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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  Skys the Limit - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Rich Schulhoff - June 5 - 4:50 pm

  An impressive auto thats great fun to drive. After having four BMW Z3s and Z4s, I switched to the Sky and enjoy it more at $15,000 less.

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  what fun! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By happy50ish - June 5 - 9:36 am

  I have truly enjoyed owning this car. For the money its the best comuter car out there. Im very tall and I like the driver leg room. Never intended to put anyone in the back seat. No mechanical problems to date. The purchase process was fantastic. Its a little noisy on the highway but hey, you cant have it all for well under 20K.

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  Just What I Expected - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Lou - June 4 - 11:10 am

  This is the most fun little car I have had so far. I previously had a SLK230 Sport, and this car is much nicer than the MB. The ride and handling is excellent. Very peppy motor. Turbo must be amazing. The MB had a little more leg room and a bigger trunk. This is not a practical, everyday driving car. It is to drive for pleasure. It is not a Corvette or a MiniVan. It is not super fast, or extremely roomy. I purchased this car used, drove it 650 miles home. A 10 hour drive. It averaged 25 mpg. For such a small car, it was still fairly comfortable on a long trip. Never once did I bump the cup holder(like everyone says), and the other was very convenient. Everything I expected. Very satisfied.

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  Great Updates for 2006 - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By VUE - June 3 - 5:10 pm

  Great vehicle especially after the updates for 2006. If you drive the 4 cylinder automatic near the speed limit you will get over 30mpg highway. After more than 10K miles no problems and gas mileage is great. It does have pep for a 4 cylinder though it will degrade gas mileage quickly if you race it around. I use an iPod with the aux input. Just buy a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack from RadioShack. OnStar diagnostics are emailed. OnStar is great and safe. Green Line hybrid version should be interesting when it comes out later this year.

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  Steel safety cage saved our lives - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By robin - May 31 - 8:40 pm

  Originally bought my VUE for increased security and safety for commuting 84 miles to work daily. We were t-boned 10 miles from home by a truck at a speed of 85 mph from drivers side. the air bags deployed without causing any injury. The steel crumple cage performed as designed with the driver/passenger compartments remaining intact. The ability of the VUE to take this kind of impact with minimal injuries to driver and passenger has convinced me to buy another. The other truck exploded on impact and was destroyed. Very thankful to have purchased my 1st suv from saturn.

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  Wow to Saturns! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Carm - May 29 - 10:36 am

  I purchased the Saturn Aura XE. It had eight miles on it when I drove it off the lot. I was amazed and so happy that I had made this decision. The smooth ride, the classy interior and exterior and the economical gas mileage that this car has now given me is awesome. Ive now got 1500 miles on it and wouldnt hestitate to tell anyone to go for it. Saturn Auras are the answer to your high priced Camrys, classy VWs, and yes, even have been told it looks like a MINI 300 M. Absolutley incredible. Wish I could find someone that has bought one in the Albany area in which I live, so we could e-mail one another and compare notes! All I can say is in three years I will be trading it in for a new Aura!

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  Sleeper SUV - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By WinSideJax - May 28 - 9:53 pm

  I drove everything SUV. The Saturn was the last place I went to and I fell in love with this vehicle. It screams, handles great, and is quiet at 70mph and itll get there quickly. And all for 10k less than anything else! The interior is very nice, doesnt feel cheap. I love the mix leather and cloth seats. The stereo rocks with XM. OnStar was a huge plus. And there is more than enough room for me to carry everything I need for work, and thats a lot. Its engine is made by Honda. I just cant find anything wrong with this SUV. Quiet, comfortable, open, with alot of git up and go.

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  A Car To Keep - 2003 Saturn ION
  By adamdastmalchi - May 28 - 4:04 pm

  I got my used 2003 Saturn with only 30, 000 miles for $9,500 at a local Saturn dealership back in 2007. The clerks were very friendly. I have to say that there are way more pros than cons for this car. Of course, I do not live in a very cold environment, so I do not have start up issues. Gas mileage with only 12.5 gallons is amazing. This car came with a battery, and for four years I did not replace it. I should have found out how old it was, because I recently got a new one. This sucker is tough! It would still start, and the alternator was in great shape. It is very crash-safety and is very smooth on the road.

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  First SUV - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Beldar - May 28 - 10:00 am

  First the cons: The "sloppy steering" is correct, especially when quickly accelerating or accelerating on a rough surface. Seems like the vehicle wants to float to one side, and when braking hard it pulls to the right (supposedly by design). The pros: good ride, great price/value (heated seats are wonderful for those with back problems) remote keyless entry, power windows/locks, etc. make this vehicle easy to get in and out of (yes, large doors too) and even with all this it was only in the $21-22k range. 24 MPG in the city, about 30 on the highway isnt bad for a 4-cylinder SUV.

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  The Vues OK - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Former Forrester Guy - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Peppy engine really gets up and goes, but MPG around town 15-16 range. Wanted more room than the Forrester, and got it. Visibility limited when turning due to large corner pillars in front.