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:

• 

  Its A Keeper - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Don - March 15 - 1:43 pm

  I always wanted an SUV. I havent driven my VUE on the open road yet, but if the leveling out of the bumpy roads of my city are any indication, the highway trips should be comfortable. I love the XM radio and will probably continue my subscription past the first "free" year. And I added some minutes to the free minutes I got with the OnStar service. My steering wheel has the hands-free radio tuning and volume control, which has been a joy. The 2.2 litre engine provides enough power for my needs. The gas mileage is right on at 22 mpg in the city. The first road trip is coming on Tuesday, about 240 miles round-trip. So far, Im very pleased with my purchase.

• 

  Very Satisfied with Relay. - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Mad Matt - March 13 - 11:13 pm

  I tested most minivans before purchasing the Relay. Great braking and handling. Confortable for long trips. I bought with heavy incentives from GM, and I like it more that the Honda and Hyundai. I paid 7k less than most of the competition and it is a better minivan. Cant beat that.

• 

  my saturn ion 3 - 2004 Saturn ION
  By hooty50 - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I have had my saturn ion 3 since 12/30 and i absolutely love the car. It rides like a much bigger car than my satuarn sl 1 that i used to have and is bigger inside and also has a bigger trunk. I would reccomend this car to anyone.

• 

  Pacific Blue Bliss - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Dave - March 8 - 5:56 am

  Wow...the re-designed ION3 is just the ticket. Love the ride/handling and layout of the interior. The car is really quiet! Having traded in a 95 SL2 I was amazed at the noise reduction.

• 

  Remarkable workmanship - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By DBROOK3959@AOL.COM - March 8 - 5:53 am

  It handles really well especially on the interstate road, and also I am not really accustomed to drive electric power steering system and it is awesome that how sensitive she handles on the road. Gas mileage is really superb - 25 miles on highway and 19 miles in city. I have arthritis am overweight its easy for me to get in and out of the Vue.

• 

  Great Vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By jcmoore1976 - March 7 - 10:00 am

  The Vue is an excellent vehicle when equipped with the Honda V6 engine. The interior is my only complaint. It is not as refined as many other vehicles. I guess I got spoiled after deriving a VW. As far as performance and just plain fun to drive the Vue is a winner.

• 

  Great Value - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By BGK - March 7 - 10:00 am

  I got the sport plus package, which combined with incentives provided a great vehicle for about $15k. Nothing else comes close for the money. I looked at the CR-V which was noiser and unimpressive, with strange interior layout (expecially parking brake). Also looked at the Escape and Vibe, neither of which impressed me either. The VUE had the best features and was easy to get used to.

• 

  Ion Quad - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Eaglep4 - March 7 - 2:00 am

  I have recently purchased a fully loaded saturn ion leval 3 quad coupe. This vehicle is fun to drive and practical with great crash ratings and good gas millage. The saturn buying experiance is like no other... just drop by a saturn dealer youll see what i mean. And it is made by GM so you cant go wrong.

• 

  Surprise - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By connosssieur - March 4 - 1:20 pm

  Overall I am pleased, but find the front drivers seat awkward. A wonderful engine with plenty of power, plus AWD works really well. You can feel the extra control. Power seat could be improved to match say the Muranos, but keep it up. Its a great vehicle. Driving it is fun

• 

  Outstanding Car-Handsdown! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Saturn ION 3 - March 2 - 4:00 am

  I was a truck/SUV type before buying my new Saturn ION. I have no regrets about my purchase and I am highly pleased with this make/model! I recommend this vehicle to anyone. Great horsepower, fuel efficient, and a smooth comfortable ride. Thank you Saturn!