The Tragic Rise and Fall of Saturn Cars 

I worked for Saturn, I went to training in Spring Hill.. I have a 94 SC2 in storage, and a homecoming SL2 ,

We bought a 2002 SL2 and drove it for 17 years! When we sold it the AC still worked! The car is still on the road as a daily work car. But we will never own another GM product because of the way GM dumped the Saturn.

Then GM wonders why people switch to Toyota ,Nissan ,Kia , Hyundai

As a former Canadian Saturn dealer I remember one of my customers, a chemist engineer who drove 600,000 kilometers (360,000 miles) in his Saturn. This guy kept meticulous records and told me it was the most economical car he ever drove. That was the original Saturn. Yes, they could and they did. You also forgot to mention all the patents held by Saturn. Very smart people, North American people.

For years I drove a 1997 Saturn SC2 1.9L 5-speed manual transmission. It served me until more than 200,000 miles. Doing consistenly more than 35 mpg on highway. In 2005 I got my first GPS, and one night I drove 400 miles verified on GPS just to realize I did 41.5mpg. Drove great, surprisinly comfortable on long trips, and had low maintenance cost. And darn, I loved the logo.

If it works, let's break it (GM & UAW's corporate culture).

GM killed all of their brands by rebadging Chevys

Saturn was a good idea for a car company! It simply fell victim to General Motors corporate greed(all about profit)! Some companies never learn!!!

Great video! I could tell he cared about Saturn the way I did. It was sad working at a Saturn dealership and see GM sink their claws into this brand and slowly tear it apart. I'll never forget when some sales staff and I were sent to see the new ION for the first time and drive it compared to the Corolla, Civic, and Jetta. There was no doubt in my mind every one of those cars was far better than ours. It was just sad. The original VUE was pretty darn good though and made us some money for a while, but the ION only sold with heavy incentives. It really killed us.

I also took a tour of the Saturn Plant in Springhill Tennessee as a AFGE union member while working at a nearby military installation. The purpose was to learn more about and hear testimony on the virtues of "Team Management". We were told that Saturn was a partnership between GM and the UAW and that a union member was seated at every board at every corporate level throughout the company. The timeframe was a little after Saturn's corrosion vehicle recall, which was due to a coolant delivery tanker not being thoroughly rinsed out of it previous acid payload. To correct you, one thing we learned, the local "Tennessee" hiring in the plant was disappointing. The Saturn plant was what we called in Government Service the "Priority Placement Program" for General Motors. Everyone that we met and spoke with came from another GM plant and most often one that was either closed or idle.

The Saturn SC2 is still one of my favorite automotive designs ever.

Thank you for taking to the time to research and present the Saturn study. I was married in 1996 and our first car was a brand new standard transmission1998 SL2 constructed specifically for us in late 1997. We had two children who both learned how to drive with this car. My wife passed away due to glioblastoma as the last kid left the house and went off to college. I drove the SL2 long enough until I reached 100K. Then I dropped it off at the salvage yard in 2018 with the last kid begging me to retain the spoiler. Now that I am by myself, I have to admit that looking back, we were/are a Saturn family. No regrets…except for the interior noise. Ha ha ha!

Had a 96 SL2 given to me by my Stepfather when I was 18. It had 223,000 miles on it at the time. At 350k I swapped in a new motor and drove it into my 30's with 478k miles until I was forced to move and sell it (I drove a lot for work). In its life the car had been wrapped around a tree, and lightly T-boned but each time we fixed it and it kept driving. The damn thing WOULD NOT DIE! I miss that car so much. I had other cars as I got older and the Saturn was my spare but even after sitting in a garage for 2 years untouched, it started and drove on old gas for 2 hours to its new home. Saturns of that time were not the most luxurious things. But they were reliable and super easy to work on and maintain, and to this day every time I see one, I smile. BTW I swapped the motor because the original was burning more oil than fuel, but it still ran. After I installed the '99 motor I drove it 4.5 hours to visit family (literally a day after I bolted the hood back on). I got 49.6mpg hwy on the way there. The trip home was 46mpg.....and I was hammering on it the whole way because I wanted to get home. Great channel..keep it up!

I own and still drive an 02 sc1 love that car love that third door.

I had a 1992 SL2 for 20 years with no major issues. It was the best car I ever had. My odometer stopped working after approximately 250,000 miles, and I drove it for approximately another 100,000. It was still running when I donated it. The sales experience was outstanding, just as you said. It is important to also recognize the service teams in the dealership. The service records were available electronically in all the dealerships. I had regular maintenance done at several different dealerships, and the service was consistently excellent. You could trust people who work there. They always looked out for the interest of their customers and treated you like you were a part of the Saturn family.

