5 Star Reviews for Saturn

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.30/5 Average
3,767 Total Reviews
Make Overview:

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:

Showing 571 through 580 of 3,767.00
  • Skyhigh - 2007 Saturn Sky
    By -

    The Sky is an attention grabber. Im constantly stopped by onlookers and this car turns heads. Fun to drive and very comfortable. Only negative that I have is lack of compartments. No storage in the door panels. No place to put your sun glasses. Saturn has hit a home run with this automobile.

  • Great vehicle - 2002 Saturn VUE
    By -

    Great Vehicle for the price

  • Comfy but lack of power - 2007 Saturn VUE
    By -

    I had for it 4 months and put 5000 miles on it. Roomy, handling is good. Rear seats can be fold down so you will have plenty of cargo room. No cargo cover though, not even a design let you put one so no after market cargo cover either. I knew the 4 cyl one will have less power so I got the manual one to better control it. Still powerless. I push for 4k~5k rpm on 1st gear but it is still slow. Mileage is OK, better than other SUVs. I get 21.3 local and 23~24 on highway. If you stay around 65 mph on hiway you will get better mileage but that is too slow for me. About 3.7K rpm at 80mph. Gear ratio at 5th gear need to be adjusted.

  • My First Saturn - 2008 Saturn Aura
    By -

    I traded in my 2004 Honda Accord V6 after I drove the Aura.This car looks and drives better than my Honda Its a good value the build quality is excellent. Looks like it should cost more.

  • So far so good - 2007 Saturn ION
    By -

    We recently purchased a pre-owned ION and like it a lot. I work in a dealership and had always been skeptical of American made cars. I hope this Saturn proves me wrong. So far my husband and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. The one thing I dislike is the cheap plastic interior design. Otherwise it fits our needs.

  • Another fine Saturn product - 2004 Saturn VUE
    By -

    Very happy with this our third Saturn. I bought the car because is tows very easily behind my motorhome. It is a dependable and fun car to drive. Love the grocery compartment. No complaints.

  • Surprisingly Refined - 2004 Saturn VUE
    By -

    This vehicle was a standout from the pack with its 250 hp engine and the 5 speed transaxle. It is unbelievably smooth in routine driving, but it roars like a tiger when you punch it. Scary fast acceleration, especially because the torque steer. GM should work on that. I havent seen the All Wheel Drive in action yet, but my experience with front wheel drive in the snow leads me to expect it will do fine. The Vue has good ground clearance, and its independent suspension gives an exellent ride quality. The interior is roomy, although the rear seats seem rather low to the floor.

  • A True Roadster - 2007 Saturn Sky
    By -

    Back in the early 70s I owned an MG. It was fun to drive, but not very reliable. The Sky reminds me of the way the MG handled, but it has more power and is more comfortable. The MG had clips on the right and left for the top and it was a pain to take down. Ive read some complaints that the top on the Sky is difficult to take down, but it takes about 15 seconds to take down and about 20 to put back up. It is well designed for a mechanical top. This car has plenty of power and is so much fun to drive. I love putting the top down and taking it on a curvy road and listening to the engine roar. It is also beautiful, especially when compared to the Miata, which looks so vanilla.

  • Lovin this car! - 2008 Saturn Sky
    By -

    I am continually surprised at how much attention this car gets! At gas stations, the grocery store, garages, old and young, people come up to me and talk about this car. Everyone loves the look. I knew I loved it when I bought it, I really did not think it would generate this much buzz with people I didnt know. I drive it for mileage on my commute, put the cruise on at 72 and get 30-33 mpg on the highway. Then the weekends, I drive for fun, punch it whenever I can get away with it. Im putting the cold air intake in soon, Ive spoken with other owners who are getting +3 to +4 mpg with it plus the 10 horsepower punch. Best purchase Ive ever made!

  • Great Value - 2007 Saturn Aura
    By -

    I looked at almost every car, new and used, in the 18k to 24k price range and the Aura was the best value. I loved its exterior, and the performance and fuel economy are great. I would have preferred the XR, but I couldnt justify the money as this was my first car and I am using it for sales. I have had it for 3 months and have already put 7k miles on it, but I havent had one problem with it. If you can afford the XR, definitely get it, if not, the XE is a great car, and way underpriced for all the you get!

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