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 - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By GB - January 19 - 8:10 am

  Had 2 recalls and no notification. They were found on the internet. Have had 2 wheel bearings replaced. A very poor design, they cant be lubricated. Extremely poor engineering design. I would never buy another Saturn.

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  Lemon - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Carole - January 13 - 1:40 am

  We purchased a 2006 Ion in May of 2007 for our teenage daughter. While the look is sporty, the quality of the car is cheap. We have had the car in the shop 5 times since owning it for only a year and a half! The first time we had a heavy rain and the front passenger side of the car was drenched with water from some sort of leak. Then the automatic window stop working. It went to the shop 2 times for that. Next the key got stuck in the engine and could not turn the car off. And just this week the power steering went out and the whole steering column had to be changed. The engine light goes on and off also. The car is cheap and unreliable. I will never buy another Saturn again

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  Not a good compact sedan... - 2003 Saturn ION
  By RuddigerPez - January 8 - 8:20 pm

  There are much better compact sedans out there for your money. Had many issues with my Ion that I purchased new in 2003. Have had the "no start" issue, the OEM tires were horrible, the back brakes were faulty, and had numerous issues in the FWD linkage. Plus, engine and road noise are terrible, mileage was disappointing for this engine (22 HWY in MN winter, 25 HWY in summer) and the interior materials are cheap, cheap, cheap. My friend bought a Corolla months after I got mine for a similar price and it was superior in every way. Was kicking myself all they way until I traded in for a new Mazda6 this year.

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  Dont do it! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Kat - December 5 - 4:50 pm

  I have had this car for 4 years now and I am very unhappy with it. I have had wheel bearings, wiper motor, etc. replaced on this vehicle and continue to have problems.

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  so many issues with this car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By unsatisfied15 - December 5 - 8:08 am

  I purchased a 2008 saturn astra for the price of $26,000 plus warranty total for $31,000 and I have never in my life regreted something so much my first week with my car It had to have a major part replaced and i have had nothing but issues yet. all dealers close shortly after purchasing my car as i had purchased extras from that dealer they were void as they has closed down.I have never had such regret in my life there are a number of these cars around and I have had others have the same issues .When trying to purchase parts for my car they are nearly always unavailble and then i have to wait for 3-4 days if lucky If i could turn back time i would not buy this car it was not worth the $

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  I hate this car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Carole - November 13 - 12:00 pm

  I have the 2006 ION 3 and am so disappointed in this car. I bought it brand new and have had it in the shop 4 times in 3 weeks. Saturn has given me a rental car, but the inconvinience and unreliability of this car make getting into it a crap shoot versus a good experience. I hate this car and wish I had never bought it. I paid cash in full and have never been so displeased with a brand new car. Engine problems should not be a factor in a new car with 7000 miles. Ever. The great gas mileage is a lie also.

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  Not a good idea - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Ben - October 19 - 9:47 pm

  This car may have been a good idea when it was new, but it runs down a lot faster than expected. Weve had to pay for more repairs than we thought when we originally purchased the car. Also, because the car is a hybrid, the engine is arranged differently than other models of the Vue, which means more expensive repairs. This means that even simple repairs almost always require taking it in to be serviced. Because Saturn only made this model for one year, parts are hard to come by, even for the dealer, which means that they cost more. The fuel economy is a plus, but its a trade-off. To get that kind of fuel economy, the car has an extra battery behind the back seat. This isnt that big, but Saturn must have thought so because the car doesnt come with a spare tire. It comes with a sealant kit that you use to refill your flat. However, if your tire ever shreds, youre out of luck. It gets us from point A to point B, but the cost of the repairs have left a bad taste in our mouths.

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  Lousey SUV - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Jim - October 13 - 4:06 pm

  I thought Saturn was the car it was meant to be when it first appeared on the market but was sadly mistaken when I bought a 2008 Vue which has given me nothing but problems since I bought it and I am writing this review while it is at the dealers for major problems for the fourth time in a year. Always loved GM products but this one is a joke. DO not buy one.

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  My experience & Opinion! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By SoN_GoKu - September 21 - 10:00 am

  Do not purchase a 5speed manual... I was when shifting to 2nd gear from 1st, the clutch gave and made a loud pop sound. I was stuck @ the light, unable to move my VUE, so I had to Push it to a parking lot. The Saturn Mechanics adv. that a pin that holds a cable to allow gear shifting came out. It was put back into place, & I was adv that it would not happen again. I wanted to exchange my manual to an automatic (do not trust manual after incident) unfortunately no 4 cycle automatic VUES are out on the market @ this time. (TOO BAD) I returned my VUE. :-( I suggest people who purchase a VUE, get an automatic.

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  I think its a Lemon - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Jennifer Peggs - September 12 - 10:00 am

  8 repairs on struts, bearings, and suspension in general, back drivers side window motor broke in under a year of use, now fuel sensor is broken. I bought this car when I was pregnant so that my child would be safe. I just dont know if I have enough gas to get home now. That safe. I made a 20,000 mistake and will pay for it until I can trade it in,which I have tried and have been unsucessful. Regrettably I am a Saturn Vue owner.