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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  Best Commuter Ive Owned - 2006 Saturn ION
  By pstrkrk - June 3 - 4:10 pm

  I bought this car after considering several cars. It came down to the Civic or the ION. I liked the IONs ride better and the price was significantly lower than the Civic. I drive over 90miles/day to work so comfort and efficiency are important and I regularly get 40mpg in this car. I rarely drive in town but when I do it drops to about 30mpg. Ride is nice, steering precise and predictable. Driving is seamless and comfortable even though I am quite large and this is a small car. No problems to report in the first 12,000 miles.

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  Stylish new Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Rich - May 31 - 5:20 pm

  I bought a 2008 Vue XE 4cyl during the Presidents day weekend sale. Traded in a reliable, fast Passat Wagon - so I was looking for something fun to drive, practical, took regular fuel, and got better mpg than the Passat. Most of my driving is around town with occasional slight hills. The tradeoff in power for the economy of the 4cyl is worth it! We have slight hills in San Diego & I just use the gear hold feature - does OK! Wish it had the 6spd auto from the Malibu w/ the same engine. Interior is awesome - so much better than the Japanese competitors. Lined large compartments all over! Got both premium packages, incl heated seats. Only 1000 miles, average 22 mpg.

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  disappointed - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Mrs. Elder - May 31 - 10:00 am

  The transmission is lacking power & performance. A possible bearing in the frontend is knocking. The body doesnt match up like it should. Something in the doors is scratching the glass. The dealership has looked at & tried to repair these things, but wants someone from the manufacturer to look at it. This may be in the first week or two of September.

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  Minus the Rattles...a Good Vehicle - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Vue Driver - May 31 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car late in 2003 and have 31k miles on it. I love the powerful engine. It was a real selling point for me. I also love all the options the car has for the price. The AWD is AWESOME in snowy weather. If it didnt make so many weird noises, I wouldnt have anything to complain about.

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  The greatest little cars in America - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By lyives - May 31 - 10:00 am

  This saturn is one of the best they have made. A great little all around car,very easy to get in and out of for all ages and agilities. Bonus is lots of space in the back and extra extra space with the back seats folded up. A wonderfu cross between a sedan and an SUV...also love their service!

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  LOVING this vehicle!! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By cinnamon1 - May 31 - 10:00 am

  This is my first SUV and I absolutely love it!! It handles GREAT, gets terrific gas mileage, is VERY comfortable and roomy and my kids LOVE it! I get a lot of compliments on the sleek look (bought the black with tan interior). The price absolutely could not be beat! Terrific value for a great vehicle!

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  gotta give it credit - 2005 Saturn ION
  By nathan - May 31 - 7:56 am

  iv gotta give this car good props i picked it up for $5,500 and didnt like it one bit after driving it for awhile it grew on me i,v never had any problems with any saturn i,v ever owned (3) and my ion is no exception the dealer told me about common problems with ions and i have not had one off them happen to me i,v grown to really like my ion and have put 18 inch wheels on it and it does look good i,m happy i bought this car its no jewl but for the money my saturn ion was a great deal and a great car

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  A View Of A Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By view of a vue - May 30 - 3:40 pm

  I think this is a very underrated automobile. In comparing to similar size vechiles the Vue is clearly the best looking . The most supriseing feature to me is the ride comfort. The ride and handling are both great! This is a great buy.

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  Too many visits to dealership - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Lesa - May 29 - 11:16 am

  31,000 miles and has been at the dealership several times with the same issue, transmission, torque converter, or they say. Corporate says that the problem is normal for the Vue. If normal then would be there from day 1. Still rattling noise and hesitations after past last gear. Would never own another Saturn again. Zipping noise when turning steering wheel. Dealer says normal for car again.

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  Golden Vue for You! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By SDConnors - May 28 - 9:23 pm

  The re-designed Saturn 2008 is gorgeous! We bought Metallic Gold w 3.5 V6 AWD StabiliTrak features vs. HyBrid (V4 2.2, 2WD) economy. Safety for family with Front/Side curtain AirBags, 4 Disc Brakes w ABS, StabiliTrak, AWD, and OnStar feeling of security, monitoring sensors and available at a touch to assist with lockouts, diagnostics, road assist or emergencies. German engineering and looks make this a solid Winner, designed by Saturns Euro Division in Germany. A+