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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  Happy in Buffalo - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By SnowSurvivor - January 14 - 3:20 am

  I fell in love with this car as soon as I test drove it. It is very responsive and really turns heads when I drive it. I would have liked the trunk to be a little larger so that I could more easlity fit my oversized golf bag in it, but it still fits.

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  Plenty of little problems. - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Jim - January 12 - 8:36 pm

  Bought car with 30,000 miles. Soon realized that it had a temperature sensitive drive ability problem, bucks violently at low speeds cool temps. Caused premature wear on clutch with first owner, I have babied it for 36,000 miles, needs new clutch. Dealer could not figure out problem, says its the clutch. Said maybe they could figure it out when it got bad enough. Its time to find out, and bet them a clutch that its the engine. Suspension is very noisy and sloppy when cold, you can feel the engine shifting back and forth on corners when cold, the clutch pedal creaks and feels rough at the release point. Mirror cant be adjusted to match seat position when adjusted to my 59" frame.

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  The VUE is Great - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Harold Jones - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Over 20 mpg in mixed driving. Excellent in snow. Handles like a car. Fold down seats are great. Power is outstanding. You wont be disappointed. Brakes almost as good as four wheel disks.

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  The good and not so good - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Evets - January 10 - 8:50 pm

  We wanted a van and chose a Saturn based on the design and performance of the 3 Saturns we owned previously. While we really like the interior design and economy (avg 26 hwy) it seems this may have been rushed to market without adequate testing. There is a howl that eminates from the windshield at highway speed that cant be resolved, moulding and interior trim have simply fallen off, the automatic door wont close for no apparent reason(not good in a Michigan winter), there seem to be random rough idle issues. No breakdowns but just not the level of quality we had experienced previously and come to expect. We wont buy GM again.

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  Good Looking, but!..... - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By vicbrum - January 9 - 10:00 am

  One of the best Looking S.U.Vs around,but lacks refinament very cheap interior. The four cylinder is noisy and lacks the power of the europeans competitors,the fuel economy is poor and the gas tank small for this kind of vehicle,does less than 300 on a full thank of gas.Strange for an S.U.V. not to have anything for a passenger to hold on to ride,enter ou exit the vehicle.

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  Great - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By DGuzman27 - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I wouldnt drive anything other than this Saturn!!! OK I might have to check out the Relay

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  When I Look At My Car I Am Happy - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Dukoh - January 7 - 2:00 am

  For the price and features included with this car, I am very happy. The car is attractive inside & out. I liked the novelty of the centered dashboard, and it did not take long to adjust to. The ride and comfort of the car is satisfactory plus--considering that I did not pay a Cadillac price. Overall performance is good. The Ion 3 included all the features I wanted without going outside my price range. Driving the car this winter, the lower left heating vent did not seem to heat as fast as the rest of the vents in the car. Maybe its just me or something I need to check.

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  Got a Lot for My Money - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Michael G. - January 7 - 2:00 am

  The VUE is a fun, zippy (with 5 spd, attractive SUV. As a very tall guy,Ive found the VUE to have loads of leg and head room, even with the sunroof. The VUE can hold three adults in the back seat very comfortably- no sitting side saddle as in the RAV4 or CRV. Another great feature is the fold-flat rear and passenger seats, which almost double the cargo capacity. The 5 speed has great control and can make fast merges into freeway traffic. The VUE is well grounded on the road and provides a remarkably smooth ride. Summary: I love my VUE.

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  Abysmal 07 Saturn Hybrid Vue - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Zory - January 5 - 6:03 pm

  My 9 month Old Sat Hybrid Vue is abysmal, I have a number of repair order for Electrical Problems, Battery Harness Problems, Paint defects. It has been in all the service dept of the Bayarea, Pleasanton, Livermore and Stockton California. I commute a lot and break down in all those cities. Good Luck if you decide to purchase a vehicle that is unreliable. My Vue has a number of repairs not consider to be recalls and the consumer will never know the truth about the Saturn new line of Hybrids are abysmal. Good luck to you and if you buy it, then buy patience, and a lot of coffee so, you can drink it while you wait for a smelly rental which will be your permanent vehicle insted of your car.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Fun Car - January 3 - 5:33 pm

  This is a fun car to drive and easy on the gas. Since this is made in Europe the build quality and materials used is top notch. If you are looking for a great gas saver this is the car. Tall people need not to worry about head room, Im 61" and have plenty of room. All around this car is a winner in the sport hatchback group.