I had a thirty mile commute from my home to my duty station at Fort McPherson, Georgia, this is circa 1990. My wife coveted my BMW 740i. Anyway I’m an early adopter and I was I intrigued by the sales model. Best car buying experience of my life. In fact the dealership staff line up and applauded as I drove off the lot. Yes the SL1 was noisy, but the car was one fine A to B car. I taught my daughter to drive in it and upon getting her license I gave her the keys and picked up a loaded Toyota Previa. She beat on that Saturn for years with no issues and drove it through college. Great memory.

That’s GM for you. They stop making what everybody wants. Saturn, Fiero, Impala SS, Gran National, Monte SS, Caprice and so on.......

Great video the feeling is mutual! I’ve been a proud Saturn owner since August of ’97. I purchased the SL-2 model in white and after 268K miles It’s still my daily driver. I have repaired and replaced many a parts, tinker with it and dread the day that I will just have to let it go! The attachment I have with my car is truly uncanny. I’ve owned many cars in my life, but only two cars stand out far above the rest. My 1972 agave green BMW 2002 and my Saturn SL-2. I love my Saturn and always will. What GM did to Saturn was heartless , inexcusable, and unconscionable! Thanks again for the video…

Greastest cars built and sold since the model T. I fell in "LOVE" with the Saturn automobile in 1995. I own 2 Saturns. 1995 SW-1 "restored". 1995 SL-2 "restored" That's how much I love my Saturns! Very sad to see the "S"series be dumped, then Saturn went away.......bad call on GM's part.....If you see a true Saturn going happly don the road....try and buy it on the spot from the person...won't happen. Love is priceless!! Keep up the great vids.

In 1993 we bought our first Saturn, to replace a 1985 Dodge Caravan that had developed some dependability issues after a fairly severe accident. It was a great little 4-door sedan that my wife loved. When daughter graduated we presented her with that car and bought a 1998 Saturn coupe SC-2. Absolutely fabulous. While we lived in Connecticut it averaged about 27 mpg. When we retired and moved to NC, it was getting about 35mpg. Unfortunately I fell in love with a Mini-Cooper convertible and it was goodbye Saturn. It had 108,000 miles on it.

I owned a Saturn SL In steel blue and a manual transmission. I loved changing the oil in it. Saturn made it so easy to do. It had manual wind windows too. I actually cried when I donated it to a nonprofit agency after putting 132,000 miles on it. I just needed something bigger for the family. Great job on the video.

A lot happens behind the scenes in the decision making process, like you said we probably will never know. Nobody is going to admit to sabotaging their company for their personal gain, they will spin that and claim they are a "super genius" and turned things around. One of the best quotes from a coworker describing management decisions, "They hand me the football and ask me to run a touchdown, not only is the opposing team trying to tackle me, but my own team is trying to tackle me also, and the coach is throwing burdens on my shoulders, and trying to trip me". George was a good mentor during those days, and enlightened me in many ways. As you climb the ladder, there are views and perspectives not seen from lower rungs of the same ladder.

Love your video. Im on my 3rd S series Saturn. As fate would have it.....i took ownership of my cream puff 2002 SL1....a few years ago. It now has 43,000 original miles. I love my cheap....no frills....no bells nor whistles car. Staturn DID really end with the 2002 year. But i get to continue to experience the Saturn mystique. The s series was a awesome car for the blue collar worker, Good job!

I leased a 1999 and then a 2002 Saturn SL2 when the 1999 lease was up. To this day, they were two of the best cars I ever had. Even the dealership experience, from leasing to servicing has never been duplicated; easily the best and most satisfying of all. The 2002 was the last of the really good Saturns. After that, Saturn ended up coming fully under GM's control; one could see the changes, and they were most definitely not for the better. Very sad; when the lease on the 2002 SL2 was up, I ended up with a Honda Element. It was an excellent vehicle, but the dealership experience was not the same.

