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:

• 

  Good SUV to buy - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Odyssey - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Vue for almost a year now and it has had no engine or transmission problems. The truck is very economical for long extended road trips and requires very little maintenance. The VTI transmission definetly works best when combined with cruise control. Interior is very roomy and rear cup holder console is useful. The truck is easy to drive on the street, dependable and confortable. The traction control system is helpful on dirt roads. I recommend the truck to those who are looking for low maitenance, good gas milage and a compact designed that fits well in small parking areas. Good dealer service. The Vue is definetly not a sportscar.

• 

  Evcellent! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Attomicc - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car at a very reasonable price.

• 

  Very pleased with this purchase - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Jeff Hill - October 19 - 6:23 am

  We owned a 2002 Windstar van. We wanted something with seating for 7 and bucket seats in the middle row. Looked at the Acadia and found out about the Saturn. We love this car. My wife wanted to stick out the old van but has come to love this car. It has good performance for a V-6, the gas mileage is decent, 16 in town, 19- 21 on the highway. I think to get better mileage, you would have to sacrifice performance and it has a nice blend of both. It has ample legroom for all of us. We love the XM radio and also the OnStar. We love the way the Outlook looks on the outside. My wife particularly enjoys the radio controls on the steering wheel and she loves the heated seats

• 

  Think twice before you buy. - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By L. Sheldon - October 19 - 12:16 am

  In a nutshell, the vehicle has been self destructing from the moment I drove it off the lot. So far with 44k on it, Ive had to replace the following: Muffler, brake caliper pin & bracket strut mount, rear wheel, clutch, rear differential module, entire rear end assy, fuel sending unit, both mirrors, arm rest, windshield wiper jets, drivers heated seat switch, rear window glass, rear hatch lock assy, rear lateral link (recall), front hub/bearing assy. If something didnt break every few weeks, Id say its a great vehicle, but with over $7,000 in repairs done in a little over two years, you be the judge.

• 

  People stop me to talk about this SUV! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Nina - October 18 - 8:53 am

  I have literally had 3 complete strangers come up to me in parking lots to ask me about my new Saturn Vue SUV! Its modern exterior turns head and its interior is much nicer and more stylish then the Lexus I traded in. This SUV is a real pleasure to drive. I really didnt expect to like it more then my last SUV which was a 6 cyl. This 4 cyl. is quite smooth and gets good mileage. I do almost 95% city type driving and its peppy in town. There is plenty of room for my family of 4. I got a model with heated seats, storage area cover and mat, roof rails and sunroof - which only added about $1500. This car is a great deal for your money!

• 

  Love, Love, Love It! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By J. A. Carlucci - October 16 - 10:13 am

  All I can say is so far, so good. Its a fun vehicle to drive, and as comfortable as sitting in my living room, even on a trip to Florida. Have had no problems at all yet.

• 

  Awesome!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Spike123 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  The Vue is an awesome, easy and fun to drive vehicle. The longer you own one, the more you like it. I feel safe and comfortable in the drivers seat!! Love it!!!

• 

  ONE GREAT CAR - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By JIM JONES - October 16 - 10:00 am

  ONE OF THE BEST SUV ON THE MARKET

• 

  Bushman - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Bushee - October 16 - 10:00 am

  No problems at all. Not bad for the price. No reason to buy a Jap car with this on the market.

• 

  Nicest SUV Ever! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By SaturnVue2005 - October 15 - 8:40 pm

  Love my VUE. This is my 2nd Saturn. Very nice and refined. Better than the 2002-2005 they were more rugged. Now that they redesigned the 2006 Saturn VUE it is more refined. It kind of looks like an Acura MDX. But love it to death. Love the features especially the chrome roof rack, sunroof, the heated leather seats, real wood interior, on- star, the excellent 5-star safety rating, keyless-entry, and friendly company.