The Truth About Saturn: A Different Kind of Car Company | WheelHouse
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2018
- Saturn was GM’s chance to change the game, but only lasted 20 years. Why did it fail?
GM needed small cars in their lineup, but was hesitant to build them under their already existing brands. So they started Saturn, and gave them free reign to design an entirely new car. But somewhere along the way, they failed.
WheelHouse answers all the questions about the automotive world you never thought to ask. Nolan Sykes looks at the history, sociology and psychology behind the cars you love, and the features you might overlook.
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In a parallel universe: Saturn, Pontiac, Saab, Mercury, and Holden all survived and grew; while it was the worthless Buick, GMC, Lincoln, Cadilliac, and Chevorlet branches that were left to wither and die on a vine instead. It is glorious.
And the Camry is a Altima and a Accord and the Corolla a Sentra and a Civic and Japan shares all of them...
I will be doing a project about that, stay tuned.
Why would Cadillac and Chevrolet die? Both are iconic brands
Long live my '09 G8, eventhough I still have it. Since they brought back the hummer maybe they will update the GTO, G8, IROC, Trans-Am(silver, black, and Bandit series), and Firebird. As long as they're not crossovers.
They are all ugly (beside chevy), so no one would really care
”It’s a sad story of forward thinking, wasted potential and self sabotage”
My life
Me too man... At least for now
Now let's all get back to our Miserable lives. Brave face; carry on.
You too?
I'm sitting on the toilet drinking beer
Damn, I felt all of that...
GM. "Killing car companies and taking tax dollars is our motto!"
@@Necrocancerr probably should have sold buick instead of Pontiac.
@@Necrocancerr that or a GSX
@@Yes-qj4bi they kept buick because they sell so well in china.
Mopar did it twice. No mention of Mopar?
At least in all the money was paid back plus some.
I'd love so much for Pontiac to come back somehow. I loved their cars as a kid.
You are exactly the kind of rube that GM thinks every American is. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHEVY, PONTIAC AND BUICK. The fact that you still think so is the basic problem with GM.
@@dzerres their styling was different though
@@dzerres True, everyone may as well just buy Chevy or GMC
Dieter Zerressen, I agree to an extent. Which is why I don't understand why GM doesn't just introduce car models where the brand is a model name. For example, a GM dealership that has the new GM Pontiac Firebird sold next to the new Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Right, I always liked the looks of Pontiac. Plus they put some pretty good cars together. That 4.3 v6 was a beast in some of those cars, I took my grandma's out when she died and just trashed it, still couldn't blow that motor up
When I asked for a Saturn SW2 (the wagon version...for my bicycle) that had stick-shift and power windows (an odd combo), the dealer said this car didn't exist in the state of Florida. I called corporate and they ended up flying me to Las Vegas, putting me in a hotel for a couple of days, and (after paying for it, obviously) I drove my new Saturn home.
That was in November of 1997. 20+ years and 325,000+ miles later and I'm still driving the thing. Oh it has minor problems, but it still runs fine and I'm still happy with it.
shit, that's funny. A salesman came and got me 30 miles away to buy one on xmas of 99. An SL. No abs, ps, or power windows. I was a poor college guy with $900 to my name for that massaged $100/mo. lease. I still drive it every day ..its jan 2019. Every secondary car (at least 5) i have bought to replace it since then has been re-sold.
360k, btw
Still have a gold SW2
I have one as an automatic. 1997 sw2
my 98 SW wagon drove from Portland, OR to Rochester NY, straight.. 47hours and no signs of quitting. so rad.
Poor Saturn.. too positive to see the painful truth of the world.
I mean seriously! Their only goal is to literally satisfy their customers, with durable cars, reliable, and the pricing is just straight. They were too concentrated on that goal that they didn't even notice their financial crisis.. That sounds like the best company in the world (morally).
NOT true. It's GM's fault for shutting the brand down. As far back as 2008 it was the ONLY US brand that I looked at when shopping for a car. I eventually gave up and bought a European brand because GM had NO interest in making something to compete with the Toyota Prius. Look at where the drunk fools are now: they have a hybrid but nobody's buying it. They waited 10 years too long to make a competitor to the Prius. Everything was in place: they had a Saturn chassis and just needed to make a system that was reliable and would return 55 mpg. It could have been done but their drunk management was too busy jacking off over SUVs and dinosaur trucks that get only 13 mpg. They haven't learned a thing. And Obama wasted tax money on bailing them out. It would have been better had they collapsed. Then the other two (Chrysler and Ford) would have been scared into REALLY innovating and producing an affordable Prius killer. Once they saw the gubmt wasn't going to help GM, they would work harder and smarter but neither are doing that. They're still thinking: we're too big to fail. The gubmt will save us! Chrysler is sooo slow to change that in 2001, when everyone had those now ubiquitous switchblade key fobs, Chrysler still didn't have any on their vehicles! They were the last to implement them. I dumped the Chrysler brand and have never looked at them or the other two. Been driving 4 cylinder Euro cars for the last 17 years and they're more efficient and practical than any crap Detroit could ever produce.
largol33t1 although the Prius makes the worst pollution out of all cars
@@largol33t1 yeah Prius is not really a popular car.
Nobody drives anything considered a compact Chevy focused on their Sedan lines
@@largol33t1 don't make paragraphs
How in the duck can you talk about Saturn and NOT mention the Ion Redline or the bold use of suicide doors?!
MrRobert the ion is what killed the SC line!! Fk ion
@@mrexon the ion didnt kill the sc line... the sc was part of the s series (which included the sl and sw), and Saturn/GM execs decided to end production of the s series in 01 with the final model year being 02. The Ion didnt start until the 04 model year iirc.
Saying the ion killed the SC series is like saying Cobalts killed the Cavalier. Yeah its exactly like that.
And ion became a car in 2003 not 2004.
I have a rare forest green 03
Not only those things but also how could they leave out the ev1 I know GM wanted us to forget about it but if we do they win
Loved my 1992 Saturn SL1. Still have fond memories. Loved the dent resistant panels and the the exhaust system ( never needed replacing)
Why did the exhaust never need replacing?
They could have done worse.... they could have branded themselves Uranus.
Lol
Or OURanus
after reading your comment, i almost thought Uranus as an anagram for Saturn. but there's no ”t."
