Saturn Research & Reviews

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.30/5 Average
3,767 Total Reviews
Make Overview:

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:

Showing 2941 through 2950 of 3,767.00
  • Love the car, minus the Kazoo noise - 2005 Saturn Relay
    By -

    We have had our RELAY for 9 months now and we absolutely love everything about it except a very loud and annoying "kazoo" noise. We love the way it looks, the way it drives, and all the toys that come standard as opposed to other makes who charge for every little extra add-on. However in the last 9 months we have had our van in the shop 7 times! Ridiculous for a new vehicle. 4 times for this kazoo noise. It literally sounds like someone is playing an obniouxiously loud kazoo above the drivers head. The dealer has had GM engineers to look at it and no one can figure it out. After 4 tries they basically said we cant fix it deal with it. We are currently filing a lemon law claim.

  • Excellent car , for the price. - 2007 Saturn ION
    By -

    I find this Ion to be an excellent car. Keep in mind it is not a luxury car. Basically a no-nonsense, reliable vehicle. I had owned 2 Saturns previous to this one & have found all 3 to be reliable, transportation, & based on cost per mile I couldnt be more satisfied. Unfortunately the polymer exterior panels were dis-continued in 2007. That was one of the main reasons I chose to buy Saturn. They are tough , dont rust or corrode & the paint finish is as attractive after 5 years as it was when new. Not to say these cars are flawless. I have encountered a few minor problems. None that ever put the car out of service & all were repaired under warranty to my satisfaction.

  • Good Reliable Vehicle - 2003 Saturn VUE
    By -

    I have had this car since September of 2002 and have put over 105,000 miles on it. I just recently had my 100k mile service done and did have a few things to replace (wheel bearings, strut, brakes/brake pads) but up until this point it has been nothing but basic maintenance. I change my oil regularly every 3k-4k miles and have gone on quite a few 1000+ mile trips with no problems at all. Ive also lived in cold wintery climates and it was a dream to drive in the snow. The VUE will definitely be on my list for my next new car.

  • Great Car - 2009 Saturn Aura
    By -

    I have had my Saturn for over 2 years and its been great. The ride is smooth and it gets good gas mileage for a v 6 @25 a gallon. Love the bluetooth and XM as well as the onstar directions so much car for such a great price to bad Saturn is no more another bad move by GM.

  • Good SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
    By -

    Great Honda V6 engine is smooth & fast. Gas mileage is pretty good for a V6 SUV. It is fun to drive with great a view of the road. There is an ease in entering & exiting the vehicle. Its smart engine advises you when an oil change is nececessary, usually every 10K. The only down side is the cheap interior materials.

  • Love my Outlook - 2007 Saturn Outlook
    By -

    Ive had my Outlook a little over 2years and really have no regrets. We wanted a large vehicle with plenty of leg-room in all rows. We researched lots of models/SUVs particularly cross- overs. We are very happy with our choice. Although its not perfect its certainly doin its job and some. Weve taken long car trips (12-hr drive to Detroit, 5 pass.) It was great comfortable and enough space inside for storage. However, I would prefer a step for mounting. The Outlooks pick-up could stand improvement. Ive made my own driving adjustments to suffice but the cross- over would do so much better with more power. Fuel economy is between 16-18 mpg.

  • Why pretend you care how it peforms? :) - 2007 Saturn Sky
    By -

    Lets face it: if youre thinking of buying a Sky, its because youre in love with the body. Its the Supermodel of Roadsters: you know its superficial, but you still want to date it. Theres really no beating the Sky in terms of a sexy, affordable convertible. Yes, the Miata performs better. You dont care. Yes, the ergonomics are bad. You still dont care. Its sexy, its affordable... GO BUY ONE. You wont regret it.

  • Former 11 time Lexus owners move to VUE - 2007 Saturn VUE
    By -

    We have owned 7 Lesux ESs & 4 Rxs and got a VUE based on towablity...We are thrilled with the car in almost all aspects, it is fun to drive, handles very well, dent resistant sides, clever inside features and a pleasure to own. We have no problems with the VUE, we have driven it 9,000 miles and towed behind our class A motorhome for another 8,500 miles...all completely uneventful. We thought that we would miss the Lexuses but couldnt get one since they are not flat towable. The VUE is simple to tow and only needs to be started every 7 hours to circulate the transaxle fluid.

  • Miss the Saturn Dealer - 2007 Saturn ION
    By -

    Bought my Ion 2 new after owning an SL2. Love the way it looks and drives. Currently has 38,000 miles on, several real long trips. The only problems I have had are: 1.Right side mirror fell off.... (I thought someone may have torn it off, but see someone else who did a review lost theirs as well.)2.After driving on a very long trip out west going over some terrible road construction (read big chunky rocks and holes- no road)had to have the strut and mount replaced and exhaust system fixed. All was covered under warranty (it was just under 36000 miles at the time). Havent experienced any problems with steering, noise, bad mpg as some report. Always starts, even in coldest weather.

  • best in class - 2004 Saturn VUE
    By -

    great- fun to drive

Great Deals Near You
  • Loading cars...

Selected Edmunds.com visitor vehicle reviews

Edmunds.com Visitor Vehicle Ratings and Reviews are the property of Edmunds.com, and may not be reproduced or distributed without the consent of Edmunds.com. Edmunds© is a trademark of Edmunds.com, Inc. Edmunds.com, Inc. is not affiliated with this website or app.

Powered By Edmunds

× Estimated monthly payments based on 3.9% APR, 60 month financing, and 20% down payment. Tax, tags, title, administration fees, and license fees are not included in price or payment. Subject to approved buyer credit. Actual purchase terms may vary.

Payment calculations are sourced by EveryAuto.com and may not reflect actual dealer financing terms.

Send Us Feedback ×


Locating Vehicles In Your Area