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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  A true lemon! Starting difficulties! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Mike S. - March 30 - 2:00 am

  This is the car that killed Saturn. Mine was plagued with electrical problems: "Passlock" malfunctions made the car unstartable at times. (2 column passlock switch assemblies replaced and the problem came back a 3rd time. A $300+ dealer repair if out-of- warranty.) The sensor in the anti- freeze overflow failed. Left headlight problem due to wiring harness wear. Recall for turn signal mal-function. Noisy McPherson struts in winter. A harsh ride, especially in winter. Cheap- looking seats and interior trim. Only pluses: good gas mileage and no rust due to plastic body parts. A mediocre end to the Saturn legacy. Basically a small Chevy with plastic side panels. Too bad.

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  Practical - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By wedge - March 11 - 6:40 am

  A good SUV for the money (you get what you pay for) but plan on keeping it as the depreciation is fast and aggressive. Its a light SUV so its fast for its size. OEM tyres are awful/borderline dangerous and not many choices for replacements. Paint quality is pretty poor too. Its a good family car and a practical wagon for general use. Front suspension problems, fuel pump issues, battery issues, tyre issues in first 10k. Buy a rear rubber mat. It makes squeaks a lot quieter!

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  Not Happy - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Pete - February 26 - 10:23 am

  I have had the car for two weeks and I already have had two problems with it. First, a tire blew out ten minutes after leaving the lot. Then, I had to take it back because the rotors had to be re-surfaced. The car had only 392 miles on it. Now, the steering is bouncy when I drive over 60. If I hit a bump, the steering wheel turns in a different direction and I have to grab the wheel with both hands to keep the car from getting away. This cant be normal, can it?

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  Great on gas not on corky issues - 2006 Saturn ION
  By saccity - February 24 - 1:53 am

  I have owned my 2006 ION for 2 years now & I have loved the gas mileage and how it handles while driving to Tahoe ( fun drive) but I have always had a knocking in my car. It sounds like someone is in the truck, just a simple 3 tap noise, and it happens usually every morning during the first 10-20 miles. But now I have a big complaint my key got locked in the ignition after driving home from work one evening, the car was still running, it wouldnt turn off. I disconnected the battery & pulled a fuse out to get it turned off. I have read online several complaints about this issue And I hope Saturn will fix it today, with no money out of my pocket.

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  Why GM deserves no more of my business - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Robert Lorber - February 5 - 9:23 am

  The VUE rides and handles very well.The car has lots of power and is reasonably comfortable. But, the interior is cheap looking. The gas mileage is mediocre (I have been unable to get it past 18 mpg under any circumstance). My biggest complaint is being stonewalled by Saturn for their reneging on a commitment made to me when I bought the vehicle. When I made the purchase, I requested a privacy panel option. They told me that the existing panel design was defective and that Saturn was redesigning the panel and it would be available in 3 months time. After 3 months, I contacted Saturn and was told that this panel is not being remade and is not available. GM integrity?

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  Poor gas mileage - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Samuall - February 1 - 10:00 am

  We bought this SUV because of the high gas mileage. We have been averageing 22mpgon the HWY. 3 Times we got around 28 mpg ,3 times we got 18 mpg , The rest of the time we are averageing 22 mpg. we have had it in the shop several times and there test say it is getting around 28 mpg.we mainly drive Hwy miles, We live 20 miles from any town.Customer Service tell us there is nothing wrong.The Window Sticker that came on the car " Actual mileage will veary with options, Driving conditions Driving habitsand vehicles condition. Results reported to EPA indicate that the majority of vehicles with these estimates 24-29 will achieve between 20-28 city, 24-34 Hwy.

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  Just So So - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By daryl - January 25 - 11:50 am

  We purchased our VUE 5 years ago. It was still too new to do any real research. We have replaced the A/C compressor, ECM (computer), and the transmission is very difficult and expensive to work on and most places tell us to take it to the dealer. The service manager at the dealer told me that "GM dumped these transmissions on us." Our family has purchased five Saturns and the 03 VUE is definitely the low water mark for Saturn. My 97 Saturn SL-2 is still a much better vehicle than the VUE even though it is six years older.

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  dissapointed - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Millhouse - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Got ION3 auto May 1. Has MANY squeaks and rattles that dealer cannot seem to solve. Also 5sp auto often shifts harshly and in a confused manner. Very nice chassis tho, handles very well with 16" tires.

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  Okay Car!!!!!!!! - 2006 Saturn ION
  By PD - January 16 - 5:56 am

  I purcahsed a 2006 Saturn Ion3 brand new, and for about the first year the car is an absolute blast to drive. Then when the first year is over watch out because this will start having problems, clunks and rattles and the dealer will tell you "oh! we cant fix it" or "we cant duplicate the problem." I am now looking to trade this car and get something that is more reliable and better built. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE STEER CLEAR OF THIS CAR!!!!!!! And the worst part about these cars is that when you take it in for warranty work Saturn doesnt like to pay for warranty work or for recalls that are necessary and you will end up have to pick up the bill later.. I will never buy another Saturn........

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  2004 Saturn Ion 2 - 2004 Saturn ION
  By kmacarthur - January 6 - 1:00 am

  This is my second Saturn, and it gets the job done. It is a reliable vehicle, I was fortunate in finding a very clean used car. One thing that has happened in both of my Ions is that the outlets cease to work at somepoint. I am assuming its something simple, I just have not had it checked out yet. But either way, it has happened in both cars. I know Im not the only one who has had issues with the key getting stuck in the ignition. Again, this happened on both cars. Overall, it really isnt a bad vehicle especially for someone who commutes. Its a little glitchy, but it gets me from A to B.