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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  How do you spell "lemon?" - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Babs - July 8 - 9:33 am

  I am truly disappointed with this vehicle. Though you might expect one or two small things to need adjustment, in 35 years of driving, the VUE has been the worst overall of vehicles I have driven. As a low mileage driver, Ive had 3 flat tires (tread seems to attract foreign objects) numerous "service engine soons," antifreeze leaks twice, a broken gas gauge, shorted electrical cell in the dash, blown fuel cell leaving me stranded on a busy street in rush hour traffic, and a crack in the exhaust system that made me sound like a tank. Service department less capable in some ways than I would expect, and patronizing at times, I guess because Im a woman. My next car will be a Honda.

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  Little Ole Lady Driver - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Elizabeth - July 8 - 5:43 am

  Excellent for enhancing the self image and the ego! Downside: very limited trunk storage so large travel bags are not an option. Almost nil available area for a large handbag or for general paper storage in the interior. For a short person, the rear view mirror vision can be limiting. No regrets on purchase just wish Id purchased the Red Line! Sassy, smart, slightly sexy and a hint of conservative!

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  Good Car For The Money - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Mike The LV Bear - July 7 - 10:00 am

  This ION is my second Saturn (I traded in a 2000 SL1), and its the best Ive ever driven. I love its quirky design and interior (a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter designs from Asia) and its overall value for the money. Of course, the large rebates and low financing helped; I went back to Saturn in part because of the dealer and because the SL1 was a reliable car. So far, no regrets.

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  Great value - 2004 Saturn ION
  By ChrisION - July 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first car. I bought it on 7/31/04 and so far it has been a very good deal. For the price, the only other cars near it are the Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Echo, and Chevy Aveo, but the ION is bigger than all of those. I got the Berry Red ION1 model with Auto, A/C, and CD player. My only complaint is that the sun visors are somewhat flimsy and small. The center mounted IP is convenient since Im on the short side and its easier to see over the wheel. Id buy another one in a heartbeat.

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  So far so good. - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Bruce Sawyer - July 7 - 4:16 am

  Made a Vegas run in it already. Handled great. Plenty of power on the hills. Mileage is doing good, around 26 but we have less than 2,000. Will see when the engine is broken in more.

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  One to consider - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By American Made - July 4 - 11:40 am

  My first look, always the looks. First drive was... 1) solid vehicle 2) impressive power 3) I like it 4) how much is this? 5) looked at Mazda CX-7 (no turbo for me) 6) Honda? Looks cheap. walked away 7) Nissan Murano? nice but too expensive What a joy! I will stay "American Made" if they produce vehicles like this!

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  2009 Saturn XE - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By Tbran2 - July 4 - 11:10 am

  Bought this car new for my wife after her 2006 Saturn Ion(52K flawless miles). At 3k miles this Aura is also flawless. My wife loves it (she says even more than she loves me) and in Ocean Mist turns heads wherever she goes(she says its her)... of course I have learned never to argue with a statement like that.

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  We love this car - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Allison Steed - July 4 - 3:00 am

  We absolutley love our Outlook. It is awesome in the snow and all around it has been a great vehicle for our family. We have had zero problems as long as we have owned it. We would recomend it to everyone.

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  Do not buy a Saturn aura! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By kelly080 - July 2 - 7:31 pm

  This is by far the worst car I have ever had. This car has had issues ever since the day I bought it 5 years ago. To name a few... Replaced the alternator, brakes work opposite of how they should ( when I press the brake pedal the lights go off and visa versa), problems with the starter (still havent resolved), cruise control doesnt work, Radio doesnt turn off when I turn off my car or open the door, and most recently spent over 2000 dollars to have the wave plates replaced in the transmission. Wouldnt recommend this car to my worst enemy.

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  Perfect RV companion - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By RVnut - July 2 - 11:13 am

  This vehicle has been flawless from day one. The only trips back to the dealer have been for oil changes. Great ride, very comfortable, very practical. Great transportation for 4 people. Easy to get in and out of, you do not sit on the ground or have to climb up. Towes 4- wheels down like a dream.