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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  Happy Driver - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By Happy Driver - September 10 - 8:36 pm

  The new 2008 Saturn Vue was a complete surprise to me. My friend had suggested I add it to my lists of considerations... which were the Lexus RX 350, Envoy Denali, and the BMW X3...I wanted a small luxury type suv. I completed rejected the idea. My fiance and I happen to drive by the Saturn dealership and I saw it....I feel in love with the exterior, was amazed by the interior, and after driving it I had to have it! I got all the features and looks I wanted without the heavier price tag. Im absolutely loving my new Saturn Vue XR and from the comments and looks I receive so are others.

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  Fun to drive, fun to own - 2006 Saturn VUE
  By Alex - September 8 - 3:06 pm

  Naturally Im still in the honeymoon stage with my VUE, but I am quite pleased with the purchase. I was looking for a vechicle that would hold the family and still provide excellent gas milage for my daily commute. This VUE has both to offer with a generous cabin space and an efficient engine that puts out about 32 miles to the gallon (mind you I have a 5 speed manual transmission). The easy going, no haggle atomospere of the dealership was a welcome change from the high pressure "what do I need to do to sell you this car today" sales pitch of other dealerships.

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  A nice upgrade - 2004 Saturn ION
  By bklynyank - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Had a Saturn SL1. Moved up to the Ion. 50% increase in HP. Lots of power. Love the CD/MP3 system. Drove to Boston from New York listening to 1 MP3 disc. Super. Center dash took about a week to get used to. Now, its not even noteworthy. Naturally looking to center for info. A/C is heating system works great. Not that satisfied with fuel economy in city driving. Only getting around 20 mpg. Highway, its approx. 35 mph. Handling is great. Bigger is better is definitely proper description for the tires. Has got ABS and traction control. What more can anyone ask.

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  A very satisfied owner of an ION 3 - 2007 Saturn ION
  By John Huddleston - September 7 - 2:20 pm

  I purchached an ION 3 /enhanced performance package and this car has everything I need. The center mounted console takes some getting used to, but it really looks cool once you get used to it. A+

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  Best darn car ever! - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By Murrieta Turtle - September 3 - 2:03 am

  We have owned several vehicles. When we came across the RedLine, we were in love. It handles great. Lets talk power...there are times I think I am driving my Surburban, which has a 454! The Vue is light weight with heavy weight power. Next in line to our Mercedes, our little VUE rocks. Thank you Saturn!

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  Great car all around - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Mike - September 1 - 2:43 pm

  I have had my Aura for 3 months now and I am really enjoying it. The ride is quiet, smooth and comfortable. I got the 4 cyl because of the initial lower price and fuel economy, and I am glad I did. The 4 cyl is smooth and quiet, plus the gas mileage is pretty good for a car of this size. I have been in the habit if getting a new car every 2-3 years because I grow tired of them, but I think this car will change that, I can see myself driving it for a lot longer.

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  2005 FWD 6cyl VUE - 2005 Saturn VUE
  By G. Markus - September 1 - 12:03 am

  Great vehicle for running errands close to home and for long trips. Very fun to drive! I have owned several Saturns prior and this seems to be comparable in quality to the others. The Honda 250 hp engine is fantastic with plenty of pickup for passing and hauling. Overall, very good to excellent buy for the price!

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  Love my Aura XR - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By drwilsc - August 28 - 10:43 am

  I have had my Aura XR for about 6 weeks. The 3.6L engine is very powerful and provides nice acceleration both off the line and on highways. The TAP-shift auto-manual is neat and fun to play with. The seats are comfortable. It handles crisply, like a German sports sedan. The ride is firm but not harsh. The stereo has a nice sound quality, also has available XM radio. The trunk is adequate.

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  Its Fun to drive - 2008 Saturn Sky
  By sallysky - August 28 - 5:40 am

  This is a great car. It hugs the road and performs outstanding. Storage space is actually not that bad. I would agree that the top could be easier to put down and up.. Gave build quality a 9 because the steering pump was bad from the day of delivery. Way to go GM.

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  Great choice for this family of 6 - 2005 Saturn Relay
  By JBM - August 24 - 4:40 am

  Getting a Saturn Relay turned out to be one of the best moves weve made. Having four kids, we wanted to make sure we got a vehicle that would be convenient for all of us. Sometimes you dont know if its the right vehicle until its too late. And that can be unfortunate. as it turns out we picked the right one. The kids all have their "favorite seats" and they enjoy long rides keeping occupied by watching a movie, listening to music, or playing video games, all with the option of using dual channel wireless headphones. As far as driving goes, it handles great, I like the way the Relay sits up, its not to high off the ground like some SUVs, its perfect.