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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  My New Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By ddblyou - May 9 - 2:00 am

  Corners very well and is a nice car to drive to work. I have not had any problems to date and the sales people at Saturn dealerships are the best! There was no hassle at all.

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  dont waste your money on a saturn - 2004 Saturn ION
  By lemon driver - May 9 - 2:00 am

  These cars are poorly built and are a costly mistake to own. If you value your money and what something that will hold up, buy a toyota. Dont learn the hard way like I did.

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  First 1000 miles - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Pleased - May 7 - 1:10 pm

  So far very plesed! The silence was deafening at first. After driving a BMW I was taken back by the plush quiet ride of this American piece of art. Dont get me wrong German cars are made to drive where as Aura was made to relax and enjoy the ride. If you truly want to be pleased you will love this car. I am getting rave reviews from evrybody that sees it. Generally people are shocked when they learn that it is an American made vehicle not to mention a Saturn. This car is Lexus on the cheap. I have only driven this Aura 1000 miles but, I can tell you Accord Camry, Malibu, Mazda, Mercury, and Ford can not touch this vehicles many attributes! You owe it to yourself, try one.

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  SUV: COMFORT AND AFFORDABILITY - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By BANG FOR BUCK - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Due to cash restrictions, I could not go for the full size SUV but I have four kids. The Saturn VUE offers a lot of leg room for front and rear. The rear seats fold down flat and lock in place for extra storage. Standard sound system is of good quality. They say 29/24 mpg. Not so, more like 24/22. I have a 4cc/5 speed. Not a lot of pickup. Smooth, comfortable ride and easy on the pocket book. Great deal.

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  1/2 a Honda - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By kaylie99 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Aggresive exterior styling and an excellent powertrain made this the best choice in the segment. Huge dealer incentive made it impossible to say no.

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  Think hard before you buy the ION - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Patrice Shields - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my ION in March of this year. I am already hearing rattling noise under the car. I also do not feel that it is a smooth ride. I am also furious because the seats are made of a cloth material that stain. I only drink water in my car and the water creates large round areas of discoloration on the seats and it doesnt come out. I am just disappointed in my new car.

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  2005 Saturn VUE - even better - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Angela - May 2 - 12:06 pm

  My 2005 Saturn VUE is my second. After being hit head-on in my 2002 VUE (from which I escaped with only a foot injury) I had thoughts of nothing but another one. Exceptional service and a wonderful sales team had cemented my good feelings for the VUE. The 2005 has better pick-up. The problems - such as a few rattles and sqeaks - had all been tweaked. And, the interior really is a lot prettier. There is something about the build of the interior that seems geared to the smaller body size of a woman. I feel as at-home as I ever have while driving while my husband is not as comfortable. I also get an amazing amount of comments on the looks of the vehicle. It looks much more expensive than it is

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  Do Not Buy - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Robin - April 29 - 2:16 pm

  I bought my car a year and half ago and thought it was good. Boy was I wrong. Everything was good until 80,000 miles then my engine literally blew up. Cost me $1000 to buy a used engine. Now 2 weeks later, my car is back in the garage with a transmission that blew up. It costs $4500 just for the transmission! Saturn has a lawsuit due to faulty transmissions so now I have to see if I can get them to pay for some of it. If they wont, I dont know what Im going to do. I cant afford to pay all that money in one month. I am looking to trade mine in. I will NEVER buy a Saturn again!

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  unusal - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By tmjdragon - April 29 - 12:40 pm

  Ive had this Vue since 2005 My mother in law owned before me and she too had to take it in alot. But since Ive had it I have not had to take it in, but Ive had a few problems of my own. the wheel bearing went out 3 times (the rear) and I replaced it my self but recieved the wrong part but it still works. the transmission well it is tempermental it likes to stutter then it goes of course saturn mech says they all do that so Ive been dealing with that since 2007. Its not a bad car and my wife has put that corn fuel in it, seems to run alright with it even though saturn says dont cause it wont run with it

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  The View On the Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By BrittanyCJ - April 28 - 4:53 pm

  I am a 24 year old mother of one and the view is my second car. I was excited about having my very first SUV! I love the car but must admit the seats are a TOTALLY HEADACHE! I hate the fact they become dirty so easily. I have yet to find something that will clean them. Other than the interior, the car is awesome. My son likes it and I do too. I would recommend this car just with leather seats!