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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  Excellent Bargain - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Jason - May 23 - 8:40 am

  250 hp Honda Engine. Excellent fuel economy. Excellent styling in and out, truly a standout in its class.

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  Do not buy this vehicle! - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Karen - May 23 - 1:30 am

  Cannot tell you what I have spent on this since we bought it used in 2014. I very regretfully traded in my 2004 Ion for this money pit. It had just under 80k miles when we bought it and I have done a lot of maintenance and some repairs. Just had the alternator and battery replaced last week, which cost 1k, now it has trouble starting!! Getting checked out today and stomach is in knots wondering what the hell else is wrong. Done sinking money in this vehicle. Stay away from this truck!

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  Brakes - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Rachel - May 22 - 8:23 am

  My experience with my Saturn Vue has been pretty good. The only thing that I have noticed is that when I happen to hit a bump on the road or a pothole if I have my foot on the brake I loose my brake. It almost feels as though my foot is bouncing on the pedal. Other then that, I love the SUV. It is perfect for my family.

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  Attractive with room to spare - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Jaw2th - May 21 - 8:33 am

  I have had my Outlook for a little over 2 months now and there is a lot to love about this crossover SUV. First, its external beauty. The overall appearance and lines of this vehicle borders on stunning. The interior is well designed, the ride is comfortable and the handling is decent. I have not taken a long trip yet but the city mileage is about as good as the smaller 2001 V6 Tribute I had. Still Im only getting avg.17 miles/gal in the city. Not that great considering the trade-off; a slow responding transmission. The car gets pushed around in heavy crosswinds. There is no help handle on the drivers side. The side door pockets are awkward. Still I love this car. Admiring stares rule!

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  Parts? Performance? - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By rcraft - May 20 - 11:40 pm

  When I bought this Saturn I liked it very much till things started happening. Rear wiper will cycle one time each time you close the rear hatch. Had a transmission repaired and they messed up my front wheel alignment when they had to disconnect the steering linkage to fix the trans. Took a rock to my windshield and then could not find a windshield anywhere in USA that my mirror would attach to because the mount for the mirror was different than other vues. Rear wiper blade can only be replaced by buying the complete arm at Chevy dealer for $47.00 (no refills around that fits). Now my windshield wipers stop working as Im going through a rain storm and starts back up when it wants to.

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  Best in Class - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Frank Kulp - May 20 - 6:16 pm

  I never expected to be a VUE owner, but after test driving many competitors, the VUE AWD version was the best. The AWD with roof rails and chrome package looks great. The Honda engine has great acceleration. Handling and suspension is also on par with competitors. Interior is attractive and seating is roomy and comfortable. Make sure you test drive, this is best alternative for a street driving SUV. Beats Equinox,Santa Fe, Escape,& Liberty "hands down".

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  My Vue of 2003 VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By SRW4327 - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Since I bought my Vue, I have found that I have a truly excellent vehicle. It handles well, corners great, no top- heavy feel. Loading capacity is 1/3 from back to dashboard-meaning I can pick up lumber when needed. Fold- down 2/3 rear seat gives room for lots of gear & a passenger, too. Styling is top-notch--still getting lots of "looks" when driving around. Breaking is sure and steady with ABS, even in very incliment weather. Leather package makes the heated front seats nice and cozy, great heater & defroster. Great sound system. 6cd changer in-dash & cassette, too. The best, most comfortable all-around vehicle I have ever had.

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  very few problems- and they arent big! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Pretty Happy! - May 20 - 1:13 am

  My ION has been great since the first day I drove off the lot 4 years ago. The gas mileage is great for my typical driving day, and the maintenance has been minimal- basic upkeep and tune-ups. This week was the first time I had any "problems". A few sensors had malfunctioned, causing the check engine light to turn on. I have had issues with it not letting me pull the key out from time to time, mentioned it to the service manager, and they have fixed it. Something was mis-aligned in the ignition housing. I am happy with my choice, and would be purchasing a new saturn if they still had the ION.

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  Love My Car! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Joella Ciukaj - May 17 - 10:56 am

  I love to drive this car. Handles really good. I can really move fast qiuckly and get away from the big trucks. Love the way it looks. Mine is black and it looks good. I get a lot of looks and people tell me they like the way it looks all the time. Leather seats that have warmers inside.Start the car from my window so its all warm when I get in. Moon roof I can open on pretty days. Love the OnStar feature. Send me emails every month on my car performance. Gets 21- 22 mpg in city 24-25 on road. Very satisfied with my Saturn XR Aura.

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  Not a bad little car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Some Kid - May 16 - 10:06 am

  GM/Saturn did a pretty good job with this car. About 60/40 driving conditions (city/highway), I get between 28-30 mpg. Its not a very fast car (despite the way Saturn designed the exterior) but it will get you to where you need to go while sipping on fuel. I do not like the interior. The rear seating of the 2 door quad coupe is unbearable and not comfortable for anyone over about 57" ish. Good size trunk space. The instrument cluster (speedometer and such) is in the center of the dash...kind of unnecessary. If you youre a commuter and arent looking for an over luxerious vehicle, this is for you.