Haha, one of a couple things they maybe did right
okniceguy
*Urain'tus*
*_Ur... ain't... US!_*
I've got a 1996 that still runs like new. It's a race to see which of us lives longer
I've got an '04 with only 70k on it, but so many structural issues since the previous owner failed to care for it, so the underside is a Frankenstein monster. At least there's no rust on the body, though!
I have a 97 sl1 that still runs like New. Saturn really was a good company
Amatheo Gonzalez yeah, l bought Saturn in 2004 and still runs like new too, 170k and run fast never change any piece in the motor. Saturn is a very good car.
I'm rooting for you.
My first Satrun was a 96 SL2, bought used in 2010. I finally am getting rid of it. I loved it. I now drive a 2002 SC2 with only 250K miles on it. Love that car too. Easy to work on and simple. My son has a 2008 Dodge Avenger that you have to remove the tire to change thr battery. POS.
Saturn would be amazing to still have today. Despite the classic late 90’s and early 2000’s that Staurns tend to scream, they would still be a nice economy division to still have for GM. THE SATURN COULD BE THE BADASS PRIUS!
Fr they had the economy cars and still made cool shit like the redline
I remember everyone wanting a Saturn in the Early-90's and when you went into their showrooms it was different than many other companies, then around 2003 when I was car shopping went back to Saturn dealership it was empty and depressing, they got away from what made it work
Sadly, "despite a different kind of company, a different kind of car," GM couldn't break its habit of taking its customers for granted.
Brian Weir couldn’t agree more. Owned a new Saturn until the stealership tried to take me for a ride.... problem:dead battery. Solution New alternater, new battery, huge bill.... no thanks, off to Autozone. New battery. Install in parking lot in 5 min. Back on the road. Next new car was a Toyota...
The General promised their customers that Saturn was different. It was going to have it's dealers be so transparent and "owner" friendly. Also, that Saturn products were going to be separately designed and engineered from all other GM products. In the end, the corporate ways of doing things could not be corrected AND rehashing Opel and Vauxhall vehicles were all nails in the coffin of the "Different kind of company and dealer network" Truly sad.
@@mobiledetail4you actually the real problem is you went to a dealership to get your battery replaced instead of going to AutoZone in the first place and FYI all dealership service centers are like that making you pay a huge bill
And that whole rebadging homogenized gm thing they did
The dealership experience was SSDD when I got in the finance office.
A very good history of Saturn. I sold them from 1995 until 2007 - and met my wife doing it. However, a few things I must add.
First, Saturn DID (at least start) to develop a new car besides the S-Series. This was a series of midsize sedans prior to the L-Series. It used all polymer panels again and was called the SR. It was to be powered by the 124 hp 4 cyl engine from the SL2, and this was to be called the SR2, and a new in-line six developed from the above engine (displacement and horsepower unknown) and this was to be called the SR3. However, in 1996 - due to the money issues you mentioned - the SR series was cancelled in favour of the Vectra-based L-Series (which, BTW, shared components with the Saab 9-5).
As for the VUE, while this did eventually share its platform with the Equinox and Pontiac Torrent, the VUE premiered two years before the Chevrolet and Pontiac versions. So, in reality, the Equinox and Torrent were re-badged VUEs.
As for the other GM cars Saturn sold, they were: Aura (Malibu), Outlook (Acadia) and Relay (Montana SV6). The ION was replaced by a re-badged Opel Astra called - wait for it - the Saturn Astra.
Sad.
Very Sad Dave, so sorry man. They opened a dealership by me years ago. A lot of my high school friends worked there, went to Saturn school, learned and fixed the cars. It’s too bad.
Just got a ION sedan 06 couple months ago with 175k on it for 600$.seller was moving to chilie and couldn't bring it.i love it.doesnt leak a drop,cold ac.I put some brake pads on her and change oil.drives amazing and still looks great cause those dent resistant doors.cheep car and cheep parts and I do most repairs myself unless MAJOR engine or transmission work.i hope to drive it for 8-10 years .I put less then 8 k a year on my cars
Correction: The I6 was going to be introduced for the 1994 model year in a car that would be dubbed the SL3.
It would have had a 30 valve, dohc I6 based off of the LL0 (dohc) 1.9 I4. It would have had a 1st gen sedan body and a 1g SC/SC2 front clip (the one with the flip up headlights).
The engine would have been ~2.85 liters and horsepower output would have been ~250 (bhp).
The kibosh was put on it because:
a) reports from dealers around 1993 stated they felt that there were already too many options at the dealerships
And
b) execs somewhere along the chain of command felt that the increased production costs and decreased fuel economy couldnt be justified
My family had 3 Astra's at one point. Very great cars. I just sold mine in December 2018 after 8 years of ownership it 154k on the odo. Still had lots of life as I kept that thing running in tip top shape doing normal maintenance. It got me 32ish mpg freeway which was fine for me.
I inherited my 2002 SL2 from my buddy's Mom who passed away in 2012 at 99. She drove it to the post office and grocery store. It had 33k, I'm still driving it today with 76k original miles. Everything that you've heard about them is true. It's an amazing car with sentimental value. I plan to pass it down to my kids, I'll never sell it or trade it in, it's a classic American one of kind car in fabulous shape. Reliable, extremely quick, comfortable, easy to drive, good on gas and sharp looking. Only replaced the timing belt, tires, brakes, battery, runs like new.
I'm jealous. My 02 Saturn SL was condemned to death by the insurance company for the crime of deploying her airbags in a mild fender bender. If it weren't for that, she'd probably still be running today.
My grandpa worked for GM, so a Saturn was everyone in my family's first car. I still drive mine to this day!
They didn't make money because the cars were too reliable. I had a Green 94 sl2. The odometer died at 332K miles, but I drove it for 3-4 years beyond that. The engine easily had over 500k on it. The only repair I ever did was an alternator and the timing chain. $800 at the dealer. Loved that car. Florida to Boston(and back) 4x a year for well over 15 years. Sold it to a desperate friend for $50. Wish car companies could be more unique and distinguishable. Cars are becoming more and more disposable. Average owner keeps it for three years then "trade up", passing upcoming burden's on to the next owner. Saturn was a good company in the beginning but profit margins always win...Sad!
