The Downfall Of Saturn

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Күн бұрын

In this video, we dive into the fascinating history of Saturn, General Motors' ambitious attempt to revolutionize the car industry. From its innovative no-haggle pricing strategy and unique polymer panels to its eventual downfall amidst GM's financial woes, Saturn's story is one of innovation, customer loyalty, and market challenges.
We cover:
The launch of the S-Series in the 1990s
The expansion with the L-Series in the 2000s
Introduction of models like the Aura, Outlook, and Sky
The impact of the 2008 financial crisis
The eventual discontinuation of the Saturn brand in 2010
If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe, and leave a comment sharing your favorite Saturn model or personal experiences with the brand. Stay curious, and thanks for watching!
#Saturn #GeneralMotors #CarHistory #Automotive #RiseAndFall #Aura #Outlook #Sky #SSeries #LSereis #AutoIndustry #Innovation #GM #FinancialCrisis #CarReview #History #Cars
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Пікірлер: 42

@djcjr1x1 2 ай бұрын

I'm not a GM fan but I liked Saturn. My girlfriend and another friend had 90's models and after putting some miles on them my respect grew. Here in Northern Michigan you still see many Saturns due to not rusting out like so many other cars that old.

@Staticjammer 2 ай бұрын

Proud owner of a 2007 saturn aura xe with. 120,000 miles

@albear972 2 ай бұрын

2:13 I still have that car that I bought brand spankin' new from the dealer back in 2002. A 2002 Saturn L100 SE which I bought with 0% interest for 5 years. It currently has 107,000 miles and has been the most dependable car I have ever owned. I think of it as an appliance to get you from point A to B. No car payments is a fantastic thing. So are the plastiqúe panels. Funny to think that my car is older than the Saturn corporation existed. I drive cars *not* to impress strangers. With the money saved it went into the market and it's been going very well. We also use the saved money to travel all over the world. What is it? drive a new car every few years or see new things? I go for the latter.

@Twmpa 2 ай бұрын

Saturn was founded with a mission to be different and established this as a USP but suffered from the same problem as most GM subsidiaries in the 2000s. At this time the VW Group was building a range of brands including VW, Audi, Skoda and SEAT which, despite extensive platform and component sharing, kept their brands and model ranges distinct from each other. By this time, GM were simply cloning the same vehicles across all their divisions and customers were not impressed. VW has slipped into some the same cloning in more recent years and is suffering for it.

@wynnschaible 2 ай бұрын

I had one of the 90s DOHC models back in the early 2000s. Loved it!

@landonbenford8369 2 ай бұрын

Who'd want a car made up of plastic panels??? People who didn't want their car to rust!!😮 Rust was and Still Is a VERY VERY VERY Serious car-killer in The Road Salt Belt like Chicago. A LOT of cars died a premature death in the 20th Century!! My Body Shop guy LOVED the plastic. And the plastic was cheaper.❤😮😊 Maybe the Motor Trend guys cared if the body panel gaps were misaligned by 1/8 of an inch. But consumers like me did NOT!!!😛

@Dangansona 2 ай бұрын

I have a Saturn Sky, and I love it, it’s my baby ❤. It’s heart breaking that they went, but they surely did go out with a bang

@99subigt 3 ай бұрын

My 1st saturn back in 1998 was a 93sc2 5spd burgundy color, it had 120k broken windshield that cost $500 to replace and brakes, I was a junior in HS and I loved this car, great on gas, traded in when it had over 260k for a 99sl2 cause my son was getting too big and wife hated when my son kicked the back of her seat, got divorced and got my 1st brand new car a 2022 sc2 5spd blazing orange, then when the saturn ion redline came out I got me a 2005 silver and had that till the end of the saturn era.

@scottymoondogjakubin4766 3 ай бұрын

Pre platform sharing saturns were the best ! I had a 93 sc2 and passed it down to my daughter ! Very reliable and fun to drive ! My son has a 07 ion ! Still not bad and parts are more available and low cost ! And very little rust

@terrygerhart6878 3 ай бұрын

GM, need I say more.

