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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  So Far So Good - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Leeanne - November 2 - 2:23 pm

  I have only had my car for approx 7 months, but so far so good. I havent had any real issues excellent for my car making a high pitch sqeaking noise when I start it up in cold weather. I have taken it to my dealer a few times and they cant figure it out. Quite annoying. Overall I love my car. My friends think I drive the coolest car in the city.

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  Saturn did it right! Great Car - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Worth the wait!!!!! - November 1 - 8:56 pm

  Ordered car in June last year. Waited and waited and car came in April. I am glad I waited for this car. Fit, style, paint, all TOP NOTCH!!! Shifts smooth and clean. Runs just fine and even better than I thought for a 4 cyl. Recomend manual, gives the car a bit more pep. Top works realively easily and wife can handle with no trouble. Trunk space small, but expected. I did get my golf bag in with top up. So far I give GM and Saturn an A++++ on this roadster! The new supercharged SKY should give it a bit more perfomance, but I am well satisfied. As I put on more miles I will update the review. For now -- GREAT!!

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  Excellent ride - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By spidermonkey1 - October 30 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle drives like a car and is extremly fun to drive for an suv.

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  2 Months in shop - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Bad Vue - October 29 - 3:00 am

  Stay away from the Vue. We have had our Vue for about 18 months and it has sent over 2 months in the shop. 2 front wheel bearings, a strut, front linkage, air conditioner have all been replaced. The drivers and passenger doors and tailgate had to be repainted and we paid the the additional money for the paint and fabric protection. We talked to customer service at Saturn and they told us that the noise it is making now is a lumbering noise that is probably sheet metal flexing when you go over bumps. Nothing they can fix. Incredible! Something is wrong in the front end and it is definitely a safety issue and they wont do anything about it. We need help before bearings go out again!

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  Love It!! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Outlook Owner - October 28 - 12:00 am

  Saturn really got it right this time! This vehicle doesnt just look good- it rides sooo smooth (better than the Acadia), has a lot of luxury features, and has lots of room (we have two small children and can actually walk around their carseats!). Gas mileage is great for a large SUV- I get about 17 city, 20-21 highway. I love the power liftgate, auto start, and the dual sunroofs are impressive looking. The interior looks very quality, and the overall vehicle feels very solid. Definitely Recommend!

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  "I Lo VUE" - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By docv - October 27 - 10:33 pm

  I love my VUE.... we had the 2002 and it was noisy so when I saw the Honda v6 plus the extras we didnt ge the first time around I traded in and got this one. Went to Fla. after the hurricanes and enjoyed the ride , until I saw the house ( uhhh ). Were looking at the ION for my wife now.... Had 4 Saturns so far . God bless the USA

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  Great Vehicle except... - 2009 Saturn Outlook
  By tkm52 - October 27 - 2:57 pm

  Ive owned the XR for a about 1 year and it has been great. The only drawback is the transmission is a little sluggish when trying to excelerate in automatic mode. The problem is reduced when you use manual mode. If you know you are coming up on a situation like entering a crowded interstate youll need to manually downshift to 4 or 5 to be able to have sufficient power to merge. The first time I did this I was in automatic mode and scared the hell out of me. The another minor item is when filling the tank. Be aware that a sleeve is in the opening so the nosel is partically sealed triggering shutoff prematurely. I can get another 2-3 gallon in the tank by pulling the nosel back when filling.

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  More Fun han Any Other Compact - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Don - October 25 - 1:16 am

  The last time I had this much fun was driving my 1975 Opel Manta (imported by Buick), and the Astra (another Opel) handles even better. Previously I drove a VW Golf which my Astra with sports suspension beats hands down. Its no wonder the Astra sales have been neck and neck with Golfs in Europe for 5 years. The solid fit and finish, and classy interior rival my co-workers BMW 5 series. Its quieter than any of the various midsize cars Ive rented on trips (I can actually hear the nuances of a jazz CD at 70 mph). And whats more practical than a small hatchback? Once you read the quicky instructions, the computer controls are a snap. The best small car GM has sold.

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  Don and Sue - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Don Foreman - October 24 - 10:13 am

  We drove this new vehicle from Oregon to Missouri and back, puting over 5,200 miles on it and only show 21 MPG. Otherwise, the Outlook is very quiet and comfortable. We have owned new Cadillacs in the past and this unit is close.

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  Good Car, Some Caveats - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Matt_A - October 24 - 3:36 am

  Ion 2 purchased new at end of season, with a power package. An econocar, with great exterior styling (seemed to be copied in the 2004 Nissan Maxima). The engine has plenty of power and pep than the older Saturn S Series. Long drives were extremely comfortable, suspension was comfy, seats are firm yet comfortable enough for 6 hour drives. The soft donut hole head rests (reminiscent of the Audi) are great for the passenger looking for a sleep and for seeing through. The innovative center console is cool/easy to read. Flexible body panels are excellent, a BMW bumped into the rear in a parking lot and no harm to the Ion but it crumpled up the BMW side panel. The huge trunk is a bonus.