I had a Saturn SL 4 door manual transmission purchased new.....sold it for $500 with over 250,000 miles on it. Had a VUE Redline that I had for over 5 yrs. My wife had L series, and then an Aura... I still have my Saturn Sky Redline (2008) with only 17, 000 miles on it. All original. Agree totally with you.. it was all about the people of Saturn. The retail associates, the management, even the mechanics who always would check over the whole car even if you were just in for an oil change. As I recall Saturn did not even refer to themselves as a car dealership but rather a retail automobile outlet. I was so comfortable going their that i would go and just hang out in the showroom to look at the new models. When Saturn came out with the prototype drawing of their Sky (which the drawing looked more like what became the Pontiac Solstice) I knew I had to have one. I was so happy when the actual Sky was built that it had, the angle lines that more favored the old Stingray. I was so very disappointed to see the demise of Saturn and I still get looks when I drive my Sky around with the top down looking as good as always. Thanks for a wonderful video.

In 2002, I bought a 1997 SL1. I had it for 8 years, and it was the most reliable car I've ever owned. Not a single problem, aside from a bad thermostat, which caused it to fail an emissions test. Other than normal wear parts, it never needed any major work. I should have kept it.

I bought my son a 1997 Saturn SC2 with the 5 speed manual and he loves it. I love it! I'd really like to find another SC2 for myself!! I have no idea how the automatic transmission Saturns are, but the 1.9 liter 4 cylinder engine paired with the 5 speed manual transmission is a lot of fun to drive!!

We loved our 95 SL2 with 169k miles - until we were rear ended and it was totaled. Keep up the great work sir!

I was a nurse at the Saturn plant in spring hill. It's now a GMC Cadillac plant. They are building the new ultium battery factory on the grounds now.

We bought a 1993 SL2. We liked the car very much. We really liked the no haggle buying experience. It got 36 mpg on the highway with an automatic transmission - which was the best gas mileage I had gotten on a car we owned. I liked how the transmission had a spin on oil filter - it made it so easy to change the transmission fluid. It was very reliable for most of its life. We had it for 17 years and put 180,000 miles on it. Later on, though the body did not rust and the car still looked good, the undercarriage became rusted from road salt. It had ABS and none of our other cars did, so we always used it in the worst winter weather. In 1996 my sister bought an SC1 coupe based on our good experience. It had the less powerful single overhead cam engine. That car rode better, was quieter, and had more comfortable seats. She drove that car for 17 years when it had 260,000 miles on it! She sold it to someone who drove it for a number of years more. As far as I know it's still around. I did think once the S series cars stopped being produced, they seemed to lose their way. They began offering cars (like the minivan and SUV you mentioned) that were rebadged Chevys or Pontiacs and became another regular GM division - maybe to replace Oldsmobile (?) which was being phased out right around that time.

I leased an SL2 from 93-97. Great car that I still miss today. At that time there was no dealer inventory and a 2 month backlog. That also meant I got a car that was basically "custom built" with only the options I wanted. When it was finally delivered, it was held up due to a pending recall. As the lease was up on my previous car, they rented me a Chevy Corsica at their expense until the recall issue was addressed. Some people thought the engine was rough, but I thought it sounded great.

Have a 2000 SL-1, 4 door. It's got over 250k miles on it now and is still running great! Best, most reliable, and affordable car I've ever owned! Greed always destroys good things and the consumer always loses. We never learn.

God, I remember how much people loved their Saturns! I think Saturn was the only domestic car brand (after AMC) which had such a cult following. How GM handled the demise of Saturn and SAAB will always leave a bitter taste.

In my youth, I was a die-hard GM fan... that changed. 1994, we bought a new Saturn wagon and loved that car. While living in Louisville, we often visited relatives in both Florida and Michigan ~ The Saturn perform like a champ on the Interstate. On one of those trips, through no fault of our own, the fuel tank was damaged... and even though the damage was no fault of Saturn, they replaced it free of charge. Eventually the wife and I divorced and the only bone of contention was that both of us wanted to keep the Saturn; through friendly negotiation, she got custody of the Saturn. I considered buying another Saturn, but by then it had become a Chevy. I bought a Honda

I worked at AutoZone 4 years and that's why I love Saturn. When I was working there we saw very few Saturn parts except tune-ups part and a couple other... very low maintenance.

Hello, your video just landed in my recommendations. Touched me cause i was a manager waiting for Penske’s decision and left with a box in my hands. 2006-2009 worked there and even that was a the end i learned to respect the car. Had 4, SL1, L200, 07 Ion and 07 Aura. An observation in your video, the First VUE was a Saturn design witn a 2.2 l 4cyl and a 3l engine. In 2006 came with the V6 Honda Pilot engine, great vehicle. Panel were plastic. The one you showed came out in 2008. Thanks for sharing the video

Now that you brought this up, I realize that Saturn philosophy was actually close to Toyota's. Nowadays Toyota is a great innovative automaker while Saturn is gone, killed by stupid GM management and UAW politics.

