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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  Get one youll like it ! - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Kevin - May 15 - 1:36 pm

  Picked up our new Saturn a month ago and so far are very happy with the quality of vehicle it is. AWD system works very good as we have had good opportunity to test it out in a couple of feet of snow. Works well on icy highways too. My wife is the primary driver and it did not take her long to get used to it (had a Honda Accord prior) Heated sets are great and love the XM radio. Dealership was one of the most pleasant experiences Ive ever encountered while buying a vehicle

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  Love it after 24,000 + miles - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Big Ed - May 10 - 6:33 am

  Ive owned my ION 2 since July 03 and have nearly 25,000 miles on it. I havent had a single problem, not even the dreaded Daytime Running Light issue. Great mileage, peppy engine, decent sound system, and I like the center instrument panel a lot. It does everything its supposed to do and does it without complaint. I am 65" and was worried about interior legroom but it is comfortable for me to drive. I also have no problems starting it in the dead of winter or driving in snowy conditions. I also love the Saturn dealership. Terrific customer service. All in all, this is a great commuter car!

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  Perfect! Would buy this again - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Paula lang - May 7 - 5:46 am

  Handles fantastic. Easy to reach controls. Great fuel economy. I average 20 around town. Lots of acceleration, and room. Tight steering. Great comfort, seat very adjustable for anyone.

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  Tims Car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Tim - May 1 - 2:13 am

  I have driven this car twice to Ft. Lauderdale from Atlanta. I found that the street noise level was above average because I had to increase the radio volume while driving on the expressways and then lower it on city streets. I was a little uncomfortable after driving about 6 hours. I found that my car is reliable and I feel very safe while in the car.

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  Love my car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By bob - April 29 - 3:23 am

  This is my third straight Saturn product, and it has been as reliable as all the other Saturns that I have owned. I even sold my 93 SL to my daughter, and she still drives it and has not even thought about replacing it. I have traveled from Buffalo, NY to Nashville, TN a number of times, and for a compact car it is very comfortable to drive long distance.The gas mileage I was receiving aprox 400 miles per fill up on a 15 gallon tank

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  My Saturn - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Janet Fullen - April 28 - 3:13 pm

  My Saturn has been wonderful. Ive had no problems with her and love the sound of the V-6 Honda engine. Id never driven a SUV before, but found the handling not much different than driving my car. Of course, you have to adjust its center of gravity being a bit different than a car, but it didnt take long at all. The only complaint is the touchup paint. A lot of construction going on in this area with dumptrucks on the road, flying stones. The matched color touchup paint does not match very well.

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  From a satisified owner - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Charlie - April 27 - 11:03 am

  I love this vehicle. This is my 7th Saturn so I can honestly say that it is a fantastic product. I currently own 3 including this one. I am getting @20 MPG in the city and @27 on the highway. Great vehicle.

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  Excellent Value for Its Price - 2007 Saturn ION
  By PhantomSoul - April 26 - 10:36 pm

  Bought my ION when my 4-year-old VW Jetta needed a ridiculously expensive amount of repairs in order to pass the NJ emmissions exam. Since, Ive never looked back. The car has no known issues that Ive experienced and is very reliable, stable at high speeds and has actually been more fun to drive than the last car -- believe it or not. The dealership experience was great too. Pretty much everything youd expect from Saturns reputation. For those of us on a limited budget, the ION shows that we can still get a car that we actually enjoy driving.

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  Great car overall - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Firehawk - April 23 - 6:46 am

  I have been a big fan of the Astra overseas for some time now. Much to my surprise GM finally brought it here, under the Saturn umbrella. Odd but it was here none the less. As soon as my funds allowed I went and test drove one, and drove one home the next day. Im very happy with the little 2-door XR. Its 138hp but its a small car so its got no problem getting up to go. Its very nimble and feels like youre driving a fun, sporty car. I opted out of the 18" rims as they appear too bulky in my opinion and the 17" rims are fantastic. The CD40 Opera upgraded sound package seems a little odd sounding, with a center speaker but Ill have to tweak it before Im too opinionated.

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  Very Practical, and Great Leg Room - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By kierj - April 22 - 10:00 am

  I traded a perfectly good VW Jetta for the VUE and made the right choice. Maintenance costs are substantially lower on the Saturn. The dealerships are modern and clean, not like those aging Chevy and VW dealers. You feel a sense of honesty from the service personnel unlike some other places I used to take my VW.