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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  Awesome Bang for the Buck - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By AC - August 2 - 8:10 am

  Have owned 2 other "economy" Saturns and this one beats them all hands down. Looked at the Subaru models and simply could not justify the pricing. Fell in love with the size, styling and features. All things considered I love driving this car and feel like I finally own a luxury car.

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  My VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Ana - July 31 - 6:16 pm

  I am definitely having a great time driving this car and Im looking forward to long trips. The VUE is my 3rd Saturn car. Ive driven a compact and sedan, and now an SUV. The transition was smooth, driving adjustment was minor, and I felt confident and safe in driving a bigger car. Gas mileage is pretty good. Theres very good visbility, rear and side, with no view obstructions. Brake response is reliable.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By wcl63kgl - July 31 - 10:00 am

  All areas on this vehicle are excellent including the price. It has great potentiality for being a RV dingy also which I am a RVer.A

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  Saturn reVUE - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By amg - July 20 - 8:03 am

  Ive had my VUE for about a year. So far, its been a great car. It has great pick-up and the interior is refreshing for an American car. I took it on a 1500 mile trip about 3 weeks after I bought it and it was great. Very comfortable, gas mileage was OK, and its fun to drive. Overall, Im happy with my purchase.

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  marketing strategy more honest - 2003 Saturn ION
  By TAILSKID - July 17 - 2:00 am

  HAD NO INTENTION OF BUYING ION WHEN I ENTERED SATURN SHOWROOM. A QUICK SCAN OF THE ION WAS APPEALING AND THEN TO THE STICKER ON THE WINDOW, SURPRISED ME TO NOT BE NEAR THE EIGHTEEN OR NINETEEN THOUSAND MARK. SATURN IS ONE OF THE FEW WHO DO NOT JACK THE PRICE UP TWO OR THREE THOUSAND THEN OFFER YOU A REBATE. THE MARKETING STRATEGY OFFERING REBATES AND DEALER DISCOUNTS IS A PROCESS OF PYSCHOLOGICALLY CONDITIONING THE PUBLIC FOR EVER INCREASING COST OF AUTOS. IF A CAR SELLS STRONG THE MANUFACTURER TAKES THE REBATE OFF THUS SKUNKING YOU FOR A HIGHER PRICE. SATURN ISNT DOING THAT AS I SEE IT. END COMMENT -- PRICE IS UP FRONT AND FAIR.

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  Good car overall - but recent transmission issues concerning - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By jfazio - July 14 - 12:26 am

  We bought this car brand new and have taken relatively good care of it. Overall we like the drive, quality etc. At 78,000 miles however the transmission tanked. And we have researched online that this is a common occurrence. This is about a $4000 repair. Outside of the this, no other major complaints - but thats a pretty big one.

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  First new car. - 2003 Saturn ION
  By nitsuj - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Maybe its just the contrast after driving a 1986 CRX HF (read: 63 hp), but I found the ION to have more than enough power. About a month after purchase, I took a 930-mile marathon road trip. There were a few mountain passes in my way, and i had no trouble blasting uphill with the A/C on full. The variable power steering, while a bit touchy at times, really turns to a rail at about 90. The price cant be beat: Im spending as much on my purchase as most people spend on a lease. And based on other peoples experiences with this company, I expect to be driving this car for a decade or more.

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  Almost one year after... - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By mateo - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought my VUE last November--took advantage of the 0% offer. Overall, I am pleased with my purchase. I love the space and feel of the vehicle. However, several things sometimes make me wonder if I made the right decission (read below), especially the poor resale value. Recent buyers, enjoy it now! In a few months, you will be questioning yourself when you start hearing weird noises or when, for example, the (cheap) sponge-like material that "prevents" the door handle from scratching the actual door unexpectedly breaks. It sounds like it is nothing, but we are talking about a NEW vehicle!

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  I love it but..... - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By lsalerno - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a brand new 2003 Saturn VUE 2 months old and I really do love it. But it has already been brought in for service twice, once it had to be towed. I have this annoying rattling coming from the back. The service dept. found the noise, said it was the seat,and said they fixed it,but its back again. I had it towed b/c of the transmission. I was told that it was the transmission modular control (whatever that is). As far as Im concerned,NONE of this should be happening. Although the service dept. has been great and very helpful, including setting me up w/a rental, I am very unhappy, and I have recently started looking closely into the Lemon Law.

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  First Impressions - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Deviant Gerbil - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased an 04 Ion 3 Special Edition Package. Very plush interior and amenities for under 20K. I actually traded in an 02 Subaru Impreza WRX (Expired Warranty, EXCESSIVE Ins. Premium) and will save $1800 in insurance a year. ...Anyway, about the Ion. Positive dealership experience and "Damn near give em away incentives" (GM Supplier Discount - $900 off of MSRP, $1500 Down Payment Assistance, and 0% financing) were exceptional incentives. Exceptional options on our Ion included a power sunroof, SHARP Tan & Black interior, Unique 16" Alloy Wheels (Replacing STD/OPT Wheels), and Anti- Lock Brakes w/ Traction Control.