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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  Love it other than gas mileage - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By kh fort myers - March 5 - 8:56 am

  I traded in a 2003 Isuzu Rodeo. I bought the XR with the leather trim, touring and audio package and also the dual sunroofs. Its a fun vehicle to drive, very smooth and is easy to handle. I get compliments on the looks and classiness of my Outlook all the time. I drive 50 miles back and forth to work each day of which 45 are highway miles. I am disappointed about the gas mileage, for all the highway miles I am lucky if get 16MPG and sometimes that stretching it. I bought this vehicle in hopes that I would actually get better mileage than my Rodeo but that has not been the case. I took it back into Saturn and I guess they tweaked the transmission but it has not helped the gas mileage.

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  I would buy again. - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By nonnysky - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Willingly bought this car. Any complaints by owners are moot. Problem is unions killed the deal with Penske. This car deserved to be developed. I love mine, park it in winter, and embarrass Mustang owners often. You must be careful at speed and pay attention to the tach. Dont let anyone tell you the Mazda Lotus knockoff is a better car. I plan on buying 1 or 2 more, looking for a Solstice Coupe also.

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  Love my first SUV - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Hector - March 3 - 6:40 pm

  For long I have wanted a SUV, but It seem to me that there was not one available with a gas conscience. I always thought that GM made big, clumsy, thirsty, cars, boy was I wrong. I just love my new VUE. The looks is great, the interior is amazing, and the quality is reaching the same quality demanded from an average consumer. The engine is powerful and you can barely notice at the gas gauge, like in the old days. The VVT seems a bit slow to react when going to high revs, but when it gets there you will notice. The heated seats are not very useful down south, but came standard with the trim package. The 6 six speed transmission sometimes is also slow to react, ( My previous car was a 5 speed

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  Vue Red Line Sieres - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By VUE Red Line Series - March 3 - 2:50 am

  The vehicle is still pretty new with 800 plus miles but the things I like the best are the comfort of the heated leather seats. The drivers seat is electrically 6 way adjustable, and is comfortable for a big man like myself at 64" and 200 lbs. It has plenty of headroom and you dont feel cramped. The power from the 250 HP V6 engine is great, and the economy is good. Im getting almost 29.8 miles per gallon on the highway. It drives and handles perfect on curves and winding roads, and the supension is impressive. The VUE is good for the times I haul kids and gear. With the roomy interior, its very functional for a mini SUV. I wanted something sporty looking, yet able to fit the bill for family needs and be easy on the wallet.

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  Love the new VUE - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Doc1969 - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is our second saturn, and we love it. Great power, handling, and braking. Has plenty of interior room with some great features. Very smooth powertrain.

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  Best Mid-Size Sedan! - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By mseymour - February 25 - 10:43 am

  I bought my new Aura a month ago. I spend a lot of time in a car (95 mile round trip commute). This car is the most comfortable riding car I have ever owned, and that is from coming out of a 2004 CTS. Ride is very comfortable on the highway and it handles great for a sedan I am currently averaging just over 30 mpg. The sound system (advanced audio) is incredible. Interior noise is almost null. Excellent styling turns heads everywhere I go. This new Aura is definitely the most car for the money in the mid-size sedan segment. With everything that is in it, I would have expected to pay thousands more.

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  Great Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Kristy Little - February 23 - 2:30 pm

  I have been an owner of the Saturn Ion sine 2003. I have been very satisfied and have not had any problems with my car. It is fun to drive, with great fuel economy. I would highly recommend a Saturn to anyone looking to not spend too much, but have a fun and relaible car.

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  Fantastic Automobile - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By CSL - February 22 - 10:16 am

  We purchased this car for my wife in May of 2008. A life long Honda/Toyota owner, she pursued test driving those makes. Accords, Civics, Corollas, Nissans, she test drove them all, often several times. She came away unsatisfied with all of them for one reason or another (style, driving experience, interior quality.) Then, on the way to test drive yet another Accord (YAWN) she saw an Aura on the road and that was that. The cars beauty, performance, engineering, and price were absolutely second to none. Perfect car. People offer positive comments about the car often...

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  Great Mid-Sized SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Buzzy66212 - February 21 - 8:03 pm

  I just love this SUV. Its great looking, easy to drive and very roomy. It was the best car buying experience I have ever had. The Saturn dealerships are wonderful!

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  HAD MY DOUBTS..BUT IM FINE NOW!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By HRP53 - February 19 - 10:00 am

  GREAT PICK UP AND HANDLING.GOOD FUEL ECONOMY,SPACIOUS INSIDE, NICE OUTSIDE DESIGN. PLASTIC SIDE PANELS AND DOORS SAVE ON PARKING LOT DENTS AND YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!! I HAVE AWD BUT I THINK FRONT WHEEL DRIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH. HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED AWD?