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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  Oh What a Truck! It Rocks! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By KevinInOrlando - June 23 - 10:36 am

  I love this truck. I traded in an 04 Jeep Liberty for the VUE and glad I did! The VUE rides more like a car but with all the feel of a truck. Cabin noise is minimal, much less than the Liberty. Solid truck with great gas mileage.

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  The BEST Saturn YET! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Cool Jay - June 23 - 10:00 am

  When I first saw the ION I fell IN LOVE! Things like a Powerful engine smooth and quiet ride, plenty of room, great amount of trunck space and unique design. Meanwhile those uncomfortable seats that many complain about, something must be wrong with their butt because I find them very comfortable. As far as any other negative responses, this is an economy car people NOT A CADILLAC. The ION is just as good or better than any other economy car like the Civic or Corrolla and the $16K that I spent on my ION was well worth it.

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  This is a Saturn? - 2003 Saturn ION
  By CSE - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I just recently purchaced a Saturn Ion 3. Never considered this car company before, mainly because of the looks. I had friends that swear by these cars and have beat them to death. I had seen the incentive ads in the newspaper and decided to have a look and a test drive. That was all it took, just went to look and drove away with a loaded 3. Just took it on an straight 18 hour trip, confortable the whole way. Good gas milage, I like the gas filler on the right. I like the small steering wheel, makes getting in and out much easier, with the added plus of more leg room, good design feature. Im 64" tall and I fit! Way to go Saturn.

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  Whole Lot of Fun - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Lucky19 - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the car for three weeks and have put over 1000 miles on it. I love driving it. Its responsive, quick and turns on a dime. I didnt buy it to go 0-60 in 5, so I am pleased with how fast it is. I have the CVT automatic, and it regularly surprises me with power,agility and responsiveness. My daughter (9)loves the back doors and being able to see the guages. It took all of one outting to get used to guage location. I love the smaller steering wheel and I especially like the view out front. It is everything I expected for the money, and its even more fun than I thought it would be.

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  VTI Transmission - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By hanknbetsy - June 23 - 10:00 am

  The VUE in itsself is a good car however the transmission is horrible and has an unfixable problem...Saturn refuses to do anything about it....I considar it false advertising, and am dissapointed with the service connected with it. However the saturn of pensacola has been very helpful, and I acknoledge that it isnt their fault, and appreciate all their help.

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  Great SUV - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By rush - June 22 - 6:16 am

  We bought the Outlook after purchasing an 07 Aura a few months back. We were so impressed with the Aura we figured we couldnt go wrong with the Outlook. We were right. It gets good gas mileage for a large SUV. The ride and interior are very comfortable.

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  The Oil Companies Can Kiss My Astra! - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Frank Kissmyastra - June 20 - 6:00 pm

  The gas mileage has been incredible. I have been averaging 35 to 37 mpg in the foothills of the Rock Mountains! This is with the 5 speed stick. I have found that using the A/C full blast will cost you about one mile per gallon. This is a fun car to drive. It handles like a sports car. The Astra loves to corner. It exudes that glued to the road feeling. Safety features that are typically only found on luxury cars. Being a small car, I want all of the safety I can get. This car is unmatched in its class. The car is comfortable. The leather seats have a great seating position with plenty of support. This car is loaded with toys!

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  Great example of thinking outside of box - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Sidney - June 19 - 9:43 am

  Great car. Great example of thinking outside the box. It is an example of what I used to like about Saturn, not afraid to try something new. How many times have you bought a new car and only months later, find that you have door dings all over it from parking? Solution: Polymer body panels. The center console some people hate but I just love it. So much easier to see the instrumentation without having to look thru the steering wheel. The engine is smooth and refined, but the trans could use a bit of tuning. 2nd to 3rd shift is a bit abrupt when cold. The only service issue I have had in 50,000 miles are loose front stabilizer bushings. Front seats a bit soft. Very reliable so far.

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  SaturnVue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By DON - June 19 - 8:50 am

  I have owned this vehicle for two years and it has been a very pleasant experience. I highly reccommend this vehicle to everyone and will probably buy another just like it in two or three more years. I have talked to several friends who own a Saturn VUE and they all like it very much and plan on buying another VUE when they get ready to trade.

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  Not for Winter - 2007 Saturn ION
  By KJC - June 18 - 8:50 pm

  This car is actually very nice to drive in the summer (or places that do not get more than a few inches of snow a year). It is great on fuel. I drive it about 3,000km a month. However saying that, I live in Southern Alberta this car is horrible to drive in the winter. It can get stuck in as little as 3 inches of snow with a slight drift. I have had this car for 2 winters now, one not finished yet and I have had to call road side assistance 3 times to get it unstuck and had to push it out about 30 times it high centers easily as well. In winter the only redeeming quality it isnt to heavy for 2 to push it out. Snow tires a must and youll still have problems.