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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  Fooled by Good Looks - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Fooled by Good Looks - November 2 - 7:23 pm

  My husband and I fell in love with both the exterior and interior style of the all-new ION, especially the center-console gauge cluster. I told my husband that the seating was uncomfortable, but he said it would be better in leather. After a 1,000-mile round trip, we were both seeing a chiropractor (the rear seats are even worse). Ive asked the Service Dept. to fix the transmission problem twice (rough shifting between first, second and third gears), but the problem remains. The steEring wheel binds in cold weather, another problem Ive asked to have fixed two times to no avail. I cant wait to pass this car on to someone who can take seats made out of concrete!

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  Love/Hate reviews. Satisfied - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Bill - October 23 - 6:00 am

  Ive read the reviews and it appears to be a love /hate relationship with owners. For me, the VUE is the best GM product Ive owned to date. Several long distance trips have provided mileage in excess of 30mpg. 5 speed with the four so not familiar with tranny problems. Was back to the dealer once with stabalization recall. Comfortable and safe. Thumbs up at 56K

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  Smooth Quiet Ride - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By CKapoor - October 23 - 1:40 am

  Bought the XE with the Special Edition package on July 31, 2007. Traded in a Mercedes E320 for it. Never thought I would buy a GM, but this car took the cake. I compared it to an Acura TL (which was a notch above), but the extra 8K did not make sense. Wife and I are both loving it. I hope it holds up in the long run (we are used to Toyotas).

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  Transmission replaced at 15000 miles! - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By kristyb11 - October 18 - 4:40 pm

  I love my Vue, but I just had the transmission replaced at 15000 miles. I couldnt believe it! (thats why I rated the build so low) The dealership was super nice about it and of course they fixed it for free and paid for the rental car. I think the gas mileage is pretty good for an SUV. I get about 21 city and 26 highway.

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  Great car - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Michelle - October 9 - 8:36 am

  This car has been great, especially for camping trips with my two large dogs and boyfriend. Ive had only one minor problem with it. About one year in; the starter was sticking. I took it to the dealership to get it fixed (it was still under warranty) and I havent had any problems with the car since. Its fun to drive, and feels more like a car than an SUV. The gas mileage is also pretty good for the size of the car. The turning radius is amazing, which helps in small spaces. All in all, Im super happy with this vehicle. I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off!

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  Glad I got it. - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By dhmga - October 8 - 10:03 am

  Got this car because we needed the room. (5 grandkids) Came out of a Mercury Grand Marquis and have been really surprised at how much quieter and more comfortable this one is. We have made two extended trips so far and I am not impressed with the gas mileage getting 21.1 overall on both trips. Being a realist, this is about what I would expect from a vehicle of this size. My problem with the mileage is it is too far off from the estimates for it to not be intentional in my opinion maybe to keep from scaring some people away. We have yet to find anything bad about the car. Take a serious look at this one if you need more than 5 seats

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  Great For The Price! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Paul - October 3 - 2:26 pm

  I tested this car against the Jeep Liberty and Honda CRV. Although the Jeep felt tighter and more refined overall, the Vue was much more comfortable and easier to handle. The Vue also offers more interior space than either the Jeep or the Honda. Although Ive only had the vehicle a short time, I expect that the Honda engine will more than stand the test of time. We also own a 2000 Saturn L200, which has given us five years of carefree service; we certainly expect the same of the VUE.

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  Not as good as SL Series - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Mike S. - October 2 - 2:43 pm

  Very good mileage and such things as tires, brakes, last a long time. I am still on the original brakes. However, have had the ignition switch changed twice for passlock failure during cold months. Also had a bad turn signal light and left headlight wiring harness. Very noisy body rattles during the winter months. So bad I thought my Mcpherson struts were bad. Trans seal went and cost $300 to fix. As weather warmed up, body rattles went away. New Saturns probably wont have that problem as panels are no longer plastic. I also own a 97 SL1 Saturn which has 109K on it. I dont expect this car to last as long. It is a glorifed Chevy Cobalt. Not sure my next car will be a Saturn

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  Quite a nice van - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By wazrmans - September 26 - 2:33 am

  This van is fun to drive and has lots of room for the kiddos. Weve also fit quite a lot of cargo in the back, even with kids aboard. The fuel economy is poor, and so far, does not live up to even the mileage range listed on the sticker. If we leave the fuel out of it, its a rockin van!

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  Cant beat it for the price! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By DaddyO - September 18 - 5:03 pm

  I was looking for cheap but dependable. QVC had a special no obligation coupon for $1,000 off any Saturn, + April was truck month + another special = a very good deal on a 4 cyl, maual, with CD, powr moon roof, power windows, and ABS. My insurance went down! Would have loved a manual but with 6 cyl, but I also like the great mileage. Ill live. A great buy for the money, no complaints, I can even fit 8 long boards in the car and close the back!