@mikewallace8087 2 ай бұрын

Yes you need to say more.

@Drewcardello 2 ай бұрын

This. GM ruined many great American automakers.

@colinschmitz8297 3 ай бұрын

With the introduction of the L series, Saturn transformed into Opel of America. I have wondered if GM would have had Saturn develop an S series replacement, given them the resources to update and make larger and turbo versions the twin cam engine, develop a six speed transmission, and used this for corporate side of General motors keeping The plastic side panels exclusive to Saturn if this would have worked out better than what GM actually did by using Opel platforms and engines as the basis for GM. At least the Saturn had the reputation for being extremely reliable and extremely efficient. The ion / Cobalt we're not particularly efficient or reliable.

@OLDS98 Ай бұрын

You are correct. The Saturn L Series was an Opel Vectra. That same car was sold as Opel Vectra, Vauxhall Vectra, Chevrolet Vectra in Brazil/ South America( GM Brazil). I am glad to see someone noticed also. The Saturn Astra was a Opel/Vauxhall Astra. The VUE was a Opel Antara and Chevrolet Captiva and Holden Captiva. They were trying to turn Saturn into Opel North America. That was for cost reasons trying to sync everything up and for economies of scale. They were trying to integrate Saturn into the rest of GM. The Sky was a Pontiac Solstice, a Opel GT and a Daewoo G2X( GM South Korea) also. The Outlook was a Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. The Relay van was a Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6 and a Buick Terraza. After the Ion, there were no unique Saturn products. When you have too many mouths to feel globally, this happens. I am sharing this as a GM person and owner of two Oldsmobiles.

@colinschmitz8297 Ай бұрын

@@OLDS98thank you sir. I understand the importance of economies of scale and the necessity of badge engineering (It just needs to be done correctly giving the divisions their own identity to reach unique customers). The issue in my eyes is more their choice to use Opel as the basis for Saturn (and for that matter corporate GM). In comparing the L series to the s series, we have the most direct comparison to see that Opel was no match for Saturn's reliability. The company needed to improve their reliability. GM could have allowed Saturn to build the next generation compact car program, next generation four-cylinder program, the 6-speed transmission, and the compact SUV program utilizing the compact car platform as a basis and had the rest of the GM divisions used it instead of Opel. On how many models to have beyond this depends on persons interpretation. I think they could have made a stretched compact car platform like iacocca did with the K car. Whether that would make sense for the rest of GM is for other people to decide. Models like the sky / solstice I never saw harm in attempting regardless who created the platform since GM typically does their sporty cars correctly. Concerning the larger vehicles like the Outlook, the minivan, etc. I think GM needed to have restraint concerning building these. These models in fairness were attempts to use Saturn as an Oldsmobile replacement when they already had Buick to fill in the gaps. Having said that, I enjoy your channel And we've had a few Oldsmobiles of our own back in the day.

@OLDS98 Ай бұрын

@@colinschmitz8297 You are correct about GM using Saturn as a Oldsmobile replacement. I never agreed with that and I recalled when it was happening. I remember the talks to merge Saturn and Oldsmobile into one brand. That a step too far. It did not happen. Today in 2024 Buick and GMC are in the same showrooms both selling nothing but crossovers and suvs and trucks. In China, they still have cars at Buick. What you said about badge engineering is correct too. Ford and Chrysler do it as well many others. One generation of the Saturn VUE used a Honda engine. Today Opel is owned by Stellantis. Somehow they were able to do what GM could not do with Opel. They turned a profit. It would have made sense to build a bigger car off a Saturn platform or another GM platform. Well, they did that. The Aura sedan. Thank you for your response.