I miss my gold '97 Saturn SL2 _so_ _much!!!_ She was my first car EVER, and I drove her for over 12 years. I put nearly all her miles on her. She was soooo reliable. I sadly sold her at 150,000 miles in 2020. I am sure I could have taken better care of her while I owned her (in high school, throughout college, and beyond), but I took her for granted and hardly knew better. I've had so many "firsts" with her... Sigh. Her name was Goldie. Well, Sadie - but her nickname was Goldie. She's with great owners now, though!! And I really miss that cassette player.

A few months ago I had to let go of my beloved 2006 Saturn Vue. It was an AWD model with the Honda V6 under the hood. It was one of my favorite vehicles in recent time. I unfortunately had to scrap it due to severe rust issues, electrical problems, and finally it blew the head gasket. It got me through a rough point in my life and I only paid a mere $1,000 USD for it. All problems considered i still did not want to scrap it but was not road worthy any longer.

We sold our 1998 Saturn SL1 to a mechanic in 2006. He still driving it . He works for Honda.

My late father-in-law bought one specifically to tow behind his RV, since it didn't require stops to start the engine. I always liked the look of the models.

Great video - really like your research and insight. A friend of mine who was a zone/region exec with Chevy said simply - GM corporate couldn't help itself - they couldn't let the thing operate independently and had to stick their hands in it. Culture was the killer as much as the other factors you discussed.

Interesting I came across this video. I was at the Saturn plant during startup. Saw the first Vues leaving to be crash tested. They were painting a dull gray. I learned that they spent more on blasting the bedrock to drop the plant below eyeshot from the nearby highway then on the actual plant. Was working with Carl Zeiss. Installing precision measuring machines. Resistant electrician wanted to get the wires pulled that night. He said: "If we don't get this done, the union guys will milk it out to two or three weeks!". This was just before 9-11 happened! Because of that event, things shut down. No body flying. Airline not buying their supplies.... Yep, I could continue...

I currently have a 2005 Ion, great little car, only 84K miles, most of which are from being towed around by a RV when the previous owners went on trips. Never really noticed before, but after getting my Ion, I have noticed quite a bit more Saturns still on the road

When Saturn first came out I went to a dealership and test drove an SL. It was a deep sky blue with those awesome sawtooth alloy rims.

Great video! I share your feelings about Saturn, having followed their progress from the beginning. The prevailing wisdom was that General Motors could NEVER have 'reformed' itself from within sufficiently to pull off what Ford was able to do with the Taurus. And it took an all mighty shift in perspective for Ford to pull it off. But then General Motors did something really bold and innovative with Saturn. From the design concept to the, "We're a car store and this is what it costs", everything about these cars inspired loyalty and confidence. The American manufacturers were tired of being punched in the throat by the Japanese car companies and, in my opinion at least, Saturn was smartest, most innovative response to that challenge. And who ever heard of a car inspiring so many owners to come together for a celebration?! Many thanks for a great presentation.

I remember people making fun of the way the gages were on top of the dashboard. I thought that was the perfect placement, since you didn't have to look down to read them. And look at the many designs today, placing the screens up there. But nobody is knocking that now.

I'm not a huge Saturn fan, particularly of their later line up, but I respected the philosophy and innovation. I remember test driving a Saturn Sports Coupe in 1992. There was only one sports coupe in the early days of Saturn. It was pretty decent. It didn't feel like any GM car in its class. It needed a little refining to actually take on their Japanese competition. The 1.9L engine was NOT the Quad-4, but it felt rough, like the Quad-4. It needed a little more development. The manual transmission was notchy, but compliant enough and made the most of the engine's power band. The pop up headlights were a nice feature. The dent proof plastic panels were a huge selling point, but I couldn't wrap my head around the "no-haggle" shopping experience. I didn't feel I could get the best deal on a car for my money. It was like "Here's the price. Take it or leave it." At least with Toyota, Nissan, or Honda I had the experience of getting the car for under invoice. A friend actually got his Mazda Protege for under dealer cost. No chance of that with Saturn. You paid the sticker, and it just didn't seem to me to be any better than what other car companies were offering to justify paying sticker prices / MSRP. Anyway, those were the days when I was young and had decent cash flow to buy new cars. Those days are long gone. It saddened me that the higher ups at GM wanted to kill off Saturn, even before their first model year came into fruition. They couldn't do it in one fell swoop, but they poisoned Saturn a little at a time. The nail in the coffin came when they force Saturn to use parts from the GM parts bin. That introduced quality and reliability problems and made the cars less distinguishable from other GM marks. By the time GM came calling to kill off Pontiac, it was all over but the crying for Saturn. GM is a company stuck in the past. They could not accept Saturn for what it truly was - a new way of doing automotive business.