It's great to hear your story of longevity. I'm a loyal Saturn s car owner, driving a 2002 that has 235k miles on it... so far.
Scott Ashley my father owned a white Saturn L300 and a Saturn Outlook I loved both of them because they looked different from every other car on the road. My aunt owned a black Saturn Ion and I loved it. It's a real shame that most cars are beginning to look similar to one another.
+
I kindly disagree. I have owned Accords, a Civic, and a Tercel. None of them came close to the 332k mark. They could have but it would cost me way more than $800 to get there. When a car is as reliable as the Saturn SL2 was, there is no reason to buy a new one. In the time it took me to get to 500k in the Saturn, I would have burned through a couple Toyotas...
TheManInDboX
No.
Vehicle reliability has very little to do with brand.
It’s primarily based on initial purchase price and the type financing available. Cars that are more expensive and tougher to borrow money for are bought by wealthier people, kept longer, and more well cared for. Any vehicle that is washed regularly, maintained, garage kept, and not abused is going to last longer.
It’s also going to depreciate less. Meaning that on the used market they will attract more financially stable buyers who will be willing to do maintenance and repairs.
Something like a Dodge? Anyone with a minimum wage job can buy one... they get abused and deprecate like a rock. Few are in good condition on the used market where they are flooded with lease returns and their low value means even a blown head gasket means a one way ticket to the scrap yard.
The game is changing. Toyota and VW have offered increasingly creative financing (leases, balloon financing, long term financing) to increase market share. They’ve also upped their fleet sales-your rental is going to be a Toyota more likely than a Dodge, now.
This means that when people realize there’s a million Corollas on the market, used prices will go down, and the dregs will be driving them into the ground.
Toyotas weakness has always been rust.
Saturn didn't just make rebadged cars, they made them durable and easier to work on. As home mechanic, working on cars for friends and family, I love seeing my Aunt in her Saturn Vue! It's way easier to work on than the Equinox cause the factory workers had input on how to build things so it was easier for mechanics!
In all, Saturn's where built to run FOREVER and had Home mechanics in mind when being built, they are some of the best cars still on the road!
Interesting you say that, because I once had to change the alternator in one by removing the right front tire and a piece of plastic. Pretty much the exact opposite of easy.
snowroaches you right. But on that same note, some cars are harder than that. Regardless of how easy or hard for you, you got it done
@@snowroaches Pretty normal for small cars. My 2014 Focus had the same thing. Even had to disconnect the exhaust manifold. It's what made me just sell the damn thing for 600 bucks. I hated working on that car.
Interesting you mention the Vue, it was designed as a Saturn in 2000 it was rebadged as the Equinox in 2004.
Which is handy, since you're going to be working on it a lot.
You are so cute!!
Had a 95 Saturn SL2 in high school. That thing wouldn’t die!! Had almost 200k miles when I got rid of it.
"Named after the rocket that carried America to the moon."
The rocket that was built by Chrysler.
what?
Yeah what?
Chrysler made other Saturn rockets but not the Saturn V.
@@bolt5564 They collaborated with Boeing to create the first stage. www.thedrive.com/news/33905/chryslers-radical-space-shuttle-design-was-50-years-ahead-of-its-time
@@Mike-df1ye thank you for sharing that link. I had always thought that Chrysler had dropped out before the Saturn 5 but you have now shown me that Chrysler collaborated with Boeing to create the Saturn 5.
I upvoted before I even started watching because my first car was a Saturn.
RIP. You never forget your first 😢
100% agree. Had a practically mint Astra to drive in high school. Had to sell for a very meh terrain because winter.
I work at the GM plant down in spring hill TN, and a lot of the older people who worked there when it was Saturn say it was a lot better because they treated their employees with respect. And they're focus was to build quality products. I'm pretty sure any Saturn on the road will outlast the Acadia they're building out here. I do quality inspection, and you would not believe the kind of stuff they let go through on the build line, and the absolute idiots (who make three times as much money as I do) who just let it happen :)
Callsign Crusader the last forever I have my 2005 Saturn Vue in the yard running perfect.
My dad still works there. He's been at the Spring Hill plant since it opened, in May of 1989. And yes. He also liked it more, when it was Saturn.
Justin Williamson wow that’s amazing 😱except for the fact that it was stated the plant was closed in 2010.
No. Saturn closed in 2010. The Spring Hill plant is now a GM Plant.
And this is exactly why I will never buy a GM product. GM killed Saturn and Saab. GM means nothing to me lol
The Opel Vectra did not suck, at all . It had very reliable engines, economic, sturdy rust free body , excellent soundproof and comfort.
Agreed. My dad had a 1996 model with 1.8 engine. Never had any issues with it
In 1998 my mom bought an SL2, I remember posing for the picture in front of the car with her and my bro, what a time 🙃
Do up to speed on lotus, please
supra factory 5 please
NICE IDEA MAN
How did you get that name?
supra yasss bitch
lmao who cares about lotus any more
rip Pontiac
rip Saturn
R.i.p hummer... the list goes on of brands gm has ruined and killed....
Press F for Respects ✊
R.I.P. Oldsmobile. I just lost my 2004 Alero with 167,000+ miles, and had to settle for a 2014 Chevy Impala. I was the original owner of the Alero, and it has been less than 3 weeks. I have regretted letting my Alero go. I miss it already!
I do miss my 01 Trans am WS6.... and like the G8.... piss on the rest.
Rip olds
Been through 3 Saturns great cars ,and fun fact the dealership sold aftermarket parts such as flame thrower exhaust and light weight rims etc and you had almost a buffet while you waited.
wait wait, *flame thrower exhaust?*
I am intrigued, please explain further OP.
I think you forgot that the Saturn Relay was basically a Chevrolet Uplander.
yeah but minivans were just too cool in 2005 to NOT copy/paste the hell out of them, although they were a lot less cooler by 2006
I once parked a Saturn that has 800,000 miles
@@ya2131 he parked a Saturn on saturn
My 95 had just under 300,000 when i have it away.
my ex had an SL2 with 300k+ miles on it. we were on an interstate trip one time and the CEL came on. that's when I learned that the oil hadn't been changed in over a year (because "oil changes are a scam") and that it actually for real legitimately was bone dry and probably had been for at least 20-30k miles. filled it up and it kept going like nothing even happened. solid car, was sad to see them go.
