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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  Outlook - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Outlook - May 24 - 1:33 pm

  Good car in the desert but week in the rainy areas. Sunroof leaks because of poor design, drain tubes to short, drain tubes not connected. Rain causes shorts in the electrical system and disables much of your equipment until able to completely dry out. Rain comes in from the just below the sunroof all the way back to the second row passenger airbags as well as down the firewall onto the driver floor. This causes your shoes to soak up water and become slippery on the petals.

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  No Longer GM Customer - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By lstonge1 - May 24 - 10:49 am

  The Outlook looks great inside and out, unfortunately mechanicly the vehicle is garbage. I have spent more money in 11 months of ownership on my 08 Outlook than I have in my last three vehicles combined. My next SUV will be a non GM product.

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  Worst purchase of my life - 2007 Saturn ION
  By crysania - May 17 - 2:12 pm

  I bought this car used in 2009 with about 32k miles on it. Loved the look of it and it drove great. I had about one year of good driving and then its been nothing but problem after problem. Wheel bearings, front bushings, AC gone, multiple check engine light problems that result in expensive repairs or a mechanic who cant find the problem as it comes and goes. Ive sunk more money into this car in just a handful of years than I did in all the years of owning cars previously.

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  Nice car...bad example - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Sean - May 17 - 11:35 am

  So...most reviews on these cars are great. I would know since Ive wanted one the day they came out. That was in middle school. I saved and saved and finally bought a very nice condition Sky Redline. Looks immaculate. Being a college student I took the safe road and purchased a sports car with realiability to back it (according to numerous reviews). WRONG! At least in my case. This car has been in the shop longer than its been in my driveway (unless we count the time it isnt running). The Chevy dealer I bought it from cannot locate the issue. It stalls, the fan stops working occasionally, my blinkers dont work when they want to...its an electrical problem. DO NOT do what I did and automatically figure its a sound car...test drive it multiple times, have it inspected and be skeptical. Obviously my car is the one in a million with severe problems (and none of which documented in multiple different VIN history reports) but just be aware so you dont end up like I did. I kmow these cars are great cars...mine just happens to be junk! I dont want this to happen to anyone else. When I read reviews I never once saw a post like this...it gave me a strong sense of security. I just want possible buyers to realize its possible for these cars to be junk. Im not sure what the previous owner (there was only one) did to this vehicle but it must have been pretty bad. Unfortunately they knew how to upkeep appearance and make a wolf in sheeps clothing and I got the short end of the stick.

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  i love this car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By ucantcme0220 - May 16 - 2:10 am

  i got my saturn about 7 months ago it had 116k miles on it and now its got 127k miles and runs absolutely great.. it gets around 21 on city and 32 on the highway which i get combined 29-30ish which aint bad.. the only thing i had to replace was the powersteering motor.. it had a little leak from the rain once but a lil silicone fixed the problem.. I also put a custom exhaust on it which sounds awesome.. overall this car is great i love this car..

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  What a crossover! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Mom of 2 - May 15 - 2:13 pm

  I had been looking for another vehicle for a while, considering both new and used. I pretty much tried every crossover before chosing this one - Nissan Murano (cheap feeling car), the GMC Acadia, the Buick Enclave and last I tried the Outlook. I made the right decision. I love to drive it, it is comfortable and the options are great. The ride is smooth, the view is great from all angles and the storage is almost as much as my full size Yukon Denali I just had.

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  Relay 3 - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Matt - May 13 - 9:06 am

  In the past two years we have had a Mercedes ML320 and Jaguar X-type.. We have found that our experience with our older 1999 Saturn was far and away superior. Both at the vehicle and dealer levels. We Traded in our Jaguar for the Saturn and have not looked back. We tow our other Saturn behind a motorhome and have had nothing but good luck with it. We hope to have the same with the van. The final decision factors over the Odessey were style and OnStar. The Honda had neither.

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  Needs more power - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Vue - May 12 - 9:06 pm

  I love the VUE overall but it needs more power. Its a four cylinder. I should have bought a six cylinder. Its even worse when running the air conditioning. Plus the gas mileage is not that good when running the air conditioning.

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  Good enough to pass on to son - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By bjie - May 11 - 10:00 am

  This Opel reminds me of the VWs I have driven. Small but feels bigger on the road. Not a comfy couch to put you asleep on the road, specially on not- too-straight roads. (I believe the .84 g specs reported.) If gas prices spike up again, the 30mph average (90+% hwy) should soften the blow to my wallet. Had a turn signal relay replaced on warranty but no other issues. I am confident my son will keep this car when I hand it over to him in a couple of years.

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  Love my VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Christine Rohrbach - May 9 - 7:10 am

  This is the first Saturn I have owned and I love my VUE. I was attracted to the VUEs exterior design and when I discovered it came with a Honda V-6 engine, I was completely hooked. The roomy interior is a real plus too--high ceilings and plenty of room between the front and back seats. The gas mileage isnt outstanding, but its better than most suvs. And, I know I could get more out of each gallon if I didnt take advantage of its get-up-and-go capability so frequently. If your a Mom who needs room for the kids but still wants to feel sporty and drive in the fast lane, the VUEs for you.