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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  very satisfied in NY - 2004 Saturn ION
  By satisfied in NY - February 3 - 1:20 pm

  The car is fun to drive and gets excellent gas mileage. Love the polymer door panels no dings from parking lots. We bought the car new in 2004 and have put 80,000 miles on it other than tires and front wheel bearings the only thing we have done is oil changes. We bought the upgrades of Anti lock brakes and traction control. The car is great in central NY winters and has been dependable since the day we bought it.

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  One Extremely Satisfied Customer - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Ms. Charliewax - February 2 - 11:06 pm

  I was a Jeep driver for years prior to owning my Vue and must admit that it is everything and more that my Jeep ever was. Great pick up, handles the road beautifully and has all the special little extras that make it a pleasure to drive. Last but not least, I cant say enough about how Saturn treats its customers. The service, in my opinion, is nothing short of outstanding. Ive never been so completely satisfied with a dealership. Thank you Saturn. I look to our future together.

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  Love my 1st Saturn - 2003 Saturn ION
  By migs40 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive; Able to carry large items because of suicide doors

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  Great Car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By pauljb201 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  Tons of Space in the vehicle, and i love driving it. I traded my mercury mountaineer for it because the gas was killing me. Saturn gave me 1000 for down payment, then another 750 for being a college grad. I do love it, and it has some pep.

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  the vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By hatch reynolds - February 2 - 10:00 am

  the saturn vue is a great commuter suv. un like other suvs that guzzle gas the saturn vue is economical . and it looks good . theres also alot of options you can get for a fairly decent price . That in fact that the vue is made primairily in the US made one of the only SUV choices in my price and fuel range . the vue is ok to drive and has a great turning ratio but over all they could of done a better job with comfort,the seats are thin and not that comfortable at the price i paid i expected more . over all it s like i said a great commuter that looks good for less

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  Loyal former employee - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By gregor - February 1 - 12:10 pm

  I have owned the Saturn for almost two years now and have been happy with it. Though the front seats are lacking in comfort during long trips, they are suitable for around town. The room is great for getting stuff around town, especially with the front seat laying flat. The sport package is great with the alloys, power package, and sunroof. The 5 speed is the only way to go with the 4 cyl. otherwise the power is too lacking. All in all a fun car to drive.

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  Bobs Best - 2007 Saturn ION
  By Bobs Best - January 31 - 7:20 pm

  There is no doubt but that this is the best car I have ever had in terms of quality. I have 19,000 miles on it and have not had a significant repair. All work done on the car has been routine maintenance. My son-in-law has the same car but without the fancy features and his experience is similar to mine.

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  First Saturn - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Gary - January 29 - 11:16 pm

  Happy with the overall package. Interior quality not up to Honda and others, but love the Honda V6 and transmission. Gets good gas mileage and is pleasant to drive.

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  Great Ride, Poor Fuel Economy - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By gbddy - January 28 - 9:56 am

  I love my 08 Saturn Vue. I got it for my wife for her birthday and it is as my wife says" So Cool". But the fuel economy is not good at all. It is so bad that I am wondering if something is wrong with it. And it only has 38000 miles.

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  Really Disappointed - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By mmtso - January 27 - 5:50 pm

  This is my third and probably last Saturn. My new VUE XE has been in the shop 4 times in 6 months: tachometer went out, CD player quit working, alternator went out, and electrical cluster failure (no turn signals, tachometer/odometer not working,etc.) Loved the updated exterior, overall handling and vehicle feel, but after repeated problems with this vehicle, I am in the process of getting rid of it as I simply will not own an unreliable brand-new SUV, as this has sadly become. I would not currently recommend the VUE to anyone, and I have been a loyal Saturn customer for over 10 years (previously owned the SL2 and L200 with no major troubles).