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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  Saturn VUE - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Wissam Zaatar - June 12 - 2:00 am

  The saturn vue drives great and handles very well in the snow.I own the v6 awd and it is fun to drive in the rain or the snow.I do not have any thing negative to say about my vue

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  First time Saturn owner. - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By drew212f - June 11 - 2:10 am

  The exterior styling is what made my wife and I even bother to take a look at a Saturn. We picked one out with 4 miles on it and the A/C broke after 12 miles of driving away from the dealership. We used the 30 day option and replaced the vehicle with an exact copy but it had a paint bubble on the shifter trim ring. Dealership fixed the issue and my wife is happy. No other issues to report after 200 miles. We are happy with our decision to purchase an 08 VUE XR over an 07 RAV4 Sport, we test drove both on the same day.

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  VUE V6 AWD Comments - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Bill - June 9 - 11:26 pm

  Recently purchased a VUE 3.5 AWD. Things I like include the following: Honda V6, polymer panels, ease of cleanup and looks, 360 view, and the overall driving experience. The thing I like, by far though, is the Saturn buying experience. It is as good, if not better, than any available - including BMW, Jaguar, Cadillac, (as I have purchased new vehicles from each). The one item I wish could be changed is the automatic transmission shift points. In comparison to the BMW X5, it revs further in first gear (3300 rpm vs 2800 rpm for same takeoff speed) and shifts to a lower rpm faster than the X5. Also dont like the cheap windshield wipers and extra road noise. Otherwise, its wonderful!

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  our fun SUV - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By J. Little - June 8 - 10:00 am

  on the whole, it has been nothing but fun to drive. It looks good, feels good & even my little poodle loves it. What more can I say about it? It is one good vehicle!

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  Fast, Smooth, and Fun - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Ken in Richmond VA - June 8 - 10:00 am

  We set out to buy a used Honda or Subaru SUV, but ended up with a new 2004 Saturn Vue for about the same money (with current incentives). The new V6 automatic is fast and smooth -- it drives like a nice car, but still holds all the stuff that our family of 5 needs to haul. It is very fun to drive, ranks high in safety, and it is an exceptional value.

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  Amazing car - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By brandykay - June 7 - 10:50 am

  This is a $40000 car for $28200 fully loaded. You cant beat that. Its fast, safe, quiet, comfortable, looks good, and is fun to drive. This is not your typical Saturn. The cars have changed. This car is amazing.

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  Love my Saturn - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By charlotte - June 6 - 9:16 am

  I love my new (used) Saturn Aura. When I drive it people take a second look. Not at me the car. I love the stylish "rims" and the leather is beautiful. I bought this car and it was spotlessly clean. It has lots of pick-up and speed. Of all the vehicles I test drove this was the car. I saw it, drove it, bought it. I knew the minute I saw it this was the car for me.

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  2005 ION 3 Great Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By James L - June 6 - 6:13 am

  My ION has been trouble free after 6000 miles and rides great. Very quiet at idle/cruising and handles very well. The seats are quite comfortable. I have the 160 watt stereo with XM radio and it is worth every penny. I waited for the 2005 because I had heard of all the technical improvments being made. The effort Saturns engineers put into making this car quiet is very apparent. I would definitely buy this car again.

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  Impressive what theyve done - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Taxman - May 31 - 12:20 am

  I had a 2002 SL2, 5speed manual and traded it in on this car. Nicely optioned out with a "special value package" that I recommend. Overall the car is vastly improved over the previous model. An excellent daily commuter. Long trip this weekend, 450 miles, revealed no weaknesses. It is comfortable for three hour interstate drives, gets nearly 35mpg, has very good seat support. Its quiet, easily cruises at 75mph with no bad vibrations, and no undue harshness. Instrument dash "pod" is quirky but quickly adapted to. Excellent sight lines. Large trunk. Zero % three year financing, FREE 5year/60K BtoB extended warranty and $1,000 rebate/OnStar cash. Whats not to like in a $15,000 car?

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  Luv it!! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By LuvPony - May 30 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle! 28 mpg, plenty of pickup, and I find it extremely comfortable. My son says it is like an optical illusion, looks tiny on the outside but plenty of room on the inside. I can park it anywhere, but the wide stance feels very secure. Yes, the engine is somewhat loud, but I just turn up the stereo! The base stereo and tape/CD is just fine.Sure, with the new type of transmission you are taking a chance as with any new technology, but that is what warranties are for. For me, I thought the RAV4 was incredibly uncomfortable and way too tiny inside. I pack 4 dogs a kid and groceries with no problem.