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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  Absolutely Horrible - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Jeb - June 14 - 10:00 am

  We bought ours used at 80,000 miles. The transmission blew at 88,000 miles. After a long fight with Saturn I got them to cover half of the $5000.00 repair. The transmission just blew again....lasted 100,000 miles this time. We did not get any benefit from the class action lawsuit that Saturn settled because our mileage exceeded the settlement, but basically the settlement claims Saturn knew that they were producing bad transmissions that blow around 80000 miles. They of course deny it. I also replaced multiple ball bearings. Horrible. Cheap. Worthless.

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  Ion Redline - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Eddie - June 11 - 7:30 pm

  I have never had more fun driving a car ever. Ive owned a Corvette, 3 BMWs and a Porsche 911. This one is a real sleeper!

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  Cranberry Ion - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Kate J - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my first new car. I love it!!! The center dash is wonderful.

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  AWD Saturn 6 - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By James 121 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I traded my 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee for the Saturn. I also have an 02 Suburban so you see I am an SUV person. The sale incentive was great. 1750 rebate plus 0% financing. Dealship was great. Car drives and runs well. Some wind noise. Seats and interior in general needs a little upgrade. Vehicle is roomy for 4. Took it out on long drive (200 miles) and was comfortable. All in all very satisfied.

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  Pauls Review - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Paul - June 10 - 5:00 pm

  Owned for 2 yrs, purchased as demo with 9000 miles. The AWD 4 cyl is underpowered, mpg approx 22. Engine strains to maintain speed with cruise control. Car is noisy and has intermittent rattle under rear, warranty replacement of rear drive modules solved problem for a few thousand miles - but rattle is back and dealer can not find cause. Do not like blind spots due to front A pillars. Overall, the car dirves fairly well and has good room for family of four. Luggage carrier on top is easily handeled. Instrument cluster is nicely arranged but climate control buttons are too small. Now have 46,000 miles on car, not sure if VTI transmission will hold up over the long run.

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  Best Car Ever - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By I Love this car!!! - June 8 - 11:06 am

  This is my second Saturn and I love the Vue. The new 08 shape is great. The drive is very smooth and until someone comes with something better (which I doubt) I will continue to purchase the Saturn Vues. This is a must buy for anyone who wants a small truck but not pay the high gas prices.

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  Never again - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Millner - June 6 - 8:56 am

  Will never buy this SUV again. I have owned several good quality automobiles, but the Saturn Vue turned out to be the nightmare of my life. Transmission has failed for the fourth time since I purchased this vehicle. Repairing it has not been helpful. This is the third winter I am riding the bus to work and still paying a note on this vehicle. The cost of the transmission is more than the vehicle is worth at this point and it seems like a bad investment anyway to pay that much for a transmission that has not been designed to hold up.

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  Nothing else compares - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By dzajic - June 5 - 2:10 am

  A great car for an amazing price. The competition (Honda Fit, Mazda 3, VW Rabbit) dont come close. Look what the Fit (closest competitor) is missing: seat height adj, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, integrated roof rack mounting points, stability/traction control (without navigation), 17" wheels (225 vs 185 wide tires), high quality interior, rear map lights, vanity lights, heated mirrors, express down windows (all doors), 4-wheel disc brakes, OnStar system, 5 years Roadside Assist. rigid rear cargo cover, 6 disc changer, dual trip/fuel economy meters, pedal release system, 4% heavier but 18% more hp/torque, max torque at lower rpm (3800 vs 4800)

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  Saturn VUE stability in question - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By petnurse - June 4 - 8:33 pm

  Ive owned my Saturn VUE for 5 almost 6 years. I have had issues with stability on the highway on windy days and with potholes or uneven freeways. It almost rolled over once and that was very scary. Im not a speedy driver either. I took it in and they adjusted the alignment and it helped somewhat but Ive been scared to drive it ever since. Ive also had issues with air conditioning fluid leaking onto my feet from the console. Have reported this several, several times and nothing was done about it. The tires are not good in the snow.

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  Wonderful little car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By happyAstra08 - June 3 - 5:43 pm

  I have had my Astra for 2 years now. It has always been a pleasure to drive. In SF it fits in all the small spaces, yet holds a ton of stuff. If GM can build cars like these in the states I will definitely look at them when I am choosing my next car ( I have had hondas and mazdas for the last 20 years) so good job on the Astra! A few minor quirks that were repaired at the dealer when I got the car was the only reason it did not get a 10 on reliability.