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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  Saturn Astra 4dr Great Car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Judicious - February 7 - 12:23 am

  So far I have had the car for 2 years. It works great. No major issues yet. Fuel mileage is good could be better in the city but very nice on the highway. Car feels great while cornering. Suspension is not too soft but yet handles bumps well. The best hatchback GM ever sold in north America and wish they kept bringing them over.

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  Surprisingly a great vehicle! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Andy F - February 6 - 7:13 am

  We bought this car because my wife loved it and the mileage was far better than our 99 Isuzu Rodeo. Frankly, I wasnt sold until we took it on an 800+ mile trip to Myrtle Beach. Folks, this is THE most comfortable vehicle I have even driven for 15 hours! And, you wanna talk acceleration and mileage? I set the cruise and 250 HP let us blow right by other cars even climbing hills in PA. Oh and did I mention we got almost 30 miles per gallon? If you are in the market for a crossover SUV, do yourself a favor and make sure you check out the VUE!

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  MOMS Red Line - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Moms ION Red Line - February 4 - 10:00 am

  I skewed the demographics for Saturn when I bought the Red Line Im 40 something the mother of two teenage children, who think mom is unsquare now love car easy entry doors are not heavy hugging seats lots of highway entrance power very fun to drive like my old VW but not as close to nirvana as the Bug experience those who have driven a Bug know what i mean Fuel have to mix prem/reg to beat prem price avg 24MPG combo driving only 700 miles MPG will improve later excellent XM radio,new technology-wow beware FM, comfortable with center dash, easy to clean exterior, seats are hard after long rides(over 4hrs)have to hide keys from husband, Thanks GM

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  Underpowered, Uncomfortable, Junk Saturn - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Dave - February 3 - 1:40 am

  This is the worst vehicle Ive ever owned. Around 25,000 miles, the wheel bearings started to go out, at $700 per wheel. By 43,000 miles, the transmission needed rebuilt, which GM did under a recall warranty. I traded the vehicle in shortly afterward. Even before the issues, this vehicle was slow, with a choppy, unrefined engine, and it feels "cheap" on the inside. Squeaky, cheap plastic is the typical choice in this car. I would not recommend it in any way.

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  Troublesome VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Keith48 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my VUE for 10 Months and have had it in the shop 8 times. I have kept all my cars for at least ten years but I cant see me keeping this one near that long.

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  Not totally convinced ... - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Salar - January 30 - 10:00 am

  Having owned my Vue now for over six months I am not totally conviced it was the best decision. The starter does not turn over as quickly as it should and the rattles in the front end are non stop and quite annoying. The cheap interior plastic does not hold up very well to every day wear and tear. Small scratches when removing items from vehicle often leave deep gouge marks in cheap plastic interior. The most recent recall for an overhaul of the rear supsension has left me wondering if I made the right choice when purchasing this vehicle. I guess you get what you pay for ... in this SUV segment of the market I didnt pay much.

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  new experiences - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By denme - January 30 - 10:00 am

  first off, the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle, a great help on the back. Seat comfort was a surprise, and the adjustements to the drivers side were real easy. insturments were easy to read and to locate within a few minutes. The cargo bin, with the dividers, makes it a lot safer, it keep s things from sliding all over the place. All in all, it is a pleasure to drive, with fairly good gas mileage.

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  OK Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By jmccrury - January 29 - 1:50 pm

  I bought this car used with only 19,000 miles on it. It has been a good little car. Ive had it for two years and put 24,000 miles on it. It now has a small oil leak which has to be fixed. Overall, its been good. Its fun to drive and little maintenance is required. The interior definitely needs improvement. The seats are uncomfortable and there isnt any leg room for the driver or passenger. The upholstery also stains very easily(even with water). This is very annoying, especially with a child.

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  One Great Ride - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By LuvIt - January 24 - 11:33 am

  Owning this car has been a great experience. Overall handling is absolutely great. The Interior could use some added features (Storage compartments around the stick) which I noticed they did on the newer models but for the most part it has lots of room (Love the pop-up grocery carrier). Great mpgs for this car although it could be improved. Im sure they have done this with the newer models as well. As an owner I love this car. No problems with it so far.

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  Raving about ION - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Radu - January 23 - 4:20 pm

  My third Saturn, it has the same great reliability, and low cost of operation, but the 05 is vastly improved. Use of QuietSteel and powertrain mods makes the ride luxury-car quiet. Electronic throttle control (new for 05) provides excelent throttle response at any speed. Once one turns the ignition key the cranking sequence continues automatically until engine starts. How many economy cars have this feature? New for 05 suspension is much improved, small bumps dissapeared from roads the day I started driving it (Jan. 8, 2005). Very precise newly recalibrated steering, with excellent feel compared to the 2003 ION 3 I traded in. Distinct sense of refinement is felt right away, with great newly redesigned seats for 05. It has etter braking and grip performance than Accord V6, quieter than Mazda 3, 34 mpg in mixed freeway/city traffic.