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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  Excellent Vehicle - 2004 Saturn ION
  By TheBjerke - December 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for 2 months now, and have had no problems yet. This is the best car for the money, it has equal or more horsepower and torque than any other car in its class (i.e. Mazda 3). Instead of giving this vehicle a flashy interior, GM put the majority of their money into the powertrain and chassis of this vehicle, which makes this vehicle both fun to drive and reliable.

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  A Great Vehicle - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Randy M. - November 30 - 10:00 am

  I traded our 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee for a 2002 gold Saturn V6 AWD, and I love it. The car is fun to drive, has great performance and handles well. The front seat folds down to allow large items, like lumber to be carried inside. The plastic for the interior is durable and made to be scratch resistant so it isnt soft to the touch, but will last a long time. The 0 - 60 time for the VUE is 8.3 seconds, my Jeep was 10.0. The Vue is faster, and handles better. Buying the Saturn is an experience that I am not used to, very much like buying a Volvo in Europe. They make a bigger deal out of it than you do. All dealerships should be like that.

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  Test Drive First - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By oleytwo - November 30 - 10:00 am

  Sort of a good car. Had bad dealer experience, salespeople are great, service people typical GM. Arrogant, might be a good word, like "I never heard of such a problem". Drive it 50- 100 miles before you buy, not just around the block. Some good points but mine still surges and I dont think I be back to Saturn or GM. Been 10 years since I had a GM car, sorry they are still the same.

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  I Absolutely Love This Car - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Colleen - November 29 - 11:46 am

  I originally saw the Sky on a poster in the dealership when I had my Saturn Ion in for service. I asked my salesman how I could get one. He said that they were backordered but I could get order one that day and get on the waiting list. It took 9 months for the car to arrive, I counted the days off on the calendar. When they called to tell me it had arrived I was exxtremely excited. This car is a blast to drive, it handles great, looks amazing and is totally awesome. I have had people follow me and pull up next to me to find out what kind of car it is. No one can believe it is a Saturn. My Sky which is midnight blue, with black leather interior and black top is the best.

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  Aura continues to surprise - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Copeland - November 27 - 8:40 pm

  This car has made me a strong believer that America can still build great products. I have 7,000 miles on this car and it is tight as a drum. I can accelerate with any midsize sedan on the road and outhandle them with the great suspension set-up on this vehicle. No squeaks, rattles or excuses from this car. I am getting 24.7 miles per gallon in mixed driving with this car. I suggest that anyone should drive this car before blindly buying a Toyota or Honda. They are good cars but I believe this is a true find.

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  Solid, Fun and Great Service - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Todd - November 26 - 11:33 am

  I have thorougly enjoyed my Saturn and will certainly consider buying another. Two things that need serious improvement are some interior materials (cheap in some places) and it could use about 15-20 more horsepower.

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  2004 Saturn Vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By chris57464 - November 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my second VUE, also have a 2003 in the family. Love it!

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  Owned this car 6 years, 89,000 miles - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Cher - November 24 - 8:00 pm

  I enjoyed owning this car 6 years. However, I wish I would have bought the 04 Ion instead of the 03 one. Never buy a new model of car the first year it comes out, too many little glitches. Saturn did fix many of these glitches and the transmission in 04, 05 models. The automatic transmission was too bumpy in the 03 model. No major problems with this car. Only broke down once. Bought 100,000 mile/7 year warranty. Wish I hadnt because the Ion was pretty dependable.

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  Best car for the money and then some - 2005 Saturn ION
  By ColoradoGambler - November 24 - 1:16 pm

  I love this car!! I bought it new and have had no problems with it. It handles extremely well, makes the tightest U-turns Ive ever found, and has plenty of power and acceleration. It has a ton or room in the trunk and in the cockpit, and is capable of seating four full-size adults without complaint. A keg fits nicely behind the front passenger seat and in front of the back seat and the suicide doors make it easy to get big items in and out of the back seat. Would prefer better gas mileage though, but who wouldnt?

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  Not Dissappointed! - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Larry B - November 23 - 6:03 pm

  Love this car! Beautiful with plenty of power and great handling. Had a 280Z and Porsche 944 both of which which I liked and drove for many years, but the fully loaded Sky Redline is a lot more fun, and way more sexy! Some of the interior design features and lack of storage space take getting used to, but the positive aspects of the car far outweigh what for me are relatively minor inconveniences. The leather seats are very comfortable with electric vertical control. Door lock controls are fine. Steering wheel mounted controls are small but completely adequate. The top and windshield have a somewhat chopped look which limits visibility some, but looks great with the top up or down. Fun car!