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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  Very good for a starter - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By Eliezer - October 16 - 3:04 am

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  I was wrong! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Carla in Texas - October 13 - 11:56 am

  Having been a Ford Pickup owner for several years, I was not sure how a Saturn would fit into the equation. When I first saw this car, I was hooked. I test drove other cars, but my mind always went back to the Aura. I did not think I would really fall for this car, but was I wrong. Everything about it is great! The ride is smooth and quiet and the steering wheel controls are a plus. Driving this car is a highlight of my day!

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  Saturn does NOT deliver - 2003 Saturn ION
  By yi - October 12 - 10:00 am

  I had FOUR rentals in two months due to problems. I called Saturn several times and spoke to several people. Their response was, and I quote: "Were sorry, but your warranty doesnt cover inconvenience." Nice, huh. The car has a LOT of interior noise: rattles, squeaks, clicks, you name it. It doesnt handle well when turning either, partly because the steering wheel is stiff, but also because it doesnt hug the road. And, you might want to consider getting some extra padding in your seat because its a bumpy ride. Overall, the car is okay to drive and looks nice, but prepare for many trips to the dealer...and a lot of hot air from the Saturn Corporation.

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  WONDERFUL Car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By NC_Guy - October 12 - 10:00 am

  Such an intelligently engineered car! Center-gauges, rear access doors, fold-down seats, shoulder-strap adjustable for a child, quality build, tight turning radius, ...wonderful. Had owned only Toyotas before, but this Ion 3 is fresh and fun. For the price of a base Toy, I have a loaded Ion 3 (and dont think Im not enjoying the leather seats and powerful sound system!). If this is your first Saturn, ask your dealer about the $500 "Conquest" incentive. Thank you Saturn. When this car eventually dies, as Arnie says, "Ill be back."

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  I hate my Saturn VUE! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Rachel Pena - October 11 - 6:46 pm

  I have been in and out of the Saturn dealerships for service, and have been in touch with the corporate office numerous times to make complaints. My SUV isnt even two years old yet and is falling apart! I am not hard on my car and do not feel that it is normal for a vehicle to fall apart like this VUE has. The plastic that it is made of is a poor quality. The door panel falls off with temperature changes. The center console falls out of place. The doors shift. The service dept at dealer level and at corp level say that this is what the warranty is for, but I feel that I should not have to take my time to bring it in for warranty work on a monthly basis. They do not stand behind the product

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  My 05 Saturn Ion 2 experience - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Wonger - October 9 - 8:00 pm

  Ive made several trips to and from Michigan to San Diego and back. Gas mileage was 30+, however, the seating arrangement is awful and you will feel it on long trips. Very dependable and good value for the money. Only 2 problems occured that required warranty work that being bolts breaking off for the driver window and driver-side back window (both seperate occasions). Engine light has came on 2 times also, and was quickly extinguished on next fill ups of good quality gasonline. Very nice handling through snow and rain, but is hard to control at times in windy enviroments. The center dash is awesome as you dont have to look through the steering wheel to see how fast you are going.Roomy trunk

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  High Performance Crossover - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By labanstick - October 6 - 9:26 pm

  My Vue has excellent performance and handling so feels like a sports luxury vehicle to me. The fit and finish is great and the interior is spacious for my family with two young boys!

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  Ion 3, fingers crossed - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Craig - October 6 - 5:20 pm

  Bought it used at 29k now with 34k. Security system shut car down and I had to wait a little bit. I like the car a lot and have a lot of compliments on it. My best city mileage is 26mpg .

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  First Saturn - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By hgranat - October 4 - 7:46 am

  I purchased the XE model with the 4-Cylinder after comparing the CR-V, Ford Escape, Mitsubishi Outlander and Mercury Mariner. The Saturn had the best look to it and best features for the money and the quietest ride - also for the American brands had the best resale value. I have had a few fit and finish issues that the dealer easily fixed. Another posting mentioned a problem with the 4 speed automatic transmission with erratic behavior and gear-dropping to accelerate. Last week during the recall for the "Brake Control Module" the transmission was reprogrammed and works significantly better - like it should have in the first place. Performance is greatly enhanced!

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  Saturn kept the Opel in the Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Mainer - October 2 - 1:56 pm

  My gas mileage is well above the EPA rating; 19.5 & 26. The handling is very good and the AWD worked very well in our record year of snow; 198". The VUE was called back for a software upgrade and the battery in the OnStar died. No other problems.