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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  Big Mistake - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By fallbeauty - February 2 - 10:00 am

  There isnt enough characters allowed to explain the last four years with this car. It was in the shop more than it was in our driveway. We spent thousands of dollars in repairs only to be treated like dogs by the Saturn customer service. Have never experienced anything like it. Do not buy this car. Run fast. It is a money pit and has many flaws, major flaws. The latest was the computer system. Everything was acting all crazy. It would have loss of power. Sometimes it would start and other times it wouldnt. The brakes vibrated, the hood cable wore out the hood was stuck closed. The throttle body had to be replaced several times. Nightmare.

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  It Fits My Needs - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Paarshot - February 2 - 9:56 am

  I bought this vehicle used with 50,000 miles on it. I knew what I was getting. I am 6"3" and wanted a roomy commuter that was fun to drive and got good economy. The Vue does all of this. Plus, I am fortunate to have the plastic body panels because the car is Black and shows no side damage. I chose this combination of 4 cyl/CVT because it fits my needs. If you want better acceleration and towing capacity, get the V-6. With the 7/70,000 warranty on the transmission I am not concerned. I chose the front wheel drive for economy and simplicity. I occasionally go over a mountain pass, but with the traction control and a knowledge of how to drive in snow, it is no problem.

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  Pleasantly suprised. - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Bakerman23 - February 1 - 1:43 am

  From the moment I test drove this car till now I have loved every single moment. The acceleration is peppy for a 4 cylinder. The suspension is great, and the car feels really solid. Im glad I spent the extra money for this car over the Astra.

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  2004 VUE Redline - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By zsbrown22 - January 27 - 3:30 am

  Just bought it a couple months ago and really liked the styling before I drove it. When I took it out for the first drive I was surprise at the "heaviness" of the vehicle. It was a lot more substantial than I thought it would be and I was pleasantly surprised. Even my buddies, who are pretty harsh critics (the know-it-all type when it comes to cars), really like my ride. Gas mileage is a great surprise for an SUV - I get about 23/gln just in everyday driving (my buddies Xterra only gets about 15).

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  Very Nice Compact Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By gilbcp - January 25 - 7:33 pm

  I bought Storm Grey ION-2 with a 5spd manual transmission, power door locks, remote keyless entry, and power windows. I found the ION to have a nice comfortable ride, responsive steering, and pretty decent acceleration. I like the placement of the gauges in the center of the dash (took me only about a day to get used to), the free 1-year of OnStar, the 3- month free subscription to XM- Satellite radio. I think that the styling of the car is great and looks much better than the Civic and is just as attractive as the Corolla. I know that the projected reliability isnt as good as Civic and Corolla, but it also costs about 3k less than either of those cars do. It also has comfortable seats.

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  Nice Astra! - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By B-Dog - January 22 - 12:50 am

  In one weeek, Ive put over 1,500 miles on my Astra XR 3-Door, and Ive enjoyed every single one of them. I traded in a 2005 Saab 9-3 Sedan, and I like this car even better (and I loved my Saab). My car had 3,500 miles on it when I purchased, and though not perfect, its very close. Its very solid, handles beautifully, feels quicker than the numbers say, and looks hot (esp. in Salsa Red)! The manual transmission and clutch work very well, the steering wheel controls are very useful and not THAT hard to figure out (they give you a book for em - read it!!), the seats are terrific on long trips, and the brakes are great! My 30 MPG combined average doesnt hurt either.

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  Great Ride - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By puggy0902 - January 21 - 10:00 am

  The V6 AWD is a great running vehicle. Im very impressed with its nimble handling and smooth ride. The V6 has plenty of get up and go. The interior is spacious and has plenty of cool storage opportunities

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  Saturn VUE 2005 - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Amanda - January 20 - 5:20 pm

  I had an excellent sales expirience with Saturn, with no pressure. They were understanding of what I wanted and did their best to deliver. The VUE has surprised me in many ways. Coming from Saturn, I expected less power, and the steering is excellent. The intirior is a little bland and some plastics are cheap, but overall a good buy.

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  Saturn Vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By GB - January 19 - 8:10 am

  Had 2 recalls and no notification. They were found on the internet. Have had 2 wheel bearings replaced. A very poor design, they cant be lubricated. Extremely poor engineering design. I would never buy another Saturn.

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  Saturn Vue 250 - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By francis s - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I really like this vehicle. 250 horse engine is powerful and smooth. The rids is very nice. I was going to drive it however my wife takes it to work first. I like the styling and the size. I first was considering a Vibe, however like the size of the VUE better. I should have gotten the 17 inch wheels, but there are none available in the midwest with front wheel drive.