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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  my 6th saturn - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By stresa - July 2 - 10:00 am

  if they make a bigger saturn with the ratio value of the previous ones i do not want to try any other car.

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  My great little car! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By mcnoles - July 2 - 10:00 am

  This car has been wonderful! The fact that the speedometer etc... are in the center of the dash is great! I am on the short side, and it is sooooo much easier to see over the hood! This little car has the get up and go I need when I need it. I drive 120 miles round trip 5 days a week, and have simply had a blast!

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  Fun ride - 2009 Saturn Sky
  By stas - July 1 - 4:23 am

  This has been an outstanding and fun car. Great toy with an incredible amount of compliments. Truly an incredible empty nest vehicle.

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  Worst Car - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Danielle - June 29 - 11:36 am

  I brought my car after leasing a Honda Accord coupe after 3 years. The Aura was definitely a large downgrade. They had to change my brake pads after 3000 miles. The car is rattling when you hit a bump. My two year old son got stuck in the seatbelt. My keyless remote goes out every 6 months they already replaced it twice and it needs to be replaced again. I will be buying a new or used foreign car next time.

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  Greenline Hybrid Review - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By Nicole Wadleigh - June 28 - 2:56 pm

  Now that I have my Saturn Vue Greenline Hybrid I will never own anything else. I have owned Saturns for years, but the advantage of this one is that it has cut my commuter gas bill in half! Im getting even better mileage than the dealership said I would. An added advantage is that you can use the battery to power the air conditioning or the gas (like a normal car). I have used it on both and there is no difference! So, of course, I use the battery to power the air conditioning. Both my 18 year old and my 2 1/2 year old love the comfort! And the dog loves the cargo area! Good job once again, Saturn!

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  What Vue? - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By notsogoodvue - June 28 - 2:36 pm

  I have been reading some pretty bad things about the VUE and thought I was the only one with the same problems everyone is having with this god-awful car. Not only did no one tell me about the transmission and wheel bearing problems but I was not please to know that my warranty had expired 2 months before I paid a ton of money getting some transmission work done. And of course Saturn is the only place who can fix the problem so you can spend more money on this piece of crap car! I am trading this car in soon to avoid future problems and not ever recommending Saturns to anyone!

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  Poor Front interior design - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Rich W. - June 26 - 4:33 am

  Like the vehicle-Dont love it. Very practical vehicle. Excellent to drive with Superb Honda 6- give engineer a bonus that recommended that engine- has a wow factor! - great on hi-way. Reduce Salary of Engineer that calculated gas mileage estimates- WAY OFF! I still havent hit 20 mpg. Should have been more honest/accurate in projecting fuel estimates in showroom. Vue takes a beating and cleans up very nice- can be a workhorse for the busy family. Also- I like the exterior design- and engine accessibility

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  JUNK - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By YoseMom - June 26 - 12:30 am

  JUNK I had been waiting for over five years for Saturn to come out with a minivan. But this is not a Saturn (and Saturn isnt the company it used to be) it is a piece of junk. Constantly in the shop. Over heats going uphills (even with the heater on full blast)Brakes unreliable, smoke going down hill even in 2nd gear, sometimes brakes dont take when coming to stop signs. Finally got the ABS light fixed $2000 later. Passenger door still doesnt close right. Makes grinding noise sometimes when starts, sometimes doesnt start at all. NOT SAFE. I wish I had never bought it. Still owe between $5000 and $10000 more than its worth on it. Anyone heard of any class action suits with/about it yet?

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  Love my Saturn VUE - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By sjklaus - June 25 - 4:20 am

  This vehicle has been one of the most reliable, and cost efficient SUVs Ive seen. Ive been driving this for almost 5 years and will continue to do so until the wheels fall off.

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  Reach for the Sky - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Kimmiejoy625 - June 24 - 7:16 pm

  I love my Sky Redline. I have been waiting for it since the prototype was shown at the auto show. I am super happy with my purchase.