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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Saturn Vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
By Lou T. - February 11 - 10:00 amafter driving a Dodge Durango for many years I was skeptical about the vue, however it turns out that it is a very capable vehicle! I am 65" and have no trouble getting in or out of this vehicle,it is very comfortable,easy to drive/park/manuver,gets good milage and has a lot of nice features,I would recomend(and have)this vehicle to anyone who is looking for a good all- around suv.
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THANKS SATURN - 2004 Saturn ION
By Redline ION - February 11 - 10:00 amNever ever thought I would consider a saturn..I think im the only one with it in hawaii.. its fun how you blow celica gtss away and they paid 6 grand more that u did.
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REDLINE INDEED - 2004 Saturn ION
By ION - February 11 - 10:00 amI got the black REDLINE..all i can say is this car is great. It launches real quick. The seats are great.. i love the new steering wheel. thank god they didnt use the small tiny one. Its fun how people with civics, SE-Rs, Protoges try to cut you off at night thinking its a regular ol ion and get spanked. Its really easy to pass the redline
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Yugos were better. - 2006 Saturn Relay
By Daddyainthappy - February 10 - 8:40 amNot really but not far off. I had this thing in the shop four times while it was under warranty for an annoying popping/clicking noise in the front end. Each time they said they had it fixed and alas, it is now out of warranty and still pops.Oh, and the service engine light came on about 2000 miles after warranty expired. The computer code shows the catalytic converter is not functioning properly. Now my transmission is slipping horribly. Fluid is clean and has always been full. This van has not been driven hard or fast. It is simply a lemon and from looking at the other reviews, it is not alone in its misery.
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Outstanding SUV - 2008 Saturn VUE
By Harry - February 7 - 2:30 pmI purchased a 2008 Saturn Vue with the 3.5 V-6 AWD. I had looked at other SUVs but after test driving this vehicle, there was no question that I would purchase it. I was impressed with the V-6 Engine power and the overall construction of the vehicle. The interior design and comfort is incredible. The vehicle I purchased has the electric heated seats and heated exterior mirrors. They work flawlessly in the cold Minnesota weather. I was also impressed with the OnStar and hands free phone system. My opinion is that this is a great vehicle for the money and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great SUV.
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Almost like an import - 2008 Saturn Aura
By Bill S. - February 7 - 4:46 amWeve owned the car for a few weeks and really like it. Its a comfortable car to drive and handles well. We like the electronic features and the handy information screen below the speedometer. We also like the OnStar and mobile phone. We got the 0% financing and so far have been satisfied.
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9 Months Old - 2008 Saturn Outlook
By Sakamochi - February 5 - 11:40 amThis vehicle was chosen carefully - a decision for Outlook versus M-B GL350, CX-9, Highlander, Pilot. Outlook wins out in space, "adult" seat count and access, power/weight ratio, size, driveability, towing and AWD. We also suspected that the fuel economy would be worse than advertised, and it is. We live in the southwest with a lot of flat land and mountain grades as well. Ive managed 19 mpg at 75 mph on the freeway. In town, 14-15 mpg. Hey people: when you spend 40 grand on a vehicle you better be able to afford an extra couple hundred bucks a year on gas for driving a 4,700 pound CUV. Its not a giant size Yaris! Our 7,000 lb diesel crewcab 4wdF350 gets 20 mpg but thats another story...
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Saturn has a winner - 2007 Saturn Aura
By Ken - February 4 - 5:20 pmI drove a 2000 LS2 for 120,000 miles and was pleasantly surprised that Saturn was introducing a new model for 2007. The Aura is very quite and has a nice comfortable ride. The quaility is very good. First car that I have truely fallen in love with.
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My Astra-A Great Decision - 2008 Saturn Astra
By jaxjack92 - February 4 - 12:23 amEasiest handling,most comfortable, best fuel economy of the 5 Saturns I have bought or leased.
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Way better than expected - 2007 Saturn Outlook
By Nan - January 29 - 2:20 pmAfter 4 years of driving a minivan we still needed to haul kids/dog/stuff but were tired of the mushy ride and uncomfortable seats of our otherwise well functioning minivan. Our Outlook has a responsive car-like feel, very comfortable seats, excellent seating configuration for third row passengers, very nice AWD without the high step-in of a similar sized SUV. The electronics are awesome. The third row head curtain airbags were a key safety feature that we wanted, and this car was one of the few that had that option. Its a very thoughtfully designed car with lots of bang for the buck. We contiunue to be very happily surprised by this vehicle.
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Saturn Astra 133 Reviews
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Saturn Aura 381 Reviews
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Saturn ION 975 Reviews
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Saturn Outlook 266 Reviews
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Saturn Relay 111 Reviews
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Saturn Sky 171 Reviews
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Saturn VUE 1,730 Reviews