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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  My Third Saturn - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Cherri - December 26 - 8:20 am

  When I decided to get a new car I knew it would be a Saturn. My ION is the best. Its very roomy and handles very well on the road, and you will always be treated very well at a Saturn dealership.

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  I Love My New Saturn Vue! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Twinkle Toes - December 24 - 1:06 am

  Driving has become so much more comfortable and more pleasant, since I bought my Saturn Vue. I easily get in and out of the car, due to its height being neither too low nor too high. My senior citizen and handicapped mom can also get in and out of the car, without my having to lower her in or haul her out. I can see the road, no longer feeling as if I were driving in a hole, surrounded by taller vehicles. The seat supports my back comfortably, allowing me to drive without the old pains. The car handles well, offers comfort to my passengers in the back seats, affords plenty of "trunk" space, and offers a terrific sound system. The whole family loves this car!

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  Great Mini Suv - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Mrich - December 23 - 10:00 am

  great ride 4cyl can tow 1500 very easy.

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  Love it! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By M lutz - December 23 - 4:53 am

  I went from a Dodge full size van and this is my perfect match. It is roomy enough for my three teenage sons that are 6 ft tall and over 130 pds. The ride is quiet and smooth and it so much fun to ride. Love the control on the steering wheel and the XM radio is very nice. Recommend this to anyone

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  Saturn QC 2 with 2.4L engine - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Taxman - December 20 - 11:53 pm

  I traded a 2005 ION 2 sedan manual for this car - a Quad Coupe 3 manual with 2.4 engine. The revised engine, same as Cobalt, plus leather interior plus XM radio/CD/sunroof makes this Saturn a fun car. Revisons to struts and sway bars make for a nice firm and controlled ride - compared to ION 2. Leather is better than I expected - about as good as my old 2001.5 Passat GLX. Fit and finish quite good. No problems as delivered. Very good low end torque when compared with 2.2L engine. And the "deal" was very good - well below sticker plus $1,250 in rebates. Get one if you can find one

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  Poor suspension quaulity - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By HHP - December 19 - 1:10 pm

  My Saturn Vue has some positives and dissapointments. Positives, economical,speedy, handles pretty well, and looks pretty good. Negatives. Noisy inside picks up all road noise. Windshield angle and front post block vision to left, particularly at night. Had to replace struts, links and bearings at 43k miles at a cost of $1500.00. They are due again at 80k miles. Computer module went out at 50k miles. $500. Now on the third set of odd size tires. My Ford Explorer 4x4 is much more car for less money.

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  Best vehicle I have owned so far - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Lisa - December 18 - 10:03 am

  I love my VUE! I bought it used but it only had 14000 miles on it and it still had that new car smell. It put my Jeep to shame with its horsepower. My Jeep might have had more bells and whistles such as power seats and windows, but I gladly gave that up for the smooth ride I have with my VUE. I did hear some rattles on the front end but it was my right strut and the dealer fixed it right away. I will buy a Saturn from now on. Even my 19 year old [ a sports car nut] loves it.

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  Redline ROCKET - 2005 Saturn ION
  By roderic - December 18 - 3:00 am

  It was unfortunate that there was a service campain to correct a problem with the camshaft timing right after I purchased the vehicle. Once corrected the cars full potential was reached. It has been a lot of fun driving this car. No other major defects. There was an issue with the front brake rotors but the dealership replaced them for me without asking and did it for free. I had some frustration, with Saturn, trying to find some technical answers but did manage to get what I needed eventually.

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  Happy Vue Owner - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By ChattanoogaVue - December 17 - 2:00 am

  We have been very happy with our Vue so far. I was leery of getting one the CVT transmission at first, but have come to really like its performance and drivability - particularly on the hilly/mountainous terrain where we live. Electric steering is a bit on the light side for my taste, but my wife loves it.

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  My fun car - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Thom - December 15 - 4:03 am

  I am so pleased with my new Sky. I got it as the result of the person that ordered it was not able to do the finance when the car arrived at the dealership and I happened to be at the right place at the right time. Everywhere I go I get a thumbs up or questions about the car with everyone saying it is really hot. At my age I love the attention and consider it my poor mans Corvette. My license plate reads - I SKY