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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  ION 3 - 2005 Saturn ION
  By skitcat19 - October 4 - 8:10 am

  Driving the vehicle has had its ups and downs. Most comparable to the Cobalt. I feel those are more fun to drive. Twice now when driving the guages went crazy on me and they had to replace the module. Kind of annoying. It has vibrations at higher speeds and went through three window regulators 1 door hinge. The rubber piece for under the back wind shield flew off through some event. And also after the purchase of the vehicle there was broken glass all in the back of my rear seats when you fold them down. Not to happy with my choice but there are always likes and dislikes.

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  Great Value - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Troy - September 29 - 9:23 pm

  We picked up our all new 2007 Outlook over the holidays in December. We have purchased or leased 17 vehicles over the past 18 years. So far it is one of the best vehicles we have ever owned. The engine is strong (same 3.6 litre that is standard in the Cadillac STS. The 6-speed automatic shifts smooth. The ride is firm and confident. Our XE model is front wheel drive (better fuel mileage...so far we are averaging almost 20 mpg). We just had a snow storm and the stability control system worked very well.

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  What a joy to drive - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Happy Vue Owner - September 29 - 7:56 pm

  A great SUV - for a great price! Ive had no problems with mine and I can honestly say I love this SUV. It handles great, shifter feel is solid, steering is silky smooth and ride is smooth and stable. Ive had no problems with my VUE. The 4 cyl is powerful enough and the 5spd is smooth and confortable. The build quality is good . Good price & coupled that with Saturn service, reputation & safety and I think its the best deal around.

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  Can you define "Fun?" - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By smk - September 29 - 2:23 pm

  My Saturn SC2 was fun but doesnt come close to this car. The car mags groan about the top, but with only a few uses it became a 3 minute process. I have trouble finding cars that are comfy for my back but there was no question - this is great! Compared to the 35 mpg in my SC2 the 25mpg isnt good mileage. This car is a definite head turner and most people cant believe its a Saturn. People at work want rides w/ the top down and there may be a waiting list somewhere. The lack of storage is a problem, but Ive invested in the removable luggage rack, which Saturn doesnt tout as an answer to that problem. Was recently at a car museums roadster exhibit and people were looking at my Sky!

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  Worst Transmission Ever - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Tony - September 29 - 6:26 am

  We bought this used, 85,000 miles on it, 30,000 later we learned that the transmission had a fracture and was leaking fluid. Beacuse no mechanic wants to take the things apart, it wasnt learned of until it was too late. We replaced it with a brand new transmission ($7000), and about 18,000 miles later it became completely fubar from the inside. Now we have no choice but to sell it and hope and pray the warranty we have will help us. Im moving onto the 09 CR-V

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  ION 3 Sedan 2.4L - 2006 Saturn ION
  By ChrisW - September 28 - 11:26 am

  It took 3 weeks to build my Pacific Blue ION 3-and it was worth the wait. My ION included the Enhanced Performance Package (2.4 liter engine, suspension tweaks, ABS, traction control), leather interior, 6-speaker SAS (Saturn Advanced Sound system) & sunroof. The 170hp engine pulls with power, & the suspension strikes a nice balance between a smooth ride & responsive handling. The comfy front seats slide way back-a 63" passenger remarked on how much leg room he had, & easier to get into than Civic/Mazda3. The SAS audio system sounds decent. There are a few rough edges on the dash, & some areas where bolt/screw covers could have been crafted with a better care. Overall, a fine, fun small car.

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  Great car - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Satisfied! - September 27 - 3:53 pm

  I have to admit I was a little unsure when my wife said she wanted to test drive this vehicle. Boy was I surprised. This is the new design and body style based on a GM European design. Finally, GM gets it right. This looks and feels like a luxury vehicle. The steering wheels, console and doors are very modern. Most everything is standard. We have a small child and one on the way so the 5 star crash rating and airbags everywhere really sealed the deal.

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  Better than I expected! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By redcar - September 27 - 11:46 am

  This is an excellent car & an excellent value for the money. I would highly recommend it. It handles well, is very comfortable & is fun to drive. The seat heaters are a great option. The versatility in the seat configurations allows for caring a lot of gear. Great car, go test drive one for yourself.

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  Excellence - 2003 Saturn ION
  By vladie - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Great Fun! Looks great on the outside and is really comfterble in the inside

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  Damn Bulb - 2003 Saturn ION
  By shortstuff - September 26 - 10:00 am

  So far so good. Road tripped in the first 2,000 and it was awesome. Mileage was stellar. Tunes were cranked....to tune down interior occupants. I only got one complaint. That stupid right turn signal light goes out every 4.5 weeks and fixes the second the dealer looks at it. Other than that, excellent buy.