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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  I would buy again. - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By nonnysky - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Willingly bought this car. Any complaints by owners are moot. Problem is unions killed the deal with Penske. This car deserved to be developed. I love mine, park it in winter, and embarrass Mustang owners often. You must be careful at speed and pay attention to the tach. Dont let anyone tell you the Mazda Lotus knockoff is a better car. I plan on buying 1 or 2 more, looking for a Solstice Coupe also.

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  Common problems shouldnt be "common" - 2006 Saturn ION
  By torianne9 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car about a year and a half ago. It was a leased car and it had 20,000 miles. I now have just over 55,000 miles and Ive already had the "common" door sensor problem, which wasnt cheap to fix, where my interior lights wouldnt turn off because my car didnt know that the door was shut and today I had my power steering replaced per warranty coverage. The problems that Saturn has "commonly" shouldnt be common problems. I read online that the power steering problem has cost 14 lives already. And the door sensor is extremely inconvenient. I love my car but I truly hate the "typical" problems that come with it.

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  Do not but a saturn vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Janice - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for less than a year. With in that time it has been in the shop more than I can count. I have put over $2,000 in repairs with in the past 6 months. All of the parts that were needed had to be purchased from the dealer as they dont sell after marker parts as it is too new and they "ASSUME" you wouldnt need to replace parts. The main problems are in the front end. I have replaced both sway bars,axle boot, muffler ($610), battery, rear wiper, not just the blade as you MUST buy the entire wiper as well as they dont sell just the blade. It looks like a very sharp vehicle but mechanically it is bad news.

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  Love my first SUV - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Hector - March 3 - 6:40 pm

  For long I have wanted a SUV, but It seem to me that there was not one available with a gas conscience. I always thought that GM made big, clumsy, thirsty, cars, boy was I wrong. I just love my new VUE. The looks is great, the interior is amazing, and the quality is reaching the same quality demanded from an average consumer. The engine is powerful and you can barely notice at the gas gauge, like in the old days. The VVT seems a bit slow to react when going to high revs, but when it gets there you will notice. The heated seats are not very useful down south, but came standard with the trim package. The 6 six speed transmission sometimes is also slow to react, ( My previous car was a 5 speed

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  Vue Red Line Sieres - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By VUE Red Line Series - March 3 - 2:50 am

  The vehicle is still pretty new with 800 plus miles but the things I like the best are the comfort of the heated leather seats. The drivers seat is electrically 6 way adjustable, and is comfortable for a big man like myself at 64" and 200 lbs. It has plenty of headroom and you dont feel cramped. The power from the 250 HP V6 engine is great, and the economy is good. Im getting almost 29.8 miles per gallon on the highway. It drives and handles perfect on curves and winding roads, and the supension is impressive. The VUE is good for the times I haul kids and gear. With the roomy interior, its very functional for a mini SUV. I wanted something sporty looking, yet able to fit the bill for family needs and be easy on the wallet.

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  Great little SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By frank giuliano - March 2 - 3:26 am

  The is a great all around fun SUV. I have the yellow, and everyone seems to love it. The mileage is really around 20 MPG general driving. I have not had any problems with this SUV.

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  Love the new VUE - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Doc1969 - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is our second saturn, and we love it. Great power, handling, and braking. Has plenty of interior room with some great features. Very smooth powertrain.

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  LEMON not by their call - 2004 Saturn ION
  By AngrySaturnBuyer - March 1 - 2:00 am

  After i had my car for two weeks the vehicle would turn off by itself while i was driving. This had happned *six* times including once on the highway. The car was sent back to the dealership twice, where it was there for three weeks. They put EIGHT HUNDRED miles on my new car and sent the vehicle back with trash and filth. I missed the lemon law by the skin of my teeth. I was accused of lying about my vehicle and treated like dirt. So much for buying a new car and then feeling like you have a death trap! Not only that but the car has also been recalled and has also had to go back for a fuse issue.

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  SATURN MACHINE - 2004 Saturn ION
  By phil chaney - March 1 - 2:00 am

  nice car and fun to drive

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  Nice car, but many mechanical flaws - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Mark - February 26 - 3:43 am

  Shopped around test drove the Saturn Vue Redline and fell in love with the car. The car has been in the shop the past month. CD player doesnt work. CD freezes and you cant eject it. Door handles stick making it difficult to open the door. Creaking sounds between the dash and the windshield. Currently in a loaner Saturn Vue XR and everything works fine. I actually prefer the XR. The Redline is a Red Flag.