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:

• 

  Very Happy - 2004 Saturn ION
  By saturn guy - February 8 - 2:00 am

  I love the car. I bought it knowing it was not a "Diet BMW." If you want a great car that performs well and wont break the bank, this is DEFINATELY the car for you. Also: I have owned 5 new cars and my experience at the Saturn dealership was the best by far.

• 

  2003 green ion 2 - 2004 Saturn ION
  By flinch - February 8 - 2:00 am

  I drive a lot every day. This has been a comfortable car with a large trunk and the seats are easily adjustable for many combinations, The offset dash is easy to read with controls user friendly. The interior is spartan but not unattractive. Not enough storage space around the front seat and you have to have a lighting package to get anything but a overhead dome light. I have 11,000 miles on it and have not been sorry for one minute. A great little car.

• 

  Awesome car! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Neefer - February 8 - 2:00 am

  I just recently bought a new 2004 Saturn ION 3 Quad Coupe. Ive only had this car for about 2 weeks now and I absolutely love it. I have a VTI transmission and it is one of the smoothest rides youll ever take. The car is very roomy and very dependable. I would recommend this car to anyone.

• 

  love it - 2009 Saturn Aura
  By tony - February 7 - 5:13 am

  I love the style and comfort the whole package is amazing could not be happier.

• 

  A unique "AMERICAN" compact SUV - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Richie "C" - February 6 - 3:10 pm

  This is my 5th Saturn, and my 2nd Saturn Vue in the last 5 years. I have found the dealership and the Saturn Company to be a most pleasant experience when it came to buying another Saturn! I purchased the 2005 Saturn Vue Red Line (with 250 horsepower and 2 wheel drive)and not only does this SUV handle real well, but the power is remarkable! I honestly feel that the news media and the magazine editors have done the Saturn Corp. a real disservice in the last few years. My Saturns have been very reliable and the dealer service has been excellent! The folks at the Saturn Plant in Tenn. have worked very hard to produce the best vehicle that they can and they seem to care.I Love my Saturn! I have told many friends about Saturn and after test driving one have bought a Saturn!

• 

  Cheepest $20k toy around! - 2007 Saturn ION
  By Onesmith - February 4 - 1:26 am

  I like the fact this car does not sell well because I would hate for some one to discover Saturns best kept secret! I like being the only one around with this car. It is all mine. Not like a Mustang or Civic or SRT4 Neon. Its rare and its fast, yet nimble. I have the carbon fiber dash kit wich adds some pizazz to the interior! I allso have GMPP stage 2. A non-voided performance upgrade from GM. The best thing is the supercharger whine! The noise the car makes under full load is amazing. I cant forget the dent resistant body panels. Going to the mall or just leaving the car in the yard I know its going to be dent free! Best car around for the price. Too bad its in its last year of production.

• 

  Im happy with my Saturn ION - 2006 Saturn ION
  By Kayla - February 2 - 12:16 pm

  Ive had my 2006 ION for about a month now. Decent on gas. The pick up is a bit slow but otherwise I love my new car! Its reliable, comfortable and cute!

• 

  a great car - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By bob47 - February 2 - 2:00 am

  i am amazed at how great this car is, no problems at all. go to the dealer for oil changes and tire rotations only.

• 

  Good Buy - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By pitt awd vue - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I drive between Pittsburgh and Cleveland for work. The VUE has made it possible for me to never have to worry about the weather. The AWD works great and the ABS is a must. I dont understand why ABS would be optional.

• 

  Saturn Ion - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Matt Ryan - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I have only had my Ion 2 for a month or so, but so far Ive had no problems with it. The only thing that Ive noticed is that it idles a little louder than other cars in its class.