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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  Saturn is big bang for the buck - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By alix - November 7 - 10:00 am

  My experience with my 2003 VUE has been nothing but good. I get a lot of great feedback on its neat design and people guess it to be more expensive than it really is.

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  Have to defend my ION! - 2007 Saturn ION
  By TheTaxWizard - November 3 - 11:03 pm

  I have to defend this car. Have had mine for 14 months and with the exception of a tiny bit of wind noise (Saturn will fix it) the car is great. No, I am not in any way affiliated with Saturn or GM. In fact, this is the first American car I have owned new since 1979. Folks, its a $20,000 car, not a $40,000 SUV. When I drive well, I get an avg city/hwy of 33mpg. I use only good gas-Union, Shell, Chevron, etc. I change the oil every 3,000 miles no matter what the OnStar report says. I keep the tires inflated properly and clean the air filter every 6 mo (dusty area) Frankly, I was very happily surprised as I have been very soured on American cars.

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  Needs polish - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By McGarrett - October 31 - 10:00 am

  We were in the market for a larger vehicle. We didnt need a real SUV but our choices in wagons was limited. Then we looked at the VUE. We arranged a test drive at a friendly, stress-free dealership and my wife (the primary driver) instantly fell in love with the thing! Best of all, it was about 4 grand less than a comparably-equipped L- series wagon. The VUE is a real charmer!

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  My Saturn - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By garbnzo2 - October 30 - 5:00 am

  I love my Aura! I have alot of friends who cant believe its a Saturn! Comfortable and quiet, a pleasure to drive! I recommend it!

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  You get what you pay for - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By dejeanco - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my truck for this Vue when the gas prices were sky high. I had owned a Saturn before, so I knew what I was getting. I didnt pay much for the Vue. Its about what I expected. I bought the car with 30,000 miles on it. It now has 80,000. Ive had the A/C repaired. Thats about it. Its just a car. Nothing fancy. I think its funny when people review these things like they were built by Mercedes Benz and then complain when any little thing goes wrong. You bought a Saturn, not a Mercedes. You got what you paid for.

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  Still going after 64K miles - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By burp - October 20 - 4:13 am

  We have 64K miles on our Aura. It has been in the shop a few times but GM is honoring the warranty. You just have to find the right shop. We were getting 27MPG until we put on new tires, now we are only getting 23. Try to replace the tires with the "low rolling resistance" models.

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  The best decision I made - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Great suv, price - October 19 - 11:30 pm

  Ive owned tons of cars but I never thought I would own a Saturn. I thought they were kind of ugly and was not sure of their quality. Now I know Saturns are very reliable the side panels are a must and their performance is excellent in a great price. Dealerships super friendly and in the two years, 65,000 hard miles on my VUE, the convenience and spaciousness made it the best choice amongst others I tested. It might not be a handsome truck but with a few mods it turns heads. I am very happy with my purchase after all, me personally have never seen a Saturn stuck on the road.

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  headlights and misfires - 2009 Saturn Outlook
  By breaid - October 18 - 5:13 pm

  i bought this car new.around 20000 i started havin issues with it.since ive owned it it has been to the dealer several times.ive had 3 headlights burn out and a 4th right now.1 time they said the harness terminal melted. also i have taken it in forcheck engine light that comes on around every 5000 miles.its always seems to be the same thing.misfire on 6 2 times and misfire on 2.its sputters often but i just have to wait for the check engine light to come on again.dealership is 30+ miles away.this car has made me not want to ever buy a new car again!it hasnt ran like a new car since it has hit 20000!im now at 39000 and just waiting for the engine light to come back on.

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  Surprisingly Fun - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Lawrence Banks - October 15 - 1:53 am

  Our first SUV, the VUE V-6 has more pep and agility than our previous larger car. The exterior fit n finish continues to make it look show-room new without much upkeep. Didnt use the rear fold-up parcel-carrying feature at first but now find it very useful in carrying grocieries without them spilling around when driving. Wish the front and rear seats were a little more comfortable. After two years and 20,000 miles vehicle stills looks like new and has never needed any dealer repair or adjustments..

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  Performance - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Stevo - October 14 - 3:46 am

  Owned a 1999 Taurus wagon w 3.0 litre push rod motor and at 60 mi/hr it was turning 2,000 rpm.The Saturn with the 3.5 liter OHC (Honda motor) does 75 mi./hr. at 2,000 rpm. Quite the efficiency difference. Drove across the country Cali. to Maryland non-stop Xmas 1998 with alternate driver and got 24.7 mi/gal.