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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  Great New Car - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Dino F. - December 27 - 4:33 am

  This is a fun car to drive and it looks great. Putting the 6 speed automatic transmission into the Manual Mode and using the steering wheel mounted paddles to shift is a real blast. If the badges were removed from this vehicle, you would never suspect it was a Saturn.

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  Better than I expected - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By good lil suv - December 26 - 2:23 pm

  Bought a Vue used with almost 40K miles on it and thought I would have to do some TLC before it was long trip worthy. Drove it from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Florida and back to Pennsylvania ( over 4000 miles driving the 1st 2 weeks ) and all I had to do was fill the gas tank and wash the windows. If it was a little bit more truck like I would get rid of my bigger SUV and take this to the cabin instead.

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  Fast sporty Ion manual - 2003 Saturn ION
  By JohnVanD. - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This car provides the pick up and go that other crappy cars like the base Jetta, and Civic do not provide. Its polymer panels help keep this car looking good and prevents dings.

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  Fun Economical - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Dave - December 20 - 1:33 pm

  This is a good all around utility vehicle which can go most anywhere the average driver wants to go. Room for a big person with excellant fuel economy.Would highly recommend for growing family or professional in sales or real estate.

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  Ion 2 - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Bradley Klein - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Well built car. My other Saturn had 250K with no problems.

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  nice surprise - 2003 Saturn ION
  By bobs000 - December 15 - 10:00 am

  I just returned from a long trip in my new ion and it turned out better than I expected. The ride was smoother and quieter than my previous Honda, especially at 75MPH and beyond. I am quite impressed. I originally intended to use it for commute only. Now I drive it everywhere.

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  Why doesnt GM advertise this car? - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Jane - December 10 - 1:06 am

  Ive been looking for a car that is fun to drive, great looking, fuel efficient and economical. I was considering VW, but wanted something else for comparison. So, I did an Internet search and up came a video review of hatchbacks that included the Saturn Astra XR2. After doing some more research on this vehicle, I headed off to the Saturn dealership where I bought one on the spot! This car is an absolute hoot to drive and causes pedestrians to do double-takes at its unique appearance. I cant believe GM doesnt do more to advertise this vehicle. Its a world-class small car that is available now, not in some future model year. Go check it out.

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  I love this my Saturn!!!! - 2006 Saturn ION
  By I love my Saturn - December 9 - 3:03 pm

  I highly recommend this vehicle. The price is right, it is cheap on gas, fun to drive, the interior is nice, reliable, handles well, the battery is in the trunk, it is a great car all around. I would not change a thing. I recommend this car to anyone who considers themselves a true North American. The car was built in Canada, the transmission was built in the city I live in. I like knowing that my car was built in Canada. I absolutely love this car! I only drive North American made vehicles and this is my favourite one so far!

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  LOVING IT!!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By jehnny penny - December 9 - 2:00 am

  This Sport-ute rocks my world! The buying experience was Saturn approved. Ive had 3 Saturns and no matter what the review companies say the trade in value is great after a few years. And the build quality is as good as my friends Hondas and Toyotas. This engine flys and is a smooth operator. I would suggest this SUV to anyone who wants a big bang for their buck!

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By KB - December 3 - 7:40 am

  We absolutley love our new Saturn Relay. Working with the Saturn salespeople was great. No hassles and no run-around. The Relay has a sporty drive while still maintaining a smooth car-like ride. This is a wonderful family vehicle and I would recommend it to anyone with small children. I especially like how easy it is to load children into the 2nd or 3rd row seats.