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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  Boo for the ION - 2003 Saturn ION
  By June Ruggiero - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I have been beyond disappointed with my Saturn Ion. We drove up to Syracuse for a wedding with my suitcases in the trunk and my bridesmaids dress laid out on top. When we arrived in Syracuse, it was raining. I opened my trunk to and the rain came pouring off of the trunk ONTO my dress. Not good, especially after a 5-hour car ride and the back pain from the uncomfortable seats. And on top of that...I have already had 2 flat tires on my 4-month- old car. The idiot customer service manager with whom I spoke did not make matters any better. Overall, a HUGE disappointment.

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  Saturn Vue stinks Dont Buy One! - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Crystal Cooper - July 11 - 12:56 am

  This is what I have had to repair in the first 3 years of my ownership! Most of the major things it happened oddly enough AFTER the warranty ran out! 1. new vehicle 1/31/02 2. panel trim replaced(shifter) 7/26/02 3. 1/08/03 Wipers stopped working. 4. 8/30/03 Transaxle oil cooler repaired 5. 1/29/04 Thermostat gasket replaced 6. 2/16/04 Shift housing indicator replaced 7. 7/10/04 Window channel replaced(inoperable power windows) 8. 8/26/04 Brakes worn out (32,000 miles) 9. 10/02/04 front seat cover replaced(excessive wear) 10. 2/12/05 replace rear lateral link(recall, rear wheel could fall off) 11. Front wheel bearing hub 5/05 12. 7/9/05 Brake inspection(needs repair and resurface roto

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  Employee reviews? - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Mary S. - March 27 - 5:20 pm

  I only wish I had shopped around before buying this car. Our experience with this car has been horrible yet all these GREAT reviews....sounds awfull fishy to me. Little history. Was in the shop with a transmission problem at a little over 400 miles and now a brake problem. Oh, and did I mention the interior...I thought it would grow on me but cheap is cheap and uncomfortable. My kids hate it and complain it is difficult to sit more than 30 min in the back seats. Oh well, live and learn. Should have listened to my husband. He wanted a Honda.

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  Problem after Problem! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Jen - December 10 - 2:23 pm

  I bought my vue in 2007, for a year and a half, I loved it, there wasnt a single issue. Then the one day, dead of winter, in MN, I find myself stranded on the side of the highway.The belt came off, and now to this day, it has happened 5 times.The engine is loud, along with road noise. I always have brake issues. For the last 6 months it has been 1 thing after another. Now that they dont make VUEs anymore, it is worth practically nothing.

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  Poorly Designed, Mechanically Defective - 2005 Saturn ION
  By amarri - May 15 - 10:23 pm

  I have had nothing but trouble with this vehicle: 4 tow-in and 2 drive-in service calls. Check Engine light glowing steadily, fuel gauge registering zero, rough engine idle (car struggles to remain running), loss of power when operating A/C (A/C fan and headlights dimming), annoyingly squeaking seats, water leaks, and dangerously faulty gearshift knob that breaks off in hand when using. Cheap interior materials and poor instrument cluster visibility. Poor rear-view mirror visibility: many blind spots.

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  Comfort! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By m king - February 24 - 7:26 am

  By far the most comfortable car I have ever owned. An SUV that handles like a car. 60,000 miles and had only one engine problem that was taken care of by GM dealership at no charge due to 100,000 mile warranty. I cant say enough good things about it. My Brother owns the same year Pathfinder and I like my ride a great deal more.