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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  2006Saturn VUE 6cyl.awd - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By saturn customer jim - December 20 - 9:03 pm

  This is my 3rd Saturn and I think my last. Was disappointed that you get only a 16inch donut for a spare so if you are towing it and get a flat on the front you have to move the tire to the back and bring one of the rear tires to the front . Also to get a base plate for towing a piece has to be cut out of the bumper.

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  Likes to spend your money - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By bsumorgan - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I got a redline, and it was a lot of fun, but every month I had it in the shop for some kind of maintenance or repair. To be fair, it probably has to do more with the previous owner than with the Saturn. Sold it after 10 months because you cant tow with the sport package. (no air flow to the transmission) Fuel economy was good, I averaged between 20 and 21 with the AWD v6. Interior is an odd combo of luxurious and cheap. Front end was noisy on rough surfaces. The AWD is not as good as ford/mercury awd. The back wheels only kick in a few moments after the front wheels lose traction. By then, it may be too late. It doesnt really do you any good on ice unless you intentionally break traction.

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  Out - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Brad Willet - December 5 - 5:36 am

  After almost 3 months the car is almost perfect! No issues other than std. first year recalls. Wish I would have gotten memory seats, and Im not crazy about the tires in the touring package, but still love the vehicle. 67" and Im incredibly comfortable, with plenty of room for the two dogs and probably a child seat next year.

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  Great Crossover Vehicle - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By sbridgen - December 2 - 2:23 pm

  Our VUE fits all of our needs. We went from two cars to one, and we couldnt be happier with the utility this provides. The interior looks kind of cheap, but thats OK. I dont mind hauling 2X4s, mulch, etc. in it since I dont have to worry about destroying a beautiful interior. We carry our road bikes, camping gear and ski gear in it. Weve never gotten stuck in the snow. We also drive it to work in the city every day. Dent proof doors and tight turning radius are invaluable there. Weve also taken many road trips, and it is very comfortable. Road and wind noise are awful, though.

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  Great Car - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By mt - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought the VUE in November and so far am very happy. Variable Transmission is loud when accelerating hard but nice during regular driving. Very good good car overall

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  Happy and Sad - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By HappyAndSad - November 29 - 7:53 am

  I picked up my 08 Vue at the end of the 08 redtag event. It was a demo, so it had a couple thousand miles on it, but that also helped make the car extremely affordable. I love the look and the feel of the car. I traded in a VW Rabbit for the car, so this has 100 more HP and the AWD makes the winter weather conditions almost nonexistent. Despite everything I love about the car, it broke down on me within 500 miles of purchase. The dealership said that the computer logged nearly 900 codes, but that once they were cleared they could not identify the specific problem and chalked it up as symphony of glitches at occurred at the same time. Needless to say, my fingers are crossed.

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  A Car with a VUE - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By John E - November 24 - 2:00 am

  Great ride and all accesories for under $20,000. Feels Good, Looks Good, and light on the pocket book at the pumps. First time Saturn buyer and everyone wants to know what my car is. They love it and so do I.

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  First 5000 miles - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Tom - November 19 - 7:40 am

  I went looking at SUVs but on a lark test drove the Astra too. I like it better. I do like the European lines and handling. I find that the interior is a little cramped. I can never find a comfortable place for my left leg. The gas tank is too small, only 10 gallons, and the window washer tank could also hold more. The 1.8 liter could use more "omph" but the mileage has been very good. Surprisingly, there are quite a few interior rattles in the dash and around the sunroof. I like that it came with many features that cost a lot more on other cars. It is fun to drive too.

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  Very nice car but several issues - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By knack - November 19 - 2:33 am

  Im really trying hard to like this car but have had several issues since buying it. Transmission seal leak, steering coupling replaced, power window switch, rotors warp, continuing issue with service traction light going on then off while at high speeds. Passenger window wiper travels too far and stops directly in front of driver view creating rubber mark on windshield. Replaced blades 3 times $60 each time. Stock LS tires are lees than adequate in snow. Tilt steering somewhat poor quality. This is a beautiful car otherwise, heated seats work good, sound system good. It hasnt left me stranded yet! I will say this, up until 28,000 miles the vehicle ran flawless. We will see how it goes.

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  Some, but not enough - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Jynxie - November 16 - 2:33 pm

  I bought an ION after owning a 92 Saturn SC and being so pleased with it. I was VERY disappointed with the ION. It rattled, parts came off all the time, brakes werent that good. I definitely got my moneys worth out of that warranty. Good for a first car, but after having had high quality, I cant go back to Saturn.