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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  Fun! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By JacksTaxi - January 8 - 12:23 am

  You can actually see out of this SUV - hence the name Vue. Flat floors and grocery hooks and folk down rear seats, extra plug ins - my friends and I are in heaven on trips.

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  GM - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By NOT HAPPY - January 7 - 5:00 am

  I have to admit I love my Saturn it is BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE...I have had problems with it thought..cant complain because I bought it USED..But when it came to getting if fixed at a GM dealership GOOD LUCK!!! I have called & So has SATURN CUST. Support every GM dealership within 100miles and Not a one will work on my car..I was told that GM dealerships have to work on your car!! NOT TRUE it is up to the General Manager of the store. So Make sure you live close to a Saturn Dealership...if not you will not be able to get if fixed at a GM dealership. I have not had very good luck with any vehicals I have owned so maybe it is my fault for not choosing the right one. I just want everyone to beware!!

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  The little engine that could - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By alex - January 6 - 5:36 am

  I was a bit sceptical about buying it, but when I drove it it was pretty good. I think it is a great little SUV for the price.

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  Better than expected - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By leftwingnut - January 5 - 11:33 am

  This quirky little car is fun to drive, and with the manual trans Ive never averaged less than 30 mpg per tank in mixed driving. For the price, its amazing to have rain sensing wipers, automatic headlights, and a trip computer. Only complaint is that it follows any grove in the road like crazy. If youre considering a Mazda3, test drive the Astra too - very compariable is every way but price.

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  Summer Fun - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By NYSKYGUY - January 5 - 9:56 am

  Saw the Sky in ads so I called to find that the dealer had 11 alotted to them. So I orderd mine over the phone. That was in Feb 06. On May 9th I got a call that my Sky was in. May 11th I picked it up. From that day it has been great. People stare and ask what it is. It gets a crowd at car shows. Well worth buying. I plan on buying the 08 Saturn Sky RL. Great second car for summer fun.

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  Joy - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By toothpick - January 2 - 1:53 am

  Unrivaled joy squeezed from a too small price, from an overburdened manufacturer. Like the fawn struggling to its feet, this fleet phantom hope sprints across the woodside barely seen and deeply hoped for.

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  Luv My Saturn! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By chaRod - January 1 - 4:03 pm

  On my fourth Saturn and looking for my fifth. Wonderful car to drive, great gas mileage--low maintenance!!! Great sales and service dept service!

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  Great Commuter - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By berne1 - December 31 - 8:53 am

  Got the Aura XE 4-cyl last month to replace my ION. What a step up! This is the first in a long time Ive returned to the same manufacturer (had two Acuras in a row in the early 90s). Went for the 4-cyl because of price & MPG (commter car). It has a lot of nice unexpected touches- -the auto-up drivers window, interior "mood lighting", telescoping steering wheel, cargo nets. Wasnt expecting any of that in this level Aura. Interior is very quiet. 6- speaker stereo is above average for a base system. Large trunk. Good power. I really like the styling, one of my top reasons for purchase. It looks more expensive than it is.

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  Mostly great - 2009 Saturn Outlook
  By OK_NEWXR - December 29 - 5:53 am

  2009 is NOT sluggish off the line. Power delivery is satisfying and transmission is now calibrated to downshift at slightest provocation (actually somewhat annoying). What we bought for wife and child: FWD XR: convenience and enhanced convenience, sunroofs, headrest DVDs, towing, 20" wheels, 7 passenger, bose audio. At 2k miles, we are happy with overall design and travel comfort, 20 inch wheels dont hurt ride, but make mountain roads tolerable, rearview camera makes up for most of the poor visibility out the back (but visibility is terrible without when backing up so get a camera). Best highway mileage so far is just over 20 at 75mpg, but were hoping it improves with further break-in

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  Yipes! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By john - December 28 - 10:33 pm

  I bought my Vue with 20,000 miles and the VTi transmission. I also purchased from my credit union an extended warranty ($1,440) for 5 years. Has it ever paid off. As of 06/08/10, approximately $11,000 has been paid out for repairs - transmission 2 times, timing chain problems, wheel bearings ($1,000) and various electronic problems. I still love the car, but in October, 2010 the warranty ends. I am not sure if I can buy another warranty or not. If not, goodbye to the Vue. I am not sure what to buy next, but for sure it will have an extended warranty purchased with it. I feel sorry for those who had to pay for their repairs.