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:

• 

  I love my Ion - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Nikkirox - May 26 - 11:06 pm

  I absolutely love my car, Ive never had a single problem with it, and it has ridiculously high miles for a 2004. At 100,000 miles, my car runs amazing. In fact, Im in a racing club. People are surprised at the amazing gas mileage and the style of the car. It drives great and I love it to death! Just baby the car and it will baby you.

• 

  WE LOVE OUR ION!!! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By HOLLYS ION - May 26 - 2:00 am

  WE LOVE OUR ION! IT HANDLES GREAT WITH THE ELECTRONIC STEERING AND WE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT INCLUDING THE BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR AND THE UNIQUE AND NEW AND COMPETITIVE BODY STYLE!

• 

  The best unknown vehicle out there... - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By RN - May 25 - 11:20 pm

  This car still amazes me on the build quality, handling, style, and gas mileage. This is by far the best unknown car in the market, it boggles my mind how GM didnÂ’t market this car. For any of the few people that have complaints they are either haters or just will complain about everything. For the price I paid: $19,980 - $5000 dealer incentive, $4500 clunker trade, $1000 supplier discount, I bought this car for $10,950 out the door. I have the 3 door XR 5 speed with leather, tinted windows, tuned sport suspension, stabiltrac, heated seats and mirrors, moisture sensing wipers, onstar for a year, dual lighted vanity mirrors, onboard computer, tire pressure readout, and the list keeps going.

• 

  This is a dream car. - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By B.Birtles - May 24 - 8:06 pm

  This dream car gets so many Ohhs and Ahhs from strangers. I even had a guy and his wife (in a sport convertible of their own) follow me back to the dealership to check out the car! A smooth ride with responsive handling that makes you feel like you won the lottery. Everyone should grab the experience at least once in their life time! Saturn sales reps were the most accomodating and previous experience with the service center on my last Saturn was something I actually talked about. VIP service for the little guy. Ongoing mailings brought the SKY to my attention; my deposit was made days later.

• 

  2nd Car; 2nd Saturn; Great VUE! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Coty - May 17 - 6:06 pm

  After owning my very first car, a 2003 Saturn ION, I decided to go back to a new Saturn, the VUE. The powerful 250- hp Honda supplied V6 sounds rich and accelerates fast always ready. Gas mileage is respectable for an SUV but better that most espeically with a V6. I got the chrome package in black and it gets a lot of attention. OnStar is also a great feature along with Hands- free phone and XM Radio. Friendly service before, during, and after the sale have been excellent in the past with my Ion and that still remains as a Saturn Policy. Looks and Feels like a $30K vehicle but got all my options under $25,000. Just go drive one and trust me youll want to take one home!

• 

  Best SUV overall for the money - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Gayle - May 13 - 2:36 pm

  Love how the VUE handles in town and on the road. The gas mileage is great. Interior is roomy and very comfortable. Especially like the color of mine, Storm Gray. The price is very reasonable. I would definitely buy another VUE.

• 

  Done WIth Cadillac Hello Saturn - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By NJ Saturn Outlook - May 12 - 5:33 pm

  All my cars have been premium luxury cars (Cadillac, Corvette etc) and until now I would have never looked at a Saturn. Until now! This 2008 Outlook has changed my life in so many ways. I fit better than any other car or SUV on the market 9Escalade, Lexus RX, GX, Ford Edge, Explorer, Audi, porsche Cayenne etc) I can go on but no others compare. The Outlook overall is just an amazing tour de force of engineering, comfort, ergonomics, class and quality. The main reason I like this car is because it rides like an enlarged car not a modified pickup truck like most other sport utes out there. A V8 would be nice but not required.

• 

  I am in love with my Outlook - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Bar10Jen - May 8 - 8:46 am

  I love everything about my XR. It is sweet to look at, it is even sweeter to drive. The sunroof and moonroof combination are a dream. Navigation system rocks. The auto-start is great with the heated seats being fired up when it is cold and the a/c being blasted when it is hot. Remote opening of the back hatch is very handy, pop it then pick up what you are loading and load it with ease. Captain seats in the 2nd row is a great idea, I tote a lot of stuff and people. I have put over 10,000 miles on it since October and I love road trips in it. I have tried out every channel on my XM and I love the fact that the radio downloads local radio stations so I dont have to search the airways.

• 

  From BMW to Saturn--with pleasure - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By usaroxs - May 6 - 2:10 pm

  I have driven BMWs since 1992 and I thought I would never buy an American car. I saw an Aura at a picnic, parked along the side of the road and I thought it looked liked an Lexus. I couldnt believe it was a Saturn. I drove down to the dealership on Sunday and owned my new 3.6L XR, fully loaded Aura on Monday. I continue to hear from people that they cant believe that a BMW enthusiast could switch to Saturn--but it only takes one ride and a price difference of over 20,000 between the two cars to convince everyone that this was a wise choice. Im impressed with the comfort, quiet ride and accessories. There are more accessories available than I could get in a BMW 5 series.

• 

  Excellent Vehicle - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By TC - May 4 - 5:53 am

  I love my Outlook XE. Its just fantastic. The only downfall is the gas mileage. I truly believe I get 24 miles to the gallon on the highway but the city mileage is questionable. I think if the gas mileage improves in upcoming models this vehicle will be the crossover of choice. At least it is for me!