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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  Worst Car of My Life - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By dieselfan - September 3 - 9:04 pm

  This was without question the worst automobile I have ever purchased in my life. (That includes a Chrysler product purchased in the mid 1980s!) Although roomy, attractive, and fun to drive, the vehicle fell apart from the beginning. Purchasing this vehicle was a decision I will regret the rest of my life. Almost immediately after purchasing the vehicle, it began to have problems. Warning lights, tailgate lock, audio system, transmission, power windows--you name it, it broke. Finally, the transmission completely failed shortly after warranty ran out. I didnt have the $4500 to have it repaired and I let the vehicle get repossessed. I will never buy another GM product in my life.

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  Fuggetta Bouttit - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By its me - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Its allright at first, but then evrything starts falling apart, repair prices rise quickly, it was a horrible investment for us.

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  Car of the Year.. Not This One! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By lvtv - August 11 - 8:50 am

  If you have not had trouble yet just wait. Not only have I had numerous problems but the dealership is as bad. Steering noise AC went out Brakes Squeel Now steering rack WHATS NEXT !!! 07 car of the year???????

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  Deeply Disappointed - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By distressed - August 4 - 10:00 am

  This was my third Saturn, and I planned to keep it for 6+ years. So far its been in the shop 14 times, replaced 2 wheel bearings, power control module in the on-board computer, clutch cable, rear window wiper motor, lubricated steering wheel 5 times for noise, and repaired AC which was installed incorrectly. I had the throttle cable stick open on an on ramp, almost causing a 5 car collision. I also had to "reboot" my car by turning it off and then on again when the computer malfunctioned in cold weather. Im trading it in, so buyer beware!!!

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  Very Disappointed - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Very Disappointed - July 24 - 1:06 pm

  Downsized from Ford Expedition strictly to save money on gas and because the Outlook would accommodate 8 people easily.A sporty and fun looking vehicle but is extremely disappointing on gas mileage. We are over 8000 miles and getting 13mpg in town and possibly less due to hot weather here in Florida. 95% of our drive is in town driving. The interior design of the track seats is totally disfunctional with small children. Anything that drops in the track stops the seats from folding up. Also the "Leather" (really cheap vinyl) seats stain so easily. Suntan lotion was almost impossible to remove from my black seats. It definitely does not clean up as well as leather.

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  7th one didnt cut it - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By guitarmedic - June 14 - 2:00 am

  We have owned 6 other saturns and was happy with all of them. I decided to turn my VUE back because of 1. excessive torque steer (almost ran off the road when passing), 2. not enough room and 3. I had it would not pull my light weight trailer without using 3rd gear of the 5 speed automatic (in other words you cant select 4th gear.

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  disappointed - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By exoterica - May 22 - 2:00 am

  A real disappointment, especially with the mileage. It promised 23/28, and it is closer to 16/19. The dealer siad there was nothing wrong with the car and nothing they could do about it. Have also had the door fixed, windshield cleaner valves fixed with only 3000 miles.

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  Unreliable - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By cperone87 - April 27 - 7:36 am

  I bought a 2007 Saturn Aura used with just under 80k miles. Having owned a 1999 Saturn SL2 for 8 years and having good luck with it, i decided to try again. Big mistake. 2 weeks into ownership, the power steering fluid was leaking. The whole steering rack had to be replaced. Luckily, the dealer i bought it from did it for free. 2 months into ownership, i thought i had a bad wheel bearing. Turns out it was the output shaft bearing to the Transmission, which meant a whole new transmission. Luckily i bought a 2 year warranty on it. During the transmission repair, i was informed that the engines rear seal was leaking. This is only the beginning, and i pray it does not continue.

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  Wont hold up - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By JP - March 18 - 8:43 pm

  This vehicle will be great as long as you have warranty coverage left, but that isnt very long. There is no extended powertrain coverage and the major system problems start at about 45,000 miles. In less than 50,000 miles, the entire hydraulic system for the clutch went out ($1,500) and parts are increadibly tough to get. It took almost a week to get repaired even though the work only took a day after the dealership got the parts in.

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  Appreciate at the pump - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Hessian - February 27 - 9:36 am

  This is the 8th Saturn Ive owned and it has been the best, fuel-wise and dependability-wise. We have driven it nearly 5 yrs. now and only minor problems. Our major complaint is comfort. The drivers seat is impossible for long drives. Little cushioning, hardly any lumbar support. And no room in the back seat. This is the car for those seeking dependable transportation at affordable prices. Itll get you where you want to go cheaply. Your pocketbook will appreciate it, even if your back doesnt.