@@autrielle4200 some of
That had serious dashboard cracking which would lead to dryrotting of electrical wires = electrical fires
I had 200k on my Saturn before I sold it.
I worked there for 9 years, '91-'99. Great company to sell for. Customer treatment was unmatched.
In engineering school, we used this as a case study of how not to run a company. Saturn started out well, with good employee relations, a rethought union contract that was as thick as a magazine instead of as thick as a phone book, and a small car design that was (mostly) competitive with Japan's best.
GM had the bright idea of circulating its stodgy upper management through Saturn's ranks. The idea was that Saturn's Japanese-inspired ways would rub off on GM's managers so that GM would eventually adopt a more Japanese car-building mindset. Instead, the opposite happened. Each GM leader that went to Saturn said, "This isn't how we do things at GM." So, bit by bit, these guys incrementally changed the company to be more traditional GM-style. It was like the opposite of the Midas Touch, where everything these highly-paid GM managers touched turned to shit.
By the time Saturn was shut down, it was just another badge-engineered division of GM reselling mildly reskinned versions of other GM cars. Sad, really, given the potential they had at the start.
"It's a sad story of forward thinking, waste of potential and self sabotage" You gonna talk about my life?
Dad owned a cheap one of these cars. Worked for over a decade, went through dozens of accidents and wasn't insured so it's value when we got it was 700$, much less when it finally died out. By far one of the most reliable car brands out there.
The jetta he got right after the Saturn broke rather quickly, had it for 3 years. Perhaps we were lucky, but I've seen Hondas broken all over the shoulders of the roads
TheMagicSlinky Yeah honda is know for its bad engines and unreliability. There is a reason why you dont see 90-00 honda`s on road.
TheMagicSlinky where I stay broken down Honda’s are seen with more value than any 2018 car🙄🙄
TheMagicSlinky Mine lasted 17 years.
17 years is childs play in cars. Original motor w123 mercs are still common at +1mil miles at 42 year old cars.
I bought a 98 Saturn for $400 awhile ago.
I recently drove it over 3,000 miles round trip for Thanksgiving without a hiccup. It runs even better now!
There's the problem, GM cars are not supposed to run like that. You should have had issues at just 60,000 miles.
One thing I like about saturns is that they always looked kinda futuristic in design and had some cool tech in them. They were unique and ahead of their time.
Love my saturn. Hate EGR and PCV systems tho...
I had a 2001 Saturn SC2 and I loved that car! It felt great, had amazing MPG and handled really well. I gave it to my brother as a gift when I moved out and he didn't know anything about cars. He had an oil leak and never checked the level and threw a rod. Poor goldy :(
Donut one of the best UA-cam channels 👍🏻
Correct
I donut disagree
Agreed
VictorFPV no the best car show
VictorFPV fuck yeah !!
The only real Saturns are the S-Series. Great little cars. And the SC coupe looks sooooo cool!
Hikari 8 I want an SC coupe for my first car (the one with pop up headlights)
@@samuelchristensen322 as a 1994 SC2 owner, I say go for it. Just have some at-home mechanic knowledge. These things are hot cars though. Corners hard enough to play with miatas and still get 41mpg highway. The meaty GM style DOHC 1.9 delivers tons of midrange power in a violent, rattly rage. Just look for rear control arm and sub frame rust.
P.S. run 5W30 only and change it every 3k miles. No more.
Unless she burns the oil, then just top 'er off! I own a 2002 SL2 and boy is he right. That little 4 banger provides excellent low-mid torque, and when you floor it ohhh...does she scream in pleasure! 124 HP at 5600 RPM and a bee-yootiful 122 lb-ft TQ at 4200 RPM. Mine's got 251,000 miles on her and she's planning on sticking around for a while! That amount of power, combined with both a lightweight (just over 1 ton) body, and my 4-speed automatic, she just keeps going.
A few things to note:
*Engine Specs:*
1991-1994 SC1/SL/SL1/SW1: SOHC 85 HP
1995-2002 SC1/SL1/SW1: SOHC 100 HP
1991-2002 SC/SC2/SL2/SW2: *DOHC 124 HP
@@samuelchristensen322 I had a second gen as my first car. They're brilliant little cars, do it!
Yeah kinda irritated me he didn't mention the SW as well the series wagon
I had a 99 SL2. Very fun and reliable. I always get excited now when I see a Saturn badge in the wild.
i got a 93 2tone sc2. exactly like the one in the thumbnail of this video. it does turn heads when im driving around town and when i take it to car shows and people love it.
Up to speed: Saturn
by Nolan
Up to Saturn
I get that it would be a different approach on the subject, but wouldn't it be redundant?
Gianlucca Simão it's just a joke, cause this is kinda literally a up to speed if it was done by Nolan
Sega also had a bad experience calling their product Saturn...
The Saturn wasn’t too bad. The Dreamcast is what killed Sega.
well, if it wasn't for the dreamcast, the saturn would've killed sega
The Saturn wasn't bad by any means, and was home to many near-perfect arcade ports and 2D games. The issue was that the market was shifting towards 3D graphics and thus it was completely overshadowed by the PS1.
I had dreamcast and loved segaGT. Best car sim when i was a kid.
Sega Saturn was great, Panzer Dragoon , Clockwork Knight, Virtua Fight and Virtua Cop....great games.
I love my 2002 Saturn Vue! 18 years old and still kicking!
I miss my SL2 I wish I could find another that’s in good shape again
My family had a history with Saturn.
My grandma owned two, although I'm not sure the years or make, I believe one was a gen 1 sl and the last was a gen 3.
My dad owned two, one a 97 4 door and a 03 ion (the first car he bought from a dealer and not an individual mind you)
I've owned one. A 01 sc1.
They made very reliable cars if maintained. Mine was the worst of the bunch (it had some completely undeterminable high idle issue I never resolved), but it always fired right up when I put the key in. I ended up giving it to my sister one year after I bought a truck I was going to be driving. I am a trucker, so at the time I was home only occasionally anyway, didn't need two vehicles.
