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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  Very Disappointed - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Big D - August 24 - 3:16 pm

  This car has potential, but Saturns execution is very disappointing. I got the service record from the previous owner when I bought the car - 21 complaints, some major. Then in the past 6 months I have had to replace or repair the radio, trim pieces, wheel bearings, the list goes on and on. It has such potential, but Saturn just does not deliver.

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  A great starter car - 2007 Saturn ION
  By MJF - August 24 - 10:06 am

  I bought the stripped down version of this car (manuel transmission and windows) for 12500 brand new and so far its been worth every penny. 30000 miles later it still runs great and gives me no problems. At 20000 the change oil light went on and stayed on thru 2 oil changes but it evenually went off. The interior is a tall persons dream as the front seats go back extremly far, making it very comfortable (im 65) The milage is constantly around 30mpg. The only downside is the lack of acceleration in the car. Even is a standard you cant beat a SUV of the line. If you want a simple no frills car that is reliable, go with this car.

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  Good car - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By mmeeks - August 23 - 10:50 am

  I really do like my VUE, it has lots of power, the ride is okay, could be a little smoother, road noise is a little loud. Body style is very pretty. Gas mileage is great. Ive had mine for about 16 months and no problems at all. Very reliable. I will definitely look at another one when Im ready for a new one. I love the new body style. I looked at an Outlook only yesterday and feel that the Vue fits me better. I just really dont need that much car.

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  Nice little car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Dave in Indiana - August 22 - 11:50 pm

  Im 63" and I have plenty of leg room in this car. We have put 900 miles on so far and are averaging 30.2 mpg mixed city and highway. We test drove a bunch of small cars before the Astra. We noticed the quality of this vehicle right away. This car just feels solid.

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  Thought it would be better - 2004 Saturn ION
  By psyculman - August 22 - 9:00 am

  I bought my Saturn based on friends who owned older ones. But, my Ion reflected GMs usual utter disregard for customer loyalty. The front suspension rattled @20,000 miles, the ignition switch froze in 20 deg. weather, the wiper gear case broke off, front wheel bearings began to make noise at 60,000 mi. After 4 yr my $2,000 warranty, 5 year warranty, "applied from the "day" the car was "assembled", so did NOTHING! The morning the check engine light came on, and I could not discover why on my own, I went directly to Toyota, and, bought a Corolla. End of story. See other reviews listed here on this site, if you can get a used Ion, cheap, its probably going give you good service, but beware.

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  Solid Car! - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Barry - August 22 - 12:40 am

  Overall I am very impressed with this vehicle. This is my first experience with Saturn and so far it has been great. Getting 30 or 31 MPG just everyday driving. The OnStar and XM are great. Major selling point for me was the traction and stability control. We previously owned an 03 Hyundai Sonata that performed terribly in the snow. This V6 is very impressive. The inside cabin is very quiet, no wind noise that I can tell, a little road noise, but still a very quiet car. It handles exptremely well and I am very happy with it!

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  After four months, it is still love - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By K Berlin - August 21 - 4:06 am

  After 4 months, I still love this vehicle. Pick up on acceleration is amazing. I have received many comments from people who think it is a $35,000 plus car and are amazed when I tell them it is a Saturn. I have learned to use all of the features and it just makes the experience better. I have seen Fords Synch option in operation and OnStar has it beaten by a mile. What would I add? I am lazy, and I still like the idea of the combination keyless entry I used to have. But I would not give up the Saturn for it. Period.

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  Impressive - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Lee - August 20 - 12:23 am

  I was lookinng at both the Saturn and the new Chevy Malibu. I found that the Saturn XR was much less than the top of the line Malibu LTZ. I did not want a 4 cyl despite the price of gas. This car is amazing in every way. I will admit the ride is a bit stiff around local roads but like a Cadilac on the highway. Everything is easy to reach well marked and night driving this thing lights up like a Christmas tree. I cant believe these cars are not flying out of dealers lots. The bang for the buck is one of the very best deals out there now

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  1 - 2003 Saturn ION
  By lovettsteve - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Super vehicle. Great gauges. Very smooth quiet and poweful engine. The vehicle feels extremely solid and I love the looks!

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  My first FWD car. - 2005 Saturn ION
  By PCPhil - August 18 - 11:53 am

  Love the punch it has when you get on it. Love the suicide doors. Better to get in and out than a Cobolt. Nice to see the GM Performance Division logo in the engine comparment because I am from a Chevy family. Impressive turning with minimal body roll. Will need to upgrade tires once I rip the rest of the tread of the factory Dunlops. Nice placement of the battery in the trunk for when I add upgraded stereo components. Nice rear wing, not the bigger gaudy one like the rest of the imports. Enjoy going for a drive and not worry about burning so much gas like my 5.7L Silverado.