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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  very happy - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By kansas5 - July 20 - 10:00 am

  I like the overall styling of the vue. It has a very comfortable ride and is fun to drive. I was surprised at the get up and go. the (2.2 liter 5sp manual) has plenty of power, I would recommened the saturn vue to anyone

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  I love this vehicle! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Ellen Lee - July 16 - 11:23 am

  We purchased this vehicle as we are expecting our second child, and need more space for the second car seat. This SUV fits the bill perfectly. Spacious, with a nice ride. I feel very comfortable driving this vehicle. It does steer a bit like a boat, but I got used to that right away. We needed to save some money, too, and the lease affords us a savings of $100 less per month than what we were paying for our Mazda Protege 5. We enjoy this SUV very much!

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  AWESOME - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Redhottone22 - July 15 - 2:00 am

  AN awesome car for a young person buying their first car! Its awesome, Very relaiable, yet looks very sporty!

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  Great Car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Supamonk - July 15 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is absolutely fantastic, the features for the price are incredible. The comfort is far above what one would expect and the performance is surprising. The vehicle is very fun to drive as well. Another appealing aspect is the many different areas in which you can tell the engineers were thinking. The half doors on the back, placing the battery in the trunk but still allowing one to jump from the front, and the list goes on. A fantastic car that i would take over a Civic any day of the year.

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  Fom Miata to Sky - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By runner - July 14 - 11:23 pm

  Sold a two year old Miata loved it. Really fun, but wow does this Sky get looks! Cant park anywhere without being asked questions. More fun to drive than Mazda, more feautures and believe it or not tighter. Great performance but still would by a hot option, maybe a turbo in next one. GM hit a home run this time

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  Make for Moms - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Saturn Relay - July 12 - 12:20 am

  This vehicle is the best vehicle that I have ever purchased. It roomy, kid friendly, it drives like a Cadillac. Its has the room to accomodate my 3 kids with all of their sports equipment. My gas mileage is wonderful. It is a family vehicle. I compliment Saturn for producing a family vehicle at a resonable cost. I had to evacutate for Hurricane Rita with my new van. I was so pleased with the roominess and gas mileage. I had my family as well as my 87 year old grandmother with her walker and weelchair in my vehicle. I just cant say enought about my experience with the Saturn. I love it.

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  Pleasantly surprised. - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Peter - July 8 - 10:40 pm

  After driving German cars, Audi, BMW for the last 10 yrs, I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to try last years Car of the Year, The A4 and TSX are changing next year, so who wants an obsolete car after 6 months, so I took a test drive and was impressed by the power, nice handling, and improvements in the American interior. Its not up to Audi but they are trying and hopefully will continue to evolve. The Tapshifter is fun, the sound system decent, and 6 speed transmission smooth. The Moroccan tan seats are very attractive and make the interior very supple. While some of the European cars are making their styles more angular, the Aura continues the style of the older models.

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  I love Saturn! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Daniel - July 8 - 7:56 pm

  Fantastic SUV! Best costomer service. This is the second Saturn I have owned (2000 SL1) and I love them. Except for normal wear and tear (tires, brake pads, battery) I have had no issues in the 4 years I have owned it. I bought it with 85000 miles on it and it now has 140000 miles! And still the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. Even more than my Toyota Celica. Foreign Shmoreign! Saturn has done a supurb job on quality and always friendly staff! But because I love being able to park it in tight spots without a care in the world with the dent resistant door panels it REALLY disappointed me that they discontinued that on the new models. They need to bring them back!

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  Love it - 2008 Saturn Astra
  By ccran - July 3 - 7:06 pm

  I traded in my Pontiac Torrent for this little gem. At first my thought was what have I done? But the same day I got the car we were hit with ice and snow (Michigan) had to drive on I75, as I watched other cars struggle, I just went along. The car handled beautifully. For me how a car handles in bad weather is so important. This one passed the test with flying colors. It doesnt hurt that its so sharp and I love the interior.

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  IMPORT EATER - 2003 Saturn ION
  By EVIL MIKE - June 26 - 10:00 am

  FUN CAR, STIFF RIDE, WAITING FOR PREFORMANCE PARTS TO SHOW UP