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 my new Ion! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By ilovemysaturn - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Very good car...looks great, drives well. Excellent deal for a young family.

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  VUE = Great ValUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By VUE Pilot - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my VUE for 2 months and have driven almost 7000 already without any problems. Avg fuel economy has been just under 25mpg. On a recent 3500 mile road trip the seats proved comfortable to my 6 foot 200 pound build. Very impressed with the car like ride!!

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  VUE Road Noise / Buzzy on Acceleration - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Vue Road Noise - August 23 - 7:00 pm

  I must say I bought a VUE in May of this year and Im not real happy. I had a luggage rack put on after markert by the dealership and the car makes a terrible road noise. The noise is overpowering even when the radio is on. It is very disturbing. The car also makes a buzzing noise when you accelerated. I would not of bought this vechile if I would of known about the road noise. I do not think this is a very well insulated automoblie. Im actually thinking of trading it off. I recommend before buying a car you drive it for a day or so before you sign the papers. Do drive with the radio off.

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  Not a Happy Camper - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Lake Dude - July 31 - 2:33 pm

  I bought a Saturn xe 4cyl, Power is not enough for a 3800 # car. Electric P/S gets harder to turn the faster you go, At 70mph a small correction requires quite a wheel movment and that makes you wander from side to side .(Not fun to drive at 60+) Cruise shifts down at a slight grade so much so that i cant stand it and dont use it. The 4 speed whines in 2nd and 3rd before in shifts. I pulled a very very small lown mower trailer got so tired of the whine i used the manual shift button. Up side 22+ mph overall,Looks good in side and out rides firm but nice. Give the 4cyl a good test ride at 65mph+ 1/2 and you can see what I mean. Then buy the 6cyl, it has regular P/S and cruise works.

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  3 Years and Still Satisfied Actual 22 to 38 mpg. - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By alero02 - July 17 - 6:18 pm

  Our 2009 Saturn Aura XR 2.4L 6 speed now has 31,000 miles and we still love it. It still compares well with its sleek exterior to newer models from Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Nissan and Kia. The interior is very up scale with leather seats and contrasting trim, plus there are luxury items you might expect only on pricier cars. From the 6 CD XM radio that plays regular CDs or mp3 with song titles and other info, to the dual front power seats the car is comfortable, sporty, and up scale. We also have had excellent follow up service from out local Chevrolet/Cadillac/Buick dealership for all regular maintenance and even a warranty replacement recently on the driver side door arm rest.

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  Good car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By ricksher - July 13 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car for those that are looking for a car that is not going to cost them 20,000. This car had what we wanted and it drives great!

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  Non start problems - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Unsatisfied - July 7 - 9:56 am

  Why wont Saturn stand behind their vehicles? Only a week after purchasing my vehicle it wont start. Local repair shop said probably starter, decided to do a little research first, omg I cant believe the thousands of complaints on line. Dealers replace ignition switch which is faulty in the first place but they do not acknowledge that. Guess what the switch if you are lucky only lasts a year if that and then you are stuck with the same repair every year.

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  Seems good so far - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Pbaker - July 3 - 10:00 am

  I have only had the car for a month. I have had 2 other saturns and they were great cars. The fuel mileage is not even close, but still pretty good. I guess Ill see how it turns out.

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  alshoe review of the VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By alshoe - July 3 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased the VUE a couple of weeks ago. Own a 2002, L300 for a year and love it. Took a 200 mile trip in the VUE and really enjoyed it. Many SUVs ride like a truck. The VUE rides and handles more like a car. The V6, 5 speed auto trans is very responsive and is a quieter and softer ride than the L300. Vehicle is practical for our family needs in hauling people and/or cargo. Have not had the opportunity to test the AWD feature.

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  Best Fuel Value in its Class - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Mr. Styles - July 3 - 6:03 am

  Since I became the owner of my 2005 Vue, I can truly say it has been worth the purchase. I use mid-grade gas and I can get up to 300 miles to a tank. I have also learned how to maximize my horsepower by down shifting to the lower gears. The versatility and roominess have helped me in carrying my sons and my work load. Keeping it clean has been quit easy. The only problem I have truly had so far is keeping the stains off the fabric. Other than that, this car has been a great addition to our family.