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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  Really nice SUV - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Dierdre S. - July 31 - 12:53 pm

  The Outlook is my very first automobile purchase, and I absolutely love it. The ride is very smooth and if youre not paying attention you could easily hit 80-85 mph. So, cruise control definitely comes in handy. I spend a lot of time on the road so it had to be comfortable. I get 20 MPG which isnt bad, but it could be better. This vehicle is really fun to drive, and the White Diamond is beautiful.I would definitley recommend this vehicle.

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  what sloppy stearing. - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By rendog - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I,m not sure who was complaining about the sloppy stearing, but they must be use to driving a 1970 Ford truck without power strearing. So far my wife and I are extremely pleased.

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  Still Impressed - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Still Impressed - July 28 - 11:36 pm

  We bought our Saturn in 04 after trading in our Saturn L200 after our son was born. We needed the extra room and right away we knew wed made the right decision. We have hauled a fish pond with complete accesories, 2x4s, pipes, cabinets, my grandfather clock, not to mention the trips to the grocery! Its been amazing that we can all four fit in the vehicle along with our purchases and still be comfortable. We also took this vehicle on a road trip recently and were amazed at the 30+ miles to the gallon highway. Weve had no issues with faulty equipment and so far have yet to have a complaint with the truck other than louder than normal road noise when traveling on the interstate.

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  Last Saturn I buy - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By J Huff - July 27 - 10:50 pm

  I love and still have my 1993 Saturn SL, so when I was in the market for a new car, Saturn was my choice. Sadly I made a mistake, since our purchase, we have had a recall for the rear suspension, had to put in a new transmission and put up with "shoddy" workmanship. My 1993 SL1 drives much quiter and better. No wonder GM is in trouble.

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  Great, Modern Car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By AdmTom - July 27 - 2:00 am

  The ION is an excellent example of a modern ecomomy car. It has lots of power for a four-banger, the interior is surprisingly roomy, there are plenty of nice options, and everything seems to be of good quality. When driving it, youd think you were driving a small V6, not a four. With the DOHC engine and 16-valves, along with more than enough horsepower, my ION gets off stoplights quicker than most of my friends V6 equipped cars. With the independent suspension, it rides and corners nice. Overall rating-9.

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  First New Car - 2003 Saturn ION
  By Bee - July 27 - 2:00 am

  This is my 1st new car purchased. The ride is nice and quiet, one of the best I have had in my 15 years on the road. The drivers headroom is insane. I am pushing 6-4 and I could probably sport a cowboy style hat and still have room <--*havent tried this* The leg room could be a little more generous, and I dont think there is any hope in getting a passenger to sit comfortably in the driver-side rear seat. The car does not seem to handle as well as some in the snow. The ABS/Traction control which may have offered me better performance. Otherwise the power and handling are great. It did take a little getting used to the tight turning.

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  best car - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By Schlomo - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Affordable base price, competent on- and off-road handling, optional seven- passenger seating, stylish design.

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  Its Euphoric / Can The SKY Save GM? - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Angelqute1 - July 25 - 10:26 pm

  This car is so many things, its almost hard to put into words. I have had this car for 3,000 miles now & I think Ive driven a total of 30 with the top up. Its got the "WOW" factor. It stands out. People think its an Aston Martin, a Corvette, Viper, but never a Saturn!?! Its almost comical that the car is so beautiful because it takes peoples breath away. When you drive it, you feel like a million bucks. When youre not driving it, you wish you were, but then you dont want to put a lot of miles on it. But then you want to pull up to the mediocre looking Miata, or the not so special looking Honda S2000 and smile. Its in a league of its own. It rides great and has looks that kill.

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  Awesome Car - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By svenster - July 25 - 9:16 am

  This is a very nice car. I have had it for 3 weeks and just love driving it. I get all kinds of questions about it when I get out. Very fast, excellent interior layout and comfortable seats. A friend with a G35 says if she had seen the Saturn she would have saved $7 grand and bought it instead.

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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.