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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  Buy one now! - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By kyle - May 11 - 8:53 pm

  Needing a new, reliable family car to replace a 2000 2-door Pontiac Sunfire, my wife and I had narrowed it down to the Vibe, Matrix or Astra. We jumped on the GM employee discount and used our GM card earnings (a great way to save money, check it out) to help with the purchase of the Astra. I was blown away by the amount of standard features that come with this car. I do get a lot of looks when driving it, a lot of questions at gas stations, etc. Its an "everyman" priced vehicle with the features of a VW or higher end car. You cant beat the 100,000 mile warranty either. I feel very safe with my wife and baby girl crusing around the big city of Chicago in this car.

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  Happy Saturn owner - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By shly - May 11 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Saturn Vue last November. We absolutely love it. It has great handling capabilities and is nimble. The electric power steering is awesome. The ride is carlike and comfortable. It is not top heavy at all. We also were pleasantly surprised when our car insurance dropped. We highly recommend it.

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  Love it - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By CDXmixbreedMom - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I own the Saturn Vue V6 AWD for over a year and have been really happy with the auto, so far. The gas mileage isnt bad at all and hopefully, it will be as reliable as my past 2 Saturns have been. (Ive owned a 1991 SL2, which I had for over 10 years, with no problems, and also currently own a 1999 SL2, which also has had no problems) Ive taken a couple of really big trips and its unbelievable the amount of stuff I was able to fit in.

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  A-Ok - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Saturn ION - May 6 - 3:16 pm

  I owned a Saturn before and loved it. I hated trading it away but I got the bug to buy and couldnt think of anything to buy except another Saturn. The service is excellent and the quality of their vehicles are tops.

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  Great All Round Car - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Dan_Arlington - April 28 - 6:23 am

  The Aura is a very comfortable vehicle. My previous car has a 2006 Honda Accord. The Aura is mor comfortable, quieter, and gets the same gas mileage. For the money I think it is a better car than the Honda Accord.

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  Way To Go Saturn! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By B&BTucker - April 27 - 10:00 am

  We just bought our VUE, and its the second Saturn we have owned, the quality of the Saturn is un matched for the small price you pay. This SUV is GREAT! Its fun to drive, it gets better gas milage than others, and it doesnt cost you a fortune in insurance. Saturn backs up its product 100%, buying the SUV was so simple, and easy. None of the pushy salesman. HIGHLY RECOMENDED.

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  I love this car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Ed McCue - April 26 - 2:00 am

  One thing my father always told me was not to buy a new car in its first model year but when I test drove the ION and based on Saturns record of reliability I had to have it. Its fun to drive and practical. Saturn out did itself on this one. Kudos!

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  Great mileage car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By macgov - April 17 - 3:10 pm

  We just bought an 08 Astra 5 door, loaded. We love it! Great to drive, holds the road well. We took a 200 mile trip yesterday and it was comfortable and kept up with the big dogs! Gas mileage was better then expected, AC on the entire trip, got over 32 MPG!

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  A great all-around car - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By hiker - April 17 - 12:56 pm

  Great handling, great mpg (30-32 in everyday driving). Good enough go, but get the manual transmission. Perfect for 2 people, 3 dogs, a week of luggage, and 2 bikes (hitch mount). The only cars that I considered in the same class were the Audi A3 and the VW GTI. The Astra (with the sport suspension) has it all except for the horsepower - all else is perfect, and at a great price! A good compromise of performance, fun, functionality, and economy.

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  WOW - 2003 Saturn ION
  By jsnezat - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Wow, the Ion is a really fun car to drive. The gas mileage is great. The interior and exterior styling is wonderful. This is the best car I have ever owned.