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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  room for improvement - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By RWood - March 15 - 12:06 am

  vehicle rides good but needs more power.I have brought it to the dealership 3 times with under 7,000 miles for a transmission problem,and they keep telling me all the codes are good.It feels like the trans is slipping and it over revs during shifts on the highway

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  Finally, an entry level European car! - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By bone151 - March 14 - 2:30 pm

  I still dont understand why Ford and GM refuse to import, or even transplant, great cars that they sell in the rest of the world. If they sell them, we will buy them. If youre looking for a vehicle similar to the Ion/Cavalier/Cimarron, goes elsewhere, you wont like the Astra. Guaranteed. The Astra is an choice over a Golf/Rabbit; build quality is better; fittings and performance are similar. I decided on the Astra over another Golf due to its manufacture location. Where else can you find an affordable, true European auto stateside?

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  All style, no substance - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By dmm1277ny - March 10 - 5:56 pm

  I am the 2nd owner of this Aura XR. I brought it in Mar 2011 with 10,200 miles on it. Its a beautiful looking, well-optioned car with good performance and handling. I cannot wait to be rid of it because it has zero reliability. Its been to 2 different dealers in the past 3 months for electrical/computer issues which can not be found. They car will refuse to crank after short trips, then restart on its own after 10-15 minutes, usually accompanied by a random warning light (never the same one). Both trips to the dealer were the result of all gauges malfunctioning, all warning lights & messages coming on, and all electrical systems (like traction control) shutting off while driving.

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  It is what it is - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By ndblais - March 9 - 1:46 pm

  The VUE is what it is. If you are looking for a fuel efficient small to mid-size SUV, then this is the way to go. It is roomy and comfortable, but can tend to be a little noisy when accelerating. This can be expected with a 4 cyl. Other than that, I love it!

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  Great SUV - When its Running - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Layton - March 9 - 8:20 am

  I have had this since 2004. It had 24,100 miles and now 55,000 in 2008. I love the handle, feel, and roominess; however, it should be painted lemon yellow. 2 months after receiving it there was a recall. No big deal. One year and a month later it was creaking and the front stabilizer was replaced. 5 months after that it howled and a wheel bearing and driveline support needed repaired. 1 year later - new rotors & pads In 2007, it was in the shop 3 times - a front pipe separated from the flange so they replaced the pipe and catalytic convertor (remember that), the crank position sensor went, and then the accelorator sensor. Just now - a new catalytic convertor. Ive been stranded 4 times

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  Best Yet - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Don - March 8 - 11:16 am

  Of all the 6 Saturns we have owned this one is by far the best. We thought the 2003 VUE was great, but the 2006 has it beat hands down for comfort, power in the mountians and of course for older people, fatigue free long driving and ease of handling.

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  Visability problem - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By 1st Time Saturn buye - March 5 - 4:46 pm

  The front pillar posts are too wide making blind spots when turning. Rear visablity isnt as good as my Caravan or Forrester. My right leg rubs against the center console. The Vue V6 has great pick up, but I expected better gas mileage. It has much more back seat room than the Forrester. The optional floor mats are great in lousey weather. I dont like the self- dimming rear view mirror; it doesnt darken fast enough. Only the dealer can provide an oil change? Come on!

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  Lovin It! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Momof2 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  We waited FOREVER to get this car. We needed a larger vehicle than our Saturn SL2 (also great!) for toting both car seats. We ordered ours and were extremely pleased with it. We have had no problems and nothing but positive things to say. It is obvious that much thought was put into the design of this vehicle, inside and out...from the organizer basket in the cargo area to the handy fuse placements... I love this car!!!

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  Great low-cost hybrid - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Rick - March 3 - 11:03 am

  Ive had my Green Line for about a year. Its been completely reliable and has never been in the shop for anything but periodic maintenance. I drive on largely short trips, which is not where the Green Lines hybrid system shines. Ive seen highway trips with mileage close to 35 MPG, but my overall mileage right now is at 26.1 MPG. Thats better than some "full" hybrid SUVs. Generally, the GL beats the highway mileage but fails to meet city mileage rating, especially in stop-and-go traffic. If thats what youre looking for, the GL will dissapoint. For me, theres enough suburban and highway to make it a success mileage-wise. Im very happy with the choice.

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  My "tall" car is not too bad - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Wernowhere - March 2 - 4:30 pm

  Ive have owned a FWD 4 cyl 5 speed Vue for a little over 2 years Its basically a "tall" car. To be honest, I went into my search looking for a CR-V or a RAV4. After looking at the competition, I settled on the VUE. Mostly a value decision. It was just a lot of vehicle for the money. I was concerned about realibility, but its been a good car to me so far. 38K and no real issues. EPA was 24 city/29 highway. I dont get that, but I do get about 22 around town and 26 -27 on the highway. Ive heard bad things about the 4WD and the CVT. Id probably avoid those but my FWD manual has been a good car.