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 second Saturn and I love it!! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By susieqetal - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Saturn purchase and I am a true believer now. My first experience was great and the second time out did not let me down. The company is everything they advertise it to be. Their cars are dependable, sturdy, fuel efficient, stylish, and fun to drive.

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  My Third Saturn - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Katrina6366 - October 5 - 10:00 am

  So far, I really like this car. Ive had a Saturn S series and a Saturn L series in the past. The trunk is huge and the back seat is set up higher which is great for car seats. Its not perfect, but to find a car that was I would have spend 5K more and that wasnt something I was willing to do. Its a good car for the money.

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  Better value than CRV, Rav4 - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By AndyVUE - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Lets compare VUE with with CRV: Honda: 4 banger engine, 165 hp. Vue: 6 cyl. 181 hp. Honda: no legroom on the backseat. Vue: plenty of it. Honda: Acceleration stinks. Vue: Best in the class (see tests) Honda: Metalic body pannels. Vue: Composite body pannels, dent free. Honda: Only backseats folds. Vue: Front and backseats folds. Honda: Worst dealership, pressure. Vue: No.1 dealership experience, JDPower (continue on favorite features)

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  My VUE experience - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Kyle - October 4 - 4:53 pm

  Bought the 03 VUE (4cyl/5spd) for my wife 3 years ago, it now has 74,000 miles. Have many squeaks and rattles that have never been fixed. Factory tires were bald at 30K, replaced with Yokohamas that have worn well. Extremely loud road noise. Not pleased with the gas mileage, get around 23mpg overall, about 25-26 on the hwy. A strut bearing and something with the computer has been replaced under extended warranty, aside from that it has been cheap to maintain. It does fit both of us well, shes short and Im tall. I used to sell Saturns and was confident in their quality. Have not seen the same quality in the VUE as in an SL series.

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  Definitely worth a look! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Anonymous - October 2 - 1:43 am

  I needed a commuter with space for some cargo. I didnt like the look of the Rav4/CR-V, and the others didnt match up to the Vue. Full complement of airbags, standard (my 08 Accord is actually rated lower in crash tests than this Vue). No major issues; all minor ones were successfully resolved by the dealers. As-advertised MPG (I get 22city/26hwy/25combined). This is one vehicle that GM should be showcasing as a reason they can and should survive.

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  vibration n peddle - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By joeee1 - October 1 - 6:59 am

  iWell this is are first saturn and we traded in a durmax diesel cause we needed hte room for the kids..well first off we have a vibration in the peddle when going 35 to 40 mph had one place tell us the trany.so since theres a warrenty take it to gm .they tell us theres nothing wrong with it that its set for economy better gas milage.if we wanted to change it we would lose 2 miles per gallon..so please help us figure this out we just bought this a month ago and hate they way it shifts all together but like it other wise...

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  Best for the money - 2005 Saturn ION
  By LovetheSat - September 30 - 11:43 pm

  I now have 12,000+ miles on it after 16 months of ownership. I have had one problem, the cruise control malfunction after a couple months and Saturn fixed it and no problems since. It is fun to drive, handles nimbly. Fuel milage is determined how you drive it, go quick and fast, 28 MPG, take it easy, 30+ MPG. I have had no problems except the cruise control and the Saturn Dealer has been the greatest in normal checkups. For the money, the ION 2 has been worth every cent and I will stick with the Saturn for many years to come and plan to replace it with another Saturn. I am very satisfied with the dealer and the car.

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  great car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By stantheman - September 28 - 10:00 am

  I compared everything in its class...Saturn reputation really won me over...the more time I spend in the car the better I like it...awesome

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  Happy Driving - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Run-Happy - September 28 - 10:00 am

  For the money, a great SUV

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  I bought a Saturn and... wow! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By James B - September 28 - 9:50 am

  I bought my wife an Outlook XR for the new family hauler, and we love it. She saw the Acadia when it came out, and fell in love, but the Saturn is the best bang for the buck in the Lambda platform. We were able to buy a well- epuipped Outlook for less than base Acadia money. We found the Enclave(the Traverse would also) to be much harder to see out of because of the ramped up rear side window and small back glass. The Outlook has the 2nd best-looking interior after only the Enclave. It is averaging a true 18.9 mpg, which is better than I expected. It is very smooth, has a quiet ride, with very decent power for a 4600# car. I never thought Id buy a Saturn, but after year 1, Im glad we did