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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  Not sure it was a wise choice - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By pnhdad11 - October 10 - 7:03 am

  We like the looks and it is comfortable. But it has been in twice for a leaking sunroof. It also has had a transmission leak, shock absorber leak and bad bushings. This past week it was back in and needs a new starter and power steering pump. It has had work on the transmission and electrical issues, warning that the hood was open and irregular tire pressure readings. The slightest hill causes it to downshift. On the highway, I have gotten up to 25 mpg so that has been good.

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  No-brag gem for the practical driver - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Greenwich CT - October 10 - 3:40 am

  My cars: 80 Audi 5000, 82 Olds Ciera, 89 Bronco, 95 Explorer, 2000 Taurus SE, 2003 BMW 325xi, 2006 Saturn Ion 2. We have Mercedes and Toyota vehicles too. Most reliable: Ion. Cheapest: Ion. Best mileage: Ion. Best in all weather conditions: Ion, Taurus, 325. Best base stereo: Ion. Most practical storage features in a sedan: Ion. Cheapest interior: Ion. Least adjustable everything: Ion. Least curb appeal: Ion. Fastest depreciation: Ion. The Ion is a solid, simple, reliable, comfortable enough, safe, low cost American car if what you mostly need from a car is...a car. A friend has a Maserati. Cool. But worth nine of these? Pfff. Buy this and a Solstice and laugh all the way to the bank.

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  ION 3 Sedan 2.4L - 2006 Saturn ION
  By ChrisW - September 28 - 11:26 am

  It took 3 weeks to build my Pacific Blue ION 3-and it was worth the wait. My ION included the Enhanced Performance Package (2.4 liter engine, suspension tweaks, ABS, traction control), leather interior, 6-speaker SAS (Saturn Advanced Sound system) & sunroof. The 170hp engine pulls with power, & the suspension strikes a nice balance between a smooth ride & responsive handling. The comfy front seats slide way back-a 63" passenger remarked on how much leg room he had, & easier to get into than Civic/Mazda3. The SAS audio system sounds decent. There are a few rough edges on the dash, & some areas where bolt/screw covers could have been crafted with a better care. Overall, a fine, fun small car.

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  Almost 3 years - 2003 Saturn ION
  By GaryM - September 23 - 1:20 am

  The car has yet to let me down. I have had several trips to the dealer, and almost always got the car back while I waited. The free rental with my service contract made any overnight problems bearable. The tires seem to be about gone. This is a little better than I expected for OEM tires. The 16" low profile tires gave the car the best handling I have has with a small car. The transmission shifts good most of the time, but occasionaly hunts when the acceleration drops off near its shift point. The front seats have a tremendous amount of leg room. However, the rear seat passenger can loose all of their leg room to the front seat. The car is comfortable on long trips.

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  Not so sure - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By christyd - September 20 - 11:03 am

  I absolutely loved this car at first, but since owning if for one year now, I am starting to change my mind. There are some issues (such as my power steering making a funky noise and jerking when I turn the wheel) that need worked on with the cars. Take those issues away and it is a very cute car with features that a lot of much pricier cars dont have. Also, it gets a lot of looks and compliments!

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  Love my new car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Barbara O - September 20 - 2:00 am

  This is the first time I downscaled to a compact and the Saturn ION2 fits my lifestyle and needs perfectly. After a month of driving my Ion it has the feel of a larger car and once on a roll it keeps up with the best of them plus is fun to drive. It came equiped with all the extra features to make it not feel like a moderately priced compact car.

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  No Regrets! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By aircap_aviator - September 15 - 3:55 am

  Bought used over a year ago. Wanted something that got decent gas milage, could haul my big teenage kids and had a manual trans. Vue was about the only thing I could find that fit all three. Gets mid 20s for gas mileage in city / mixed driving. Had 118K when I bought it and at 143K now. Only repairs were new struts in the front right after purchase and two new tires. Overall very happy with the value and what it does for me. Gripes? has new various rattles seemingly every time I get in, interior quality only average, and interior design is very lacking for storage.

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  2004 saturn vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By woven - September 14 - 2:00 am

  I am a new owner and so far I am impressed with the performance. The dealership lacks organization and customer comforts. Service is over worked and delays are regular. Better interior design would be appreciated. A better audio system would also be appreciated.

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  At 5K miles, still feels like a steal! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By rvdown - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive got about 5K miles on my VUE and it seems like the best deal for the money. Lots of space with gas mileage you can deal with. I was going to get the ION but with the VUE deal at the time, it was actually cheaper to get a VUE than a similarly equipped ION. I have NO complaints as of now. Well see how the next few years go. Not to mention that Saturn makes buying a car so easy and hassle free that its SCARY! I would probably get something else at the upper levels (AWD, V6, Redline packages) but at the VUE FWD 5M level, you cant beat it.

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  One fine SUV - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By David Knight - September 3 - 10:00 am

  After almost 9000 miles my 2004 Saturn VUE (front wheel drive manual 4 cyl) continues to be a pleasure to own and drive. During a 3200 mile trip to New England and back carrying luggage and a bicycle carried inside the vehicle on an interior rack the VUE proved to be extremely comfortable even for my 6 1" frame. The ride is smooth and the four banger powerplant was adequate on the highway. Fuel mileage was in the 26 - 28 mpg range which is not bad foe an SUV.