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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  Fast sporty Ion manual - 2003 Saturn ION
  By JohnVanD. - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This car provides the pick up and go that other crappy cars like the base Jetta, and Civic do not provide. Its polymer panels help keep this car looking good and prevents dings.

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  Steering Lock up - 2007 Saturn ION
  By nothappy615 - December 21 - 10:30 pm

  I only purchased this car because it was affordable (I got a discount on the price through family and friends discount) and the reviews on it were decent. I have had problems with this vehicle since day 1. Everything from replacing both frt wheel bearings ( 5 mths after purchase) to now having the power steering to lock up. I am very dissatisfied with this vehicle.

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  Fun Economical - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Dave - December 20 - 1:33 pm

  This is a good all around utility vehicle which can go most anywhere the average driver wants to go. Room for a big person with excellant fuel economy.Would highly recommend for growing family or professional in sales or real estate.

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  Piece of crap - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By cbt - December 18 - 2:23 pm

  MOST RECENT problem: from being PARKED with engine running, car slid into REVERSE, rolled downhill, knocked me over twice and hit my neighbors tree (better than the house)! Add to that problems weve had since we bought it new: both sliding doors sometimes wont close; the dash lights flicker; the a/c goes out and we have to move the knob to heat and back to get cool air again; a/c only blows cool when were actually rolling; "ABS disengaged" light comes on all the time; full brake replacement at 50K miles; radio changes station when braking suddenly; dead spot in accelerating from a stop; gas reads empty on incline even when 1/4 full; back wiper doesnt move; hard to get into 3rd row.

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  Ion 2 - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Bradley Klein - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Well built car. My other Saturn had 250K with no problems.

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  nice surprise - 2003 Saturn ION
  By bobs000 - December 15 - 10:00 am

  I just returned from a long trip in my new ion and it turned out better than I expected. The ride was smoother and quieter than my previous Honda, especially at 75MPH and beyond. I am quite impressed. I originally intended to use it for commute only. Now I drive it everywhere.

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  Lacks - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Terie - December 14 - 3:40 pm

  This is our 5th Saturn. Weve had mostly SC2s and a SL. This car just doesnt feel as solid. It feels cheap, like a Kia or a Neon. When I drive my bright yellow 2001 SC2, theres just more there. The doors feel tighter, the interior is better appointed.The seats arent as comfy and front visability is a problem for a shorter person like me in the ION. Those big columns on either side of the windshield are a hazard. Paint has always been an issue with our Saturns, and it still is. My car is black, so you see every little thing.The yellow car always had paint issues to I dont think Saturn is the car it once was. Dont think a 6th Saturn is in our future.

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  Bought in 2004, still love & own it! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By toms04ion - December 11 - 5:38 pm

  I bought this Ion new on 10/28/03 and have enjoyed the last 143k miles. Sure, in the beginning there were some bugs to work out, wiring harness, computer glich, shifter block and a few other small bulletin items that the Saturn dealer dilligently fixed. Other than general maintenance, the only thing replaced was the ignition switch. Each set of tires has gotten 55k, and the oem battery got over 5 years of use. The car has been extremely reliable. Since 25k, the car runs on Mobile 1 and a K&N filter, this has made a difference on mpg. Sometimes I think of selling to get a new car, cant justify it, do a comp with a Cruze, size, power,features, vertually same car! Not sexy, but delivers!

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  An afforfable car for a single lady - 2007 Saturn ION
  By sugababy - December 10 - 1:36 pm

  I purchased a Saturn because I could not afford a Toyota Corolla. However, my driving experience has been great. I drove this car from Alabama to Texas and back. It did not give me any problems. After I purchased my Saturn, one of my friends decided to purchase one. If you are in the market for an affordable and reliable car, I would strongly advise you to consider purchasing this vehicle. The monthly payments are extremely affordable too. If you are looking for luxury, honey you are looking in the wrong place. Remember that the cars main objective is to get you from point A to Point B. Thats it!

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  Why doesnt GM advertise this car? - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Jane - December 10 - 1:06 am

  Ive been looking for a car that is fun to drive, great looking, fuel efficient and economical. I was considering VW, but wanted something else for comparison. So, I did an Internet search and up came a video review of hatchbacks that included the Saturn Astra XR2. After doing some more research on this vehicle, I headed off to the Saturn dealership where I bought one on the spot! This car is an absolute hoot to drive and causes pedestrians to do double-takes at its unique appearance. I cant believe GM doesnt do more to advertise this vehicle. Its a world-class small car that is available now, not in some future model year. Go check it out.