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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  Great car - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By RON - October 26 - 12:46 am

  I bought this car to tow behind my motor home. Im a full timer and tow it a lot. Great all around gas milage, great ride, looks real nice. So far my only complaint is the key fob failed to function properly and had to be replaced by dealer. If Saturn continues to around ,I will buy another and I hope it does

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  Good value needs small V-6 - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By paul blais - October 23 - 7:50 pm

  Good value, style and safety for the money but the 3800 lb curb weight is too much for the 4 cylinder if you try to use the cruise control on the hilly back roads of NH. The good news on the 4 cylinder is you can average 26 mpg or more if you keep it 70 mph or less on the highway. Any hill will cause a downshift and jump in RPMs. The downshift is usually smooth except in the hills. Front seats seem short and drivers foot rest uncomfortable. Ride and handling are very good for the style of vehicle. A fuel efficient V-6 mated to a 5-speed auto would be perfect. But at $4 a gallon for gas, I would still go with the 2WD 4 banger if this is the style of vehicle you want.

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  Saturn Aura - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Orlando Johnson - October 23 - 11:40 am

  Great car, great looking car, that turns heads everywhere I go. People can not believe that this car is a Saturn. The ride is so smooth, powerful and quiet you would think that you are riding in an expensive luxury car.

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  A DRIVE WITH A VUE - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Gary - October 20 - 4:30 pm

  I have had my Vue for 14 months and have not experienced any mechanical or electrical problems. The V-6 is a very good engine and has plenty of power. It handled great in the snow last winter. The only complaints I have are the tires seem to be wearing out faster than I would have anticipated even though they are filled with nitrogen gas and maintains the recommended pressure in both hot and cold weather. The rear cargo cover gets in the way of hauling larger items. I like the exterior and interior styling. Im glad I got the V- 6 AWD. I did my research before I bought and was a little scared that the 4 cylinder would not be powerful enough for the weight of the vehicle

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  I am glad I own a Saturn VUE - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By William N LaBerge Sr - October 20 - 12:36 pm

  This vehicle is what I thought I would not buy at first, then I took a test drive, and that was all I needed, I am not sorry that I got it. We took it to Las Vegas, and got 28 to 29 miles to the gallon

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  Excellent - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By texasvuegal - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Steering is not very favorable.

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  Owner review of 2008 Sky Redline - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Longmont-sky - October 17 - 12:00 pm

  This car is very fun to drive! Has great acceleration and reminds of "space mountain" at Disney world. Handling and cornering are incredible. Who says you need to slow down when going around a 90 degree corner! Pretty good gas mileage as well. I can get 33mpg on the highway and in the city I would say 24-25mpg if youre not too much of a lead foot.

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  Yep its a Saturn - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Dafer - October 14 - 10:13 am

  Ive had this car for 2 months. I have the XR with just the standard features. (came with a lot of standard features) Absolutely love the way it looks. The way the 18 inch wheels fill the wheelwells. Its been compared to an Audi A4 or a BMW. The 3.6 V6 has plenty of get up and go. No need to worry about getting onto a highway and the gas mileage is great for the horsepower. I was looking for a quiet highway car, the Aura is very quiet on the highway. The only complaint I have is the Midnight Blue is hard to keep clean, should have gone with the White or Silver.

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  Still - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Edwin Cousins - October 12 - 2:40 pm

  Got this car early in the market, and still get compliments and heads double looking. I often dont know what to say in response to the compliments since I wasnt the one to design it. The combination of power, fuel economy, styling is perfect. Plenty of room(Im 62"). The dashboard info and interior accent lighting one would expect on a $10 - $15,000 higher priced car. I love this car so much that this will be the first time I repeat-buy on a vehicle, and Im a former Honda owner. Move out the way Im coming to get a 2009 Aura!

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  Safe, fun, practical, and hot! - 2006 Saturn ION
  By SnowI3unny - October 9 - 12:23 pm

  I LOVE my ION! I had an 04 ION until October 25th of this year when I was involved in a wreck and the entire front end of my car just kinda went...POOF! BUT, I walked away without a scratch..perfectly fine. We were told that they hadnt seen that much damage and the person standing there telling them what happened. These cars are absolutely wonderful. After everything with the wreck was resolved and the other persons insurance got us our check for the 04..we went straight to our dealer and got another ION but an 06. The two do handle much differently took a little bit to get used to, but I love it. And the dent resistant paneling is great for new drivers. Because we all know accidents happen