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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  Better than a Honda,Bigger than a Subaru - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Love my Saturn Vue - February 14 - 6:43 pm

  I have only owned my Saturn Vue for one month, but I can tell you that I am very satisfied with my vehicle overall. As others, I researched the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV, and even the Nissan Rogue. This vehicle is much more stylish then the Honda, and the price is way better than the RAV. The Nissan Rogue had too bad of a blind spot. The Saturn has it all, looks, style, comfort, room, and the gas mileage is not too too bad. I bought the 4 cylinder and it gets me where I need to go in ample time. If I want to pass someone, I can pass someone with ease. You will love how the Saturn holds the road. My insurance went down $33/6 months compared to my 05 Toyota Corolla; Saturn crash rating better!

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  1st Saturn-Last GM vehicle - 2006 Saturn ION
  By jack - February 12 - 7:33 pm

  Problems so far: Key often gets stuck in ignition, check engine comes on for no reason, front transmission mount broke, cap on canister type oil filter leaks, suspension is clunky and soft. Slow to get up to speed, cheap interior materials, weather stripping around windshield comes loose, power steering feels weird. Gets good gas mileage & A/C is cold. This is the American version of the Yugo, a real piece of crap! Current mileage is 63,000, I doubt if it makes it to 100,000. My other cars are all old Fords. Now I know why.

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  Love the VUE! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By P J Wolf - February 12 - 4:56 pm

  After having owned several large SUVs (Ford Bronco V8, for example), the switch to a smaller, more nimble and economical vehicle is difficult to describe. I like the VUEs handling, fuel economy, carrying capacity and overall appearance. Im buying one for my daughter for safety and handling reasons.

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  Solid and Fun, One quick little SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By zules - February 10 - 8:33 am

  The Saturn VUE with the 3.5 liter V6 has much more power and response than I expected. It is fun to drive and hugs the road. I took it on a trip from Southern California to Oregon and it was really comfortable to drive. The only thing that was a bit of an annoyance was that the seats are a bit narrow and the arm rests are too close.

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  Very Nice SUV - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Ronbo - February 10 - 3:40 am

  We are first time Saturn owners. The car is still brand new and has been flawless so far. We really like the dent-resistant panels and this is what convinced us to buy our first Saturn. The Honda engine is also a big plus. It is very nimble and quick and the mileage is good. We like it a lot.

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  Do not buy a Vue - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Hfuller - February 5 - 7:23 pm

  Purchasing my 06 Saturn vue was the worst mistake I have ever made. Since purchase I have had my vue in the shop a total of 6 times for the same problem-clunking noises in the front and back tires. A total of around $8000.00 in cost. Since it is out of warranty, Saturn corporate refuses to lend any assistance. Struts have been replaced twice ($800), wheel differential has been replaced twic (total of $5000), wheel bearing replaced, rotors replaced-it goes on and on. Saturn corporate will no longer return our calls. It has been a nightmare-I am going to go broke driving this car. Please-do not purchase a Saturn vue-

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  My Sky 2009 - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By kathnrich - February 5 - 7:18 pm

  We drove this vehicle home from a 200 mile trip. It is entirely delightful! Plenty of punch with the turbo. No issue at all with the top!, none.,1,2,3. Reviews on the top, putting it up or down are stupid. Its a sports car, its small. Trunk space is another very stupid comment, Its a sports car, its small!! Buy a [non-permissible content removed] full size car if you want trunk space and want to take the beach chairs, large bags on vacation. Thats why I have a Suburban!!Very fun car to drive and look at. My ONLY complaint is the window controls and where they are located. We have the automatic and love it.

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  first 1200 miles - 2003 Saturn ION
  By gbsparks - February 5 - 10:00 am

  I got the Ion3 for under 16K. I avg 34 mpg on the hwy and 26 mpg in the city. The handling is very good and IÂ’m very satisfied with the engine and manual transmission, on the hwy and in the city. I havenÂ’t found any defects in either the exterior or interior. I like the center IP and the steering wheel. I could not disagree more with the professional reviewers who seem to equate the interior design concept of the Ion with shoddiness. To me, the driverÂ’s pod puts me in mind of a well- designed video game and IÂ’m very comfortable with that. In fact, I have yet to feel anything but happy and satisfied with my purchase when IÂ’m behind the wheel.

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  My first Saturn - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Lorie - February 3 - 11:06 pm

  This is my first Saturn and I love it. It handles great on the road, even in rain. It is great on gas. Looks small but has much room, even the trunk.

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  BMW Replacement - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By CarNut - February 2 - 8:23 pm

  This may be the car that puts GM back on the road to recovery. An affordable "drivers" car that is fun to drive with all the amenities you could ask for. Toyota and Honda be forewarned! One drive will convince you this is an awesome vehicle for the money.