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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  Love this Truck - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Karen - December 12 - 8:43 am

  I have loved this truck since the moment I sat in the drivers seat. It handles so smoothly. We drove it on many long trips and all passengers were very comfortable. All gagets are within perfect reach. It really holds 8 passengers comfortably. If I had to do it over again I would have stuck with the 7 passenger model because the middle seats were more like the driver seats and had more versatility in leaning them back further. Other than that I love my Saturn and cant believe there will be no more...

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  Best Car in its Class - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By Pat - December 11 - 10:06 am

  I have driven the Aura XR for a year and 15k mi. It still performs like the day I bought it. It is an exceptional value when you compare it to Camry, Accord etc. The Fusion and Malibu are the closest but both cost more. I consistently get 30mpg in mixed driving. I have driven several 6sp/4cyl combos and the GM one is by far the best out there in shifting, power and mpg so I am not sure I would trust those other remarks on here. If you want a great performing sedan with class leading safety, mpg and feature set that is fun to drive, looks classy and is whisper quiet then the Aura is for your. Under $20k with Leather, heated seats, XM, bluetooth, onstar and 100k warranty!

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  Pleasant Surprise - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Saturner1 - December 7 - 8:46 pm

  Never would I have expected to buy a Saturn. But I liked the looks when the car came out. Still, it was sort of unexciting. When the Redline came out the excitement was added and I purchased one. It had been a few years since I drove stick, but this one is so easy and smooth that it came back right away. Excellent seats (Recaro), great wheels, nice styling. Unique enough to draw stares, fast enough to surprise most and economical to drive and own. A very pleasant surprise.

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  Im a Star in my Sky! - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Star in my Sky - December 7 - 8:33 pm

  Yes, folks its all that youve heard and more. Ive been complimented by people driving everything from a Porsche to a Bentley Continental (yes, you read that right). People cant take their eyes off it, and I cant keep myself out of it. After only 8 weeks Ive already got close to 5k miles on it -- its that fun to drive! I knew up front about its power deficiency and I have yet to be disappointed by its performance. Then again, Im not attempting to race all these sports cars that sidle up next to me on the freeway in an attempt to goad me into a race.

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  Great SUV! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By quilter - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I really like the roomy interior - its long enough with the seats down to carry a 2x4 and tall enough to haul a 27" TV. The height is just perfect - its easy to slide right in. I have not had any problems in the first 2800 miles.

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  Love this car - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By dcfvaxman - December 5 - 5:53 pm

  I love driving this car. I got a comment today from another driver that pulled up next to me. He said, what is that thing. He couldnt take his eyes off of it. Mine is a bright yellow which is a real eye catcher. A design flaw is that not enough tolerance was designed between the engine hood and the open drivers door. If you shut the hood with the door open, that will hit and chip off the paint.

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  I love my Astra - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By ChristaC - December 2 - 10:33 pm

  This is my 4th Saturn. They just keep getting better and better. No one knows what the Astra is! I find people staring trying to figure it out! It looks great and drives/handles even better.

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  Superior Vehicle - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By laf5 - December 2 - 10:32 am

  I bought my 04 VUE brand new. 7.5 years later with over 150,000 miles on it, I lost it to a large deer in the engine. This vehicle has been incredibly reliable. Ive never had to do more than regular maintenance. At 120k I had brakes done (probably could have waited, but I knew it HAD to be coming soon!) and was never completely satisfied with the replacement brakes (squeak). Other than that, oil changes, new wiper blades, tires, air filters, and 100k tune-up. This was my 2nd Saturn and am sad that GM discontinued such a superior line of vehicles - especially now that my VUE has been totaled! I will miss her and worry that I will never find another vehicle as reliable. Bring Saturn back!

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  The Great Compromiser - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Ad Astra - December 1 - 2:36 pm

  When shopping for a new car, I was torn between the Mazda3, VW Rabbit, Honda Fit, and Scion xD. The Mazda3 and Rabbit were fun to drive, but didnt get great mileage. The xD and Fit were not nearly as exciting to drive, but get amazing mileage. The Astra fell in between the two categories, as it was really fun to drive, but also pretty good on gas. 28.5MPG on my first tank with 40% Very hilly City/ 60% Highway. The handling is superb, it zips around corners with ease. Ive been trying to press it to the limits, but I have yet to get so much as a squeak out of the tires in turns. Finally, a real European car!

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  GM Still The Best (Value & All Else) - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Charlie - December 1 - 12:53 am

  Bought this baby (black with black & gray leather) at an incredible price. I am a GMS customer, and I got$5K rebate and some GM loyalty. But what a car at any price. Quiet and smooth. Love the tap shifting, and it can scoot. Parked next to an $60K Audi S6, also black, and my Saturn got more attention and alot more walk arounds. But what I really like the most is the window sticker that says "Built in Kansas City with 98% USA components". The 3.6 V6 is manufactured at the Tonawanda NY engine plant, that GM spent $400 million renovating in 2000, with good high paying engineering & manufacturing jobs. My first 300 mile trip averaged 30.8 mpg at about 65mph.