I bought a '95 Saturn SL2 and had it for almost 11 years. I had my share of problems with it--EGR valve broke, alternator failed, and it used oil like crazy--but I liked it. One of the things that struck me was the labeling of the engine--the "SATURN POWER MODULE". One of my friends bought a '91 SL2, then years later traded it in for an L-model, and she still drives it.

I had a ‘98 SC2 in I think it was called Champagne Gold. I found your video because I loved that car so much and I just searched for photos to look at it again! I didn’t know everything about Saturn… But that totally hits the nail on the head. I was so excited to see what the new styles would be after that, and everything just turned down so plain. Very sad to see a downgrade and then disappear.

Great context & perspective. Thank you.

Your not wrong. I had a 1995 Saturn SC1, and two 2007 Saturn Ions that I still drive. The Ions are just rebranded Cobalts. I still miss the 95 SC1

Hi my name is Nicholas Borowy and I'm a fan of Saturn too, I had a Saturn station wagon I bought from a co-worker who put over 230,000 miles on it and when I got a hold of it I didn't baby It, in fact I beat the hell out of it and I put almost 300,000 miles on it until I was driving down the high way and the front wheel came off. lol so you can say I literally drove it until the wheels fell off. when I got it it had a small coolant leak from the over fill tank and sometimes I let the temp guage bury the needle "not really on purpose" and that engine would never quiet onme!

We've had 8 Saturn's over the years. The current and last one we have is a 2000 SL2 with 328000 miles. It runs and yes the a/c still works. We've enjoyed them all. Sad to watch Saturn fail in the end.

I grew up in the next county over from Maury County, TN where Spring Hill is. Everybody in Middle Tennessee was beyond excited about Saturn. It changed Spring Hill from a town you could miss if you blinked into one of the fastest growing towns around. When they finally unveiled the Saturn product line, most people I knew thought they were a touch ugly. Nobody was expecting a Corvette, but the styling was a let down. However, you still kinda liked their cars. Now, everybody I knew who had a Saturn loved it almost to a cultish level. The cars were very reliable. A friend of mine beat the ever living crap out of his and it kept taking it. I'd still like to have an S-series station wagon. The people associated with Saturn had tons of pride in what they were doing but when they started selling badge engineered cars, the Saturn pride deflated. As long as GM let Saturn do their thing, they seemed to do well. I feel like if GM had let Saturn develop their own cars instead of foisting badge engineered offerings on them, Saturn would be the GM sales leader. I'm not even sure if they were even building Saturns in Spring Hill at the end. Imagine if they were allowed to keep developing the S series like Honda has the Civic. Surely, they could have developed their own Accord fighter that could have underpinned a minivan also. They still could have brought in one or two badge engineered cars like the Sky and still kept the Saturn pride.

Another nice job on what was GMs red-headed stepchild. Having worked on many GM car & truck programs as a concept tech illustrator, I saw the constant battle for funds that resulted in the car vs truck divisions. Roger Smith tried his damedest to create a new corporate culture thru Saturn, but was sabotaged by the GM elephant-in-the-room that is Chevrolet. One must remember that the Chevrolet division was as large as all the other GM divisions combined. And they had tremendous internal corporate clout with the bean counter s. As tier one contractors we saw this clearly from the outside. Chevy was not about to be upstaged by a new small car startup. Saturns advertising at the time was original & very focus-ed on the customer. Just as creative as what was done for Volkswagen. I felt the Saturn mid-size SUV, the VUE was a cutting-edge stylish vehicle ahead of it’s time. But as you pointed out, once the corporate claws snared Saturn, things rapidly went downhill. Had GM recognized what Saturn was doing (most likely they did & were in-sanely jealous) they could have applied those lessons to all divisions.

Jon, Thanks for the nice videos! The Saturn L series included plastic body panels just as the original S series did. All Saturn cars including the S series, L series, Ion, and first gen Vue used plastic panels. The Aura, Relay, Outlook and second gen Vue used conventional steel. Saturn Sky used steel, plastic and fiberglass panels. Thanks

There was one person I knew of that worked for Honda that had high-praise for Saturn back in the 1990s. That guy was a service manager for a Honda dealership I took my new Civic to for servicing during the warranty period of the vehicle; where he said to me that given the choice of any compact vehicle out there among all manufacturers, if he could not own a Honda, then Saturn would be the best choice.

