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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  Another fine Saturn product - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By rotatinganode - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Very happy with this our third Saturn. I bought the car because is tows very easily behind my motorhome. It is a dependable and fun car to drive. Love the grocery compartment. No complaints.

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  1 month and counting - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By andy&peggy - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Nice vehicle. Have only had it a month now and like it so far. I love the exterior design and the green metallic paint is hot! The V6 is outrageous. I have not been beaten off the line since I bought my VUE. Smooth and powerful, yet quiet and easy on gas. I love it, my wife loves it, and our friends are jealous.

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  Surprisingly Refined - 2004 Saturn VUE
  By MechaDavef - June 22 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle was a standout from the pack with its 250 hp engine and the 5 speed transaxle. It is unbelievably smooth in routine driving, but it roars like a tiger when you punch it. Scary fast acceleration, especially because the torque steer. GM should work on that. I havent seen the All Wheel Drive in action yet, but my experience with front wheel drive in the snow leads me to expect it will do fine. The Vue has good ground clearance, and its independent suspension gives an exellent ride quality. The interior is roomy, although the rear seats seem rather low to the floor.

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  A True Roadster - 2007 Saturn Sky
  By Skys The Limit - June 22 - 8:13 am

  Back in the early 70s I owned an MG. It was fun to drive, but not very reliable. The Sky reminds me of the way the MG handled, but it has more power and is more comfortable. The MG had clips on the right and left for the top and it was a pain to take down. Ive read some complaints that the top on the Sky is difficult to take down, but it takes about 15 seconds to take down and about 20 to put back up. It is well designed for a mechanical top. This car has plenty of power and is so much fun to drive. I love putting the top down and taking it on a curvy road and listening to the engine roar. It is also beautiful, especially when compared to the Miata, which looks so vanilla.

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  Lovin this car! - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By Lees Gem - June 21 - 6:00 am

  I am continually surprised at how much attention this car gets! At gas stations, the grocery store, garages, old and young, people come up to me and talk about this car. Everyone loves the look. I knew I loved it when I bought it, I really did not think it would generate this much buzz with people I didnt know. I drive it for mileage on my commute, put the cruise on at 72 and get 30-33 mpg on the highway. Then the weekends, I drive for fun, punch it whenever I can get away with it. Im putting the cold air intake in soon, Ive spoken with other owners who are getting +3 to +4 mpg with it plus the 10 horsepower punch. Best purchase Ive ever made!

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  Great Value - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By Chris - June 20 - 12:10 am

  I looked at almost every car, new and used, in the 18k to 24k price range and the Aura was the best value. I loved its exterior, and the performance and fuel economy are great. I would have preferred the XR, but I couldnt justify the money as this was my first car and I am using it for sales. I have had it for 3 months and have already put 7k miles on it, but I havent had one problem with it. If you can afford the XR, definitely get it, if not, the XE is a great car, and way underpriced for all the you get!

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  Economically Purchased - Surprisingly Content - 2007 Saturn ION
  By maisegem - June 19 - 7:24 am

  Look, Purchased vehicle in 2007 July. I wanted a vehicle that was economically and efficient for my needs. I have 105,000 miles on the vehicle since purchased. There are a few items that are cruddy, like the a/c blowers tick, the back passenger window not opening in the summer heat, the weird knock in the back.. due to the battery being in the back.. (I know when I get the oil change and they dont pop the trunk and "claim" they checked the battery... I normally get a nifty discount for their lying ways..) the interior being tiny and cheap. But, I bought a cheap car. I drive the crap out of the vehicle. It can get up to 35 mpg on solely highway driving.. I know this because I drive a lot!

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  Good Deal - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By SMED - June 19 - 3:03 am

  We have spent 3 months analyzing different minivans. It has been a good environment for getting a deal. However, comfort in the front and back were most important. The Saturn Relay and the Honda Odysey were the two most comfortable. The Quest was uncomfortable, but offered the best deal. We love the Saturn. The inside looks like leather, and the trim is very nice. The outside is designed to look more like a SUV than a minivan. It is very roomy inside and I like to two captains chairs. We paid $27,500 for a Relay 3 , loaded. It handles great. The kids love the DVD. I love the rear ultrasonic sensors and my paralell parking has improved. The OnStar is pretty cool.

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  Look-out for the Saturn Outlook! - 2008 Saturn Outlook
  By Rick S - June 18 - 1:20 pm

  Weve had our Outlook XR for almost 9 months now and have never had a problem with it. It is very spacious and comfortable inside. The exterior design is bold and aggressive. (Especially with the Carbon Flash finish and 19" wheels.) I would recommend this vehicle to anyone with a large or small family like ours. Even small families need extra room at times. I cant wait to take it on vacation to Florida. Dont pay too much attention to the negative comments and problems that owners have mentioned on this site. Sure, some are warrented but, there are many, many more owners that have not had problems and love their Saturn Outlook. Bottom line is, this is an awesome Crossover SUV!

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  Alot of car for the Money - 2004 Saturn ION
  By James Bastian - June 17 - 10:00 am

  Excellent drivers car for the price. Fun to drive, excellent gas mileage. Excellent reliability.