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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  They must have built it for me!!! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Marcella - September 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my new ION, they must have built it for me, because it is exactly what I wanted. I had a 2002 SC2 and this is such an improvment. More power,more room and way more fun!!!

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  Our Saturn - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By harrisfamilyfarm - September 8 - 10:00 am

  After having numerous repairs done on our old van, we decided to purchase a Saturn Vue. This vehicle has been reliable and comfortable for this family on-the-go. We are very pleased with our purchase and look forward to many years of driving pleasure with our Saturn Vue.

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  Michaels Vue of the Vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Michael Fodor - September 8 - 10:00 am

  I feel it is the best machine I have ever had. It does everything it is supposed to do, very well. A good value for the money, which is quite a bit less than the gas hog suvs. And speaking of gas mileage, mine does better than rated both in town and highway. Its a well made, well thought out machine. But for the people who want to compare this suv against an suv that cost twice as much as a Vue does, well these people are bound to find some differences. But for half the money in some cases, I can do with less chrome and better gas mileage. Then again, for thoes people who want to put down the Vue, maybe I got the only good one they ever made. :)

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  Saturn CUV : Feel Good/Look Good - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Jaw2th - September 5 - 11:06 am

  I was attracted to this vehicle because of its outward appearance. I test drove the Highlander, the Pilot, Toyotas RAV4,and Mazdas CX9 before testing the Saturn so I could have some basis other than looks for my final decision. I saved the Saturn test drive for last. I was immediately impressed with the size, relatively nimble handling, ride, and instrument cluster in the FWD XR that I drove. The transmission shifting seemed a little awkward. Downshifting for passing seemed to engage a bit later than I was used to but when it did happen the power was quite adequate.The Nav system gets more friendly with use. The White Diamond Tricoat looks great and I feel good driving this car.

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  You get what ya paid for - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Caligirl - September 4 - 6:36 pm

  I purchased this car with 50K for $7K. I really got my moneys worth which wasnt much. The right headlight refuses to work, it runs hard, the engine cant take going 70 mph, and the whole car seems to be made of cheap, cheap plastic. To top it off, my engine light turns on then after a few hours to a day it turns off by itself. And no one can figure out why it does that! Buy this car if you want a cheap compact gas saver.

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  Love my VUE - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By driver - September 3 - 4:03 pm

  I love my Saturn VUE. This is the second Saturn Ive owned. Im so sad that GM has chosen to end this great car company.

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  Lemon of all vehicles - 2005 Saturn ION
  By sandi - August 30 - 8:56 pm

  I purchased my 2005 Saturn in Mid 2005. I had a 1996 for almost 10 years and loved it. This 2005 ION is a piece of junk. I have almost been killed three times driving this car, once was on I-95. You can start the car, but dont leave the house because after a mile or so the car stops dead, leaving you without power or brakes. You have to wait from 10 to 20 minutes to get it started again, and then pray it does not stall again. Apparently the computer in the car is defective. However, it takes them several tries to determine this defect. Had they determined it back in 2006, I would have sent this car packing back to the manufacturer under the lemon law here in Florida. Dont buy one!

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  Ion - 2007 Saturn ION
  By g g - August 30 - 6:10 am

  Great little auto

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  ETC problems - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By torres7 - August 29 - 5:43 am

  I bought this car new in 2008 and the service I received from saturn was great, but now they are no longer here. I have a problem with the ETC light coming on and my brakes lock. I thought this would be under the warranty . But the GM dealer wants $$$$ to check the problem first and then I know Ill be seeing a bigger bill for the repairs and on top of that I have three items on recall which I never received any notice.

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  Saturn - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Kate - August 28 - 10:30 pm

  I have owned Saturns since 1995 when I purchased my first a 1995 Saturn LS 4 door. I loved that car. I was involved in a hit and run and they were able to fix the car with out having to total it. I drove it until 2002 when I purchased my second a limited edition L100 at that time I handed down my 1995 to my son for his first car. My 2002 was hit by two different deer the first in 2003 on the drivers side and then in 2005 on the passenger side. The car was repaired both times and you could not even tell it had been in hit. In 2006 my husband and I were ready to move up to the SUV so we purchased the 2006 Saturn VUE V6 AWD. This has been a great car and still going strong.