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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  Saturn Vue Sport - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Rick - October 12 - 1:53 pm

  This SUV drives well. The seating is very comfortable. The seat belt shoulder harness is adjustable for comfort. I get great mileage in the city. My 5-speed is fun to drive! This 4-cylinder engine has power.

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  The Best Car I Ever Drove - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Tim - October 11 - 2:10 pm

  This is a low cost Cadillac. Drives like a dream. This is my 4th Saturn and if i could I would but another one. But now Im forced to buy a Ford.

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  Its OK I guess - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Melinda - October 10 - 10:30 pm

  We purchased this car new because of the Honda engine and decent gas mileage for an suv. My biggest complaint in the vue is the brakes. I have 100k miles and have replaced the rear (i believe) brakes 5 times! Pads and rotors! Yet NEVER the front ones (the pads once). The wind noise from the windows drives me crazy. The sun visor is way too small for the size of the windshield. I agree with other owners the engine noise is loud. I have major rust on the hatch/trunk door and the rear driver side door never closes unless you slam it. My kids always complain they cant hear the radio and after sitting back there, theyre right, why are the speakers on the floor? No more saturns for me!

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  Pleased - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Ty Cooper - October 10 - 5:33 pm

  I have 2400 miles on my new VUE and so far so good. I am particularly enjoying the sound system and overall power and acceleration. I just got back from vacation and we had plenty of room for everything, and you can always add a cargo box if you need more (maybe Ill do that for long camping trips). I am still trying to adjust the seat for maximum comfort since I have found that trips over 30-40 minutes arent terribly comfortable (Im only 510 but my knees are little too confined). Overall, very easy and enjoyable to drive.

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  Loaded XR - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By AS - October 8 - 11:03 pm

  I recently bought a fully loaded Aura XR. First and foremost, the car is very sexy looking. I bought the black on black leather all chromed out. Sitting on 18" rims, Yes, I said 18" rims, the car is definitely an eye catcher. The car has alot of pep and really moves. The car handles like a dream with a solid feel chassis. It really feels like a very exspensive luxury car when you take it for a drive.

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  Surprised!!!!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By String - October 8 - 10:00 am

  Luv the car. Bought it to tow behind RV. Tows really nice. No hassle. The 3.5 engine really has PEP! Not a real Saturn fan until I drove Vue. 25-26 mpg. Not bad with fuel prices rising. Considering Ion for next Commuter Beater.

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  A good car - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By wow - October 6 - 7:10 am

  This car is for the family. Since I purchased the car, my two boys really enjoy the ride, the space, the entertainment system, and many amenities. With two months of driving, we are still in love with the vehicle.

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  Fantastic - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By goobergrlcac - October 6 - 5:56 am

  I never even considered purchasing a Saturn until I saw one during a car show at a local shopping mall. After being able to see the inside, and what options were available, we went to our dealership. Ive never had a more pleasant experience with purchasing a car. And Ive never owned a vehicle that I love driving more than my Vue. I got a great deal, not just on the purchase price, but on the quality of my vehicle.

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  Worst car ever - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By gallagher - October 5 - 7:56 pm

  It is very sad that I report on this. At first we thought it was a good and boy were we wrong. It was given to us by a friend that need us to take over payments and our credit was to bad to get one on our own. Now we are stuck with a lemon nothing but problems - bad brakes, door, tires, trim, abs brakes and the dealers has bad service and now that it is out of warranty.

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  2000 miles and love it! - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By dlb14frost - October 4 - 9:20 am

  I have had the Saturn for about 6 weeks now and have been quite pleased with all the features. Fuel economy is pretty good for a 6. Road noise is minimal. Heated seats and remote start are a nice add on. Heard several comments, Thats a Saturn? Wow