Purchased 2001 LW200 Wagon after seeing my daughter in law's clean 2001 Saturn L200 Sedan. Engine compartment room is very generous. I liked the plastic door panels because they don't dent or rust. Still looks very good after 200,000mi! Biggest disappointment is mpg which mostly is 17-22 town/highway. Second disappointment is room. Very tight and in addition rear of Wagon should be few inches longer than Sedan. Reliability has been excellent however because of mileage and lack of roominess I'll be selling.

Bought my Dad's 1992 SC2 off him for a couple grand, around 2003..When I sold it, it had over 300,000 miles on it (odometer quit working Years before at 280k) . I had to sell it due to under carriage rust. Then I hunted for another S-series, this time I got a 2000 SW2 with manual transmission. Still have it. 212,000 miles and I'm dreaming of rebuilding the engine to keep it for another 200k. It can get 40mpg sometimes and I can fold down the seats and sleep in it!

My sister has an S Series Sedan she drove for 13 years before i got it. I delivered Pizza in it before it got smashed, and i was able to find another, and then a last one. All late 90's S series 4 doors. The middle one was a wagon. My last one was a 5 speed and it never let me down, delivering Pizzas and later on when i used it as a commuter. I did some extensive diy when the clutch failed at 190k, repairing some front suspension at the same time. It leaked oil, lost curb appeal, had a repaired headliner, and a small dinger on the front from me, but it still went 80 mph down the interstate, strong and true averaging over 35 miles per gallon and sometimes as much as 38, until i went to repair the trailing arms and notice the frame was rotting out. That was at 252k. Its was Spring of April 2021 when i called the junkman. I still peruse for used ones, but they're few and far in my area. Some I've seen with low miles since were asking over 5k. When i think about mileage per gallon on mine, i wonder how in the late 90's they did it then, but newer cars don't.

This was very thorough and well-done. I always imagined Saturn was meant to be GM's answer to Asian cars, and they weren't all that bad I don't think

I just found this video, and I can't wait to watch it through. I worked for Saturn as a service tech in the mid 90s, and I owned an SL2. My ex wife had an SL1. Loved the first-gen cars, and the company concept tremendously. Was very sad to see it go the way of the dodo.

We leased a 1999 SL2. Probably the best car I have had. Zero issues with it. Wish we would have kept it.

New comment on an old video Jon. I'm a recent subscriber, been in the auto service and repair business for over 30 years. I always appreciated any Saturn model that began with an "S". Thrashy and loud? Absolutely. But coupled with anvil-like reliability and ease of maintenance and repair, unmatched. Never owned one but highly respect once this brand once was.

I have my second Saturn. My first was a 1998 Saturn SL2, and I used it as my commuter car. It was an easy automobile to work on and maintain. When it had over 276000 miles, I discovered another Saturn for sale, a one owner 2002 Saturn SL1 series. I almost didn't buy it in 2017, because someone was thinking about buying it, so I pretty much gave up. Luckily the interested party changed their mind because it has crank manual windows. I wanted manual crank windows. Fortunately I bought it because someone wanted to push an electric button. I sold my 1998 and it's still on the road. I don't commute anymore, but I love my 02 SL1 Saturn. A nice one owner, nice interior and exterior. I wax it often, and hopefully I'll keep it infinitely. Saturn's are good on gas and super easy to park. I have had nightmares with other GM cars and wonder why they stopped making such a good and reliable Saturn automobile. I have my eyes on at least two babied one owner Saturn's, and I may get lucky again, but I'll keep my 02 Saturn. I like simplicity and that's what a Saturn SL series was, simple to maintain car. GM should have kept Saturn in it's original format, the SL series.

I always liked the Saturn never owned one but they came in pretty colors 👌

Not usually into videos with, very little pictures. But great job on this. Very pleased and learned some stuff..

Saturn had excellent service along with knowledgeable sales and service personnel. I owned an "L" series and liked it very much after driving it for a number of years and putting over 100 thousand miles on it I gave it to my son as his first car He then drove it for a few years without any problems I did need tp replace a headlight assembly when a deer ran into him good thing the body was plastic it sustained next to nothing in damage we finally traded in the car when it had around 140 thousand miles on it we still got what I thought was a good trade in value for it. he then bought a Honda Civic and moved on to Ohio State to work on his PHD. After passing along the "L" series I bought an Aurora and that car was probably the best car I ever owned it was a definite winner. room enough for everyone and still got 34 miles to a gallon.

