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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  Finally a Good Experience! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Beth - July 12 - 6:33 pm

  I had a great experience at the Saturn Dealership in Houston. I loved the people, and I love my car! I had been to a ton of other dealerships over the course of 4 - 5 months and nobody else came close to the service, honesty and respect I dealt with at Saturn. My mom and sister are both jealous, and say that Saturns will definitley be their next choice of cars.

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  Worth the Wait - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By MNuffda - July 11 - 3:00 am

  I ordered my VUE last April. I wanted to upgrade my 94 SW1 and was not willing to leave the Saturn service so I waited. After driving the VUE for a month, I have absolutely no complaints. With manual transmission, I have plenty of power. So far I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a small SUV.

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  Aura - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By rony - July 5 - 5:40 pm

  This auto is on par with any Japanese product I have owned. Includes, Camry, infinity and Honda.

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  Love My Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Vue Fan - June 30 - 5:30 pm

  I had been researching and waiting to buy when my old car(Blazer) made the decision for me. Wanted the utility but better mileage. Drove major players and decided the looks/features of Saturn offered more for less. When GM decided to let me use my GM points on Saturns, the decision was easy. Thought driving a 4cyl would be boring but it just takes a little change in driving style. No regrets on the 4cyl. Itll run, just makes a little more noise. Got 24.5 on first tank. Interior is fantastic. Love the interior, no GM cheap plastic, things where they should be. Decent base stereo, love the XM. Drives like a car. Realized Im a car (crossover) guy.

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  Finally talked wife into it. - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Brian - June 30 - 11:16 am

  I have been eyeing Auras since they first came out. I decided to buy it for my wife even though she did not think she needed it. Two days later she loves it. I got the special edition package with the 18" wheels, Moroccan Brown leather, steering wheel controls and upgraded stereo. If the car would have been for me, I would have gotten the XR, as I am more of an enthusiast then she is, but I still love driving it. The build quality seems so tight and it is very quiet on the road. I find myself making excuses to go out just to drive it. As a 30+ year employee, I am very proud we finally made a car like this. Now lets get the other divisions up to the same standard.

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  Great VUE - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By tsk - June 29 - 5:30 am

  We bought our VUE in Oct, and we cant stay out of it. We love the interior and the space you get with this vehicle and the sunroof is just icing on the cake. We chose the storm gray, awsome color. The steering is so smooth its effortless. We love it. The pick up for a four cylinder was suprisingly quick, and on the first tank full I got 27 miles per gallon. We test drove the Rav 4 and the Honda CR-V. Both were too small inside. We chose the Saturn for the space and fuel economy. This is our first Saturn and only time will tell if its our last. I heard they last a long time.

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  Super! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By redline guy - June 27 - 10:00 am

  I drive a ton of miles on the highway. This car is great to zoom in and out of traffic, lots of power at the high end of the RPMs. Handles great too. This car is engineered with lots of go fast parts that work together very well. And you couldnt build a regular ION (new) up to be this fast for the price. Ive surpised many other drivers in cars we always thought were fast...by pulling away from them on the highway. Not much torque steer. With 205 HP I expected it be squirly, but its well behaved. If you are going to spend 20k on a 4 cylinder car, why wouldnt you get one thats this much fun?

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  A win for Saturn - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By jtp - June 24 - 2:36 am

  I never thought I would own a Saturn. As a previous sports car nut turned to sedans and mini-vans due to kids, I am impressed with this car. The exterior of the car got me to the dealership, the interior got me to ask for a price, and the price sold me! This is a lot of car for the money and I would buy the car again if I had to do it all over again. GM hit a home run with this car. I was happy to see that it made car of the show at the Detroit international auto show. The XR version gave it just enough power to be fun to drive with out all the front wheel drive torque steer you find in the V8 Grand Prix and Imapla SS.

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  Love It - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By MCSE - June 24 - 2:00 am

  2000 V-6 FWD VUE. Love it! Dealer got the exact one I wanted. Didn’t charge for the Décor Package (Scotch-guarding, clear coat protection on the paint, pin- striping, and window-tinting). Even took out the $80 floor mats. Wal-Mart sells a set that match the interior for $20. Looked at all of Edmund’s reviews and the VUE was the best for the money. Power steering is unique (electric assisted) but nothing I can’t get used to. The VUE handles well and is very responsive with the V-6. 5-speed automatic is the smoothest shifting transmission I’ve driven. I’ve read all the reviews on the VUE and been looking out for problems others have had but so far no problems.

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  Impressive SUV for the Price - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By victors01 - June 22 - 8:30 pm

  The VUE is a nice SUV for a reasonable price. The V6 engine, along with the 5- speed automatic transmission, provides great acceleration. The fuel economy is good considering the engines power. The ride is quiet and smooth. The cabin offers plenty of space and has comfortable seats. The new GM stereo head unit is nice and easy to use. My only complaint about the vehicle is the obvious cost-cutting tactics that GM used, such as a manual seatback on what is supposed a power driver seat. Toyota or Honda would probably offer a true power seat. Side airbags, or any safety feature for that matter, should be standard. Shows a lack of commitment to safety on GMs part.