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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  SKY- Upscale Roadster for the Common Man - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By VUETH1S - August 25 - 7:36 am

  Colossal value. Thoroughly enjoyable to drive around. Interior a pleasure to sit in. Quick, nimble, excellent road hugger. Solid and tight. If youre 6-4 probably need something bigger.

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  Not my best car purchase - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Stephen - August 23 - 1:16 am

  At the time of purchase, I needed an inexpensive, fuel-efficient car. For those requirements, it has fit the bill but I sadly cant say it has exceeded my expectations. It replaced a 1995 Saturn SL-2 with 130,000 mostly trouble-free miles, so at the time I felt confident in the purchase. Since then, Ive been plagued by a significant number of "little problems" that would have cost me upwards of $1200 to fix had they not been covered under the warranty. None of these problems were "normal wear" items. The dealer is great about fixing them, but the many problems in the first couple of years have convinced me to sell before the (extended) warranty expires. Pity, as I do like the car.

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  If you plan to buy one, take mine please! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By addicted2mickey - August 22 - 9:03 pm

  Ive owned my VUE for 14 months and plan to get rid of her ASAP. Ive been a loyal Saturn owner for 10 years but I think thats coming to its end. Read other owners reviews and youll see this model is plagued with problems beyond 40,000 miles (conveniently just after the warranty expires). The high ratings and good reviews are mainly before the 40,000 mile mark. The vinyl on the dashboard has been flaking and currently she is just sitting in my parking spot undrivable. It started as an occasional thumping under the hood and has progressed to a blinking check engine light and no acceleration. No one knows whats wrong. Parts and labor are extremely expensive for a Saturn. Buy something else.

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  Economical SUV, great mileage! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Belinda - August 21 - 12:30 pm

  I purchased a VUE as a second Saturn at my home. These vehicles are outstanding! My SL has over 150,000 miles and is still going strong at 30 mpg. I have not done any major repairs. The FWD Vue handles beautifully, and I expect to get many comfortable, realiable & gas efficient miles out of it. I was so excited that it fit our family (5) with comfort and ease. This vehicle was well thought out in design, from the dash controls, to rear storge in the hatch. I highly reccommend a Saturn vehicle to anyone looking for a sporty compact family SUV with great style and mileage. You should go to a local dealer and test drive a VUE. You will be amazed at the low cost of ownership and miles of dependable service.

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  Vue Review 4U - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Fall04Vue - August 21 - 3:36 am

  Got an awesome deal on the Vue! Was dealer driven and bought it w/4000 miles and received all the new car discounts plus the extended 100,000 mile warranty. Have had to take it for minor parts repaired that were covered under the warranty. Previous vehicle was a S10 Blazer. Honda engine and 6 cyclinder has good get up & go. Drives great in MN winters. Plenty of room to cart around others and equipment.

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  Very Satisifed Saturn Owner - 2005 Saturn ION
  By David C - August 20 - 11:06 pm

  From the time I walked in the door at the dealership until the time I drove away with the car, it was an awesome experience. The salesman that took care of me was not interested in upselling but rather what I was looking for. I had done my homework online prior to buying so I new what I wanted which made it even easier. I have the ION 1 and its an incredibly fun car to own and drive. It has a huge amount of kick in the motor for a sedan, so it does make the road trips enjoyable. Gas mileage is just as good. The trunk space is a big factor since I do travel quite a bit.

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  Irritating Problems - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Lodamar - August 20 - 6:23 am

  I bought my 2006 Vue Redline new and thought is was a solid vehicle. Now with nearly 30k miles, Ive had a new transmission, fuel pump, various gaskets, left front strut mount replaced. Now the right front strut mount is making a rattle. It got terrible gas mileage since day one. (16 city, 18-20 hwy). On the bright side, when they replaced all the above parts, my gas mileage has improved. Im now getting 20.6 city and 26+ on the highway. Thats fine, however, I seem to spend a lot of commuting time back and forth to the dealership. Thanks goodness its still under the B to B 3/36 warranty.

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  Love this Vehicle!!!! - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By USN78 - August 19 - 2:03 am

  Replaced our import suv, thought we would give American another shot. This vehicle has it all. The third row seat room is awsome compared to our old vehicle (Suzuki XL7 Limited). The captain chairs are great for the kids to jump quickly into the back. Smooth ride, good looking inside and out. Get alot of heads turning. People cant believe the quality/luxury in this Saturn. GM hit a home run with this platform. Got ours loaded except minus the NAV.

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  Mostly Great After Three Weeks - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Dave O - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Overall, it is a nice vehicle. The maintenance seems relatively simple. It has practical cargo features. It is comfortable for tall people and passengers. It performs well and has good fuel economy for a SUV, although it is a little noisy.

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  Better than the imports - 2003 Saturn ION
  By LM2 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car -- much better than the imports in this class. Strangers stop me in parking lots and tell me they love they way it looks.