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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  Good Buy and Fun Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Raider-Alan - June 19 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my PT Cruiser for my Saturn Ion 3 with a 5-speed manual. Few cars can rival a PT in design innovation, but this comes close and in some ways it eclipses the PT. I love the center mounted instrument panel. I also like the design of the dash and seats. The shifting is smooth and crisp, and the ride is solid. Road noise is no louder than the PT Cruiser. I love the overall design of the car.

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  My Saturn - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Jessica & Ryan - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Saturn of Fremont- Everyone was so helpful & I am enjoying my new car so much. The customer service was incredible & the 2003 VUE I own is wonderful. When I first saw the VUE in person I drawn to it because it was not huge and had great gas milage. It is very quiet to drive, and does not jerk when you switch gears or speed up on the freeway. It is very smooth and the one I own (2.2L AWD) has a lot more power then I expected a 4-cyl SUV to have. I will NEVER buy from another dealer.

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  What a Vue! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By dave1530 - June 17 - 2:00 am

  My wife bought a Saturn L200 series a couple of weeks ago. When I was looking around the showroom the Vue caught my eye. To make a long story short I bought it. So far, everything is just great. It handles fine with quick response. Everything is within easy reach. The salespeople were great. For the first time buying a car was a pleasent experience.

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  ION 2 Sedan a Great Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Steve Plott - June 14 - 10:00 am

  The 05 Ion 2 5 sp manual sedan is a GREAT car. Ive owned a Saturn SL1 for 12 yr as well as mini vans and other sedans. This car is quiet, smooth on the road (the ION 3 with low profile tires is rough riding!), good pick up with 140 hp, great sound if you get the extra speakers and added amp, excellent gas mileage (29 in town, love the exterior styling too. Safety design is good and my insurance company says it is in their 5 star catagory (best rating = lower rates). It has roll cage frame and I added the side curtain air bags with ABS. Great value at +/- $16,000 after rebate. Not sure why the ION seem to "get no respect" vs the Japanese competition from Honda Civic and Toyota Corola.

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  06 VUE FWD - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Alan - June 14 - 8:00 am

  Have owned it for two years now. Ive done all the oil and filter changes myself so other than a few tire rotations, cost to maintain has been very low. Front end started to rumble at 24k, so I has that taken care of at the dealership under warranty, and they said it was the top strut mounts and front disc brake pins. Most of the noise is gone. Drives great, starts up everytime, lots of power, good gas mileage considering the power. I have not experienced the fit and finish problems others have had, but I dont deny they might be there. Hey, its plastic. It good for highway trips except I wish the bottom seat cushions were bigger (longer) with more thigh support.

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  Still Turns Heads - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Thomas Watkins - June 5 - 8:23 pm

  Love my Sky Redline!!! Still a looker; great fuel economy, cheap to maintain. Fast, fun, extremely reliable. Turns heads everywhere I go, & people still ask "what kind of car is that?"

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  I LOVE MY NEW QUAD COUPE - 2003 Saturn ION
  By CME - June 5 - 10:00 am

  I knew when I went to the dealer what I wanted... but I was even more inclined to buy with the no-hassle, helpful salesman. I LOVE my new car. It is sporty, easy to handle, and just plain fun. THE turning radius is AMAZING. The kids love the rear access doors... and the trunk space is HUGE. I disagree with the "official rating."

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  Best Commuter Ive Owned - 2006 Saturn ION
  By pstrkrk - June 3 - 4:10 pm

  I bought this car after considering several cars. It came down to the Civic or the ION. I liked the IONs ride better and the price was significantly lower than the Civic. I drive over 90miles/day to work so comfort and efficiency are important and I regularly get 40mpg in this car. I rarely drive in town but when I do it drops to about 30mpg. Ride is nice, steering precise and predictable. Driving is seamless and comfortable even though I am quite large and this is a small car. No problems to report in the first 12,000 miles.

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  Stylish new Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Rich - May 31 - 5:20 pm

  I bought a 2008 Vue XE 4cyl during the Presidents day weekend sale. Traded in a reliable, fast Passat Wagon - so I was looking for something fun to drive, practical, took regular fuel, and got better mpg than the Passat. Most of my driving is around town with occasional slight hills. The tradeoff in power for the economy of the 4cyl is worth it! We have slight hills in San Diego & I just use the gear hold feature - does OK! Wish it had the 6spd auto from the Malibu w/ the same engine. Interior is awesome - so much better than the Japanese competitors. Lined large compartments all over! Got both premium packages, incl heated seats. Only 1000 miles, average 22 mpg.

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  The greatest little cars in America - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By lyives - May 31 - 10:00 am

  This saturn is one of the best they have made. A great little all around car,very easy to get in and out of for all ages and agilities. Bonus is lots of space in the back and extra extra space with the back seats folded up. A wonderfu cross between a sedan and an SUV...also love their service!