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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  Great Family SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By applspar - June 4 - 2:43 pm

  I looked at about every small and midsized SUV before buying the VUE. The combination of standard features, gas mileage, style and low cost sold me. We have had it for 8 months and are considering trading in our other car on a second VUE.

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  Style, Comfort, and Fun to Drive. - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Glen - June 4 - 2:23 am

  This is not the typical Saturn. The handling is superb, the ride is a little bumpy with the sports package suspension. Wind and road noise is at a minimum. The four way stability track with four wheel anti-lock disc brakes makes a difference on slippery roads. With the adjustable pedals and 8-way adjustable power seats makes for finding the comfortable position easy. Just wish it had a memory setting on the drivers seat for multiple drivers. For fun you can put the car into manual and shift thru the six gears via the paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. If you are looking for a midsized 4-door sedan, do yourself a favor and test drive this car. Good to have choices!

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  GM in control again. - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By usvet - June 1 - 6:53 pm

  Thus far I have owned a total of 17 new vehicles in my 56 year lifetime, 12 of which were foreign including VW, Subaru, Honda, Mazda(1 ford engine), and Isuzu. I have owned 2 Saturns. The first one a VUE V6 SUV which I purchased because of the Honda engine. The second is my Aura which I just purchased. Unlike the VUE it is all American which makes me very happy knowing that I finally found a domestic vehicle that is up to par with the foreign competion.

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  Drives as good as it looks - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By exstreamliners - May 29 - 12:56 pm

  I owned my Carbon Flash SE for about 2 weeks now. It drives remarkable well. Fast when you want fast. Sound system is spectacular. Everyone stops me wherever I go. I even took it to another Saturn dealership and everyone at the dealership stopped what they were doing to come and take a look. The only downfall to the car is there is no trunk space, I take s suite case now and then. The other downfall is if you have long legs you cant adjust the seats much. I do wish the steering column was extendable and not just a verticle adjustment. Otherwise, it is fantastic!

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  This Is My 4th Saturn... - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Robert - May 27 - 1:13 pm

  This car has a nice road presence, fun to drive... I wish that my 1st (92 SC2) had the power of this 3.6L! The Formula-1 paddle shifters are nice when in a sporty mood; I believe this is the same 6-speed transmission used in some BMWs (for those who didnt know- BMW does get 1 of its 3 trans. models from GM). The Goodyear Eagle LS-2 tires (OEM) handle well enough. Once accustomed to the Understeer (all FWDs have it, RWDs have Oversteer), winding roads are fun, too. Bred from GMs German Car Group (Opel), its a nice follow-up to the L300. Saturn Service Depts. treat me like a king. Ive owned Fords, Chevys, 1 Dodge, 1 VW... Ive been driving for over 30 yrs.

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  Best Car for the Money - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Jason - May 27 - 8:10 am

  Ive had 2 IONs and now I have an 08 Aura XE with the V-6. It is by far superior to other cars in the same class with similar equipment. It is much more comfortable on my back that any Ford or Toyota and it actually feels like there is something behind the wheel. The Saturn team really nailed this one and I hope to see the Aura aroudn for a long time!

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  Very Nice - 2003 Saturn ION
  By cn - May 27 - 2:00 am

  I love the drive and handling of this car. The gauges took me awhile to get used to, but they are growing on me. the car has planty of room for a small vehichle.

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  Best Ever!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By mnorad2002 - May 27 - 2:00 am

  The salesman are top notch,, by far the best buying experience Ive ever had. They are the leaders in the industry. Hihgly recomend you give them a try.

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  Excellent Car. Saved my life. - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By rjf - May 23 - 3:20 am

  Enjoyed driving. Solid ride. Was just involved in accident where a Dodge Ram truck slammed into the rear of my Vue. I was stopped at a light, they estimate he was driving 50+mph. My husband and I walked away from that accident without a single scratch. Unfortunately, my Saturn was totalled. Heck, the Dodge Ram Truck that hit me actually looked worse, and Im quite sure it was totalled also. Going tomorrow to buy my new Saturn Vue!

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  Love this car - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By MuzMan - May 22 - 12:26 pm

  This is the first Saturn I have owned and I dont know why waited so long. The car drives very smoothly and handles extremely well. The 250hp motor is more than enough for most people. The only negitive I have is the cargo area could be a couple inches wider and then it would except my golf clubs better. I drive the car normaly, that is I dont excellerate hard and keep a steady speed. The around town average is 20mpg. Thats not bad for a 250 hp V6. I love this car.