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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  Reliable 30 MPG - 2007 Saturn ION
  By 07saturn - November 23 - 11:09 pm

  2007 Saturn Ion company car with 163K miles. Drive 75 mph on the highway and get 30 mpg consistently. All electrical works with no problems, leather seats still look good (no rips or tears). Normal repairs with one exception. Exhaust pipe behind motor(flex pipe) is also attached to cat. converter. Over $700 for new pipe with converter at dealer. Front suspension bushings have been replaced twice. Motor runs great, uses no oil. Car is dependable and has not let me down.

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  UNHAPPY VUE OWNER - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By goofy girl - November 15 - 10:00 am

  theres not enough room to write. my vue is just about a yr old w/only 14,000 miles and has been back to the dealership at least 10x for anything and everything you can think of. when i had it a month, it had to be towed. i have contacted Saturn Corp and filed an official complaint,and although they have been somewhat helpful, i dred driving that suv, i dont feel safe at all. i strongly urge anyone to NOT buy it. i am in contact w/a lawyer reviewing the lemon law. its a shame that after a year, i am looking to trade this car in. not only do i regret getting the Saturn, but I also regret that i bought it, b/c i feel like im stuck with it, i hate it!

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  New Owner - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By PDC - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Wanted roomy 4 door, easy to get in and out of (am 6 3"). Dont need 4 wheel drive but did want front wheel drive with limited slip differential. Honda engine with 5 speed tranny a big plus. Good fuel economy. $4,000 rebate off trade price a big plus. Like fold down right front seat. Is very smooth and quiet on the road. 1500 rpms is 60 mph. Dampens bumps very but there is some road noise.

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  Great Value - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By R Perich - November 15 - 2:30 am

  We were looking for a lot of vehicle at a reasonable price, and we found it with the Outlook. The vehicle is not getting the great mileage we desired (around 19), but the interior space more than makes up for it. We fit five adults and two child seats in the car and everybody had enough room. It handles well in rain, but high winds will surprise the new SUV driver.

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  Sleek SUV - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Steve - November 14 - 10:36 pm

  Got a great deal on a 4cyl certified VUE so I went with it. The car looks great in and out, the only downfalls I dont like about it are the power of the 4 cyl (cruise control is not very comfortable) and the gas mileage for a 4 cyl(averaging about 23 mpg). I would recommend this if someone is looking for a sleek SUV that rides nice.

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  My First Saturn - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By My First - November 10 - 11:13 am

  The Relay does not look like a minivan. That is what attracted us to this vehicle. Knowing that our family was in desperate need to replace our 02 Ford Taurus with a vehicle that would accomodate our childrens active lifestyle, the Relay was the answer. Saturns low key sales approach and excellent service reputation made this decision even easier. So far (only 7k mile)the family loves it, although I find the seats on the small side, Im 6ft 220lbs. No mechanical problems and the engine is very responsive. It was a good purchase.

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  Our First Saturn - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Bruce Walters - November 10 - 7:36 am

  This is our first Saturn and we love it. My wife is the main driver of this VUE and we just got back from a trip to the Smoky Mountains in Tennesee. We put on 2200 miles after only having the VUE for 10 days. It performed very well and we got good gas mileage, about 27 mpg on the road.

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  Love to Drive! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Melissa - November 9 - 1:23 pm

  I have had my Saturn Aura for 6 months now and love it. From the moment I drove off the lot it has been a blast to drive. I have a 2 hour commute to work so I spend a lot of time in my car. Spending that much time in my Aura over the past 6 months I have learned the loves and the needs to change features of the car and the loves outnumber the fixes.

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  So far, so good! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Jo Ann - November 6 - 10:56 pm

  Ive only had it for 4 1/2 months, and so far I love it. It is fun to drive and has a great console and features. If only it had some hidden storage, it would be even better!

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  Bang for the Buck - 2003 Saturn ION
  By jjames - November 6 - 2:00 am

  We just bought a new ION to replace the my daughters SL1. (the SL1 provided 48,000 miles of economical and maintenance free driving). The ION has nice design; the composite panels are the best choice for a vehicle that will be parked streetside; and Saturns economical performance is hard to beat. We were pleasantly surprised with the quiet and smooth ride performance of the ION. At 70 mph is almost comparable to my 2002 A4. The added HP and torque makes the ION a well-rounded vehicle for fun, comfort and economy. I have to question the professional reviews Ive read as being biased and under-rating of the Saturn.