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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  Speedometer is in the wrong place. - 2007 Saturn ION
  By euorgos - June 29 - 12:00 am

  Owerall, it is a great car for the money, feels and rides like a larger car. I love the plastic door panels since I never get any dings. The only major drawback to this car is the awful dashboard design. There is no reason for the speedometer to be so far away in the middle of the dashboard where it is impossible to see. If it wasnt for this one bad design, it would be the perfect small car.

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  Thumbs Up for 2004! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Bondavi - June 20 - 2:00 am

  The Honda motor really transforms this car from a disappointment into a class- leader! Superb looks and performance to boot, sips at the pump for a 250-horse SUV!

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  Not the best - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Astrid - June 17 - 12:30 pm

  I brought this car five years ago and it was the bes the best until I had some problems. The car was mixing fuel, coolant, and grease together and making the engine overheat. The horn stop working and so did the CD player.

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  Would buy it again. - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By coco444 - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I traded in an Expedition for this car. it handles beautifully and really moves when I need to merge onto a highway.

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  First week with the Vue - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By JSK - June 13 - 10:00 am

  With the 5 speed manual transmission, the four cylinder engine is surprisingly zippy! The handling is very clean and confident. At last I have adequate leg room in a vehicle that gets around 30mpg. My over all impression is of a very tough, smooth running vehicle that gives me a great sense of safety, comfort and surprisingly good performance. The 5 speed manual is perfectly matched to the engine and body. If you can drive a standard, this is the best balanced combination of power, performance and quiet comfort. I love this car!

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  GMs hidden gem - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By SS3 - June 12 - 2:26 pm

  The 2006 Saturn VUE Red Line must be one of GMs best kept secrets. From the smooth powerful drivetrain, to the cool Red Line styling, whats not to like? The VUEs looks get rave reviews from most everyone who has seen it, but most dont even know what it is. The new ebony interior really enhances the interior, and the white (black at night) guages really add to the package. The electric steering is much better than expected, and the ride is just fine considering the enhanced handling that the Red Line package offers. Room in the back seat is the biggest surprise - lots of room for a 62" teenager.

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  After 30K miles - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By dhb - June 10 - 4:03 am

  Selected over other upscale model imports for features -in particular the high output engine running on regular, and fold down rear seats for my bicycle. Wanted a good handling car as mountain roads are driven daily, and it has lived up to this wonderfully. Selected over VW Passat- better looking exterior & interior. After 30K miles car is running well, but I had an issue with front strut rattle that took too long to resolve. Finally replaced last week after much insistance. Ahh quiet ride now I expected.

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  A Solid Little Car - 2007 Saturn ION
  By murphy49 - June 8 - 1:53 pm

  I bought my ION 3 Quad Coupe new in April of 2007. It wasa solid car with good build quality despite the relatively low price. Over the next 4 years I put over 131,000 miles on the car with only two major problems: The throttle position sensor and the power steering motor failed. I also had to replace the original tires (Chinese Hancooks which were 3 years older than the ION) because the they had dry-rotted to a dangerous level. I would still be driving the ION today if it hadnt been totaled in a rollover accident which was not the fault of the ION. It kept me alive. I only reget GM decided to try to make Saturn into an outlet for German Opels and thus killed the Saturn product line.

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  Terrible in Snow & Ice - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Rob - June 7 - 2:36 pm

  Liked my SL1 better! Steering is terrible, never felt right since I bought it! Problem was fixed in 2005 model year. Ride is comfortable, seats stink, not enough support. Economy is okay at 29MPG average. Stereo was replaced 3 times in first year, but no other problems. Car is reliable transportation for short trips, not for long distances. Stay away from snow/ice, traction is poor at best. Excellent on dry pavement. Braking is very good. If you dont mind being thrown sideways when you hit bumps then this car will be satisfactory. If you want a car that handles well, try something else.

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  Exceptional value - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By soccerdad - June 6 - 6:00 am

  We purchased this used car while looking for a used minivan and just could not bring ourselves to admit we were in that stage of our life. So, Saturn Vue to the rescue. We really like this car and with the addition of the best tires we coud get, this car has met all of our needs. It drives great and compares nicely to minivans. The 3.5L V6 is very impressive and does good at the pump for an SUV. 20 to 24 in mixed driving. got 28 once on a long interstate only trip. Hit a deer once and was very happy my famly was in this car. Damage was one headlight to replace. What a relief! Safety and value. Seems to perform better than SUVs and minivans in its price range, without giving up much.