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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  Good - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By Francisco - August 15 - 10:40 am

  Do not like engine performance. Interiors, they are not bad but can get better. Overall good.

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  Saturn wins Clunker Lottery - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By New Saturn Owner - August 15 - 2:03 am

  Forced to trade in my 99 Durango Cash4Clunkers after getting rear-ended and getting more damage than Ol Reliable was worth. After shopping ALL crossovers except for the Mazdas (ran out of time and the dealers were running out of inventory), I settled on V6 Saturn Vue FWD. 2000 miles into it, Ive found: 1) It is very attractive on outside; 2) Very attractive on inside 3) Plenty of power in a small ride 3) Plenty of cargo and room for 5. 4) Transmission timing seems rought in 2nd gear 5) Gas mileage is not that great. Around 20-22 MPG, mix town/hiway. 6) Remain convinced that I got the best deal on wheels at the time. All in for about $22,600 after clunker and dealer cash.

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  Another great Saturn! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By TCKG - August 15 - 2:00 am

  This is our 3rd Saturn and as with each one we have yet to be disappointed in any aspect, performance, quality, reliability, etc... The VUE handles very well even in the worst winter weather. Its fun to drive!!! Its roominess and comfort make for pleasant road trips.

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  If not for the fuel economy and the snow - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Marco2068 - August 12 - 6:53 am

  We bought this car for the advertized fuel economy and to buy American. I alway buy AWD, but thought FWD would be fine and thought mild increase in fuel economy would be good. Wrong!This car cant get out of its own way in the snow. Its so heavy in the rear there is no weight on the front tires. Forget about pulling onto a street after a snowstorm. The MPG is 15.5 at best. You can get near the 24 on the highway if you dont exceed 65 MPH. All in all, 15.5 is not 16-24 that they advertize. I am a sad consumer when 2 of the three reasons I bought it were a fraud.

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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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  Its a winner! - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By jerry mayer - August 11 - 12:33 am

  Have the first one on the road here in MD. Berry Red, tan interior, 3.5 litre engine, sunroof and package with additional electronics. Well, one week later and its still a great ride! Tight handling, quiet cabin and great looks. Wish it got the fuel numbers the Dodge Caliber gets, but hey, I have more power to boot. Quick take offs are indeed that. No complaints here. I drove most of the comparable cars by Ford/Mercury, Toyota, Honda, GM, ect...this is the best of the best for me. Drive one and enjoy the ride. Saturn got it right.

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  Conditional Love - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By KCAT - August 10 - 9:03 pm

  Fun car to drive and mostly comfortable. Cat loves riding on the heated seats. Have had some maintenance problems...hood release cable became twisted and snapped, power steering fluid leak, On-Star battery died, and now emission system light is going on...probably the gas tank cover needs replacing. Saturn dealership very good about fixing items covered by warranty. GM messed up in dropping Saturn. This vehicle model has real potential to outsell all other Crossovers if they would improve on its parts quality. Its just the right size, with excellent pick up and a lot of fun to drive. Someone should buy Saturn just to improve this model and keep it in production.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By donsand - August 10 - 2:00 am

  My first Saturn was a 1995 brand new SL and I go great gas milage. Traded in for a new 1997 SL2 and traded that in for a 2001 L200. Just got the new V^ Vue and like the other cars it rides great and I havent had a lick of trouble with it. WOW what power with the 3.5 V6 250 horse power!

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  Best car Ive had - 2004 Saturn ION
  By tbachli - August 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned Saturns for many years now. Saturn seems very committed to my satisfaction. I had hardly any problems with my old one, which was 10 years old and had 150,000 miles on it, and when I did it was inexpensive to fix. My new one is awesome.

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  2004 ion 3 - 2004 Saturn ION
  By nataliewud - August 10 - 2:00 am

  THIS IS THE BEST SATURN WE HAVE DRIVEN. EVEN BEFORE WE HAVE 600 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WE ARE GETTING 30 MPG. LOVE IT.