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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  Major regret of my life! - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Margaret - October 29 - 8:53 pm

  Where do I begin....2nd day, AC stops working and downhill from there...leaky sunroof, jammed seatbelt, interior door trim falls off, bad paint job (repainted twice!), inside dash compartment mechanism broke, exterior wiper trim falls off from car wash (replaced 3 times), front suspension sway bar end links worn out (at 20K miles), musty smell from AC, loud thump when in reverse (told this is normal) and I could go on and on. I have regretted this major purchase everyday. It is always in for service. I begged them to buy it back from me after the first month. I dread the day the warranty expires.

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  A Review of the 2005 Saturn VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Clay Welsh - October 28 - 11:20 pm

  I took over the lease on this vehicle when it had 13000 miles on it. Ive had it for 22 months and it has been an excellent vehicle. The only problem Ive ever had was the warranty replacement of a system sensor. Otherwise its been trouble free and excellent transportation. I intend to purchase it in 4 months at the end of the lease. A great little car.

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  Fabulous car at a great price. - 2003 Saturn ION
  By zborgerd - October 28 - 2:00 am

  The car is first in its class in terms of options. You cant find a Civic with ABS on the basic model. The Delta Platform is superb, as is the Ecotec 2.2. The manual is fast and the auto is peppy, especially in its "I" mode, which equates to an overdrive mode. The center IP seems seems totally natural. Cars SHOULD be made this way. Overall, the handling, accelleration, and ride wquality is better than any sedan that I have ever owned. Frankly, I feel that there is no better car for a 20-something that wants reliable transportation that looks good. And the price is just right. You can get a good ION 2 for little more than $200 per month with a small down payment.

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  Cvt transmission - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By eladiac - October 27 - 9:03 am

  Transmission went out, can not be fixed, entire new transmission, run away from any saturn vue cvt transmission. Car looks great interior and exterioir, but what good does it do if $5000 to replace transmission. Ill be junking it.major disappointment.

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  Saturn Dragonfly - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By vseaton - October 23 - 9:20 pm

  Vehicle is what I always wanted. Gas mileage not really as indicated by sticker. Around 280-300 miles to the 14.5 gal. tankfull. Overall, handling is very good. Heated seats are the bomb for those who have lower back problems as well as the electronic drivers seat.

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  not bad for its price - 2003 Saturn ION
  By rabbit2003 - October 23 - 10:00 am

  It is a nice car. But since this is a new design, it does have some defects, such as the interior parts. But I like the 2.2L engine, really powerful for such a small car. The 5speed auto tranny is a bit not smooth enough in low speed.

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  Worst Car Ive ever bought - 2005 Saturn ION
  By ION "Worst Car" - October 22 - 2:56 am

  My 2005 Saturn Ion3 is the worst car I have ever owned, I currently owe $7000.00 on the car and its engine is shot along with the rear main seal multiple attempts to fix the sunroof, drivers window, IGNITION (3times), HORRIBLE gas mileage and the worst customer service from GM ever. I wouldnt not recommend this car to my worst enemy!!! Sincerely Monica-

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  Best For the Buck - 2009 Saturn Outlook
  By quickwhitt - October 20 - 11:50 pm

  My Budget didnt account for the Luxury vehicle we wanted but the Outlook was an amazing solution. It is dollar for dollar everything I expected and more. It has the look and feel of a Luxury vehicle and Ive noticed more heads turning and more compliments than I have with our previous vehicles. I keep hearing, " I didnt Know Saturn made anything this nice."

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  Engine with major pep - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By The Singer - October 20 - 4:00 pm

  Even though my wife and I love to drive the new 2006 V-6 with its 250 hp Honda engine, we have found that the comfort of the interior truly lacks creative design. I am 63 and i find nowhere to put my legs for real comfort on those long road trips. The floor is not flat but curves up so the foot cant rest in a normal plane. But overall, it is a great riding car.

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  Aura Hits A Homerun - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Brett Copeland - October 18 - 4:56 pm

  I now have 10,400 miles on my car and it has been a reliable joy to drive. I get 30.7 mpg at 80 mph on my work trips to Orlando. The car is quiet and tight. The upgraded sound system is as smooth as the outstanding handling is. A year ago I might have laughed at an American car company competing against the Japanese on television but this car competes with them and the Audis and Volvos. For $22,000, I got a car that saved me $10000 in comparison to German cars and gets noticed on the road. Thanks America for building a car that I am happy to drive.