The cars were made well enough, and I can say they were relatively easy to work on when something went wrong (guess the engineers didn't take over yet)
Overall, I'd say if you see one on the market now being sold, buy it. There cheap, run like well, and honestly make great starter cars.
Also, all the saturma my family had we're 250k mile plus club cars, and only one (my father's) was involved in a accident, the rest were sold (or given) away.
First car was a Saturn SL-2 it was bullet proof. Saved my life.
I saw one get a head on collision with a bigger Taurus years ago. Taurus going 60ish hit the Saturn head on. I ran over (was my neighbor) and helped get her out of the road. She just had bruised knees from the dash coming in. I thought she would be dead. Her car bounced back 30-40 feet. Needless to say, she bought another
That was the first car I ever bought BRAND NEW
Jeffrey Reardon how much did you pay? What model?
I need one
Elaborate on that please.
I miss my Saturn a lot. It was my first car. I got a job in outside sales, and my 185k mile SC1 coupe wasn’t going to cut it.
It was so easy to fix. My water pump went out, and it cost me $39 lol.
Still miss that little guy.
One of my very first cars was a hand me down Saturn, that we bought used. It ran for YEARS. Lasted so long brings back good memories.
Every single Saturn feels "meh". I own an 05 Vue. It lacks any distinguishable feature, but it is an all around adequate vehicle that satisfies all of its purposes.
Noah Snyder the sky is pretty sweet though
You know when i was 21 I bought a used 1999 Saturn SL2 (Oil Burner). Not the best built quality car but that thing ran forever. It finally died in 2016.
They are, but for a 1990-2000 car, they are pretty decent judging that they have a 39 mpg with 110 some hp.
Oh yeah and the drivetrains are invincible.
I always liked the Sky/Solstice
I had two and loved them both. If you needed a car that was cheap to insure/ gas up/ fix and lasted FOREVER, nothing in my experience could beat a Saturn.
agreed. we have a 2002 Saturn L300 in the family, and the insurance on that every month? $26.
Nolan one more awesome video, I can not thank the Full Donut Media crew enough for helping me and my 6 Automotive shop classes survive and even thrive with your great collection of learning materials.
Sincerely Mr. Grant, London Ontario Canada EH
A neighbor of mine had a Saturn Auto coupe with a cute little spoljer that had a plate frame that said, "it's red, it's fast, and I love it". I drove by in my red 94 Supra Turbo 6-speed with with the 16 inch high wing all the time. Good time.
I love my 99 SL2. Sure, it looks like something an accountant would drive, but it's easy to fix and very reliable. Saturns were awesome until GM sucked them back into the company and started selling re-badged Chevys as Saturns...
really dude camry is superb. I own 2009 one. Its super reliable and well-equippered
but is is from 2009 the Saturn my parents had was from 1997, it is really unreliable but as a car it was hard to kill.
DaSovietPotato they are very reliable. Maybe you just don't know how to maintain a vehicle?
97 Camry 200k still loving every second of that small tamed beast 👍🏼
Auto, very easy to maintain what’s to hate 🤷🏻♂️
danger mouse you mean just like every other car that GM tries to do that with.. they always tryna just rebadge other cars which is why most cars die because if they gonna sell a generic version of what they already have, then why not buy the original? I hate GM and a Chevy is the last thing that I'll ever buy in the American car market
Saturns are great little cars. If you take care of them and do proper maintenance, they can last almost forever. I have a 99 SL2 that is still going strong.
V
My '98 sw2 has 214k miles. It burns a quart of oil for every tank of gas, (320ish miles) and needs new CV axles, but other than that and a few minor body issues, it's arguably more reliable than my 2010 Terrain (which burns MORE oil at 178k) or my '01 Yukon XL that has a plethora of electrical issues and a leaky trans.
colin schlicker you should buy a Volvo to see reliability my dads old 850 had 200k and ran like brand new
So very true. You didn't even have to do anything beyond basic maintenance. And VERY easy to work on. Plug and play.
I've got 4 of them (2 for parts). Love them so much.
I was almost lured/suckered into working in a Saturn dealer's shop.
Thankfully, I did my due diligence and actually interviewed the guys who were already back there.
I could tell none of them liked being there. That the hours were longer than advertised and they wouldn't allow volunteer firefighters to leave if the tones went off.
I passed and ended up in a private company's fleet shop.
That Saturn dealer closed its doors 2 years later.
My moms bestfriend LOVED her saturn, her 2nd saturn was side swiped 5 days after she bought it, and she bought another one, then when the L-Series came out she bought one the first month and still has it to thins day
It never made sense to me that GM closed Saturn, when they and the government were talking about reinventing the American auto business. Saturn was the reinvention, and GM had a big head start. Now I can see that Saturn was never properly funded beyond the splashy startup, and that's a shame.
Saturn was owned by the workers. (Definition of Socialism)
We had three Saturn's over the years. 1997 SL2, 1997 SC2, and a 1999 SC2.
These cars were freaking awesome. We had zero issues with these cars. If I ever find another 97 SC2 in good shape. I will probably buy it.
go for it
Man, I'd kill to have my '93 SL2 back. Inherited it at almost 20 yrs old from my step-mother who got it from her dad who bought it new. Though the engine was small, the car weighed so little it had a handled great with plenty of zip. Great first car for me as a broke college student. Also a great clutch to learn on: it was so forgiving you had to try to stall it. 10 years after its demise I'm still missing it.
I have a 1997 Saturn SL1, purchased in 2011. It has had very few major issues in a decade of driving it, and is fast-approaching 200k miles. The most major repair I’ve had done on it lately is getting a new valve body, as it was knocking whenever it shifted gears. Other than that…runs and drives great for the most part, although it is showing its age in a number of other areas after 24 years. That’s probably due to me pushing it recently by driving it literally all the way around the country, though. But it’s still going, even after that!
