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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  Its Fun to drive - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By sallysky - August 28 - 5:40 am

  This is a great car. It hugs the road and performs outstanding. Storage space is actually not that bad. I would agree that the top could be easier to put down and up.. Gave build quality a 9 because the steering pump was bad from the day of delivery. Way to go GM.

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  A few annoying quirks - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Jill B. - August 25 - 10:00 am

  The drivers seat is too wide, so I move around in turns. No adjustable seat tilt, so my thighs are not supported. The clutch safety switch clicks. Hopefully the seat will mold to me like my SL1 did. Most FM stations have static. Brought it back twice, and have been told its working properly. Im still trying to get this solved. If I cant, I dont know what to do. Very roomy, much bigger than the SL. The tightest turning circle I have ever seen. Powerful engine, huge trunk with storage underneath. I like the central gauges, not their illumination/contrast at night. Lots of features for the money. Place for sunglasses, but not CD or tape case.

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  Great choice for this family of 6 - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By JBM - August 24 - 4:40 am

  Getting a Saturn Relay turned out to be one of the best moves weve made. Having four kids, we wanted to make sure we got a vehicle that would be convenient for all of us. Sometimes you dont know if its the right vehicle until its too late. And that can be unfortunate. as it turns out we picked the right one. The kids all have their "favorite seats" and they enjoy long rides keeping occupied by watching a movie, listening to music, or playing video games, all with the option of using dual channel wireless headphones. As far as driving goes, it handles great, I like the way the Relay sits up, its not to high off the ground like some SUVs, its perfect.

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  VUE Road Noise / Buzzy on Acceleration - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Vue Road Noise - August 23 - 7:00 pm

  I must say I bought a VUE in May of this year and Im not real happy. I had a luggage rack put on after markert by the dealership and the car makes a terrible road noise. The noise is overpowering even when the radio is on. It is very disturbing. The car also makes a buzzing noise when you accelerated. I would not of bought this vechile if I would of known about the road noise. I do not think this is a very well insulated automoblie. Im actually thinking of trading it off. I recommend before buying a car you drive it for a day or so before you sign the papers. Do drive with the radio off.

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  Could be a lot better - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Lyle Hamm - August 23 - 2:23 am

  I have owned this car since Oct. 03 and have had it recalled several times - the drive shaft had to be removed and balanced, plus several other problems, it seems that the car is ALWAYS needing something done to it -- it is a poor ride (you feel EVERY BUMP) needless to say I would never buy another one.

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  Nice car - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By d - August 22 - 12:36 pm

  I love this car. Although the onboard drive train computer did have to be replaced, so that was slightly disappointing. But overall a great car.

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  Marrige of Luxury And Economy - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Samyn - August 22 - 4:36 am

  The fit and finish of this car is suburb and the materials are exceptional for a compact car. Close the door there is a thud which says quality. Every knob, and door is quality built. This car feels more like a luxury car than an economy car. The truth is that this is a small luxury car, a marriage of quality and economy. There is talk about the hard to learn radio and complicated controls. Yes it did take 1 or 2 days to become familiar with the radio. Anyone with an average IQ will learn the radio in one day or so. Overall the interior is European luxury and European quality. It is a very positive experience for a compact car.

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  Should have been yellow not red - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Bonnie - August 22 - 3:13 am

  I bought my car brand new, drove it off the lot, the next the low tire pressure light came, they reset it, then the engine light came on, they reset it, the dash rattled they put some packing in it, the windows leak, they said it was the way it was, the engine light came on, they reset it over and over and over, put in a new sensor it came back on, the battery went dead, they replaced the sensor, the abs and traction control light came on, the low tire pressure light came on, the doors lock themselves and the engine surges and dies - they reset it. Anybody want a lemon???

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  Love our Sky REDLINE - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Bill and Claudia - August 18 - 6:43 pm

  After searching for a fun car to enjoy on weekends & short trips we found our Sky.The original owner traded it in 10 months after purchasing it on impulse, car had 4300 miles on odometer and still had new car smell.On our first weekend drive to Fl. Keys we knew our Sky was the right choice, Great performance & handling.After a few months we had a Magnaflow exhaust system installed"WOW"it was music to my ears,then a stainless steel Bullit mesh grille on the front end.The GM cold air intake will not void warranty so that will be next upgrade.Our Sky is going to be a very special collector car now that Saturn is gone, so sad the possibility of a V6 with 300HP is only a dream now.I Love my SKY!

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  I Love my 2005 Vue! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Kate - August 17 - 6:33 pm

  I have owned my VUE for just about a year now and I love it more and more every day. It has tremendous functional capability and its just really fun to drive. I can seat my children comfortably in the back and we can really pack the cargo space. Get the heated seats - they are such a treat! I recommend this car to anyone in the market for an SUV!