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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  This is a Saturn? Amazing! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Mark Chicago - March 29 - 3:40 pm

  This car is very quiet. I purchased the base car in the Ocean Mist. I got a great deal due to being a current owner and a GM supplier. The lighting and the LED guages are super. For $10.00 per month you get OnStar turn by turn navigation on the radio controls. At 225 HP your not short on acceleration. The car is quite handsome even in base trim. I owned a 2004 Nissan Altima V6 before and I must say that this car is a tad better. Check out the paint colors. The Ocean Mist looks blue, green, and grey depending on the lighting. I like the new 5 year 100,000 mile warranty.

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  Great car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Joe in sacto - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Great first new car. I went to a couple of dealers (dodge) and hated the experience, when I went to the Saturn dealer it was so easy and the car was perfect. I got 0% financing, $1000 off, an addition $750 off for being a college grad, a free dell computer, and no headaches. Icouldnt ask for more.

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  Great features vs. Not so Great!!! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By what does this mean? - March 20 - 1:46 am

  The horn is very hard to locate in a moving emergency. This was dangerous to me and my vehicle initially. The driver in front of me attempted to back up, claiming afterward that he couldnt see me thru his darkened windows. He damaged the front of my 3 day old car. I had to look away from him to precisely locate the two little horn symbols which werent too loud!! This cost $1200 to repair and five days of rental cars! The car is too low when approaching parking curbs and also when trying to judge turning radius. The radio designations and clock are impossible to view in daylight.

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  Coming Into Its Own - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Carl Camann - March 19 - 12:13 pm

  Very impressive vehicle. Excellent value for money, options ordered include ABS, traction control, side air bags, keyless entry. Great handling, very acceptable fit and finish. MPG as advertised, huge trunk, comfy front seats. Color combo of Berry with grey interior draws favorable responses. Painless buying & financing process. Super dealership. I keep vehicles for a long time (this replaces a 13 year-old Taurus), so plastic panels were important--potential depreciation was not. This vehicle is a significantly more refined car than when it was originally introduced, so dont get scared off by potential bad publicity about the make. Drive one and compare. You may well be surprised.

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  Love everything, Makes me want to drive - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By KELNAQ - March 16 - 8:20 pm

  Impressed with the handling; recently had an emergency maneuver and couldnt get over how stable the vehicle was. No blind spots and I would suspect from something so large. All the seats are 1 touch to fold and move which is convenient. Quiet ride. Back seat comfy enough for me to ride in for a whole 12hr trip. Fuel econ has been great for me. 21.5 hwy mixed w/ some city. If just straight hwy usually 24. Cant expect too much mpg from a 3 row vehicle that has good acceleratn. Anyone having trouble w/ gas may be remote starting a lot(0 mpg), not resetting economy gauge when get gas, or bumper to bumper a lot. Last night I reset mine on the way home and at my driveway, 27.9 mpg. Love the style!

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  Its been a good car to me... - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By KAC1111 - March 16 - 8:43 am

  Ive loved having this car over the past 5 years. Its been reliable and has held up in looks and performance. Ive been extremely pleased with the aesthetics of both the interior and the exterior. I could never be happy with a car that lacked in either of them. The size has also been great. But now I have 2 large dogs and a child and sadly, there is not enough space when we go camping, etc. But Ive really loved this car even with its imperfections, i.e. the noises and the steering wheel stereo controls that change function from day to day. This will make a great used car when its time for me to sell.

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  2004 Saturn Vue V-6 model - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Apacherae - March 15 - 9:06 pm

  Saturn has built another great vehicle. With lots of power, great handling, and good looks; its hard to go wrong with a Saturn VUE. It rides very comfortably, dampens out road noise extremely well, and handles like a champ. When you need the power to get up and go, its there. The all-wheel drive with independent suspension is awsome. Plenty of room in the front and back seats and the cargo space handles most anything I have tried to put in it. Good standard stero package and the option to have a sunroof. For an SUV, the gas mileage is pretty good; just dont expect to get 30 mpg. I average 21 city & 26 highway mpg.

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  The Future of GM - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By JB - March 14 - 7:03 pm

  Outstanding car. Has all the safety features I wanted, it drives great and is very comfortable. Nothing in its price range can compare. It is very often mistaken for imports or cars costing much more. The hard part may be getting shoppers into the showroom, but the car will sell itself if shoppers take a look and a test drive. This car should change many peoples perception of GM.

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  2008 Saturn Outlook XR 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cy - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Best ever! - March 14 - 5:20 pm

  The best and most comfortable, quiet car I have ever owned. We drive to Fl over 1500 miles, and I usually spend about eight hours behind the wheel! With this car I feel as though I could keep on driving all day and night. My only gripe is the gas mileage. I am hoping as I drive it more, that it gets better.

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  Saturn ION an amazing machine - 2005 Saturn ION
  By tjw1973 - March 13 - 5:56 am

  I traded my 99 Chevy Tracker in for a 2005 ION 3 sedan. I was apprehensive about going from an SUV back to a small car, but the time spent in my new ION has a been a pure pleasure. It is an amazing car with great handling. The car accelerates rapidly. I am constantly finding myself above the speed limit as the car has much more power than I was used to in my previous cars. I actually find myself enjoying driving and want to be on the road in this car for more than just going to work or running errands. I have yet to discover any problems with the cars handling or fit and finish that professional reviewers have complained about. This car is worth every penny and I give it 4/5 stars!