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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  Pleased - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Ty Cooper - October 10 - 5:33 pm

  I have 2400 miles on my new VUE and so far so good. I am particularly enjoying the sound system and overall power and acceleration. I just got back from vacation and we had plenty of room for everything, and you can always add a cargo box if you need more (maybe Ill do that for long camping trips). I am still trying to adjust the seat for maximum comfort since I have found that trips over 30-40 minutes arent terribly comfortable (Im only 510 but my knees are little too confined). Overall, very easy and enjoyable to drive.

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  Loaded XR - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By AS - October 8 - 11:03 pm

  I recently bought a fully loaded Aura XR. First and foremost, the car is very sexy looking. I bought the black on black leather all chromed out. Sitting on 18" rims, Yes, I said 18" rims, the car is definitely an eye catcher. The car has alot of pep and really moves. The car handles like a dream with a solid feel chassis. It really feels like a very exspensive luxury car when you take it for a drive.

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  Surprised!!!!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By String - October 8 - 10:00 am

  Luv the car. Bought it to tow behind RV. Tows really nice. No hassle. The 3.5 engine really has PEP! Not a real Saturn fan until I drove Vue. 25-26 mpg. Not bad with fuel prices rising. Considering Ion for next Commuter Beater.

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  A good car - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By wow - October 6 - 7:10 am

  This car is for the family. Since I purchased the car, my two boys really enjoy the ride, the space, the entertainment system, and many amenities. With two months of driving, we are still in love with the vehicle.

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  Fantastic - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By goobergrlcac - October 6 - 5:56 am

  I never even considered purchasing a Saturn until I saw one during a car show at a local shopping mall. After being able to see the inside, and what options were available, we went to our dealership. Ive never had a more pleasant experience with purchasing a car. And Ive never owned a vehicle that I love driving more than my Vue. I got a great deal, not just on the purchase price, but on the quality of my vehicle.

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  2000 miles and love it! - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By dlb14frost - October 4 - 9:20 am

  I have had the Saturn for about 6 weeks now and have been quite pleased with all the features. Fuel economy is pretty good for a 6. Road noise is minimal. Heated seats and remote start are a nice add on. Heard several comments, Thats a Saturn? Wow

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  Former GM Engineer buys 1st GM car in 18 yrs - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By John Callister - September 29 - 3:50 pm

  All I can say is, Saturn is the future of GM, and this car seriously rocks. I thought the comments on this site were overblown. They are not. This car is excellent. My wife tried to talk me out of this and get a Honda CR-V. Well, now this is going to be her car, and I have to drive the 2006 Ford Explorer. When we get rid of the Ford 12 months from now, we will get another Saturn, either the Outlook or another Aura! This car handles better than my stepsons BMW 325i, and rides better. The handling is sharp, and the ride is firm but very comfortable. Front wheel drive. Big deal, it still rocks.

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  I cant believe I love GM now - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By tgresla - September 29 - 6:06 am

  I pulled into the Saturn dealership in my Sienna just to see the Skye parked out front. I couldnt wait to get rid of the minivan but still had 5 months left on the lease. The salesman asked if he could get me out of my lease for no additional cost would I be interested? Sure, why not. I ordered an Outlook XR AWD loaded with every option. As a long time fan of Honda, my Toyota minivan was a big reliability disappointment. Ive always hated GM since the 1980s when they built really crappy cars, but I feel the Saturn brand really had the right approach. I love this car! They really got it right, unfortunately a little too late. Drives well, solid, quiet, no problems in 2 years.

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  Enjoy The Vue - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Jackie - September 28 - 12:43 am

  My husband works for the Saturn dealership that I bought my car from, and he said that Saturn is one of the best cars he has ever worked on. He is a collision repair tech,and he said that the VUE holds up well to crash tests, and its a fun sporty car. So we went to test drive one, and I was instantly hooked. My VUE has the 6 cylinder engine so its really quick, and it has electric assist steering and shift which is really cool. I am in love with my VUE. Not only is it fun to drive, but it looks cool and its very safe. I love it so much, I hate to leave it out of my sight. My husband has a beautiful, brand new, full size truck and he would rather drive my VUE.

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  ION Red Line, what a car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Michael - September 28 - 12:33 am

  I purchased this car used with 7500 miles on it 3/07. When I first drove this rocket I was amazed how much power it had for a I4. The handling and the out of box thinking from Saturn is solid. I will know how this engine and car perform because it will be 250,000 mile before I hand it down or even think of selling it.