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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  Great SUV - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By jborch - June 18 - 3:36 pm

  Ive only had my 06 VUE for a week, but I have to say my faith in American automakers is being revived. This is a fantastic vehicle. I love driving it. The 4-cyl has ample power with the 5- sp. transmission (and anyway I am more looking for gas mileage than power). The interior design is attractive and quite functional. I havent noticed any squeaks or build problems. The Vue handles great on the road. The price was fantastic compared with the higher- priced Honda CRV. I love the VUE!

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  Great Car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Brian - June 18 - 5:20 am

  There are many cars for the same price and performance, what makes this one stand up? Well uniqueness will be my definition. Other small sport cars only have 2 doors and there rear seat passengers dont have easy access. others have 4 doors and they look like a sedan but with performance. this car does have four doors but once they are close it looks like one. Best part of all people think Saturns are family car with fuel economy and slow, well not the Red Line. 0 to 60 6.2 and 1/4 of the mile 14.80 not bad that all.

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  Birthday present - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By cielo07 - June 16 - 9:23 pm

  This is a beautiful car! My husband bought it for me as a gift but I think he really bought it for himself as he cannot stop raving about it. I chose the bluestone color which clearly was worth the wait. Cant wait until the weather warms up so I can really have some fun!

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  I had my-eye-on an ION. - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Chris - June 16 - 6:13 pm

  I was unsure about buying a Saturn. I think it was because their are a lot of them on the roads and the older ones have that real plastic look to them. I think that my 2005 Saturn Ion is pretty sharp. It is fun to drive and it handles well in the snow, which is helpful here in Wisconsin. It really is a sharp car inside and out and I would recommend the Saturn Ion to anyone. Chris

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  I need my space - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Layorm - June 16 - 7:50 am

  I previously had an 06 Vue but had problems, enough to trade in on new. the 08 drives great, handles curves, is sporty enough. The storage compared to the 06 stinks, there are lots of storage places but theyre not big enough to hold neccesities, like sunglasses for example. I stay on the road and carry books, binders, and other school items, no room for any of it now. Gas mileage was better in the 06 too. I didnt ever get below 20 mpg, now I dont even see 17.

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  Fresh off the Truck - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Robert - June 15 - 5:26 am

  Great look and feel. The only, I mean only, flaw is the 4 cycle engine. I get great gas mileage but I would sacrafice a few MPG for some more power. I struggles to maintain 70-80 mile per hour on the interstate - the smallest hills, even overpasses, cause a 4-8 mph drop in speed which causes a downshift. Even if you give it a little more gas it wont help, the 4 cycle VUE has to shift down to get back to the cruising speed. If you are not concerned with power and would rather MPG then stick with the XE but if you need power then spend the extra and upgrade to the XR. But definitely get a 2008 Saturn VUE. Excellent vehicle.

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  Great Value - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By HSE - June 15 - 5:06 am

  Styling is world class. Saturn did a great job on this vehicle. They hit a home run with the 2008 XR. Fun to drive. Smooth, powerful, and quiet. My second Vue,and I liked the 2003, but this is in a different class- Top notch. Will compete with the best in the class. No problems or noises. Very satisfied with the dealer, better than my jag.

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  Saturn Relay - 2007 Saturn Relay
  By pdg - June 13 - 12:13 am

  This is by far the roomiest and best handling minivan I have owned. Ive owned a Toyota Sienna and Nissan Quest in the past. The price was much less than that of other makes but had more options and standard features. I would definitely recommend this minivan.

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  2004 Saturn Vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By kovue - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is our first Saturn. We were Previously owners of a Mercury Mountaineer but were sold on the 2004 Saturn Vue. Why? Styling is beautiful, gas mileage is MUCH better than our Mountaineer,and we loved the safety features of the Vue. Our new son and his car seat fit well in the middle of the back seat. The cargo area is fabulous with a special compartment to hold groceries and water. We also put our kayaks on the roof with our Yakima kit and the vue handles that well.

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  2009 Saturn - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By Steve - June 10 - 11:06 pm

  We shopped all over for a nice vehicle and we found the Saturn Vue V6. The vehicle was maxed with factory options imaginable, except factory Navigation. First of all I need to say the vehicle looks just fantastic and the ride is good. The auto was in the shop 6 times within the last year for torn seats, side seat supports breaking twice, loud noise coming from the engine and it was the A/C clutch in the engine area. We also had the OnStar service 3 times because when we added more minutes to the phone OnStar deleted our service...Yipes! XM radio was also updated. We wanted to consolidate and trade in 2 vehicles to get a single one. OnStar does not refund, XM Radio does not refund...