I just found your channel (a bit late after this vid) via the small trucks video which I will likely push back on you for a few points. I like your methods overall but, admittedly, looked at your catalogue mostly to make sure you weren't a "Blame the Government for Everything" channel. Pleasantly, on top of being able to rest that concern, I found this video. I learned to drive on my parents' '93 SL2 and, besides the power shoulder belts and plastic shell, didn't think much of it then that I totally appreciate today. It wasn't showy. It wasn't something the kids at school talked up. It was just dad's car. Like some of your other commenters, I am Canadian (Calgary) and learning this thing led me to believe that the whole industry had figured out winter. This thing NEVER had a problem starting in temperatures down to -25C without a block heater. I spun out on a snowy highway and crashed into a bank which knocked the motor out.... for 5 seconds. It started back up immediately. The plastic paneling spared me so much trouble from my bike falling into it in the garage. That thing was simple and reliable in ways that I feel vehicles still skirt around today. Love to hear about the company and the organizational (profit sharing!) culture that made this thing rock. Cheers!

I still drive my 95’ SL1. Stick shift, roll down windows and a great mechanic! Penske tried to save the brand.

I had a white Saturn sc2 it was a very good car. Leather, sunroof, 5speed , fully loaded. not one problem ever. i was young so i put some rims on it and exhaust. I kept it mint . id love to have this car back . Great company when they were young.

Thank you Jon for you research and preparing this video on the Saturn. We owned a 2001 Saturn SL2 and it was a very good little car. We bought it to pull behind a motor home, it had a five speed manual transmission which was perfect for what we needed. I a saddened to learn about the demise of Saturn and the corporate greed of GM in closing down Saturn. We now drive a Lexus and have owned it for fifteen years.

Wow, you did a great job on this video. My wife loved Saturn. She had three of them at different times. I hat the way GM gets something really good and ruins it. Thank you for the video.

Even though I never owned a Saturn I did admire their cars, and their way of doing business. I especially admired their “retail stores” instead of dealerships. I mean, the word “dealership “ implies that you have to compete with the salesman in trying to get the price as low as possible, while the salesman tries his/her best to bamboozle you into paying the most as possible- too stressful of an experience, which make fret in buying a car. I think I would have eventually bought a Saturn, because of their no-haggle retail stores, the plastic body panels, their good reputation, etc. I think that GM should have incorporated the Saturn way of doing business throughout all their divisions. I think that would have been the smart thing to do.

I had 3 saturn sl-1’s, liked them reliable, affordable, beat them up over 200k miles on two, best commuter car no frills,

Great 👍 review ! I used to own a 1993 Saturn SL sedan and my car was pretty well built and lasted me a long time .

Fun fact - my parents bought the first generation of Saturn - as a fun promotional event the Saturn dealership hosted an event at a drive in theater that featured the movie Apollo 13 (all the Apollo missions were launched with a Saturn V rocket) the first generation was the best Saturn!

Still have my 1994 Saturn SW2, second owner as my father purchased it new. I just put a battery in today and she still runs great. Other components replaced were the AC compressor, radiator and muffler. All other parts are original.

I am still driving a 1997 SL-2. Love the car, it is simple, reliable and economical. Sad the brand is no more.

2002 Saturn SL2 here, 260k miles and a buttload of problems! Yeah, I know there's alot to fix, but you gotta hand it to the old girl, she still starts up every time! Still drives like a dream.

my first three new cars were saturns. 95 SL2 loaded 5spd aqua green met. 97 SC2, and a 2000 LS2. Those dealer experiences have NEVER been replicated.

I own a 2008 Aura XR. It's a re-badged Malibu or G6, but it has a 3.6 vvt v6 that was unavailable on other platforms. I love it. Sad It's not a "real" Saturn. But it's very nice inside and moves.

Thanks for doing the Saturn video. Still have my 1996 SL2 which is the only car I ever purchased new. It still runs!

Nice vid! Still daily driving our 99 sl1, 247,000 miles. Had it since it had 16,000. Will still do almost 40 mpg fully laden on the highway.

I had several Saturn's. I was very impressed with the dealership the 1st time I went to it. Think it was 93 when I bought my 1st one. My last one was an aura in 09. All were new. Great experience. I also went to 2 homecomings. The experience is similar to tje corvette owner experience.

