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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  The 2005 ION, one fine automobile - 2005 Saturn ION
  By normanhickenbottom - August 15 - 11:40 pm

  This is the 3rd Saturn I have owned along with Buicks, Pontiac, Mercury and an Aurora. This new Saturn just seems to do everthing so well. Smooth, quiet, beautiful inside and out. Finest car for the price available today. I tried out Toyota, Honda, Focus, Cobalt and Nissan. Also the Mazda 3 Nothing to compare to the Saturn for all around value for the price.

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  Saturn ION 2 - 2003 Saturn ION
  By sweetpea10995 - August 14 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car. The service I have received has been great and Saturn always follows up on its customers.

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  What a Car! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By steelerman - August 13 - 11:20 am

  I rated this car so high because it is a great car. Never before have I enjoyed a car like i do this one. It is fun to drive because it is comfortable, has responsive handling, and has ample power. I only gave it a 9 on comfort because I wish it had a bit more leg room for the driver.

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  Would buy another - 2003 Saturn ION
  By azgirl - August 12 - 6:36 pm

  I like my Ion. Six years after purchasing, its a great value. I dont drive it hard. Maybe if I drove it more, it would have more issues. Six years and less than 37K miles, the only issues Ive had are a drivers side power window issue (fixed under warranty), and I now need new bushings. Love the interior and exterior styling and would buy another if they were still in production.

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  The Green Machine - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Brittany - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I knew Id need a car that would do well traveling the interstate and not cost me a fortune in gas. Ive gotten that. Ive had problems with the key getting stuck in the ignition as well, & some electrical problems that seem to fix themselves. My mechanic cant ever find anything wrong with it, but as soon as we leave, itll misbehave again, but just as quick as it started it will stop. The door sensor was triggering the door being open, which made my alarm go off at random & my dome light go on and off which would kill my battery, so for about a week I had to unplug my battery when I parked. Then it just started working again. It has 85k miles & is still running great under the hood though.

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  Save Yourself the Hassle - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By AJenkins - August 11 - 7:46 pm

  I have owned my Vue for approx two years, and in just the last month, I have had it in the shop four times! They dont know what the problem is so now they just keep telling me they cant duplicate the problem--what a load of bull! I would caution you against purchasing one. Theyre nice to look at, but if you plan on taking a trip in one, you can plan on hearing lots of noise from your vehicle, as well as, all the others on the road, and you may want to make alternate plans in case your Vue breaks down-- you also may want to add an extra day or two into your trip b/c Ive waited on tow trucks for hours! You will get decent gas mileage--that is if you can get it to go anywhere!

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  Could be better, my 2nd VUE and my last - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By ashleemooneyhan - August 10 - 11:13 am

  I actually had another VUE before I bought this one. The old one was a 2004/man.transmission. 4cyl. engine. I liked it more, but it was totaled in an accident at someone elses fault. I survived at least 6 full tumbles down an embankment--I credit the safety features of the VUE. After that experience I only felt safe buying another one. New one is a 2006. Things randomly fall off--hubcap, side door panel. Had to pay to be replaced. Interior stains easily-- wish I had gone for the leather, instead. Buttons on the steering wheel randomly stick (despite detailing/cleaning) and things go haywire. If I could go back, Id get the V6, the leather, and the AWD. Dont get the basic model.

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  Better than my SL - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Crulamin - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I traded a 95 SL for the ION-2. I was told that that was the last 03 in stock. The car was similarly equipped as my SL with manual trans, so it drove a lot like my SL (which is a good thing to me). Good cornering, ride, etc. Power everything. The engine is quick and launches you pretty good like a turbo, even in 4th. Aside from waiting for the dealer to fix some cosmetic details, the car is perfect. I would recommend it to anyone looking to replace their S-series. :)

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  Saturn Vue Arrives - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By LisaMForrester - August 8 - 2:00 am

  The 2004 Saturn Vue is not to be missed! There is quite a difference between the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder engines. The 6 cylinder is an entirely different car! With the 250 horsepower, you feel that you can go anywhere and do anything. The ride is smooth, quiet and enjoyable. Tune-ups are not required for 100,000 miles and the warranty is bumper to bumper. There are no tricks or gimmicks with Saturn and I absolutely love my VUE!

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  Saturn VUE - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By jgraham - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Smooth drive and all kinds of features make this vehicle the best I have driven in a long time.