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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  I just love it! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Swthoss2 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a larger more reliable car to drive before my husband deployed. We looked into a few and just fell in love with the Vue. The insurance is lower then our previous car due to the safety features it has, and it is as good on gas as a normal car, but yet has the functionality, space and feel of an SUV. We took it on a 3,000 trip right after we bought it and it was great! We have driven many friends in it and they all are just awed by the beauty, feel and luxury of it. I dont think I will ever buy a different car, just newer versions of the Vue.

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  2007 Saturn Hybrid - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Larry - April 9 - 2:53 pm

  Ive only had my Saturn Hybrid for a couple of weeks, and I am thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. I havent taken time to check out the gas mileage yet, but I can already tell it is better than that of my old Lumina 6cyl. I love my new Saturn VUE.

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  2nd Orange VUE - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Jay - April 9 - 12:30 pm

  The VUE has some great pick up and go thanks to a 250hp engine mated with a 5 spd auto. Gas milage varies ofcourse with how you drive, but generally not to bad. Descent front and rear leg room. Cargo capacity is descent and with the second row down seems almost endless. I enjoy the new face and jeweled headlamps, that shine bright on a dark night. The new power drivers seat with lumbar is nice and the heated seats feel great, but the higher setting gets pretty warm. I did have the element in one seat replaced within one year of having the VUE. The VUE has an awesome turning radious and a great ride height. No complaints with the steering as some people whine about. Fun to drive, try it.

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  A Fun SUV - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By gt95 - April 9 - 10:00 am

  For my first new vehicle it has been a pleasant experience all around. The people at the dealership have been very helpful. The no haggle on price takes away the adversity. The vehicle is priced right to be a great value. It has the latest inovations including electronic steering. I feel confident that if I keep up on regular maintenance the car will last a long time. The back seat has plenty of room.

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  My Cypress Saturn - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Saturn Cypress - April 7 - 11:40 pm

  This is my second VUE. It is more than I expected in a mid-sized SUV. It is easy to get in and out of. Very roomy, lots of cargo space. I and my husband thoroughly enjoy driving this vehicle and plan to keep it for a number of years unless Saturn improves on this model substantially. Saturn has a quality, classic vehicle and their customer service is to be envied by other auto makers and dealerships. Ask any Saturn owner!

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  Great buy/best room and comfort - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Great buy/best room - April 7 - 3:10 pm

  We took a great length of time in evalauating all available SUV and CUV and found Saturn Outlook to be best in class. This is our first American car. It has more head and leg room overall. This is the only vehicle in SUV/CUV class with a practical 3rd row, enough leg and head room for 3-adults. Saturn has outdone themselves with this product, its comfortable and stylish with excellent finish both inside and outside with lots of well thoughtout details for convenience and comfort. We found this vehicle to be better then Acura MDX, Nissan Armada, and even Audi Q7 and it cost atleast 10,000 less then those automotives.

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  Very Impressed...but waiting! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Preacher Man - April 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd Saturn. Love the looks... Thrilled about the safety features.I received 3750 off of the price of the car and that made it well worth it. Love the Honda engine and transmission. The exterior looks are very stylish. Need seperate trip along with odometer that can be read at the same time. Bumpers need to be the same color. Do not like the exhaust showing in the rear. Overall an excellent vehicle, but I will wait and see how it all turns out! I am hoping that after one to two years this vehicle will be very reliable and trust worthy. I am loyal to Saturn.

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  Best SUV for the money (IMO) - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Hockey Crazed - April 5 - 10:00 am

  After 4 months, no major complaints. Got the 4cyl, 5 speed manual with Sport Plus package (power everything, sunroof, alloy wheels, compass, RKE) all under $15K. Ample power and accel. with the 5 speed. Traded off getting the V6 in order to have a manual shift. Getting approx 400 miles per tank and about 26-28MPG. Can easily carry 2 hockey players (incl. a goalie) and their equip with the rear split seat folded down. My wife says the rear seats and legroom are more spacious than her Subaru Forester. Love the exterior looks though I would prefer to have foglamps. Cant wait to upgrade the looks by having roof rails, mud flaps, front grill and side step bars

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  Reba The Rabbit - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By MWalsh - April 5 - 10:00 am

  We are very happy with our vehicle. Before we retired, we drove 160 miles a day, to and from work. Reba handled very good on Rt.#95, and we get very good mileage. We found no problem with the steering, in fact we love the easy steering. We actually bought the car in 2002, the first year it was out, right off the showroom floor! They have made some improvements since then, all for the better! We are looking forward to seeing their new "Relay". It looks beautiful. Reba is in retirement with us right now and doesnt get used that often, and she looks as good as new! Sincerely, M. Walsh

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  Pleasant Surprises! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Jackie - April 4 - 11:33 pm

  Surprised performance and reliability. Didnt even want to look at the car when searching, but tried it and fell in love. Much like any car, it had a few issues, RT strut tower clunking, dealer fixed. At 49K torque converter went out, dealer fixed. Now I have annoying squeeking noises from tire areas. Volume down button on steering wheel changes channel, not sound. Road and wind noise from frt passenger door. Replaced tires rather quickly..less than 20K miles. Overall, love the performance and the look. Like it way better than 2005 models. Had some flaws, but great car. Dealer great at covering warranty issues. I love the car. First car I bought brand new and will run it to the ground.