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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  Great College SUV - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Lillian - September 25 - 9:43 pm

  This car was purchased for my daughter to travel back and forward to college. We love the reliability, OnStar, and cargo space. We no longer have to haul her college supplies. She enjoys the interior space and thrilled with its handling. Im no longer worried when shes on the road. Her only complaint is the gas mileage, however, shes a college kid and has to purchase her own gas.

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  Terrible Road Noise - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Mary - September 23 - 11:50 am

  I bought my 2006 Vue new and have no complaints except for the road noise. I thought it was the tires so I changed and got new ones but it still is so loud. It sounds like a 4 wheel drive truck. It is a really loud humming noise and it about drives me crazy. I love everything else about the car except this noise. Excellent gas mileage, plenty of room. The seats could be a little more comfortable but not bad. The power it has is unbelieveable and when washed and cleaned up it looks brand new. If only I could cure the noise, I really dont think I could stand to go on a very long trip in it.

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  Reminds me of a Cadillac - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By fkgaza - September 23 - 10:00 am

  The "Vroom with a Vue" article hits it on the head. For me, this is a very nice car. Im 64" and have plenty of room up front. Looked at the Honda CRV but was always hitting my leg getting in--and the CRV is sort of feminine, whereas the VUE is a more masculine car. And the Honda V6 really makes a difference for me as I have always thought GM engines are not as good as Japanese. Ride and power is great. The 17" wheels look really good too. And the leather seats, satellite radio and huge sun roof give it a Cadillac feel that just puts a smile on my face. I really like the care---and I thought I was going to buy Japanese.

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  More Fun Per Dollar - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Taoman - September 23 - 10:00 am

  My VUE is what a car should be, practical, economica and reliable. For under 25,000 I have V6 power, leather, heated seats, sun roof, 25 miles to the gallon and great dealer suppor. I am a new Saturn customer who likes what they got for the money!

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  Fun Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Ron - September 22 - 11:03 am

  I bought my 04 Redline one year after it was manufactured...0% for 72mos..couldnt resist. After the first few weeks when I got used to it, I felt I needed another 25 or more HP. It corners well, pulls really nice in 2nd gear especially... and even in 5th at 50mph without downshifting. It pulls away nicely. Gas mileage drops quickly if youre pushing it a bit...still in the low 20s worst case. No complaints!

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  Great Little Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Henry - September 22 - 4:33 am

  Ive had my 2006 Saturn ION-2 for a little over a year, and it has been great. I like the instrument panel, which is in the center of the dash and angled towards you. Its not hard to read at all. Also, OnStar is a great feature to have. While gas mileage is not the best out there, you do get decent power in return. I get almost 26 MPG in a mix of city/hwy driving. I hope to keep this one as long as I can and pay it off.

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  03 VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Whip - September 20 - 2:00 am

  We have had our VUE only 3 weeks and love it. Thus far we are very satisfied. Had a minor alignment problem, it drifted left, which the dealer quickly fixed. A solid vehicle with good performance for the money. Well thoughout utility throughout the vehicle.

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  6 Satisfied Years with the ION - 2003 Saturn ION
  By mcgregwood - September 15 - 3:56 pm

  I must say that this car was fun to drive. It handled better than any car I drove, even my new 2009 Cobalt. I really liked having the dash in the middle, you just have to get used to it. Of course I had little problems here and there, nothing major. I shouldnt have bought a new model of car the first year it came out. I should have waited till 2004 to buy the ION after all the little kinks where worked out. Overall I was pretty satisfied with the ION. Only broke down on my once in 6 years. The car still looked great when I traded it in last week. I love the fact that Saturns dont rust. I would recommend this car to anyone, but its better to buy a 2004 or newer model.

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  Greatest car, compared to an ACURA - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Mike27MD - September 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought an ACURA RSX and in an unfortunate accident it was totalled. After I went car shopping again and almost bought the RSX. I shopped around everywhere...and on the way home testdrove the ION. Wow, what a ride! It was smooth, quiet, and the horsepower was great. I wasnt able to get the leather interior and souped up sound system with the ACURA, but for under $20K, I bought the ION3 with every option available. What a bargain! Whoever stated the seat was uncomfortable must have been a large, or miserable guy, because I am 510, 170, and I have an AMPLE amount of room to move my legs.

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  Big hybrid - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Tom Roberts - September 14 - 10:03 pm

  It does not get what I had expected in gas mileage, I really only get about 15 miles to the gallon. I could have done better with a smaller engine or a smaller car. Its a nice car to drive and very comfotable. I think they are misleading in gas mileage numbers and real commuter driving. All the repairs parts cost a small fortune also as well as the initial cost is more.