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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  Needs More Power - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Jeffmilwak - January 17 - 10:00 am

  The ION is great for around town driving. It loses out on freeway driving. Especially during summer when AC is on and headlights are on at night. There is no reserve power. Car shakes and rattles over 65 mph. Suspension is typical Saturn - you feel every bump in the road. We bought it because the price was right; resale ok as well. Plan to sell it late July or August.

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  i love my car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By meliss - January 17 - 10:00 am

  i love this car it is so much fun, gets awesome gas milage and looks really nice.

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  WHAT a value! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By quantumman - January 17 - 10:00 am

  My parner and I are auditors. We travel from 500 to 1000 miles/week. Saturns are our car of choice. We had a 2001 SL, we put 125,000 miles on it in 2.5 years. NO problems, at all. It was recently retired and replaced with a 2004 ION 1, 5 speed automatic. What a fantastic little car. The electric steering is a blast. Effortless. omfortable. Period-on that subject. Im 61, my partner is 64-the legroom and headroom is more than ample-its better than the Chevy Impala we recently rented while on vacation. Its much quiter than its predecessor, and delivers a remarkable ride for a small car. You just cant go wrong at this price!

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  Best Car Ever - 2004 Saturn ION
  By AE2001 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Besides the Ion being an excellent car, the Saturn dealerships have excellent staff that go out of the way to make sure the customer is happy! No hassel!

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  I love my Ion! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By KrazyJax7 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I am thrilled with my Saturn Ion Coupe. It is comfortable and reliable, and I love the staff at Saturn. They take care of me and my car. If I had a million dollars, I would still buy an Ion all over again.

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  Ion puts the fun in funky - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Arkle - January 17 - 10:00 am

  So far this car has really impressed me. Its sporty and cute, great added on features such as 6 disc cd changer, spoiler, and sunroof. Black detailing on the otherwise tan leather seats is different and cool. I thought it would be difficult to transition from my much beloved Honda Accord, but it has matched up on all features except visibility isnt as good (but it really is hard to beat an accord on that) and the backseat leg room is non existant when the front seats are fully back. But thats alright by me, I never have to sit back there and the drivers seat is very comfy!

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  My Daily Drive - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Bobby W. - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I drive my Ion 3 86 miles round trip to work and back 5 days per week. With a sunroof and 140 horses under the hood it is an awesome drive everyday. A 5 speed auto that performs like a 5 speed manual. The ride and handling work together for optimal comfort and control. Braking is also up to par as well.

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  ION owner - 2004 Saturn ION
  By BDubb - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I really like this cars its fun and easy to drive.

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  Proud Mother - 2004 Saturn ION
  By cara13 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I own the Saturn Ion Coupe who says a mom cant have a sports car. I love my Saturn. Have not had any problems with it. The small steering wheel really allows very good handling and the side suicide doors make it such easy access for my little ones. I love the fact that they can not open the doors from inside. I drive down the street and people stop and stare. For the amount of money paid for the car I feel like I am driving a mercedes for the comments and stares I get while out about town. Can not say enough good things about the car and dealership. Great bunch of people at Saturn. Totally loving my new car.

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  Our second Saturn Vue - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Iowaguy - January 15 - 5:16 pm

  We love the looks of our Orange 2008 Saturn. It has lots of power and amenities. I was surprised to see magazine articles saying it is heavy and underpowered. In my experience, the extra weight makes it ride so much better than our 2006 Vue and the 257 hp V6 has lots of power. It is a hot rod.