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 ION - 2005 Saturn ION
  By ion - October 31 - 7:26 am

  A great car, and Im very proud to drive it. I like the slim line body and it looks great. It drives easily, handles nicely, and brakes very well. Great gas mileage. I like the inside, everything is so together on the dash, it is just so nice to drive.

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  Fun Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By MDunne - October 26 - 11:20 am

  I put a lot of miles on a car in a year. I was really skeptical to buy a GM vehicle because of this. Im not sorry that I did. Extremely easy to perform routine maintenance.

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  The Resurrection of Cadilliac - Reprise - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By DWS - October 25 - 4:33 am

  My wife has had this car for two days, and I am so impressed, I had to write this. This is a great car. It is amazingly quiet, comfortable, has great vehicle dynamics and handling, and looks great. We also have a 2006 Corvette Z06, and a 2001 Z06, and I like to drive this Aura XE. The dealership experience was excellent. My sister has driven, or more correctly beaten, a Saturn for over 12 years. Now Saturn has added great styling, handling, and fun to the formula.

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  Great Car! - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By Sky Rider - October 24 - 8:20 pm

  The manual top is lightweight and easy and quick to put up and down. The mileage is actually better on the Red Line - they got it backwards. And most people get better mileage than the EPA estimates. I average 32-35 on the freeway and about 26 in town. You want to have fun & meet people - then buy a Sky ! People flock to it.

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  Good on gas, thats it - 2003 Saturn ION
  By wosko - October 24 - 11:10 am

  After 2 months of owning this car, the car wouldnt shut off because the key wouldnt turn or come out. I had to have it towed and the ignition solinoid replaced. A month later it happened again. The dials on the thermostat dont rotate properly. The remote trunk unit has to be reset every so often. The brakes are already going bad. You cant spill anything in the car because cleaning the material will leave moisture stains. Worst buy ever.

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  I love my Vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By kristen - October 24 - 10:00 am

  The best of everything

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  Love/Hate reviews. Satisfied - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Bill - October 23 - 6:00 am

  Ive read the reviews and it appears to be a love /hate relationship with owners. For me, the VUE is the best GM product Ive owned to date. Several long distance trips have provided mileage in excess of 30mpg. 5 speed with the four so not familiar with tranny problems. Was back to the dealer once with stabalization recall. Comfortable and safe. Thumbs up at 56K

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  Smooth Quiet Ride - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By CKapoor - October 23 - 1:40 am

  Bought the XE with the Special Edition package on July 31, 2007. Traded in a Mercedes E320 for it. Never thought I would buy a GM, but this car took the cake. I compared it to an Acura TL (which was a notch above), but the extra 8K did not make sense. Wife and I are both loving it. I hope it holds up in the long run (we are used to Toyotas).

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  Saturn finally gets style - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By vibn04 - October 21 - 4:36 am

  I can say Saturn really, finally, looked at design and style. This was always second to safety and reliability which is a good thing, yet you cant let these things go in a market flooded with competition. People want to feel good and enjoy what they drive in on top of having a safe and reliable car. This car has only been in my driveway roughly a week but feels great to have a car sonew it turns heads and makes people think,"what is that car and who makes that?" I love it so far and Im very happy with what I purchased.

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  Sexy car, Great Look! Everyone asks what it is - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Deb Christopher - October 20 - 2:50 am

  The wait was worth it. Pictures do not do this car justice. Sexy, sporty and unique best describe this car. The price is unbelievable. No one believes how resonable it is. The common question is what kind of car is it. When told Saturn, they are surprised. Dont be. I owned an SC2 and was pleased with the reliability and how inexpensive it was to own. I will never sell either car. My SC2 is my winter car now and my Sky my summer toy! Im in love with my SKY My license plate says it all "Fly Away" in my sky.