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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  Love it! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By tonyt - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I have a brand new Saturn Vue, 4 cylinder. I chose 4 cylinder, because I HATE to spend lots of money on gas, and Im not big on snow or mountains so why bother. It is roomy, especially for a midsize Suv that seats 5. I can have 2 carseats and an adult in the back seat. And the rear space is great. It drives very very well, with great handling. It has a very modern look to it, not trying to look like everyone else, but others (Chevy) has tried to copy it with their new SUV. It gets excellent gas mileage. I have not found my 4 cyl to be loud or noisy at all. It has great pickup on the highway and drives great around town.

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  I REALLY like my Vue - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By RDsfolks - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I went from a Suburban to a Vue. I was looking for something smaller and easier to drive around town. The kids are grown so we dont need the capacity of a Suburban anymore. So this Vue fits me just fine

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  great car for the money!! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By jrod - October 27 - 10:00 am

  quick and responsive throttle, comfortable seating, a tuners dream with the ecotec power plant! great car for the money!

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  11000 Miles and Happy - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By R. H. Cole - October 27 - 8:00 am

  I have had this vehicle a little over a year and have driven in all types of weather (its a Minneasota car). I have told my wife that this is one of my favorite cars I have ever owned and having just turned 80, I have owned most of them. I am surprised to read the poor reviews this auto has recieved in "Consumers Reports". I have had absolutely now problems at all and have been quite happy with the dealership. Could some of the reported quality problems be a function of a particular assemby plant?

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  One sporty Sedan - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Adam - October 22 - 1:40 pm

  Ive had this car for a month and it has been great. Its quick, and the manual transmission works great. I dont know what people are talking about when they say that the car is uncomfortable, I find very comfortable. The gas mileage so far hasnt been great, but other than that the car hasnt let me down. Also there is a group called Saturn Motorsports that offers a full line of aftermarket parts. I plan on getting in contact with them and getting a few things for my new ION. This car is a great car with lots of power for its size.

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  Evcellent! - 2004 Saturn ION
  By Attomicc - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car at a very reasonable price.

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  Very pleased with this purchase - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Jeff Hill - October 19 - 6:23 am

  We owned a 2002 Windstar van. We wanted something with seating for 7 and bucket seats in the middle row. Looked at the Acadia and found out about the Saturn. We love this car. My wife wanted to stick out the old van but has come to love this car. It has good performance for a V-6, the gas mileage is decent, 16 in town, 19- 21 on the highway. I think to get better mileage, you would have to sacrifice performance and it has a nice blend of both. It has ample legroom for all of us. We love the XM radio and also the OnStar. We love the way the Outlook looks on the outside. My wife particularly enjoys the radio controls on the steering wheel and she loves the heated seats

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  People stop me to talk about this SUV! - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Nina - October 18 - 8:53 am

  I have literally had 3 complete strangers come up to me in parking lots to ask me about my new Saturn Vue SUV! Its modern exterior turns head and its interior is much nicer and more stylish then the Lexus I traded in. This SUV is a real pleasure to drive. I really didnt expect to like it more then my last SUV which was a 6 cyl. This 4 cyl. is quite smooth and gets good mileage. I do almost 95% city type driving and its peppy in town. There is plenty of room for my family of 4. I got a model with heated seats, storage area cover and mat, roof rails and sunroof - which only added about $1500. This car is a great deal for your money!

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  Love, Love, Love It! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By J. A. Carlucci - October 16 - 10:13 am

  All I can say is so far, so good. Its a fun vehicle to drive, and as comfortable as sitting in my living room, even on a trip to Florida. Have had no problems at all yet.

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  Awesome!! - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By Spike123 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  The Vue is an awesome, easy and fun to drive vehicle. The longer you own one, the more you like it. I feel safe and comfortable in the drivers seat!! Love it!!!