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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  Glad I Made the Switch! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Beverly - November 22 - 8:00 am

  My last 2 vehicles have been Honda Accords. Dependability and reliability of Honda is excellent, but it was the styling of the new Aura which attracted my attention. It was love at first sight and my test drive only served to confirm that physical attraction! Ive had my XR for a week now. I absolutely love driving it and have received many complements on it! In fact, 2 friends are planning to visit the dealership to drive an Aura! It surely was the right move for me! Way to go, Saturn!

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  I love it - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Mlashun - November 20 - 1:43 pm

  I have had my Saturn for right at 4 months and so far, have had no problems. I like the exterior design and although I agree with the interior ratings of others and Edmunds, thats not as much a factor for me as comfort and reliability. Ive never owned a Saturn and am a previous Nissan car owner. This is my first SUV, but Ive ridden in several and I feel that my VUE is a match for the others. I like the gas mileage as its not much different from my car. I also like the roomy interior and the coziness of it. Of particular satisfaction for me is the reclinable rear seats, the grocery rack in the back and the window controls.

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  Fast, Intuitive, Practical - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Brian - November 19 - 8:30 am

  Having driven Saturns almost since they were introduced, Ive always rated them high. During that time another car I found a pleasure to drive was the powerful Honda Pilot. What a thrill it was to find that same 3.5 ltr v6 in the ever reliable Saturn brand. It makes getting on a highway much easier and is the most powerful engine Saturn has ever used. Not only that, but theres enough insulation in the interior cabin to bring the noise notorious in Saturns to an all-time low. Its cabin is quite large for a smaller size SUV and has upgraded its interior materials. The rear cargo organizer + Mp3 cd radio with RDS capabilties are welcome additions. Driving is more enjoyable than ever.

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  Update of previous review - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Steve - November 14 - 9:53 am

  Now that I have had the car for a while, I can now say I am more than pleased with it. I have discovered that using semi-synthetic oil helps a bit with gas mileage, as does putting better tires on the car. Now getting 22 mpg in town and 34 on the highway. Better than with regular oil. The ride, quiet and handling are vastly better with Continental 225/50/17 DWS tires than the OEM ones. All in all, a lot of bang for the buck. Too bad they are going away. Ill be driving mine into the ground since it works so well for my needs.

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  I hate this car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Carole - November 13 - 12:00 pm

  I have the 2006 ION 3 and am so disappointed in this car. I bought it brand new and have had it in the shop 4 times in 3 weeks. Saturn has given me a rental car, but the inconvinience and unreliability of this car make getting into it a crap shoot versus a good experience. I hate this car and wish I had never bought it. I paid cash in full and have never been so displeased with a brand new car. Engine problems should not be a factor in a new car with 7000 miles. Ever. The great gas mileage is a lie also.

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  Quad coupe - 2003 Saturn ION
  By eyedoc2004 - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in april. I was pleasantly surprised this vehicle. I still like it 8500 miles later. It has good performance, comfort, and convenience considery its economy car class. Its alot of car for what you pay for it and its practical and fun to drive. I drove a honda civic as well, and this car blows it away. Lots more power and interior room (im 6 3" and have plenty of head and leg room).

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  Excellent Saturn! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By AJM1 - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Buying this vehicle was so easy & so fun. I love my car!

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  Great Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Tom Marquart - November 9 - 10:00 am

  I have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS with this car. We got it brand new, traded in my old trusty SL2 for it, the only thing I had to replace were the tires, but that was because of nails. The only real issue that I can see with this car is the plastic trim pieces. Although it is purely aesthetic, I had the drivers side trim between the doors break off. It is an $80 fix, so that kinda stinks, and some interior pieces are cheap to, but overall, its a great car, great in the snow, continually gets over 30 MPG, and I have actually been in 2 fender-benders and you cant tell. NO DAMAGE!

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  Re-skinned cobalt - 2007 Saturn ION
  By potatomasher - November 9 - 3:57 am

  Bought my Saturn ion sedan for about $6000 with the manual, from private party. As an engineer, I value my Ion. Fun to drive, kinda sporty for compact sedan. Made in Tennessee Comfortable seats Decent fuel economy with the 2.2. I averaged about 27-30 mixed driving. Reliable engine. Easy to work on compared to imports. Two bolts to remove this and that. Nobody I know has a positive thing to say about the styling...however it has composite panels to last on salty Wisconsin roads. This ion wont look like Swiss cheese in 10 years, and believe me, I am tired of working on rusty vehicles. Think of it as a more durable Chevy Cobalt. Have had no problems at all with my Ion.

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  Having a good Outlook - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Paul - November 6 - 7:00 pm

  Saturn did a very good job in the design and build of the Outlook. Ive had no problems with my Outlook. Its enjoyable to drive and versatile. It has decent mileage for a seven passenger vehicle, which is truly a comfortable 7 passenger vehicle.