2008 Outlook XE w AWD C. There is really nothing bad I can say about them. We do/did not put more than 2,500 to 3,000 miles on these cars because we have another car that we use for tooling around town and use the Outlook and past Saturns for road trips. We have two dogs that require cages when we travel and there is plenty of room in the car for them and all of our luggage. Best investment I have made was buying Saturns & especially the Outlook. Great car!!

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  Another VUE - of another Winner - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Arthur Mueller - September 13 - 10:33 am

  This is my second VUE, the prior an orange 02 that had <62K and was still going strong. As my fourth Saturn I am a firm believer in Saturns drive for quality in their products. My new VUE is by far and away the sharpest best designed and appointed vehicle yet. From the heated leather power seats, exterior and interior chrome and wood appointments and attention to detail, craftsmanship is state-of-the-art. Ride is as perfect and my prior VUE, while the Honda engine provides more power at lower RPM on the highways giving much better than average fuel economy. The V6, AWD and side curtain air bags provide me with a feeling of security and safety no matter what the road conditions. Its great.

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  Saturn ION rocks - 2003 Saturn ION
  By zeldapliff - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I love my Saturn

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  Nice and useful car - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Pavel Gonzalez - September 10 - 11:30 am

  I have driven my VUE for 8000 miles, and so far so good, except an ignition switch problem (it didnÂ’t go all the times) repaired by the dealer. Gas consumption was very close to the spec: 22 mpg city, 26 expressways. It is very easy and pleasant to drive. Dimensions are OK for me, big enough to haul a small family around town (including baby stuffs) and roomier like other thirstier and more expensive SUVs. The front seats can be better; they have an uncomfortable haunch at the back. The new interior design is very good with a lot of standards. The power is adequate for a 2.2 L; donÂ’t expect a great performance at high speed. DonÂ’t forget the backup of the Saturn family.

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  I love My Vue! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Lee Lee - September 9 - 10:53 am

  Due to various job shifts within the auto industry I have owned two Ford Explorers, a Mercury Milan, a Lincoln MKZ, and a Grand Prix (GT) in the last 4 years. Prior to my Explorers I owned a GMC Jimmy and Mazda 626. None of the cars, not even the MKZ compared in styling, handling, and enjoyment in driving as my VUE. I cant imagine Saturn making any further improvements (except making the front seats a little longer). Its a wonderful vehicle and I highly recommend it to everyone!