I looked to bu y the Sky in2007 but with the rece scion I didn't buy it when it arrives from the factory. Had to wait 9 months for it. In2016 I bought 2008 Sky Decline. I drive it every day to work. I love it and get lots of positive comments.

I appreciate your knowledge of automotive history. Please keep it up!

I loved Saturn! The concept. The cars. The dealer experience. I bought a new SW2 in June of 2000. Then in Sept. of 2000 I purchased a 2000 SC 3-door for our youngest daughter. Both exceptional cars. In 2004 my daughter traded her SC for a new Ion 1 4-door. I was impressed so I purchased a new Ion 2 4-door. A month later my oldest daughter purchased a new Ion 3 4-door and still has it! The Saturn experience, sales, service and vehicles worked for all of us. Saturn could have been so much more if only GM had not been so greedy.

My grandfather was obsessed with Saturn!! Purchased 3!!! And my 1st car was a sc2 (coupe) I also owned an ion …which I had to get rid of recently due to a bad timing chain …No mechanic wanted to take the job to fix saying “they don’t even make ‘em anymore” 🥺🥺 so off to the junkyard… I drive a Kia now and while I love the new car, it’s NOT same

Hey Jon I really enjoyed your program on the Saturn. I have been a Pontiac lover for years, I was also saddened to see these great car makes turn into corporate structures but I watched an innovation-driven brand sink into the mudhole that is corporate GMC. I love cars and history thanks for spending your time.

I respect early Saturns for the very things you mentioned! Excellent video! I work with a fellow who put seats in the Chevy/GMC trucks back in the 1980s - 2000's. He told me that he'd been to Spring Hills before and that you almost couldn't tell it was a GM subsidiary without knowing it first.

I currently have a 2007 Saturn Outlook in 2015 that I never had any major problems with until now. My wife and I love it. The problem is that I'm finding it hard to find a repair shop willing to work on the engine. I'm being told parts are hard to find or get for it.

Jon I also worked for a Saturn Dealer for years until the end. No the cars were not the greatest, but I believe people felt for a time they got they're money worth and were taken care of and the changes to me started after Mr Smith passed away. The Gm examples were junk to me Relay, etc. I will say It was a joy to drive the many different models over the years, and at that time was afun place to work, and when the last new Satun was sold at my dealership in December 2009 we still had people that wanted one.

I believed in Saturn products. I owned 5 Saturns: a 1997 SL1, a 1998 SL2, a 2000 SL2, 2005 Ion 1, and a 2007 Vue. I more than loved all five of them. The SL models were easy to work on. I did everything from oil changes to changing belts, hoses, and spark plugs. The biggest problem I had was when a valve had to be replaced on my Ion’s engine (a 2.0 liter GM engine). When I read that Saturn was finally dropped by GM, I promised myself I would never by another GM product. That was 11 years ago and I’ve kept that promise. Nowadays, General Motors builds bland, unreliable cars and that’s enough to keep me away from their lots.

Really good and interesting video.

I never knew what happened but,the 1997 Saturn with a little 1.9l was one of the best and most reliable vehicles I ever owned. I let someone borrow it and they massively overfilled it with oil,.breaking the rings on number 3 cylinder. If it hadn't been for that, I probably would still be running it getting 40 mpgs.

I have a 2004 Saturn Vue with 411,000 miles, and it's still going strong. I had to replace the clutch on the 5 speed transmission, the starter, and the ignition module. Those are the only major items I had to replace. It still has all the original parts including the exhaust system. I'd like to rebuild the engine and the 5 speed transmission, and drive it for another 400,00 miles. It's a really good car/

Funny story ... I’ve got my 2002 SATURN SC-1 (manual/standard transmission with 200,000 kms) downstairs in the garage ... still runs beautifully, has so much pep, and great condition.. Mind you, she’s only been driven by my friend and I, and we’re great drivers & always kept up the maintenance.. I’m only going to sell her because I bought a new 2021 MAZDA CX-30 GT + I won’t be able to sustain two insurances while pay extra parking storage etc. So she’s up for grabs in Vancouver, BC 🇨🇦

i bought a 2005 Saturn Vue in 2017 with 42K and love it. My Girl friend turned me on to them. (She has owned every version except the Sky, which she drove and didn't like). Now with 70+K and nothing but oil changes on the V6 I'm thinking of adding a trailer hitch to haul my less reliable car (a '77 fiat). Her 3 door, which you didn't mention, is very cool with about 190K and going --well OK, but she does almost no maintenance...So Love the Lack of rust, here in the Salty midWest were other cars 1/2 the age are rusty....Did I say, Love it.