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 AWD 6cyl - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Willow - July 31 - 2:00 am

  The only problem I have with the VUE is the shifting patterns; the RPMs seem to get too high before it shifts from second to third gear. The AWD VUE is excellent in winter driving conditions. The VUE also handled some very rocky roads without problems while driving through the backwoods of the Uinta Mountains.

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  Comparing roadsters - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Sky Lover - July 24 - 4:46 am

  I own a Miata, A BMW Z4 and a Sky. I much prefer to drive the Sky over the others. I would compare the ride and handling very similar to the Z4 and fun to drive with the Miata..the best of both worlds. I would like the Sky to have a little more power although it is adequate if you keep the RPMs up. The fit and finish is very good and the car has been trouble free. The trunk space is very limited, especially with the top stowed. It would not be conducive to long trips where a lot of luggage was needed.

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  Good Car - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Big Daddy - July 22 - 11:13 pm

  Early this year I unloaded a 12mpg SUV and was looking for a small SUV. I looked at a number of SUVs and settled on the Saturn Vue. I was also looking at a 4 cyl but the dealer said I would most likely be happy with the 6 cyl. Well I have more than happy with this car. My insurance went down due to the 5 star Saturn crash rating. The mpg is very good considering the engine cranks out 250 horsepower, more than enough when you need it.

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  2008 Black Astra XR 4dr - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Astra-Proud-2008 - July 22 - 8:03 pm

  I have been driving the Astra for almost a week. I did my first fill-up today and found that I got 30.59 mpg. I do 64 miles round trip from home to work about 16 miles highway and rest stop and go. Very happy with the results. I have had a lot of positive comments on the looks of the Astra since its purchase from co-workers and others. The handling of this car is just remarkable, very quiet inside and love the extra large sunroof.

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  Saturn rampage - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By magicofbob - July 21 - 11:36 am

  I am very happy with the new Saturn. I love the vehicle. It is outstanding in every feature. It has the best mileage among large SUVs. It is the first in its kind.

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  Always a Japanese product fan, was - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Logan - July 20 - 3:23 pm

  Wife and I were looking for a Rav-4 or a CRV, Pilot, or the like. Like a white vehicle, Sort of had this color in mind. Were out looking with no luck! Happened to drive by and noticed several white Saturns in the yard. We drove in and immediately were smitten with this v6 awd Vue. Very, Very impressed with the performance, initial quality, all of the little things. My wife has a nervous condition, usually she gets flushed and mildly upset through the buying process. This was the most enjoyable, car-buying experience, I have, or my wife either, have ever had. Extremely pleased with the vehicle and the experience!

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  Nice car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Dom - July 20 - 2:10 pm

  First time buyer of a Saturn, Im very impressed with the car since its a affordable in comparison to its competition.

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  Extremely disappointed - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By mmtso - July 18 - 9:23 pm

  This VUE was my third - and sadly my last - Saturn purchase. This brand new vehicle was in the shop 4 times in 6 months: tachometer went out, CD player quit working, car would not start at all ("bad alternator"), and "cluster failure" w/no tachometer, odometer, turn signals, etc. I recently sold this VUE after it was repaired last as it was no longer a reliable vehicle. I have never had this many problems w/any vehicle Ive owned, especially a new one. I do not recommend a VUE to anyone unfortunately.

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  2006 Relay on the road - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Evets - July 18 - 5:06 am

  This is our fourth Saturn vehicle. We had 2 sport coupes and a 4 door and needed a van. Purchased as a good overall value, we got this van with 1,500 miles for what we would have paid for the "leading minivan" with 70k miles. It rides and performs well and gets good mileage for a vehicle its size. Here about 1 year and 30k later we have some minor fit and finish issues. Its fairly loud at highway speed, theres an annoying windshield howl at 70mph, experienced by a fellow Relay owner as well, some weatherstrip is already coming loose and I have had a minor transmission slip. Hopefully it will hold up a bit better over the long haul. Like the design, just seems the assembly is sloppy.

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  Aura A1 - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By T Collins - July 18 - 3:50 am

  This is an outstanding vehicle for the money if you are interested in a 4 door sedan. Of all the cars that I have owned, this is my favorite. I really like the treatment I receive by the dealer, and OnStar is a must. This car has been completely trouble- free so far. My only complaint would be the low roof line which requires you to duck as you enter the front seats or you will bump your head.