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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  2005 Saturn Relay - Love it - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Happy Customer - January 16 - 2:00 pm

  Weve had our Saturn Relay since the middle of 2005 and love it. We have almost every option available and had few problems. Its comfortable to long distance travel especially with kids. We travel 8 to 12 hours with 5 kids and its a complete dream. Weve had a problem with the DVD player but other than that its been great. I wish it had a little bit better gas mileage than 18-21 mpg during these days of high gas prices but other than that I love it.

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  Update- 42K miles - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Mattpowl - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Throughout my Vues life, I have had lots of issues. The front end suspension was replaced twice, fuel gauge broke, and some interior plastic delaminated. The wind-shield wiper nozzles were replaced 3 times! On the more major issues, the engine had a weird problem with condensation in the PCV valve hose that caused it to run very poorly in the winter. Also, an issue with the oil cooler cover gasket that resulted in coolant leaks. Although I like the vehicles performance and have had decent customer service from dealer and Saturn Corp (they gave me a 5-yr. 60K extended warranty), I am very disappointed.

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  Saturn Vue Redline Model - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By pleased1 - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the saturn vue redline. I love the exterior of the vehicle and the drive. It handles well on the highway. Though the noise level was a problem at times. Hopefully the designers will work on these things for the next model. Overall I do love my saturn.

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  The good and not so good - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Evets - January 10 - 8:50 pm

  We wanted a van and chose a Saturn based on the design and performance of the 3 Saturns we owned previously. While we really like the interior design and economy (avg 26 hwy) it seems this may have been rushed to market without adequate testing. There is a howl that eminates from the windshield at highway speed that cant be resolved, moulding and interior trim have simply fallen off, the automatic door wont close for no apparent reason(not good in a Michigan winter), there seem to be random rough idle issues. No breakdowns but just not the level of quality we had experienced previously and come to expect. We wont buy GM again.

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  Good Looking, but!..... - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By vicbrum - January 9 - 10:00 am

  One of the best Looking S.U.Vs around,but lacks refinament very cheap interior. The four cylinder is noisy and lacks the power of the europeans competitors,the fuel economy is poor and the gas tank small for this kind of vehicle,does less than 300 on a full thank of gas.Strange for an S.U.V. not to have anything for a passenger to hold on to ride,enter ou exit the vehicle.

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  2008 Saturn Aura XR 3.6 - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Adam - January 1 - 2:33 am

  After spending 8 years in Volkswagens, I decided to trade my 2005 Passat for the Aura. Overall, Im impressed with the Aura. Saturn sure has come a long way. Good power (although a little slow to react when you punch it). Little things I notice like some cheap plastics, and poorly fitting panels in the Aura. Especially the door panels, and door sills, which get scuffed very easily. Shouldnt have that at this price point. Seating is not as comfy as the Passat. Im a taller guy, and trying to get a comfortable driving position has been a challenge. Curious to see what long road trips will be like. If I could have the VW seats in the Aura, it would be perfect.

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  Great Car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By jspence - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I just bought this car and I love it. Its fun to drive and looks great. Its a smooth ride and handles the road well. The dealership made the car buying experience easy. I will definitely buy another Saturn.

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  VUE just not ready for consumers - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By VTInightmare - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I got this vehicle in June 03. By the end of July it was back to the dealer for 2 different transmission problems and the rear differential had to be replaced on the third trip. The VTI transmission is terribly flawed with problems. Starting to make noise yet again and I dread going back to the dealer with more problems. Other than a bad transmission the vehicle is great but thats a huge flaw. The VTI transmission is not ready to be on the market in this vehicle.

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  MPG? No! GPM= Grins per Mile!!! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Catshreds - December 24 - 8:00 pm

  Park where you want, no shopping cart dings in these polymer doors. Move throgh traffic or on the open road with plenty of power to spare. Huge 4 wheel brakes will stop you NOW. Ive never owned a Saturn before, but one drive in the Redline, and I was sold. Looked at Scion Tc, WRX Sti, and Srt4. This car is the pefect marriage of performance and everday practicality; insurance was way cheaper than the others too!

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  I love my 06 ION 3 - 2006 Saturn ION
  By 06ion3 - December 21 - 8:40 pm

  I went from a 95 Ford Taurus to the 06 saturn ION 3 coupe. Theres such a big difference, a good difference though. Only thing I dont like about my new car is the seats. Theyre uncomfortable. Other than that I love it.