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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  vVery happy with this purchase - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By jukir - December 7 - 3:43 pm

  Our familly was growing, and we needed a larger car. We purchased the Saturn in June of 2002, and it is now May of 2007. I have never had it in the shop except for oil changes and tire changes of course. I still get about 28 mpg. There is plenty of room for three children and a large dog The trunk offers a grocery storage area. There are plenty of cup holders as well as leg room. The only change that I would make would be the comfort of the seats, as it seems to lack lumbar support.

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  2007 Aura XR - Awesome! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By RamaDune - December 6 - 7:20 pm

  I was always impressed with Saturns performance, reliability and design, but felt their interiors wre cheap looking and sparse. The 2007 Aura is just the opposite. The interior is tight, quiet, and luxurious and only seen on more high priced luxury cars. The 3.6L engine with the 6 speed transmission is quick, responsive and fun to drive. Saturn has a winner here and foreign car owners should check out this car. It is priced $2000-$4000 cheaper than is competitors and has more standard features than most. The Saturn Aura XR is a winner!

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  Mine has been a "Good One" - 2002 Saturn VUE
  By Karen - December 3 - 4:43 pm

  When I first purchased the Vue, I was driving over 100 miles a day to and from work. I wanted something cheap and dependable. That was 6 years and over 100k miles ago. Besides the normal oil changes, tires, brakes and other normal maintenance, I have had to spend nothing for repairs. Its been a very good car and I hope it continues to be.

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  Nice looking but thats it. - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Jason - December 1 - 4:13 am

  My wife loves the car but cant seem to find enough gas money. Fuel economy stinks! The layout is perfect for a family. The car has no power and is a nightmare in the snow or ice traction control is a joke! I would have rather bought a Tahoe better fuel economy and better performance!

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  Outstanding - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Lowell - November 27 - 5:00 am

  We bought this Vue used w/12,000 miles on ot. It was an executives car. Its made three trips to the southeast from Iowa and never a single problem. We did replace the mud tires with street tires in 06. Being retired we average about 8,000 per year So far we havent spent a dime on repairs outside normal maintenance. I used Mobil 1 oil and filter exclusively and put a K&N air filter on it. Oil changes once per year. Never burns a drop of oil. My only complaint is that it is noisy inside but weve learned to live with it.

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  So Far, So Good - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Steve K. - November 26 - 3:00 am

  Overall, my experience with my new Vue is very positive. Although, I very seldom make a major purchase on impulse, this car was an exception. As soon as I saw it on the lot, I knew I had to have it. Over the last year or two, whenever a saw one of GMÂ’s foreign competitorsÂ’ crossover vehicles, I would think if GM (IÂ’m a GM retiree) would make something like that I would buy it.

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  05 FWD V6 Vue - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By BillC - November 25 - 9:06 am

  This vehicle is one of the best kept secrets. Yes, the seats arent plush but are comfortable. The interior isnt fancy but it works. The steering is a bit light at first but east to get used to. The V-6 is very quick and the trans is very smooth. Solid yet comfortable ride. Flawless thus far

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  Love to VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Janne - November 24 - 5:00 pm

  My third Saturn and this is the best! Love the "feel" and quiet comfort. Drives like a dream.

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  I love my car - 2004 Saturn ION
  By princessalica - November 24 - 10:16 am

  My car gets excellent mileage, which is a big advantage with the price of gas now. Its comfortable. I bought it used from a Honda dealership and the only probelm I have is the stereo. I dont know why, but sometimes I wont read a disk, actually more often than not. When it is working, it is a great mp3 player, and it sounds great. Its the only probelm I have.

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  Fun Family Car, Lots of Small Problems - 2006 Saturn Relay
  By Barbara - November 23 - 11:00 am

  Bought Nov 2004, I love to go for drives with the family in my Relay. I dont like that GM does not support all the issues it has had. And the recall that made the second row seats difficult to flip forward has made getting to the third row inconvenient.