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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  2006 Saturn Relay - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Dave - September 29 - 7:03 am

  Nice vehicle but has an incurable electrical problem. Lights flicker so much that oncoming cars flash their lights. Saturn dealership tried replacing alternator but this did not help. Dealerships ultimate finding was that this model just has this quirk and there is nothing they can do about it. Automatic side doors malfunctioning. Side doors had to be disabled after opening and closing repeatedly with alarm beeping continuously.

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  Good So Far - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Paul "Pete T" - September 28 - 10:00 am

  In the six months I had to only have the Daylight running lights replaced and the harnesses. I guess this is an unofficial recall. If a light goes out they fix it. Otherwise, they wont contact you to have it replaced. Price of the oil filter is double a normal filter. Steering is great. Much more pep than my old 96 SC1. No noticeable reduction of power when the Ac is on.

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  THE BEST - 2007 Saturn ION
  By sunrise7 - September 27 - 2:21 pm

  I owned a body shop and have been around many cars.. yes it could add some extra sleek looks but when i bought mine new 10 years ago and 160K later I was looking for something I can depend on.. and this was the car. Best car I have ever owned.

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  Piece of junk do not buy - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Saturn owner - September 27 - 5:06 am

  I just purchased what I believed to be a nice little reliable SUV, WRONG! After buying it I was driving it home and half way there the transmission failed! Completely gave out, I have a full 100 point inspection done before purchasing it and it cleared everything no problems. Even the transmission according to the inspection was in perfect running order. I am now having to pay between 5000-7000 to replace it and am out a vehicle. I had no idea I was getting such a piece of junk when I bought it. I would never buy a Saturn again and warn anyone to stay clear away. I wish I had seen all these negative reviews before purchasing it!

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  Zippy Little SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Ted - September 26 - 1:13 pm

  Reliable, good gas mileage and different styling than all the cookie cutter SUVs out there. Drove it half way across the country, rides well, accelerates well, did great in the mountains. Front seats could use better lumbar support, bought a lubar pillow at the local discount store, it was a great investment. Drive it across the city every day to work and back, does well in traffic and accelerates well, even with the 4cyl. Had my doubts about buying a SUV with a 4cyl, but it is a zippy 4cyl and I have no regrets, especially with gas prices going up. Lots of interior room. Excellent turning radius, I can turn around on a 2 lane road without using the old Y-turn. I would buy another VUE.

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  great car...so far :) - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Psijade - September 25 - 2:00 am

  Easy to deal with Saturn car dealers. This car has mega leg room and is much more quiet that the Saturns of past (I just moved up from a 94 SC2) The price is fantastic for what you get!!

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  Still kickin, but many problems - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Pt - September 20 - 8:16 am

  Bought my Ion 3 in 6/2005 & have had the ignition replaced 3 times already, as well as the drivers window motor & wiper motor. I just brought it to Strauss for an alignment & they told me that both control arms, all bearings, and rods are shot...in a FOUR year old car!! No excuse for this. I previously owned a 93 Grand Am & the control arm only cracked due to a collision in 04. Control arms should NEVER wear out in less than 5 years! Please note also that my sister owns an 04 Saturn Ion & has had the same ignition issues. Just last week the key became stuck in the column-this, 2 months after they replaced her ignition! Def. avoiding GM if possible. No wonder theyre going under!

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  Beware: Transmission problems - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By hatetheaura - September 18 - 6:40 pm

  I will never buy a GM product again. My Aura only has 72,000 miles and the transmission has already broke. Trying to deal with GM is a joke. Everything from the dealership (Daniels Long Chevrolet) to customer service. Our warranty expired one month ago but am still 27,000 miles under the 100,000 mile mark and of course GM does not want to do anything about it. My car has been in the shop for over 5 days and I am constantly being told I have to pay more for diagnostics. How many error codes need to pop up for GM to admit they made lemon of a car. All GM cares about is getting you in the door, once you are there customer service is no longer cares.

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  Awesome SUV! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Dianatlol - September 15 - 6:33 pm

  We looked at the Mazda CX7 and the Redline the year previous we decided to check into the Vue again. We fell in love! I love the new style, I love the Retro look inside. V6 engine is the best. This SUV is a sports car in hiding! Wish they had the sunroofs available from the manufacturer, but that only means will will upgrade in 4 years!;)We love how it drives and the comfort, out beats the CX7 anyday!

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By paul - September 15 - 9:06 am

  You got to love this new VUE. Its like a rocket compared to others in its class. Love the new look on the outside. The inside looks OK, compared to the 05 VUE