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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  OK car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Leo - January 14 - 11:13 pm

  OK car for its price. Had minor problem with the electric system first year. Original set of tires of very bad quality and no warranty on them at all. On average 30mpg, which is great. Shock absorbing system is bad, can feel any bump on a road. Good ride otherwise. A bit rough switching between gears. Services not of great quality and not that cheap at all, I would say, a bit expensive for an entry level car.

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  Satisfied Former VW Owner - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By abp - January 14 - 6:06 am

  After driving a VW Jetta for years (and being only 51" tall), I was apprehensive about driving a large crossover vehicle, but I needed a bigger car. Well, my concerns were unfounded. I am thrilled with my Outlook. It gives a solid, quiet, smooth ride, and drives so much "smaller" than its size (i.e., so much like a car) that I felt totally comfortable driving it from my first test drive. The interior is comfortable and the design is pleasing - sharp, clean lines and lots of storage space. Plus, the third row actually is functional and roomy enough for adults! This car is a minivan in cooler clothes, and I mean that as a compliment - it is a very practical yet stylish family vehicle!

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  Great Buy - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Murph - January 14 - 12:23 am

  I drove many different cars including the Altima and Camry to compare the noise and smoothness of ride. The Camry sport took the corners the easiest, but the Aura rode the smoothest. All in all these three cars handled almost the same so my decision came down to looks and interior. The Aura has by far the nicest dashboard setup and I love the 18 inch wheels. Car is a major head turner, and people are just drawn to the car while walking in parking lots.

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  Lemon - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Carole - January 13 - 1:40 am

  We purchased a 2006 Ion in May of 2007 for our teenage daughter. While the look is sporty, the quality of the car is cheap. We have had the car in the shop 5 times since owning it for only a year and a half! The first time we had a heavy rain and the front passenger side of the car was drenched with water from some sort of leak. Then the automatic window stop working. It went to the shop 2 times for that. Next the key got stuck in the engine and could not turn the car off. And just this week the power steering went out and the whole steering column had to be changed. The engine light goes on and off also. The car is cheap and unreliable. I will never buy another Saturn again

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  My white truck - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Bobby "Z" - January 12 - 10:00 am

  Great power, terrible steering, especially when towing my boat.Love the plastic body panels, wipe off the scratches and no dents. Interior cheap looking. Waiting for my recall to fix the supension. Dont make sharp left turns over 35 mph it may damage frame. Recall should fix that.

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  Finally an economical 7 seater - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Michael Boyd - January 12 - 7:40 am

  We have only owned this Relay for a short time but we love it. It has more than ample storage and seating space with tons of standard features. We get excellent gas mileage, mp3 capability and a standard DVD player. This van is extremely comfortable and smooth.

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  Make sure they are New - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By 5th Time the Charm - January 12 - 1:30 am

  5 time Saturn owner looking for a truck. Found a loaded 02 VUE off of a 3 year lease with 24K miles. Everything was great until 50K. Then it was new tires, brakes, cam positioning sensor, front strut mounts and a gremlin in the electrical system. 72K saw new catalytic converter, front strut bushings (sounded like there was a metal on metal grind from the front end, must have been the mounts again) and brakes, again. All covered under warranty. 85K saw new shocks, struts, tires, center support bearing for rear drive, 3 wheel bearings and to top it off a bad ECM! Truck was great when it ran. Solid power, stable and comfortable. Make sure you have a warranty. When it expires, dump it.

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  I love my VUE! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By chia - January 9 - 12:26 am

  I test drove one for 1 minute before I knew I wanted it. Great SUV, great shopping experience.....Saturn is the best!

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  Not a good compact sedan... - 2003 Saturn ION
  By RuddigerPez - January 8 - 8:20 pm

  There are much better compact sedans out there for your money. Had many issues with my Ion that I purchased new in 2003. Have had the "no start" issue, the OEM tires were horrible, the back brakes were faulty, and had numerous issues in the FWD linkage. Plus, engine and road noise are terrible, mileage was disappointing for this engine (22 HWY in MN winter, 25 HWY in summer) and the interior materials are cheap, cheap, cheap. My friend bought a Corolla months after I got mine for a similar price and it was superior in every way. Was kicking myself all they way until I traded in for a new Mazda6 this year.

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  Its a bullet - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By George Tayeh - January 8 - 3:43 am

  Its not a car, its really a bullet, a rocket. I dont know, all I know is that its very very quick car. Comfortable, well equipped in the interior, too much comfort for the driver and the passenger. The car is really great. If you feel it stiff on the bumpy roads, just check your psi, the tires might be more than 30 psi. Otherwise, the car is great. It has lots of safety features which help you get some discount from your insurance