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:

• 

  Great redesign - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By glc212 - January 6 - 4:16 pm

  I traded my 2003 Vue in with 95,000 mile. The 2008 is like going to a Cadillac fro a Chevy. The V6 is very responsive and it is fun to drive. I get a lot of comments on the styling and appearance.

• 

  The O.K. Saturn - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By ghmm - January 6 - 10:00 am

  The car has been in the shop for some just misc. items. The tabs in the handles keep coming out. The strut joint in the driverside front has been replaced and needs to be replaced again (design flaw). Service engine soon light came on @ 16000 mi. and they said it was my gas cap but I think its something else. The antenna also keeps coming loose.

• 

  Not Such A Great Deal Afterall - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Kristen - January 6 - 9:46 am

  When I first bought the car, I liked it. Maybe just because it was my first car. Since then, its been disappointed over and over. The locking mechanism fell into the door; the ignition switch, starter, ECU, and battery had to be replaced at 30k miles for no apparent reason; the shift lock solenoid needs replacing or the key wont turn all the way back; even after replacement of recalled signal assembly, its still bad. Ive had nothing but problems with this car and cant wait to get rid of it! I will never, ever buy a Saturn ever again. This car was a huge disappointment!

• 

  Disillusioned in New York - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Disallusioned - January 5 - 5:23 pm

  I had researched the Acadia and Outlook for months and was very excited when I finally purchased my Outlook XR fully loaded. The Outlook has a great look and I love the interior especially with the heated leather seats, sunroof, and captain chairs, Nav,etc...However I am extremely disappointed in the performance, there is no power climbing a basic hill, my foot is on the floorboard of the accelerator..The gas mileage stinks...I am averaging 12 mpg, I thought I was smarter than the Chevy Tahoe crew because the Outlook bragged about performance and good mileage..False ratings or something is dramactially wrong with this car...I drive rather conservatively, so I just dont get it.

• 

  Loving It So Far - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Melissa - January 3 - 4:56 am

  So far the vehicle has been a great town and city cruiser out with friends. Love the center console and rear console for second and third row passengers. Love ride quality

• 

  Wow! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By tlongmoble - January 1 - 2:26 pm

  I have had my Outlook for over a week now and cant say enough about it! It drives smooth and is powerful on the road. Cant wait to wake up tomorrow for the drive to work!

• 

  The hidden gem - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By G.C. - December 31 - 12:36 pm

  I have had the Astra of well over a year now and the longer I have driven it the more I love it. This car exudes quality from bumper to bumper. The handling is extraordinary and the fit and finish is superb. Every interior component is quilt with quality. This car drives like a proper German car should. I have driven the comparable Toyota and Mazda offering that sell well int his class and the Astra absolutely blows them away. This excellent vehicle will become a collectible when the public gets word of great it is and how it was only available in one vintage.

• 

  Lots of car for the money - 2003 Saturn ION
  By csdibiase - December 30 - 10:00 am

  On the road the car feels confident, with rather reassuring amount of power. On the highway the Ion feels smooth and stable at whatever the posted limit is, and then some. Off the highway the Ion feels nimble on the side streets and parking lots. The center mounted IP only takes a few minutes of driving to adjust to and allows for a smaller, sportier steering wheel. The driverÂ’s seat has more than enough adjustments to make it comfortable. There are also plenty of cubby holes for storing things

• 

  Vegas Saturn - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By 3 time saturn owner - December 30 - 1:23 am

  I have had more problems with this Saturn than any other. We have had problems with the air conditioning not blowing cold air (the dealer stated that it was blowing fine, but for us the air was coming out hot), the child lock on the rear passenger door engages on its own trapping riders in the van, the wiring was faulty so the van would not start, and now the suspension is creaking. I havent even owned the vehicle for a year yet. The dealer is a 45 minute drive from my house and it takes them all day to fix anything. I am truly disappointed with this experience and do not plan on owning a Saturn again

• 

  Amazing car! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Scott - December 29 - 9:26 am

  When the time came to replace our Saab 9-3, my wife and I did some car shopping. After stopping at the Saturn dealership, we both agreed there was no need to look any further. We test drove both the XE and XR versions. In the end, we just couldnt pass up the OHC V6 & 6 spd automatic in the XR. Wow! What a car. Definitely not what has become known as the "typical" GM car. It drives smooth and handles very well while still absorbing bumps. The engine provides ample power and the transmission, while occasionally slow to respond, shifts smoothly. My wife loves the remote start feature. This car should be on every midsize car buyers shopping list. Its definitely worth a look.