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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  Reliable and Safe - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By wgpenguin - April 20 - 5:40 am

  I bought my Vue used in 2004 with 16,000 miles. I have had a couple of big things go wrong (transmission control module, water pump), but thats to be expected in a 9 year old, lower end car. I bought an after market extended warranty for $1,500 that is still in effect even now, and its been worth it. I now have over 120,000 miles on it and I still feel like its very reliable. My sister in law also had one - rolled it 9.5 times on the interstate and walked away with just bumps and bruises. Very safe!

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  Best performance sedan for your dollar - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By phaetondriver - April 19 - 6:10 pm

  I bought my Saturn XR with 5000 miles on it, but it was in 100% perfect condition. It has features I would only expect on much more expensive cars, like electronic traction and ride stability control. It has a six speed automatic with paddle shifting on the steering wheel, which is fantastic for mountain driving. This car accelorates better than a 328, corners better than an Altama, and rides better than a Camry. Surprise is that it costs so much less than any of them. There is just to much to talk about here, let me just say that if you want performance, looks and ride like a $35K car and you like German auto engineering, but dont want to spend over $27K, then the Saturn XR is for you.

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  Great to Drive but failure in warranty - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Bonnieb4 - April 19 - 6:46 am

  This car does turn heads everywhere I go. Kids walking to school give me a thumbs up. People stop me to ask about the car... still! The handling in the mountains is awesome. It corners with plenty of power, no need to downshift with this machine.

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  Great car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By john - April 19 - 1:23 am

  It is a joy to drive. i love the power and handling. The Recaro seats are a great touch. The ABS 4 wheel disk brakes stop like no other car Ive ever driven. An awesome car.

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  Love It! - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Leslie - April 18 - 6:56 am

  I shopped around at the Nissan Murano, Mazda CX-9, and several other vehicles. I think I drove them all! The Saturn Outlook was the best all around. Bigger than the Murano and better mpg. Seats are really comfortable and it is very affordable even with all the bells and whistles! I couldnt be happier. This one is a keeper!

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  VUE holding up OK - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By relantel - April 16 - 12:56 pm

  The 2004 VUE has held up well over the 3+ years we have had it. (69k on it in 39 months) No major complaints other than Saturn reneging on a warranty repair to the radio (it would not keep time) earlier this year. The 04 has a Honda engine - about the only reason we havent traded it in given our other difficulties with Saturn of late. Rear seat legroom is a bit cramped in the VUE. The audio system (6-disc in-dash changer) is a good one, and the original tires held up a full 60k before being replaced. It could use more than the front airbags, and the rear drum brakes, even though ABS, are a drawback as well.

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  The V-6 is the one to get - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By jer2315 - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had this vehicle about 4 weeks, but it is already one of my favorite vehicles ever. It is fun to drive, has a kick to it and is roomy. I am 65" and I have the legroom ive been longing for in a Saturn vehicle. I have read very few problems with the V- 6 Honda engine in the 2004 - stay away from the Vti (4 cylinder automatic models)

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  Best Car I ever Had - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Donn - April 14 - 9:56 pm

  This is my 4th Saturn car and I loved them all never a problem. I now have the 2008 Aura XR and we just love this car.Very comfortable to drive the stereo system is a delight for a great sound. Leather seats are very comfortable and in our cold climate the heated seats are just great. Gas milage is acceptable and the 6 cylinder engine a dream to drive.

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  4 Year Review Of the Vue - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By DC270 - April 10 - 5:13 am

  This vehicle replace a 2000 Toyota Avalon with 118k miles. This car was bought new. It was quite good on styling and the comfort level was good for a vehicle this size and type. Ebgine performace was exceptionally good for a V6 type. The quality started ear;y on with the windshiled washer motor going out twice and some of the interior harware coming apart or just breaking with normal use. This was aggrevating and a dissapointment. We had the typical 65k brake job but did not expect the rear main seal of the transmission to go out after 65k miles11 This required the trans to be pulled and was a $600+ expense. I am not so much impressed with this vehicle now- the reliability is BAD!

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  Great Car! - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By KCook - April 10 - 12:10 am

  We have had our Saturn XR for just over two weeks. We have just come back from a 2,800 mile trip with two of the grandkids. We could not be more pleased. The mileage on the road was almost 22 mpg with the car loaded down and the AC going the entire trip. No, it is not a powerhouse but I found that it has more than enough power to handle the mountains of Colorado and plenty of juice to pass without fear. The “manual shift" is activated by putting the gear into low. You then have the option to shift from first to sixth gear by pushing a clever thumb control up or down to handle mountain driving. We looked at everything and just could not resist the size, style and quality.