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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  I love this my Saturn!!!! - 2006 Saturn ION
  By I love my Saturn - December 9 - 3:03 pm

  I highly recommend this vehicle. The price is right, it is cheap on gas, fun to drive, the interior is nice, reliable, handles well, the battery is in the trunk, it is a great car all around. I would not change a thing. I recommend this car to anyone who considers themselves a true North American. The car was built in Canada, the transmission was built in the city I live in. I like knowing that my car was built in Canada. I absolutely love this car! I only drive North American made vehicles and this is my favourite one so far!

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  LOVING IT!!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By jehnny penny - December 9 - 2:00 am

  This Sport-ute rocks my world! The buying experience was Saturn approved. Ive had 3 Saturns and no matter what the review companies say the trade in value is great after a few years. And the build quality is as good as my friends Hondas and Toyotas. This engine flys and is a smooth operator. I would suggest this SUV to anyone who wants a big bang for their buck!

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  VUE Redline FWD 6 Cyl - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By flybigrc - December 8 - 4:50 pm

  Just bought the Redline VUE 6 cyl. Fun to drive best power of the crossover SUVs. The Redline apparance package is great, it really dresses up the look af the VUE. Makes it stand out in a crowd of SUV clones. the 18" wheels and sport suspension provide great feel on the road. My other car is a 2004 vette so I wanted something with some power and better handling then the spongy SUVs that were out there. This is not an off road SUV but I dont do any off roading so doesnt matter to me. Great feature is the ability to fit two bikes inside of vehicle with bike rack.

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  Love my VUE RedLine - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By convoyman - December 7 - 10:03 pm

  My wife and I bought the Vue Redline after we had a baby. We couldnt be happier with it! She loves the reliability and easy access for the baby, I love the styling and features it offers. The basic Vue doesnt appeal to me at all, but the Redline package really adds a lot! The bumper kits and side skirts look great, giving it a lower look. Plus the black on black color looks great. The interior is very confortable- the suede inserts on the leather seats make having leather seats not such a pain. We hit a deer while driving at night at 55 mph- the only damage was a 3" scuff on the fender- incredible!

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By KB - December 3 - 7:40 am

  We absolutley love our new Saturn Relay. Working with the Saturn salespeople was great. No hassles and no run-around. The Relay has a sporty drive while still maintaining a smooth car-like ride. This is a wonderful family vehicle and I would recommend it to anyone with small children. I especially like how easy it is to load children into the 2nd or 3rd row seats.

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  Strong engine. - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Devenie - December 3 - 2:00 am

  quiet, yet powerful engine. Saturns vehicle best yet. It drives great.

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  SATURN VUE - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By DON SHERIDAN - December 3 - 2:00 am

  NICE SUV,COMFORTABLE, GOOD LEG ROOM FOR TALL GUYS

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  ION 3, 2003 4 door sedan. - 2004 Saturn ION
  By JRSJR - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Fine as a tow vehicle behind my motorhome. MPG city= 28, MPG highway at 70mph= 33.

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  Saturn Ion 2 - 2004 Saturn ION
  By OKOKO - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive. Great highway gas mileage (34).Great leg room for 62" driver. My face must be at least 20-24" from the airbag.

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  saturn 2004 ion - 2004 Saturn ION
  By motherdestiny - December 3 - 2:00 am

  great car..... i love it... everybody stops and stares!