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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  Keeps going at 80k miles - 2004 Saturn ION
  By wowd - June 13 - 4:40 pm

  I bought the saturn only because of 0% and it seemed "sporty". My wife loves the car. It is averaging 32mpg at 80-85mph on highway. Only been to shop once with a bad bearing. Still has plenty of pep, and handles great. Took on a 2000 mile trip, came back and had to buy another car. It was very uncomfortable on a long ride, great for commute though. My wife feels very secure and comfortable driving 35 miles each way to work. At 80k, still no shakes, rattles,or noises. Very impressed. Looking for car to make at least 200k miles, only money put in has been oil changes and had to replace tires at 30k. I bought good tires, andthey have 50k. Looking to go to 70k

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  Disappointed - 2007 Saturn ION
  By Virgiinia - June 13 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased a preowned vehicle and only had it for a little over a month and have on four occasions trouble with the electric power steering. Left it at Nissan today and sending it to General Motors to be fixed. I like the Ion very much and hope the power steering can be fixed. I understand that this has been a problem with the Saturn ION

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  alternative to CR-V - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By BadgerBacker - June 11 - 8:36 am

  After seriously considering the CR-V and Element from Honda, the option to get a Honda-made V6 renewed our interest in the Vue. This is our second Saturn (98 SL2), and I can say that the designers have improved on earlier deficiencies- better soundproofing. Nice gauge cluster with aluminum trim. Center controls (small buttons) will be tested with winter gloves - but probably not too much, as the heat is quick & heated seats are toasty. Its a quality car for the money. Im hoping for Honda gas mileage, but not seeing it yet (21 ave MPG). Roomy rear seats, easy to fold down, cargo bin functional, but seems cheap (plastic interior comments are true, but its not a Lexus); tight ride.

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  Jasons Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Jason Fitzgerald - June 9 - 5:43 am

  Great car to drive, very gas efficient. It still has pretty good pickup even though it is a sedan.

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  what fun! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By happy50ish - June 5 - 9:36 am

  I have truly enjoyed owning this car. For the money its the best comuter car out there. Im very tall and I like the driver leg room. Never intended to put anyone in the back seat. No mechanical problems to date. The purchase process was fantastic. Its a little noisy on the highway but hey, you cant have it all for well under 20K.

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  A Car To Keep - 2003 Saturn ION
  By adamdastmalchi - May 28 - 4:04 pm

  I got my used 2003 Saturn with only 30, 000 miles for $9,500 at a local Saturn dealership back in 2007. The clerks were very friendly. I have to say that there are way more pros than cons for this car. Of course, I do not live in a very cold environment, so I do not have start up issues. Gas mileage with only 12.5 gallons is amazing. This car came with a battery, and for four years I did not replace it. I should have found out how old it was, because I recently got a new one. This sucker is tough! It would still start, and the alternator was in great shape. It is very crash-safety and is very smooth on the road.

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  First SUV - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Beldar - May 28 - 10:00 am

  First the cons: The "sloppy steering" is correct, especially when quickly accelerating or accelerating on a rough surface. Seems like the vehicle wants to float to one side, and when braking hard it pulls to the right (supposedly by design). The pros: good ride, great price/value (heated seats are wonderful for those with back problems) remote keyless entry, power windows/locks, etc. make this vehicle easy to get in and out of (yes, large doors too) and even with all this it was only in the $21-22k range. 24 MPG in the city, about 30 on the highway isnt bad for a 4-cylinder SUV.

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  A fun Drive - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Ryan926 - May 19 - 2:00 am

  Unique Styling for a compact car. More car for the price.

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  Great SUV; some problems - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Saturn lover - May 18 - 2:40 pm

  I bought the VUE new in September of 2003 and have loved it. Ive always had good gas mileage and it has always been dependable. After owning it 6 years I finally had to replace the battery (replaced the tires at 5 years). The only major problem Ive had was an electrical short that cost me $1000 to fix. I first took to a Saturn dealer in December and they tried but obviously did not have anymore experienced mechanics. I finally took to my local GM dealer (Chevrolet) and it took a couple of trips but their mechanic knew what he was doing! It still runs great and this is the 3rd Saturn Ive owned and I would buy another if Saturns werent being phased out!

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  A GM that I am impressed with! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By ryanj1178 - May 10 - 3:16 pm

  I have never been a fan of GM products but they got it right with the Aura. The car has ample power and the handling is decent too. I am not sold on the interior, but overall it is a very capable car.