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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  This is a Saturn? - 2003 Saturn ION
  By CSE - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I just recently purchaced a Saturn Ion 3. Never considered this car company before, mainly because of the looks. I had friends that swear by these cars and have beat them to death. I had seen the incentive ads in the newspaper and decided to have a look and a test drive. That was all it took, just went to look and drove away with a loaded 3. Just took it on an straight 18 hour trip, confortable the whole way. Good gas milage, I like the gas filler on the right. I like the small steering wheel, makes getting in and out much easier, with the added plus of more leg room, good design feature. Im 64" tall and I fit! Way to go Saturn.

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  Whole Lot of Fun - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Lucky19 - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the car for three weeks and have put over 1000 miles on it. I love driving it. Its responsive, quick and turns on a dime. I didnt buy it to go 0-60 in 5, so I am pleased with how fast it is. I have the CVT automatic, and it regularly surprises me with power,agility and responsiveness. My daughter (9)loves the back doors and being able to see the guages. It took all of one outting to get used to guage location. I love the smaller steering wheel and I especially like the view out front. It is everything I expected for the money, and its even more fun than I thought it would be.

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  Great SUV - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By rush - June 22 - 6:16 am

  We bought the Outlook after purchasing an 07 Aura a few months back. We were so impressed with the Aura we figured we couldnt go wrong with the Outlook. We were right. It gets good gas mileage for a large SUV. The ride and interior are very comfortable.

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  The Oil Companies Can Kiss My Astra! - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Frank Kissmyastra - June 20 - 6:00 pm

  The gas mileage has been incredible. I have been averaging 35 to 37 mpg in the foothills of the Rock Mountains! This is with the 5 speed stick. I have found that using the A/C full blast will cost you about one mile per gallon. This is a fun car to drive. It handles like a sports car. The Astra loves to corner. It exudes that glued to the road feeling. Safety features that are typically only found on luxury cars. Being a small car, I want all of the safety I can get. This car is unmatched in its class. The car is comfortable. The leather seats have a great seating position with plenty of support. This car is loaded with toys!

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  SaturnVue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By DON - June 19 - 8:50 am

  I have owned this vehicle for two years and it has been a very pleasant experience. I highly reccommend this vehicle to everyone and will probably buy another just like it in two or three more years. I have talked to several friends who own a Saturn VUE and they all like it very much and plan on buying another VUE when they get ready to trade.

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  Great SUV - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By jborch - June 18 - 3:36 pm

  Ive only had my 06 VUE for a week, but I have to say my faith in American automakers is being revived. This is a fantastic vehicle. I love driving it. The 4-cyl has ample power with the 5- sp. transmission (and anyway I am more looking for gas mileage than power). The interior design is attractive and quite functional. I havent noticed any squeaks or build problems. The Vue handles great on the road. The price was fantastic compared with the higher- priced Honda CRV. I love the VUE!

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  Great Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Brian - June 18 - 5:20 am

  There are many cars for the same price and performance, what makes this one stand up? Well uniqueness will be my definition. Other small sport cars only have 2 doors and there rear seat passengers dont have easy access. others have 4 doors and they look like a sedan but with performance. this car does have four doors but once they are close it looks like one. Best part of all people think Saturns are family car with fuel economy and slow, well not the Red Line. 0 to 60 6.2 and 1/4 of the mile 14.80 not bad that all.

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  Birthday present - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By cielo07 - June 16 - 9:23 pm

  This is a beautiful car! My husband bought it for me as a gift but I think he really bought it for himself as he cannot stop raving about it. I chose the bluestone color which clearly was worth the wait. Cant wait until the weather warms up so I can really have some fun!

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  I had my-eye-on an ION. - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Chris - June 16 - 6:13 pm

  I was unsure about buying a Saturn. I think it was because their are a lot of them on the roads and the older ones have that real plastic look to them. I think that my 2005 Saturn Ion is pretty sharp. It is fun to drive and it handles well in the snow, which is helpful here in Wisconsin. It really is a sharp car inside and out and I would recommend the Saturn Ion to anyone. Chris

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  Fresh off the Truck - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Robert - June 15 - 5:26 am

  Great look and feel. The only, I mean only, flaw is the 4 cycle engine. I get great gas mileage but I would sacrafice a few MPG for some more power. I struggles to maintain 70-80 mile per hour on the interstate - the smallest hills, even overpasses, cause a 4-8 mph drop in speed which causes a downshift. Even if you give it a little more gas it wont help, the 4 cycle VUE has to shift down to get back to the cruising speed. If you are not concerned with power and would rather MPG then stick with the XE but if you need power then spend the extra and upgrade to the XR. But definitely get a 2008 Saturn VUE. Excellent vehicle.