Just why did GM shut down the Pontiac brand? Since the Fierbird, GTO, Grand Am, Grand Prix, and a few others where Pontiac's most popular Iconic cars from the past 30 years.
obama made them to get bail out money he said they had to many car lines
My 99 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP was the best vehicle I've ever owned. I miss that car with a passion..
we have a 2002 grandprix 3800 gt great car does not go in the salt we have a 95 trasnsport for that pushing 200,000 mils an still runs like new love a 3800 eng
animalcorvair. The 3800 is literally bullet proof!
yep my boy had a 91 regal had over 350.000 on it ..org trans too but we use only synthetic oil that helps
The Vue IS NOT based off the Equinox. The Vue was THE FIRST to use the GM Theta Platform which GM built the Equinox and Pontiac Torrent off of. The Pontiac Torrent is the mechanical twin to the Equinox with some styling changes. The 2002-07 Vue is unique to Saturn due to the dent/rust proof body and side panels, and the 2004-07 Vue V6 is the only GM to use the Honda J35A/GM L66 V6 Engine and Honda transmission. The 2008-10 Vue is based off of the Opel Antara. I currently own a 2nd gen Vue.
THANK YOU! I thought it was off that he said the S-series was the only original design. Yea, the VUE was unique to Saturn first. Mine was an 03 with a 5-speed. I gave that car/truck hell and it never let me down!
only thats not a gm platform. it's a Toyota platform. there all based on the E platform corolla lol.
I own a 2nd gen. V6 AWD VUE too. Fucking love this thing
Where do you get Toyota from???? The mid-80's Chevy Nova was a corolla platform, the Pontiac Vibe is a rebadged Toyota Matrix . The Vue was a GM/Saturn designed platform that got used by GM's other makes (it's not that the Vue is a rebadged Equinox, it's the Equinox that's a rebadged Vue .... and same for the Ion, Delta platform was first used on Saturn Ion in 2003 and then used by other makes starting in '05)
I drove the 4 cylinder engine and that thing had no power, very slow on the highway. But I still see a lot of those.
I’m still wondering what happened to Mercury
Mercury was killed off in 2011.
Hey guys at donut! I own a Saturn sl2 with a DOHC and I love it! I feel like it's a badge of honor and I'm driving a piece of history! Thank you for the videos I feel like I learn a lot about cars and the history that surrounds them. Keep it up!
piece of depressing history.
I owned a 2000 SL1 saturn. Man that was a reliable car. Plastic body never rusted. Floor was galvanized then painted over. Hardly ever had a problem. drove that car 547,000 km. Went through couple wheel bearings and one water pump and starter. Always!!! started!! Never worried take it anywhere. original exhaust and brake lines. Plastic gas tank. Brake lines stainless. It was meant to be SUPER reliable and it was.... TOO GOOD!! most reliable and cheap to drive vehicle ever owned. Sold it at 547,000 km going strong.
@torontotim7 I looked at many Saturns and never saw bad gaps.
Why you sell it?
Lets be real, Saturn died when they killed the S series
Scalar Theorem It died when they killed the only thing that visibly differentiated Saturn from the masses...and that was the original styling of the cars -- the rest just sealed that declining fate. In the earlier years Saturn vehicles were easy to pick out and stood out from all other small cars on the road. After they dumped that lineup a Saturn looked essentially like every other small car on the road and there was nothing left that was distinctive other than the Saturn badge.
i agree. i love my sl1 and cant get rid of it!
GM really fumbled the ball when it came to Saturn. While I love the s-series (particularly the 2nd an 3rd gens - haven't had much experience with the first gen) it launched too late... I think that had the s-series hit the market in the mid-80s and stayed in production past 2002, and had the company's autonomy remained, things may have turned out differently for Saturn.
YEP! Keepin it real. im drivin a 2002 saturn SL1....in mint condition......with 40.000 original miles. Think i care about what others think? Obvuously not. My 4th Saturn S series between myself and family. Saturn was awesome! Unfortunatrly 2002 marked the final year of a TRUE Saturn. From then on......GM took over, and ruined Saturn. So sad. Maybe, just maybe.....the S series cars were SO durable and long lasting, that it meant customers werent buying new cars often enough? Hmmmmmmmm
@@BRIDON777 Im on my second saturn. 1996 SC2 and I love it so much. Im in the process of a deebs build on it. Saturns are my favorite car hands down. Part of me wants Saturn to come back. However I fear if that were to happen, they would be forced to become some strange hybrid/electric test subject of a car brand for GM
I miss my Saturn. I had a 98 Saturn sw2. Ran for 21 years between me and my dad until it died last year.
my mom had a Saturn. that thing was in a flood, in accidents, had all these problem but no matter what the thing refused to die. it just kept running. the car was a legend
I worked for Saturn from 2003 to 2007. In the beginning there was all kinds of big promises like "We'll pay you to go to school to be a technician" and what not. Slowly and slowly all those promises disappeared. They had huge Holiday parties celebrating the good Salesmen and good locations. Then around 2005 people working there kind of began to notice.. Hey we're not doing so hot. Hey there wasn't a huge party this year. Hey, the new cars suck. The "Saturn Six" in San Diego started thinning their workforce. I'm glad I got out when I did.
Recommendations: If you want an S-series get a 00-02 twin cam motor, not the SOHC motor, AKA "SC-2" or "SW-2" (wagon). Vue's were best 02-03; The v6 in the early Vues is actually a 3.5 Liter Honda motor. Much stronger and more reliable. IONs were always good except avoid the CVT trans, try to get a "Redline"; they're supercharged and more fun but are less reliable. DON'T BUY A RELAY (Saturn van). So many problems...
Ended the special contract with the UAW & GM as of January 05 as well.
My 05 ION was built under the old contract, has the polymer and space frame and was built in Spring Hill, which I consider part of being considered a "real" Saturn.
Unlike the L.
I had a 97 sc2 with the twin cam and a 5 speed. Great motor and great car in general. It went through coolant temp sensors like they were nothing but other than that it was great
@@gunchowder5065 I had a 97 SC2 as well. I loved it though I had tons of electrical issues out of it. It burned a quart of oil every 500 miles but the motor was bulletproof.
I bought my '05 Vue BECAUSE of the Honda motor. Obviously Saturn didn't advertise it, but in doing my pre-purchase research it was really a big selling point for me. I knew away to stay away from the CVT transmissions as they were unproven tech.
Driving a Saturn always felt like driving flying Tupperware
Curtis Campbell yea. Basically
Yup, you ain’t lying lol
I been to America before , wats a Saturn ( not the planet i mean )
Very funny , wat kind of car is this that called Saturn , looks like a retarded Nissan Sentra
Kkkkk Corrolla are way better than that
My old babysitter had a Saturn Aura and that car has so much memories for me
dope video. exactly what I was searching for. thank you.
