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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  Love My Car - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Sue Hutton - May 25 - 12:30 am

  This car has been such a joy to drive. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great car for the value.

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  Best in Class - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Frank Kulp - May 20 - 6:16 pm

  I never expected to be a VUE owner, but after test driving many competitors, the VUE AWD version was the best. The AWD with roof rails and chrome package looks great. The Honda engine has great acceleration. Handling and suspension is also on par with competitors. Interior is attractive and seating is roomy and comfortable. Make sure you test drive, this is best alternative for a street driving SUV. Beats Equinox,Santa Fe, Escape,& Liberty "hands down".

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  very few problems- and they arent big! - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Pretty Happy! - May 20 - 1:13 am

  My ION has been great since the first day I drove off the lot 4 years ago. The gas mileage is great for my typical driving day, and the maintenance has been minimal- basic upkeep and tune-ups. This week was the first time I had any "problems". A few sensors had malfunctioned, causing the check engine light to turn on. I have had issues with it not letting me pull the key out from time to time, mentioned it to the service manager, and they have fixed it. Something was mis-aligned in the ignition housing. I am happy with my choice, and would be purchasing a new saturn if they still had the ION.

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  Not a bad little car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Some Kid - May 16 - 10:06 am

  GM/Saturn did a pretty good job with this car. About 60/40 driving conditions (city/highway), I get between 28-30 mpg. Its not a very fast car (despite the way Saturn designed the exterior) but it will get you to where you need to go while sipping on fuel. I do not like the interior. The rear seating of the 2 door quad coupe is unbearable and not comfortable for anyone over about 57" ish. Good size trunk space. The instrument cluster (speedometer and such) is in the center of the dash...kind of unnecessary. If you youre a commuter and arent looking for an over luxerious vehicle, this is for you.

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  Zippy and Dependable - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By VueToo - May 14 - 2:56 pm

  Bought my 250hp,V6, 2007 Vue (with the Honda engine) in late 2006. I bought it with airbags, upgraded sound system and all the upgrades. Never requires anything but an oil change and it runs perfectly. Great cargo space and very zippy on the road. Best SUV Ive owned. Too bad they put a GM engine in the new Vue. The Chevy Traverse is similar to my old 2007 Vue, but with a $30K base price for the Chevy, Id rather spend a little extra and get the new Mercedes GLK350 SUV for $35K.

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  05 Saturn Relay - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Rich - May 12 - 5:40 pm

  Truck averages 23 mpg, good for a vehilce this size. Has approx 40,000 miles on it now, no problems to report. Mine is loaded. Factory remote start is nice, as is the remote doors.

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  Happy owner. - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By HERB - May 10 - 1:30 pm

  Took my new VUE on vacation shortly after purchasing. Excellent gas mileage and handling

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  My New Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By ddblyou - May 9 - 2:00 am

  Corners very well and is a nice car to drive to work. I have not had any problems to date and the sales people at Saturn dealerships are the best! There was no hassle at all.

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  SUV: COMFORT AND AFFORDABILITY - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By BANG FOR BUCK - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Due to cash restrictions, I could not go for the full size SUV but I have four kids. The Saturn VUE offers a lot of leg room for front and rear. The rear seats fold down flat and lock in place for extra storage. Standard sound system is of good quality. They say 29/24 mpg. Not so, more like 24/22. I have a 4cc/5 speed. Not a lot of pickup. Smooth, comfortable ride and easy on the pocket book. Great deal.

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  2005 Saturn VUE - even better - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Angela - May 2 - 12:06 pm

  My 2005 Saturn VUE is my second. After being hit head-on in my 2002 VUE (from which I escaped with only a foot injury) I had thoughts of nothing but another one. Exceptional service and a wonderful sales team had cemented my good feelings for the VUE. The 2005 has better pick-up. The problems - such as a few rattles and sqeaks - had all been tweaked. And, the interior really is a lot prettier. There is something about the build of the interior that seems geared to the smaller body size of a woman. I feel as at-home as I ever have while driving while my husband is not as comfortable. I also get an amazing amount of comments on the looks of the vehicle. It looks much more expensive than it is