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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  FUN - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Mony - December 27 - 2:00 am

  I need a SUV for work and drive all over the place. The VUE is fun to drive and hauls a lot of stuff. I too have gone fast and felt the steering wheel start to shake which is disconcerting. I find it very comfortable, although my teenage kids and husband dont. They dont have enough room and arent crazy about the ride. I am the owner and driver and I just love it!!! I think it should be made a little quieter and the steering doesnt have the tighest control. This is my third saturn, and Im sure not my last.

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  Not entirely sold - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By wisconsin - December 18 - 4:00 am

  This vehicle is fine in the summer months, good on gas, comfortable enough for trips I guess. But handling in the snow is terrible. There are some annoying incidentals on how its fashioned inside and I have had numerous issues with things like the wiper spray, door foam, etc. The people at the dealership are great, but the car just inst up to par. Get the AWD if you have any chance of driving in snow, that has got to be better!

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  vVery happy with this purchase - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By jukir - December 7 - 3:43 pm

  Our familly was growing, and we needed a larger car. We purchased the Saturn in June of 2002, and it is now May of 2007. I have never had it in the shop except for oil changes and tire changes of course. I still get about 28 mpg. There is plenty of room for three children and a large dog The trunk offers a grocery storage area. There are plenty of cup holders as well as leg room. The only change that I would make would be the comfort of the seats, as it seems to lack lumbar support.

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  Mine has been a "Good One" - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Karen - December 3 - 4:43 pm

  When I first purchased the Vue, I was driving over 100 miles a day to and from work. I wanted something cheap and dependable. That was 6 years and over 100k miles ago. Besides the normal oil changes, tires, brakes and other normal maintenance, I have had to spend nothing for repairs. Its been a very good car and I hope it continues to be.

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  Outstanding - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Lowell - November 27 - 5:00 am

  We bought this Vue used w/12,000 miles on ot. It was an executives car. Its made three trips to the southeast from Iowa and never a single problem. We did replace the mud tires with street tires in 06. Being retired we average about 8,000 per year So far we havent spent a dime on repairs outside normal maintenance. I used Mobil 1 oil and filter exclusively and put a K&N air filter on it. Oil changes once per year. Never burns a drop of oil. My only complaint is that it is noisy inside but weve learned to live with it.

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  05 FWD V6 Vue - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By BillC - November 25 - 9:06 am

  This vehicle is one of the best kept secrets. Yes, the seats arent plush but are comfortable. The interior isnt fancy but it works. The steering is a bit light at first but east to get used to. The V-6 is very quick and the trans is very smooth. Solid yet comfortable ride. Flawless thus far

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  Fun Family Car, Lots of Small Problems - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Barbara - November 23 - 11:00 am

  Bought Nov 2004, I love to go for drives with the family in my Relay. I dont like that GM does not support all the issues it has had. And the recall that made the second row seats difficult to flip forward has made getting to the third row inconvenient.

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  Beautiful, but much to be desired - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By DnTnSC - November 18 - 7:56 pm

  Overall a great little car. Fun to drive, great handling, good power, and the car definitely turns heads! On the road it gets around 31 mpg, 24 to 26 in town driving. However, it does have some flaws. After owning for a year, it developed a very loud squeak in the front end (during cold weather) that Saturn cant find. Its noisy at high speed, and when you really get down on it the acceleration should be smoother. The dash developed a couple of different rattles after a year. The passenger side cup holder is a waste - it breaks if you use it (mine has been replaced 3 times). The window controls are not positioned well, and it has no room for any cargo at all.

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  Love this vehicle! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Jason - November 13 - 11:13 pm

  For the first 2.5 years of ownership, I drove 49 miles one way to work (mostly highway). I average right around 24 mpg which I find pretty good for an SUV. Folding the front seat I was able to get 10 2X6s in and close the gate (had rest the end of the 2X6 on the dash - but still). Im constantly amazed at how much Im able to cram into this thing. After a baby shower I was looking at all the large gifts and planning my 2nd trip - but it all fit (with room for me and a passenger). In just over 3 years I have 95k miles on it and no mechanical problems (Im even on the original brakes!)

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  Steal of the year 2 - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By matt - November 13 - 4:26 pm

  Same here. Got the 3rd to last one left in MI (Just after x-mas). They were less new than a typical used one and sales tax deductable too, warranty, etc. Got the dealer to throw in a second set of wheels for $100 (for winter tires). It has not been driven much, but seems to have tight handling and rides pretty good for what it is meant to be. My wife wanted an auto, but go for the manual, the auto is a little disappointing (only a 4sp auto) and the enigine is a little rougher running than the 1.8L in my sons Vibe. Great looks and is a pretty practical car. Not worthy of the $21,000 list, but at $12,400 it sure is.