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 to Drive, truly innovative vehicle. - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Steve - November 10 - 2:03 am

  I have owned this car for 3 months now and drive it daily to work with is about 1 1/2 hours each way. At first I thought smaller cars would have been uncomfortable, however, this was not the case. The Astra is not only fun to drive but it has alot of luxury features that were in my previous Saab. The lumbar seating is a big bonus for me. The steering is very tight and has a great sport suspension. Car accelarated decently, even at highway speeds. It truly gives you the feel that your driving a sports car. Interior and exterior design are innovative and different from other North American and European cars. I have got many compliments about the interior and exterior so far.

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  2008 Saturn Astra - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By blakeschneider - November 9 - 4:03 pm

  I purchased a Saturn Astra in July 2008 because it was 0% financing and we needed a small car for commuting. The sunroof and heated seats were an unexpected bonus for the price. We had the car 1 month when the transmission created a problem and needed to be replaced. I told the dealer that this was unacceptable and I wanted a new car. Without arguement they said ok. I said my wife hated the red and would like a blue one. They said ok. In all my life I have never had a more positive consumer experience. We have had this car for 6 years and never had any mechanical issues. It has 150,000 kilometers and we have not even replaced the brake pads or mufflers. Great car.

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  My New Sky - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By JimA - November 8 - 7:06 pm

  My wife and I were drooling over this car since we fist saw it at the auto show last year. We knew then we wanted one, it was to be a fun car only and not a daily driver. We waited a year for the prices to come down and mark up to go away. The car is quite quick for being non turbo, I recomend the manual trans, I drove the auto in the test drive, it was no where near as fun. This car is not purchased to be practical, I have a Toyota for that. I dont know why all the automotive journalists dont get the point. The manual top adds to the fun. So what about trunk space, if we need it, we dont drive the Sky.

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  Very good car! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Chopper - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Got it for a full yr. So far no problems with mechanics and electric. The dealer changed the front strut when I 1st had it, was the only known issue. Ride/acc. is good. Drive through snow well. All bells and whistles are worth it. My only wish was that I should have order the leather package! PS, dealer folks are great and do good works. Good gas milege, got 24.9 miles/gal.

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  My Ion - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Marie Ludi - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Attractive vehicle with terrific ease of handling and manuverability. Saw the vehicle and liked it immediately. Comments about the smaller steering wheel and placement of gauges by other reviewers appear to me to be nit-picking. The reliability, safety and service quality of Saturns made the choice of vehicle easy. I did not want to spend an arm and a leg to purchase a vehicle and this ION3 fit the bill. I truly enjoy this car!

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  excellent - 2003 Saturn ION
  By anthonyantshak - November 7 - 10:00 am

  it it the best of the best man!!!!

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  Great Car for teenager - 2003 Saturn ION
  By werDrD - November 7 - 10:00 am

  My parents just bought me the 2003 Ion 2... They like the price. Its very comfortable, quick, responsive, frankly the best economy car for the best price. Only problem is the seats. A little more support would be nice.

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  Switching teams... - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Mia - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Formerly a die hard VW driver (Passat) I took a chance in the SUV market. Researched like crazy and found the VUE to be best suited for my needs (single mom - 2 kids under 6 = lots of stuff to haul!). The VUE is fun to drive, econmical and the no pressure sales guys, got to love that. I refuse to go mini-van and this was the perfect solution. The kids love the rear seating (spacious with their own cupholders!) and I love the ease of turning (lower to the ground means less rolling). Totally comfortable. Spacious. Go for the sunroof, a MUST. Lots of bang for the minimal buck.

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  Saturn is big bang for the buck - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By alix - November 7 - 10:00 am

  My experience with my 2003 VUE has been nothing but good. I get a lot of great feedback on its neat design and people guess it to be more expensive than it really is.

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  Have to defend my ION! - 2007 Saturn ION
  By TheTaxWizard - November 3 - 11:03 pm

  I have to defend this car. Have had mine for 14 months and with the exception of a tiny bit of wind noise (Saturn will fix it) the car is great. No, I am not in any way affiliated with Saturn or GM. In fact, this is the first American car I have owned new since 1979. Folks, its a $20,000 car, not a $40,000 SUV. When I drive well, I get an avg city/hwy of 33mpg. I use only good gas-Union, Shell, Chevron, etc. I change the oil every 3,000 miles no matter what the OnStar report says. I keep the tires inflated properly and clean the air filter every 6 mo (dusty area) Frankly, I was very happily surprised as I have been very soured on American cars.