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 Ron Motta - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I live in New England and the VUE has been totally reliable and excellent in the inclement weather. Its extremely versatile and has been backed flawlessly by the dealer. I would strongly recommend looking into the VUE if an individual is looking for a maderate sized SUV or a station wagon.

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  Love my Ion! Has 225k miles on it and still running strong! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By rcameron5 - July 29 - 10:27 am

  I love my Ion. It is a very trust worthy car. I bought it used and it had 205K miles on it and it now has 225K miles and it is still running strong. The air is ice cold, it runs great. Always gets me where I need to be! The only thing that has been wrong with it. If the wheel isnt just straightly perfect it wont go to the off on the ignition. It will only go to accessories. I just stick my finger up this hole and press this button and it goes to off and right out. Easy fix! But, it is stylish for the year and runs good. I love my Ion!! I cant wait to see how long it will last me!

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  Reviewers have heads in dark places - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Frank Farkle - July 26 - 10:00 am

  Have a FULLY loaded ION 3/5M and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH A VEHICLE! Puke on Edmunds and Consumer Reports bogus reviews. Whatre they smoking? The ION 3 is the best in class for the money, bar none! It holds a 45 mph corner, at 75 mph, without blinking. The leather seats are excellent. Bought for mileage and drivability - NOT racing off the line. Top-end optional sound system is exceptional. Interior egronomics, fit and finish, are quite nice - electronics - state of the art. $20K vehicle that has a tighter turning radius than Audis A4.

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  What a fun little ride - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By beckaroo8026 - July 20 - 12:53 pm

  I love it bacause its fun to drive , easy to park, and has fast pickup. I can easily see using the review mirror, which is where the Equinox lost me. We have the Redline, which my husband picked for the 18 inch wheels and lowered suspension. No sway in turns. Its way more fun then my LeSabre.

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  what can I say, I love it, period - 2003 Saturn ION
  By tiger34 - July 20 - 10:00 am

  I have nothing more to I love everything

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  vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By mlb72801 - July 20 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoyed driving this truck. The only bad thing I would say is that when I was going 70 mph on the highway and had to apply the brakes, the steering wheel shook uncontrollably. If you can overcome that, I thought it was a great vehicle. I was able to sit in the back seat with the front seat down, to elevate my legs, due to pregancy swelling!

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  Like it - our first VUE - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Doris - July 18 - 5:56 am

  We really like our new Vue. Ride is very comfortable. Easy to handle. Very smooth ride. Like the crossover. Lots of favorable comments on it from people when we are out and about.

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  Saturn never disappoints - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By Jessica - July 17 - 2:00 pm

  This is my third Saturn and first SUV. I test drove 10 or more SUVs and came back to trusty Saturn, (this is my third one!) I love my dealer and drove over 70 miles to buy from them. I saw reports that the interior stains easily and I dont keep cars nice and I have no problems with the interior. My dealer gave me some of the stain fighter they use! The steering feels like a car, very manueverable, the seats are wide and comfy. I can fit alot of junk in it! Love the XM and free Onstar. All of my Saturns have had great maintenance records. Love Love Love my VUE! Join our Club, if you want a great vehicle and super dealer staff!

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  Hybrid saves money - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By TXPioneer - July 17 - 7:10 am

  I loved my Saturn VUE004 v6 but I wanted a hybrid so I traded. I lost a bit of the zoom that the vs had but the gas mileage has been great. Around 26 in the city and 30-33 on the highway. I even got one tank at 36 MPG!

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  A great choice. - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By ron ahlhorn - July 14 - 7:50 am

  I looked at SUVs for over a year and then attended the Houston Auto Show. Looked at every SUV in the house and kept coming back to the new Outlook. A great choice. The gas mileage is as advertised and the overall styling is sharp. Most impressive is the interior room and styling. Only drawback I have found is the view out of the rear window is restricted when vehicles are close.