GM could have used Saturn as their electric/hybrid company and could have used it to compete against Tesla and other brands that make electric cars.
John Maccoy they shut down way before that was really a thing...
That’s not a bad idea. 2019 Make America Saturn Again
The Volt should have been a Saturn. Bring back the EV1 heritage.
Garri Ward No. In 2019 Holden or Pontiac should come back instead.
It would be nice to see the name "Oldsmobile" again too. Or, imagine if they brought back Lasalle!
My mom had a 1998 Saturn SL2 it was a totaled car. It was fully repaired and we drive it around another 2 years before getting rid of it. It never broke down once!
I had a 95 Saturn in the late 90s. I got free tickets for Saturn day at Riverside in Mass, now Six Flags.
It was a great day until it came time to leave. Nothing like walking out into a parking lot with thousands of the exact same car you have LOL
Owned 3 saturns. 1994 sl1 / 1992 saturn sl2 and now 2003 saturn ion quad coupe. Never been let down , totally love saturns.
I still see Saturn Vues all the time. (Posted on the video's birthday)
Me too
I bought an 08 for $5k AWD with 112xxx it's the fastest vehicle I've ever driven. That 3.8V6 is a BEAST
My friends grandma had one. She would borrow it a lot in high school, we couldn’t believe how fast that thing was.
I love my 07 Vue. It's in excellent shape for its age and it's got more pep than my Mustang.
Mine is still going strong and it has seen lots of beatings
Was at a car show a few years ago and there was a '98 SC Coupe, lowered, dark green, gold rims, tinted windows...it actually looks pretty good.
I dont know what being proud or having a particular name has anything to do with it, you either like it or not, I thought it looked pretty good, and I wasnt the only one.
microbuilder I really liked the looks of my sc2. Had the twin cam engine a 5spd manual transmission and pop up headlights.
Equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig
A low, sleek pig, in that case.
My first car, which my dad bought me when I was 16, was a red 1991 Saturn SC. $11,775. It was right around the 500th one made. There were no retail stores near Philly, so we flew out to the closest store in Wexford, PA (outside Pittsburgh) to buy it and drive it back. Hardly anyone knew what a Saturn was yet, so it turned heads. People would stop me and ask, "A Saturn? What, is that a Chevy?" I loved that car, and drove it until it had 120,000 miles on it, with no real issues.
One thing I’ve noticed about saturns is that no one ever looks for one, they just end up with one. It’s one of those cars that no ones really interested in, but when they’re looking for a super cheap car and see one for sale they end up giving it a shot and loving it. You’d be surprised how many people have had one at one point in time!
95 Saturn sl1 298000 miles. Bought it at 112000 miles. Never fixed anything.
I hope your taking good care of that ride she's a jewel
then its high time you start fixing everything u lousy
S series cars are almost infinitely reusable, if they aren't crushed or eaten away by salt. Mine has over 250K hard, hard miles on it. I bought it new 22 years ago. Cheap and readily available domestic parts, a modular and simplistic design, easy access for repairs, a truly amazing set of factory service manuals that ought to be the envy of the automotive world, plastic panels, stainless steel exhaust, timing chain, etc. It shows that people who actually build cars had a hand in its design. I could build you one from a box of parts. After all this time, engine compression is still at like new levels. It burns oil like mad and I just keep pouring it in. Looks like it fell off a junk truck and still I drive it at 100mph every day on the highway, ice cold ac blasting away. It does everything new cars do except cost money.
My first car was an 05 ion 2.0l . I loved that thing, it was soo interesting
I'm Still driving my 1997 Saturn SC1 5-speed. Under 80,000 miles. My last Saturn SL1 five speed ran nearly 300,000 miles before I sold it. My brother had the first Saturn in the family, a generation 1 SL 5-speed, which he replaced later with a generation 1 SL2. He didn't like the SL2 as much as the SL, stating that the automatic transmission was disappointing and not smooth. My father bought a generation 2 SL2 automatic, fully loaded. I've never owned a DOHC Saturn, only the SOHC. I've seen lots of problems with the DOHC and the SOHC is plenty of everything without the extra valve train.
While the SLs were great cars, they were behind Honda and Toyota in fit and finish, quality, and NVH, as soon as they debuted and never caught up. The price point was the main competitor's edge for Saturn, but American Honda and, oddly, GMAC began leasing the heck out of cars and dropping APRs making the monthly payments lower. At that time, most shoppers were payment shoppers, so the price war wasn't really a war for Honda or Toyota. Saturn was making a market for only itself, which could have been a best case scenario, if properly handled (it wasn't).
The space frame was a great engineering idea, but it wasn't apparent when car shopping that the car itself had some neat stuff underneath. The 'lost-foam cast' engine block (if you look close at the engine block of an early Saturn, you notice it looks like styrofoam) was revolutionary stuff. The aluminum block was poured into styrofoam, which would melt away as the block cooled (remember, styrofoam is mostly air, and having an "air mold" to cast blocks in made the blocks cool much faster). The mid-90s S series cars had the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in, which is one reason I try to keep a mid-90s Saturn running as long as I can. My secret is to stay away from the GM 4T45 automatic transmission that was used, in various configurations, in the S series cars. I only own manual transmission Saturns and only mid-90s (OBDII). GM has always been awful at powertrains.
{My transmission shop rebuilt more GM T units than any other. Eventually I dropped the prices so we could get more GM T customers. The 'T' is for transverse; front-wheel drive cars. The units were the 4T45 (for small cars, like the Cavalier and Cobalt variants), the 4T60/65 (mid-sized cars like the Lumina, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, post cop-car Impala), and the 4T80 (big Cadillacs) which had four different final drive ratios available; basically all front wheel drive GMs got these units. They went through various iterations and none of them are long-lifers.}
Parts are getting a little more rare, but it's important to remember that wearable parts, like brakes, clutches, hoses, belts, are all standard sized items that you can fit in a manual box Saturn. Run them on full synthetic and replace the oil pan plugs with a magnetic Eco-Plug (the thin, stamped steel oil pan is inexpensive and easy to strip on an oil change, but it's five labor hours to replace if a careless shop strips the drain hole). Alternators are still not a problem, and the PS pumps are rebuildable. The A/C compressors are easy to find in the aftermarket. Body panels are still easy to find, though I've only replaced one. The headlamp units on my SC are nearly impossible to find. Preferring a manual box, I'm less inclined to have a distraction related accident anyway.
