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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  Best car that I have owned - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Joe - November 3 - 2:33 am

  I bought this VUE after trading in a 2003 ION which I had a lot of problems with. It was worth losing a little bit of money to gain the VUE. I have had no problems with this VUE. This VUE has great looks, and performs really well. I got 30mpg on the road and about 19mpg around town. Just recently my wife was rearended and she hit the person in front of her and the VUE did great with only a few scrathes on back and a bent plastic chrome in front. The Blazer that hit her was in bad shape.This VUE is the best new car that we have owned for reliability and safety.

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  Satisfaction Driven - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Erin Rich - November 1 - 4:53 am

  The Saturn Vue is my first SUV and after driving compact cars previously, Ill never go back! Sure, Ill miss the gas mileage that my old car had, but the Vue has more to offer: comfort, confidence on the highway, open space for vacation traveling, and not to mention it looks good on the road. Actually, it looks great on the road and in the driveway.

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  Saturn Ion Fun to Drive - 2003 Saturn ION
  By nealphd1 - October 31 - 10:00 am

  The sales process was different than anything I coud have imagined. That was a good thing. The car was fantastic, is fantastic, and no doubt will continue to be fantastic. I liked it so well I went to work for this Saturn Dealer. Now I sell SATURNS. Neal P

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  Needs polish - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By McGarrett - October 31 - 10:00 am

  We were in the market for a larger vehicle. We didnt need a real SUV but our choices in wagons was limited. Then we looked at the VUE. We arranged a test drive at a friendly, stress-free dealership and my wife (the primary driver) instantly fell in love with the thing! Best of all, it was about 4 grand less than a comparably-equipped L- series wagon. The VUE is a real charmer!

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  Great SUV - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Len1950 - October 31 - 10:00 am

  This is my first SUV and I really enjoy driving it. It handles very well and has a very comfortable ride. Almost a year now and no problems.

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  My Saturn - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By garbnzo2 - October 30 - 5:00 am

  I love my Aura! I have alot of friends who cant believe its a Saturn! Comfortable and quiet, a pleasure to drive! I recommend it!

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  Fun to drive - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Sandyfeet - October 29 - 8:43 pm

  Ive owned the car for two years and it is a lot of fun to drive. Very good handling, solid feel, good acceleration and very good fuel economy. My street bicycle fits in the back so it wont get stolen like it could with a bike rack. My remote control model airplanes fit in the back as well (even with the bike). Nice car.

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  Fair at Best - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Mark - October 29 - 6:23 pm

  My 2003 VUE has 70k miles now. I have used it mainly for long distance highway travel. It is a great car for short around town hops but the seats are awful for long drives. The cushions are too short and the armrests are way too short as well. The interior is roomy albiet noisy. The engine is becoming increasingly noisy and the build quality is only fair.

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  You get what you pay for - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By dejeanco - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my truck for this Vue when the gas prices were sky high. I had owned a Saturn before, so I knew what I was getting. I didnt pay much for the Vue. Its about what I expected. I bought the car with 30,000 miles on it. It now has 80,000. Ive had the A/C repaired. Thats about it. Its just a car. Nothing fancy. I think its funny when people review these things like they were built by Mercedes Benz and then complain when any little thing goes wrong. You bought a Saturn, not a Mercedes. You got what you paid for.

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  Had I known - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By MM in atl - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I wish I had done better research. It fit the bill of decent mileage for a small SUV, BUT its been trouble every few months since I purchased it with 80,000 miles. Im dumping it as soon as I get a chance! The transmission would be covered by my extended warranty, but its never that - its the wires, the modules and connections that lead the transmission that I keep having to pay for. Im so thankful for the extended warranty, because that has helped out with other issues like leaky valves, wheel bearing which was replaced and other misfires. Do NOT buy one of these lemons, theyre SO cheaply made! The whole exterior is plastic and the mechanics are of equal quality.