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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  Great little car - 2005 Saturn ION
  By Sylvia White - February 13 - 2:56 am

  Saturn ION is a great little car. I love the steering radius and the handling my the Saturn. The good gas mileage is also a plus because I drive mainly in the city. This is my third Saturn but I like this one better as it is a bit larger inside and out and getting in and out is much easier to do than with my previous cars. Also, the power is very good for passing or getting of the mark.

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  petes review of my 2004 saturn - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By pete h. - February 11 - 10:00 am

  i am a new saturn owner and i am impressed with the power of the 4 cyl. i travel to and from the mountains in pa at least twice a week and i like the comfort and the pickup. i am very happy with the gas mileage

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  Almost like an import - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Bill S. - February 7 - 4:46 am

  Weve owned the car for a few weeks and really like it. Its a comfortable car to drive and handles well. We like the electronic features and the handy information screen below the speedometer. We also like the OnStar and mobile phone. We got the 0% financing and so far have been satisfied.

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  9 Months Old - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Sakamochi - February 5 - 11:40 am

  This vehicle was chosen carefully - a decision for Outlook versus M-B GL350, CX-9, Highlander, Pilot. Outlook wins out in space, "adult" seat count and access, power/weight ratio, size, driveability, towing and AWD. We also suspected that the fuel economy would be worse than advertised, and it is. We live in the southwest with a lot of flat land and mountain grades as well. Ive managed 19 mpg at 75 mph on the freeway. In town, 14-15 mpg. Hey people: when you spend 40 grand on a vehicle you better be able to afford an extra couple hundred bucks a year on gas for driving a 4,700 pound CUV. Its not a giant size Yaris! Our 7,000 lb diesel crewcab 4wdF350 gets 20 mpg but thats another story...

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  good little car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By rquest - January 28 - 4:52 pm

  Overall its a very good car and my wife and I can attest to the "accordion" style safety frame that protects all occupants in the cabin. For years we suffered with the ignition and spent countless hours waiting for the alarm to "reset" so that we could once again attempt to start the vehicle. But the thing that makes you the most upset is that the mechanics at the Saturn dealer act like they had never heard of this problem before. It was like Christmas day when GM was forced to make the ignition/key problem a recall and fortunately for us it took care of all of the starting problems and we could once again not have to worry about leaving the house 15 minutes early for fear of the car not starting. But now its started having a problem with the enginge light" coming on in relation with the evac system. First we replaced the gas cap, ($15) then the purge solenoid and the vent control, ($197.) after that didnt work, we are currently dropping the gas tank replacing the pressure solenoid another ($237) I dont know if this is GMs fault or simply that American auto makers can not manufacture good electrical components because my Jeep Grand Cherokee needed several solenoids and eventually a new PCM and my new Cadillac SRX is having issues with its computer and traction control system. (Fortunately the Cad is under warranty) When it comes to the end of the day the Ion has been a pretty good car, a little bumpy and rickety but actually is not any worse than my new Cad when it comes to the electronics. I dont understand how anyone could say they hate this car or that it is a piece of junk? These people must just think that all you do to a car is put gas in it and go! LOL Vehicles need your love and attention, take care of your car and it will take care of you.

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  Surprisingly Good - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Happy Aura Guy - January 27 - 12:33 pm

  I bought this vehicle under GMs 0% financing offer. Even without the incentive financing, this is an excellent automobile! My concern about the four cylinder engine was unfounded as it is peppy enough. The exterior and interior fit and finish are superb, vehicle is very solid and fairly quiet. Standard radio is excellent, especially with XM. Transmission shifts very smoothly, brakes are powerful. A lot of vehicle for the money.

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  Beautiful piece of machinery - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Alex - January 24 - 1:23 am

  A very nice and responsive car with 6 speed auto and 3.6 L smooth GM engine. Styling is good and turns peoples heads for sure. Two disadvantages though -- rough ride and engine noise starting from 2.5-3,000 RPM.

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  2005 Saturn Relay Review - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Mr MR - January 21 - 7:00 pm

  Appearance and performance wise I like it. However, I must of bought the one built on a Monday or Friday. It has several minor but annoying problems. The annoying part about all these things is that they do not happen consistent enough for the dealer to note the problems to fix. 1. Wind noise from front window at highway speed and windy days. 2. Four times in two months the Radio & CD did not function in the morning. The radio shows a signal being received but no sound. 3. The back side window on the driver side rattles when you close the door. Not always. These things are weird and again just plain annoying. Should not have these problems with a new vehicle.

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  1st new car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Electroplater - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought it for my wife to drive. Wanted to get a new car with low monthly payments. Im 60" and I consider the car too small for me and the kids. I cant put the seat as far back as Id like. She is getting about 20 mpg with a 4 mile drive to work. Electric power steering seems a bit annoying at 30mph range, feels like car is out of alignment, but fine at 50+ mph. We purchased the Rain Forest Green. The Electric Blue is a nice color but there was a difference in tone on the different body part, spoiler, nose, engine hood, doors it didnt quite match up.

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  Saturn VUE Redline - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By chri5 - January 7 - 6:26 am

  Good $20k crossover. Base models feel floaty on the freeway, and handling does not inspire confidence. Upgrading to the Redline solves those problems, along with giving a better look and interior. The Honda v6 in these is great, and move this vehicle along nicely. Dont spend the money for the AWD version unless you have to.