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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  Not as good as SL Series - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Mike S. - October 2 - 2:43 pm

  Very good mileage and such things as tires, brakes, last a long time. I am still on the original brakes. However, have had the ignition switch changed twice for passlock failure during cold months. Also had a bad turn signal light and left headlight wiring harness. Very noisy body rattles during the winter months. So bad I thought my Mcpherson struts were bad. Trans seal went and cost $300 to fix. As weather warmed up, body rattles went away. New Saturns probably wont have that problem as panels are no longer plastic. I also own a 97 SL1 Saturn which has 109K on it. I dont expect this car to last as long. It is a glorifed Chevy Cobalt. Not sure my next car will be a Saturn

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  Great little SUV - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Ian - October 1 - 1:00 pm

  This car was even more than we thought it would be. We bought this to replace our gas guzzling Crown Vic, and we have loved it ever since. Our model is a standard transmission, so I find it is actually quite peppy for a 4 cylinder. It doesnt really ride that well, but you cant beat that the car as 145,000 miles and its still going strong. I also find that the fuel economy is great, usually a typical 27 MPG combined. A standard changes everything about a car, so when people say the 4 cylinder (which is NOT a V4...those dont exist) is sluggish, you can guess that theirs is an automatic. My only gripe is that it isnt great in the snow, but four snows fixed that in a jiffy!

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  Great looks, bad deal - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Thwarted Saturnite - October 1 - 10:00 am

  The appearance of the VUE is very nice, but dont let that fool you. There are too many "bugs" in this car that have not been addressed by Saturn. Ive had this car almost 2 years and Ive had "Warranty" repairs at least 20 times. Perhaps my vehicle is a lemon, but others that Ive test driven havent been much better. These vehicles have a front end problem that causes squeaking and rattling. Most drivers have said that it feels as if the front end is about to collapse. Overall the ride is not smooth, it feels like a old pickup. The factory radio system is below average. Reception is horrible. The air conditioner blower does not reach the back seat

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  Why is my car knocking? - 2006 Saturn ION
  By readingteach - September 28 - 4:16 pm

  I owned an SL2, and it went almost 150,000 miles until I traded it in for my current car, a 2006 I0N 3. The quality of the ION 3 is much poorer than with the SL. Its obvious that Saturn cut corners with the ION, which may account for its short run. Like others, Ive noticed that the interior seems cheaply made, and the material does easily stain. The biggest problem is that the car keeps surging when Im idling at a stop sign or a red light. Ive taken it to the dealer multiple times, and they cant find anything. I was originally very proud to own a Saturn since the company took a lot of pride in its products, but the company obviously doesnt care about quality like it once did.

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  Saturn 2006 Relay 3 - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Lady Anne - September 28 - 5:10 am

  The Relay 3 was the perfect minivan for us. As a disabled veteran a wheelchair, so we needed something with a lot of room but did not want a full sized van. The interior is very roomy, it comes standard with a DVD player and a 120 outlet in the back. Ours had the entertainment package & came with 2 wireless headphones as well. The center & backrow seats and toy box, lift out very easily, and there is tons of storage. Driving the Relay has been refreshing as well. It handles extremely well and has fantastic pickup. I highly recommend the Relay to everyone looking for an affordable minivan with lots of room, tons of standard features, and is fun to drive.

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  Quite a nice van - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By wazrmans - September 26 - 2:33 am

  This van is fun to drive and has lots of room for the kiddos. Weve also fit quite a lot of cargo in the back, even with kids aboard. The fuel economy is poor, and so far, does not live up to even the mileage range listed on the sticker. If we leave the fuel out of it, its a rockin van!

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  So far so good! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Buggs - September 22 - 3:03 pm

  I purchased the saturn after my FIL rented a 08 vue and hit a Large Buck in WI. He an 2 others WALKED away from the accident. I had driven a Lexus before and loved it, but did not want to part with 40K for a 330 this time. 6+ months later I still and very happy, I dorve the Honda CRV (2009 made and shipped from Japan...NOT an option) and looked at plenty of other options, but went with the Vue due to my FIL. The price was great and I know my kids and myself are safe. I am a small girl so interior space is not a problem. All and all I am happy, any problems have been addressed by my local dealer....Nothing major, just minor things.

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  Disillusioned - 2006 Saturn ION
  By sierpinski - September 20 - 8:46 pm

  I bought the car for its safety features, have a 2001 SL with 150,000 miles on it, wanted the security of a new car to drive a grandchild around in. It was brand new, only 10 miles on it. Nine days and 700 miles later, it wouldnt start. Dealer replaced the ignition. Well, Im angry, I put $10,000 of my money down on the car and dont want it now. The gas mileage stinks, accellerating seems to be painful for it. Everything about my 2001 SL is better, it runs better, it feels more roomy inside. The ION seats are like bulls in a china shop, there is no space to fit things under the seats, there is noplace to put a large-sized fountain drink. The car is a frigging nightmare, I hate it.

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  Buyers remorse - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Heidi - September 20 - 6:30 pm

  It only took me 2 days to realize I had made a very bad choice. I was really excited to get an suv and upgrade from my 2005 mazda 6. When I bought it the visor buzzed so I took it back in and they politely fixed it and now the whole car buzzes. I drive down the road banging the roof of the car so that the buzzing will stop. The windshield is so windy it sounds like it isnt secure. The inside also looks very cheap. I am very disappointed and have been searching for a new suv ever since.

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  Cant beat it for the price! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By DaddyO - September 18 - 5:03 pm

  I was looking for cheap but dependable. QVC had a special no obligation coupon for $1,000 off any Saturn, + April was truck month + another special = a very good deal on a 4 cyl, maual, with CD, powr moon roof, power windows, and ABS. My insurance went down! Would have loved a manual but with 6 cyl, but I also like the great mileage. Ill live. A great buy for the money, no complaints, I can even fit 8 long boards in the car and close the back!