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 loving this car! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By tiffanie02 - August 3 - 3:02 pm

  I just bought a 2008 Saturn Vue with 38,600 miles and i am loving it. I have always owned SUVs large and small, mostly Ford and Nissian. When we bought our Nissian Armada, I thought i was in heaven. But the Vue is just perfect for my daily commute to work, hauling my to growing sons (14 and 9), and for all of my teaching materials. I love the trunk space, its enough to add a 3rd row. Although I do believe that there would be more leg room in the back seat if there wasnt so much space used for the trunk. The drivers seat is pretty comfy, fabric with heated seats. I set up the OnStar system, saved my fav radio stations, set the clock all in a matter of 45 minutes.

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  Love my Redline - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Love my Redline! - August 3 - 9:03 am

  My 2007 Redline was an upgrade from my 2005 Vue. Basically the cars are the same mechanically but the Redline just says roadster. It stands out in a crowd and I love the power. I had a Subaru WRX before my Vues. The Vue outperforms and is much roomier than the Subarus. I love the all wheel drive, room, the dent resistant panels which are no longer available in 2008. Come on Saturn bring them back! That was what made your product unique. I love my Redline. Too bad they had to change it. Love the Honda motor and hope to keep this for a long while. 22 mpg over all on the average is great for the size of the engine/vehicle.

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  I Love It! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Shugee - August 3 - 5:56 am

  They should make all cars as good as the Saturn. It gets excellent mileage, is comfortable on the road, and you can not beat the customer service. Recently I was involved in an incident on the road. A large bar had fallen off a truck in the dark and I hit it. I called the road side assistance, and they were wonderful. It was late at night, in the middle of nowhere, and they had a tow truck there in 30 minutes, got us safely to a motel,and had the repairs done quickly. I might add, everyone I told this story too said they were amazed the car didnt flip, or sustain serious damage. It doesnt surprise ME because I know how well Saturns are build. I will ALWAYS own a Saturn.

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  Good ride except for brakes - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By anita king - August 1 - 3:40 pm

  I was so excited to get my 2004 Saturn Vue in December of 2007. Here it is March and now all of a sudden at the beginning of March I start having problems with the brakes. I couldnt buy an extended warrenty because I dont have the extra cash. I talk with a service manager and he told me to bring it in it would cost 85 dollars since my warranty was over by 3 days and 338 miles. But you are in such a hype to get a car you need that all you want to do is just get the car. I was at the gas station and heard this lady talking about her car with the same problems.

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  Saturn VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Ron Motta - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I live in New England and the VUE has been totally reliable and excellent in the inclement weather. Its extremely versatile and has been backed flawlessly by the dealer. I would strongly recommend looking into the VUE if an individual is looking for a maderate sized SUV or a station wagon.

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  Love my Ion! Has 225k miles on it and still running strong! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By rcameron5 - July 29 - 10:27 am

  I love my Ion. It is a very trust worthy car. I bought it used and it had 205K miles on it and it now has 225K miles and it is still running strong. The air is ice cold, it runs great. Always gets me where I need to be! The only thing that has been wrong with it. If the wheel isnt just straightly perfect it wont go to the off on the ignition. It will only go to accessories. I just stick my finger up this hole and press this button and it goes to off and right out. Easy fix! But, it is stylish for the year and runs good. I love my Ion!! I cant wait to see how long it will last me!

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  Good for the Money! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By FatherOfThree - July 27 - 9:33 am

  Nice size for kids. Good performance & reliabilty with the Honda V6. Handling is so so and interior dash is not much to look at (very plasticly) Overall, a good value.

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  Reviewers have heads in dark places - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Frank Farkle - July 26 - 10:00 am

  Have a FULLY loaded ION 3/5M and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH A VEHICLE! Puke on Edmunds and Consumer Reports bogus reviews. Whatre they smoking? The ION 3 is the best in class for the money, bar none! It holds a 45 mph corner, at 75 mph, without blinking. The leather seats are excellent. Bought for mileage and drivability - NOT racing off the line. Top-end optional sound system is exceptional. Interior egronomics, fit and finish, are quite nice - electronics - state of the art. $20K vehicle that has a tighter turning radius than Audis A4.

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  Good car for the money - 2004 Saturn ION
  By JW - July 24 - 6:23 pm

  Overall I have been satisfied with this car. Its fun to drive, looks good, and I got it for a very good price. Storage space is a big plus. The trunk is spacious, and you can fold the front passenger seat flat to accomodate something as long as 10 feet. Although this car only got average reviews, I bought it mainly because I liked the looks and wanted to drive something slightly unique. The interior quality doesnt bother me, nor do the seats. My only major beef is with the steering, as it seems a little touchy at times. But I like the power, am satisfied with the gas mileage, and have had only one mechanical problem and that was with a short circuit in my headlamp switch.

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  What a fun little ride - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By beckaroo8026 - July 20 - 12:53 pm

  I love it bacause its fun to drive , easy to park, and has fast pickup. I can easily see using the review mirror, which is where the Equinox lost me. We have the Redline, which my husband picked for the 18 inch wheels and lowered suspension. No sway in turns. Its way more fun then my LeSabre.