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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  An Excellent Value for the Money - 2007 Saturn Aura
  By R. Longino - June 6 - 9:26 pm

  This was my first purchase of an American car. In the past, I avoided American vehicles because of quality concerns and lack of interior refinement. However, the Saturn Aura Concept immediately caught my attention when I saw it in 2005. I made a Black Onyx XE model my own in January 2007, and it continues to impress me several months later. It is easy to maintain, and I have had no reliablility issues at this point. The Aura offers a pleasant driving experience with very little wind or engine noise audible at normal highway speeds. The suspension is tuned well, giving a balanced yet sporty ride. Saturn succeeded in taking the Aura upscale. Most of my friends think it is a more expensive car!

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  Great Car - 2008 Saturn Aura
  By Ms Fran - June 4 - 9:06 pm

  I drove a 93 Acura Legend for 12 years and wanted another Acura but I saw the Aura and fell in love with it. (To me the Acura had a smoother ride; but it had a lot of miles and to expensive to fix up.) The morocan brown leather in the Aura is awesome. Didnt think I wanted the XM radio, was going to get my free 3 months and cancel, but I love the stations, especially the jazz stations.

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  So far so good - 2007 Saturn Outlook
  By Tim - June 4 - 2:20 pm

  I have owned this car for two months. It has nearly 9,000 miles on it. I have received a recall for the air bag system, but have had no other problems. I have carried 7 men in the car, fairly comfortably, they tell me, on a 300 mile round trip. The car has performed well, and has been excellent in snow. Overall I would reccomend this vehicle.

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  Saturn Ion - 2003 Saturn ION
  By mima - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the money

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  excellent vehicle - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By pauldmd - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Thsi is my first suv. Never founf one previously that was car like enough for me and large enough for my family of five. I traded in my mini van for this and will never turn back!!!

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  Hybrid Goodness - 2007 Saturn VUE
  By YankeeHybrid - June 2 - 2:16 am

  My VUE Green Line has been a smooth, miserly ride for these couple of months. The hybrid actions took very little to get used to, and the fuel economy has been very good. My last tank full came out to about 30 mpg!, not bad for an SUV of this size.

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  My Saturn Makes Me Smile! - 2003 Saturn ION
  By FlyersAngel - May 28 - 10:00 am

  My Saturn Ion has everything that wanted in a new car and at a price that I could afford. My down payment was low and my monthly payments are within my means. I love driving the Ion and suggest anyone looking for a new car, to check out an Ion during your search.

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  2003 VUE - 2003 Saturn VUE
  By mrstwh - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Our new Saturn Vue is a delight to drive, it handles very well with no nonsense steering. Being on the short side (411") I must admit I was at first a bit intimidated with the overall size of the vehicle, but I quickly became accustomed to it and now drive like a pro. The drivers seat, mirrors etc.... are all very easily adjusted to accommodate me. It is a bit noisy on the road but I find that the overall performance of this vehicle makes up for any of its short comings.

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  Saturn Vue Hybrid 09 - 2009 Saturn VUE
  By D&L B - May 28 - 7:53 am

  Excellent exterior styling, very much like a Lexus RX330. Interior well laid out, comfortable, and quiet. Like the climate controls - even though not dual-zone, can set temperature. Lots of room. Mechanically, the vehicle performs very well - hybrid action almost unnoticeable. Only indication really is a sense of background "braking" as the energy recovery system kicks in on some deceleration, though that is not objectionable in the least. Acceleration is very good, especially for a 4-cyl. Sound system is excellent (love the satellite radio).

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  VUE 08 XR - 2008 Saturn VUE
  By towanna - May 26 - 2:03 pm

  I love the cloth heated seats, the lighting, the color, easy parking and handling. Little problem w/ the cd player. I get postive comments everytime people say wow thats a Saturn?