Saturn never turned a profit. It was a solid company until it was perverted by its parents. GM was supposed to stay hands-off Saturn. Eventually taken over by corporates, it tanked, just like anything built to make money would. Originally, Saturns had a passion behind them, an actual vision. Unlike most GM brands, Saturn needed leadership, not management. The financial crisis didn't tank Saturn. Saturn was destroyed by its irresponsible parents, forever condemned to a youthful memory of what it could have become.
My first car was a Saturn SC1 coupe . The car was a beauty! Never had any problems . 5 speed, no power, but great on gas. I sold it at 450k KM (280k miles) and it was still running great .
Nice work on the video!
Oldsmobile was forced to close as well. Great video
Great video wonderful attention to detail appreciate all the efforts enjoyed watching it
I bought a 97 SL2 back in October. the 1.9L DOHC 5-speed. My first car. Had something like 225k miles on it and i swear to god the thing was not gonna last a month. Decided to teach myself how to work on it and im 400 miles away from 240k miles. Its loud. It vibrates a lot, and it smokes a bit until it gets to operating temp. But it truly is a champion.
I grew up in spring hill and its very interesting to see the saturn plant talked about from an outside perspective. It was everything for the people in that town. It put the whole town on the map.
Started with good ideas and intentions unfortunately fell apart like James Pumphrey's family.
BennysBenz
oof
Hahah
BennysBenz what's a pumphrey?
BennysBenz lmao
My first car was a 99 Saturn. I loved that car. Drove it until 2010 and it never once gave me a problem. I can’t say that about any other car I’ve owned since then.
Our family has owned 5 Saturns. Here is our history
1st Saturn:The first was my wife's new 1996 SL-1. I loved that there was no negotiation, very easy to just go in and look with the no pressure sale. My wife and daughter had a head on crash and totaled it but walked away without any injuries.
2nd Saturn: the next Saturn was another new Saturn 1998 SL-2 in a beautiful burgundy with tan interior and dual cam head engine. But 2 or 3 years later my daughter was hit on the passenger side making a left-hand turn in an intersection. Again, walked away without a scratch.
3rd: Saturn: The 3rd was a used 1996. Nice car but not as well taken care of like we always did but no mechanical problems. My wife rear ended another car and totaled it. Once again not injuries. Another benefit of buying a Saturn was everyone pays the same price. When car rental buy a 100 cars they get a big discount and when it is time to sell them they dump them on the market, so it you are trying to selling your car that same as the rental car company is selling it devalues the selling price of your car. There were no Saturn rental cars or Saturn taxis because they would have to pay the same price as you. Also we got full market value from our insurance claim because they held up their value so well. we came out a little head on the payoff of the car loans.
4th Saturn: When my daughter was in high school and was going to buy her first car we knew a Saturn was the safest and most reliable car for her. She kept for years, got married and traded it in for a minivan when she was going to have twins.
5th Saturn: Also, my daughter's boyfriend (now my son-in-law) bought a new Saturn 2004 Ion Coupe. I always like it. Looks cool and could tell a lot of thought was put into the engineering of the outside, inside and under the hood. This summer my son-in law was in the market for a new Tesla and offered to sell me his 2004 Saturn Ion for $2000. I needed a vehicle any way and could not pass it up. I have cleaned it up to make it look like new again and am driving it every day to work and have gotten a lot of questions and compliment on it from my co-workers. (My last sports car sort of). Saturn’s were a lot like Hondas. Good dependable, long lasting safe cars. That is not GM's ro Ford's philosophy. Their plan has always been to make cars last 100,000 mile and then make the parts expensive and very costly to fix Thinking you'll buy another GM. Thank you for the history lesson on Saturn's. Very informative, I just wish GM would watch your video and learn from you.
I’d rather have a Saturn Ion than a Hyundai or Kia of the same year.
Saturns are actually very reliable
But thats cause hyundai and Kia are both cheap trash!!
would u recommend a saturn overa mercury milan
@@prospectsnowwaverygiavonni9103 yup.
What the heck?
So.............you now blame that on Hyundai and Kia for this stupid company going out of business?
Hyundai went global way before saturn was born.
You do not know much about hyundai.
@@prospectsnowwaverygiavonni9103 not of the same year. Fuck no both are mine field's, could be a ok car could be worse. Only the SL/SC/SW in manual are the best to own looking term.
Pro tip... If you have a saturn and it gets damaged its almost a guarantee that it will be salvaged.
My family has owned 4 Saturn cars. And my father has driven the same Saturn car (which he HEAVILY modified) for 27 years. It is without a doubt the most competent FWD car I've ever driven.
My sl2 was my first car and will always hold a special place in my heart. I really learned to do everything on that car because a guy on UA-cam named richpin something made videos on how to do everything on them. I still want another s series if I could find a manual coupe...
We had 2 Saturns, a 97 5MT SL2 & a 96 automatic SL2. Both ran great, the 96 got totaled by a Ford Escape, and was thrashed around multiple autocross events & the 97 was traded on a newer truck.
My dad raced a 5MT SC2 (pop-up headlights!) in autocross for a couple seasons & did decently with it.
This video made me buy a 98 Saturn sl2. They're so light if you hit a bump the frame dosnt budge and it feels like it's flying.
Our first brand new car was a Saturn in 91. It was a great little car. And they probably could have gone on to bigger and better things had they not been brought back into the GM bureaucracy. They were actually left alone and doing well until then
Except the money huh..
I own a 95 SW wagon 5 speed and i love it. Plastic panels and all
here's a fun story
my family owned a Saturn SL from 2001 to 2012. That little car was amazing. My parents told me it one of the best cars they had. It was reliable, cheap, and from the looks of it, pretty comfy. I had some great memories in that little sedan, and the only reason we sold it was because Saturn wasn't around to repair it, and it wasn't practical to own that car when the manufacturer was gone. I wouldn't be surprised if that car is still on the road today, giving great, lasting memories to a toddler, just like it did to me.