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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  best on the road - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By room with a vue - November 9 - 10:00 am

  the best non yuppy suv on the road

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  Love my ION - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Windy Miller - November 7 - 2:40 pm

  My ION is the most agile vehicle Ive ever owned. It can really get in and out of tight places.

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  New owner - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Tom V. - November 6 - 5:03 pm

  I have found the VUE gives a solid feel for the road, smooth ride and good accelaration. Lots of interior features, my kids love the reclining rear seats. Plenty of leg room for adults. All seats fold down flat of cource. Safety features like OnStar for one year, side impact air bags,came standard. I had roof rails and trailering package added as options for about $500 extra. It has 1500lb towing capacity which is sufficent for my 14 aluminum fishing boat. Overall I am very happy with the VUE and would recommend it to anyone!

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  I Like My 2006 VUE! - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By R. Nagel - November 6 - 1:56 am

  I purchased my 2006 VUE after taking my time looking over and test driving its major competitors. I bought the 250hp,front wheel drive V6. It can really smoke and handles well. Also,I can flat-tow it behind my motorhome. Design problems mentioned in the original 2002 reviews were corrected as noted in the 2004 update review. Interior changes were also made for 2006. The front seats are sized for the average adult and are fine for me (62" and 200 lbs). However they could be a problem for the obese.

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  I Love my First Saturn - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Chrissy56 - November 3 - 10:00 am

  my last car was a Buick, much larger than the Saturn. I needed something smaller. High gas prices and a longer commute, made a smaller car necessary. I shopped at all of the dealerships in my area. The thing that made Saturn different was there was no pressure from the salesman. There were other dealerships where the salesman was literaly chasing me as I was leaving ... offering me lower prices. I looked at the Saturn & fell in love with the Ion 3. It has a lot of standard features, I didnt need to add much to make my car perfect for me. Now, that Ive had my car for a few weeks ... I know for sure it was the right decision. Im very, very happy.

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  You get what you pay for... - 2003 Saturn ION
  By car shopping - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I test drove this car for 24 hours. The editors review of this car is very accurate.

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  Saturn VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Jen D - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Feels like driving an SUV but handles like a car. No frills for families with kids that love to play with everything....keeps things simple for the easily distracted parents. Seats are very comfortable and you can barely tell you are driving over bumps. This car is a keeper. Love the fact that I can park in the garage and my doors cannot be scratched/dented by the kids bikes and even if this happens Saturn makes replacing the door panels very easy.

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  For the money cannot beat - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Jim Gould - November 2 - 10:16 pm

  I bought my XR new. went to buy a BMW 328i and left with the Aura. I love almost everything about the car including, XM radio, OnStar, sunroof, rear audio system and quality leather. My biggest 2 complaints are the 6 speed auto needs to be reprogrammed as sometimes it takes too much effort to downshift. Second the mixed gas mileage is terrible. 16-17 mpg in mixed driving. However, if you look at the price verse what you get overall it is the best sedan on the market. I would recommend.

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  Overall good car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By Wayne - November 1 - 10:00 am

  There are definitely some pros and cons to this car. On the plus side, Ive never had mechanical problems, it has a great sunroof and very responsive steering. Its a reasonably comfortable ride although you might find it a little cramped. On the downside, lack of engine power. I dont think this thing could outrun a slushie truck going up a hill. The cupholders where you have to dislocate your arm to get your drink, the very tiny side mirrors, and the paint job wore off after only a few months. Now of course we also have to deal with lack of service, as there are only 2 dealers in my city who are authorized to work on Saturns.

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  Do not buy! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By tigerlily - October 28 - 2:30 pm

  We bought to replace a too small Honda Civic. I loved it for the first year and its been nothing but problems since. We had to replace the thermostat and the drivers side seat heater. he check engine light goes on and off all the time and the low coolant light comes on and off as well. The brakes dont last and now we have coolant leaking out and mixing with the oil. Getting rid of it as soon as possible!! Loved the interior design, just hate the problems.