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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  Exquisite Machine - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By MsJay39 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Im very please with this vehicle so far. It handles with ease and flows smoothly across the highway with expertise. The bodystyle is what peaked my interest in this SUV. I didnt want a large SUV, I just wanted to sit up high enough to view the road and all blind spots clearly. This vehicle meets and exceeds my expectations.

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  I turn the car on, it returns the favor - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Char - September 10 - 4:36 pm

  The car was originally a return from rental, so it was broken in when I bought it. But I love this car. Driving it is like an F-16 on wheels and just as sleek. Some people think I paid 50-60K and stare in disbeleif when I tell what I got for 22K. (Including tire/wheel warranty, bumper to bumper extended warranty and 3rd party remote- which the Saturn warranty covers) The in-town mileage is low but the highway mileage is outstanding. I typically get 35-40 MPG (at around 60) Kia & Hyundai eat your collective hearts out. Because of the high safety rating, insurance cost is very low. But why doent GM advertise it more?

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  My second Saturn - 2003 Saturn ION
  By TChoirAlto 2 - September 5 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Saturn I have owned, and just like my last one, it is reliable, well-made and really fun to drive. The ION has all of the things I liked about the SL and it has lots of new features to like as well. The positioning of the instruments near the center of the dashboard allows excellent visibility through the windshield. The car is roomier than the SL and is higher off the ground, which makes entering and exiting much easier. Electric power steering is much quieter than hydraulic, and the IONs turning radius far surpasses that of the SL. The price is fair, and you get a lot for your money.

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  Edmunds is Rude - 2004 Saturn ION
  By ndspelman - September 5 - 2:00 am

  If you havent noticed by now, every compact/economy car, the edmunds ratings have been "sub-par." whatever, i guess if you compare the saturn ion to lets say a lexus, than hmmm, maybe it is a little less than---maybe perfect! But lets be realistic, what do you expect for $17000. Anyway, this is my second saturn, the first trade in was a 97 sl2 with 180000 miles! This one will take that trip as well. I love saturn, i love the ion, and my next will be the Vue. GO ION!!!!

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  ion does it for us - 2004 Saturn ION
  By berbbel - September 5 - 2:00 am

  Im very pleased with the ION. Perfect first car for my daughter at a great price-competitive with used. Fun to drive for my wife and me as well. Someone should get a life when they critique the flat seats.

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  Something different - 2005 Saturn ION
  By JennyJ9986 - September 3 - 11:23 pm

  If youÂ’re looking for something fun to drive, but you donÂ’t want the cost of an RSX or the unpleasant ride of an SRT-4, then an ION Redline is the way to go. Its fraternal twin the Colbalt SS has the same engine, however the seats are not as comfortable as the Recaros and it doesnt have the two suicide doors for easy access. I like those things so I went with the ION. As far as the center console, I think it allows me to see more of the road, so really itÂ’s just a matter of getting used to it. Plus itÂ’s got 5 star crash test ratings, so not only is it fast, but its safe too.

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  A good one - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By ARC - September 3 - 10:43 pm

  The 2008 Aura XE V-6 is fun to drive and so far has been more than expected. We leased the XE with heated leather seats, boy they work great. Weve been asked twice so far how much we like the vehicle and remarks were: very sharp exterior and very sleek.

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  unique car! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Mark12 - September 3 - 2:00 am

  Unique looks, wonderful, functional and spacy interior. Excellent powertrain, unbelievable steering. You will love this car. The interior is, of course, plastic and cheap, but the car is cheap, so dont expect leather, chrome and wood. Unlike other SUV manufacturers, Saturn guys thought it makes more sense to give you folded front seat and cargo organizer instead of a folding picnic table that comes with CR-V. And, with AWD V6, everything you need is in standard.

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  North Americas Best Kept Secret. - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Erik Poirier - September 2 - 11:16 pm

  I dont know what to say. After having a bad start with a 2008 Vue Hybrid I got myself into an Astra XR with Sport package (sport suspension, 17 inch alloys, performance steering, Stabilitrak) and let me tell you that in my life of 14 vehicles I have never been happier. That is of course once I bought the Astra arm rest /cup holder ($200 installed) and installed Sirius satellite radio. Test drove Mazda3, VW, and Matrix. This was the best. If you are in the market for the automatic, you may want to look elsewhere, they are draging down the ratings of this car. If your in the market for a five speed, reguardless of what you think of GM, take my word, try it out.

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  WOW, its a Saturn? - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Katie - September 2 - 3:56 am

  Overall this car is amazing value for the money! Its quieter than I expected on the inside, due to extra padding on the inside of the soft top. The gas mileage is great if you can stay out of max turbo-boost, which is hard to do! And it is so comfortable. The looks this car gets from luxury car owners is amazing! The car performs very well, has great pick up. I did opt for all the options and it was well worth it. The monsoon system sounds great, and having 6 disc CD in dash as well as XM radio really does come in handy. The stability and traction control systems work great. It really is like driving a Corvette.