@colinschmitz8297 Ай бұрын

@@OLDS98(This is really a fun conversation) yeah I remember they used the Honda j engine in the Vue. A friend of mine had one of those. The engine was great and it was quite fast and very fuel efficient. The transmission unfortunately wasn't the strongest. It blew up at 59,000 mi. I would cite Volkswagen group as a prime example of how veg engineering can be done very considering many of their different divisions share similar platforms from Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini. The bottom line is a have to avoid sharing sheet metal and have to have a unique interior, and have to have a different price point and different personality. I thought that might have been the case with the Aura but I couldn't remember it. Thank you for adding that clarification. With Stellantis turning a profit with Opel, The question that is always crossed my mind is what They did differently. Was the reason why Opel wasn't turning a profit due to it being more or less the R&d division of General motors for front wheel drive platforms and small engines verses today when it's not being treated as such? Did they make measurable improvements to the car or did they cost cut it to make it profitable as what Renault did to Nissan? I'd love to know What they did. I tend to be questioning this as well since I'm not too happy with what Stellantis has been doing with Chrysler.

@OLDS98 Ай бұрын

@@colinschmitz8297 I do not recall what Stellantis did to make Opel profitable, but the turn around was quick. I know they use common parts with other Stellantis brands. GM should have done whatever they did. In the end it was Buick and Opel becoming like each other and the Buick identity was lost. Buick was filling in that Saturn space. I just wish GM management could get it right. GM was killing brands( Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Holden) thinking that would help them. It has not. I still say thet could have sustained the brands doing what you said Volkswagen did. They can share common parts the buyer does not see. It is the cosmetic that you can see where there should be differences. GM did it in the past, but starting in the late 1970's lost its way. The 1980's was a rough time at GM with the downsizing era 1985-1990. Then they had to overcome that. Cadillac really got in a bad place with poor engines( HT 4100, 368 displacement on demand, and the Northstar V8.). They had some great looking cars in the early 80's and 90's. It was the engines. You have a valid point about the marketing of the brands. The Aura and Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 were on the same platform. I think Opel Vectra and SAAB 9-3 was on that platform as well. The issues GM had is the brands were in each others spaces when they should not have been. They should have played to the strength of each brand. They did not. I hear you on Chrysler. Chrysler, Dodge are in a bad position right now. Stellantis has really messed that up. I know Chrysler is down to a mini van and that is not going to save it. They are messing up Dodge now with an electric Charger no one wants and the Hornet a Alfa Romeo no one is buying.. I am watching that mess play out. It is not good. Stellantis does not understand the American market and they are trying to force products on people. The CEO is trying to do what he did at Nissan and it is not working. You cannot cost cut your way to profitability. I have enjoyed the conversation as well.

@adamsitar2717 3 ай бұрын

So basically they weren't good enough to compete with japan... classic America!

@jwc00789 3 ай бұрын

You skipped way over the Saturn Vue, which was worth more than just a scant mention! Loved my 2003 Saturn Vue, but had to junk it when it's CVT died. Had it been made with a regular Transmission, it would have been better.

@IBR-SRT 3 ай бұрын

I like cvts when there used right and not Imitate fake shifts

@landonbenford8369 2 ай бұрын

I'm hearing more and more that you have to follow the cvt maintenance schedule To. The. LETTER..😮

@spenzalii 3 ай бұрын

I've had 3 in my lifetime. '96 SL2 (drove for 8 years), 2001 L200 (drove for 11 years and 2 engines), and currently a 2001 LW200 which my wife loves. Go figure

@68404 2 ай бұрын

3:08 Special guest appearance by Michael Myers.

@erich84502a 2 ай бұрын

The Aura did okay in 2007

@OLDS98 Ай бұрын

It did. If it had lived, the Opel Insignia would have replaced the Aura. Because Saturn was dropped, Buick got it, and it became the Regal.

@manhattanblack 3 ай бұрын

I owned a 2007 Saturn Outlook

@68404 2 ай бұрын

"Like always. Like never before." Were they channelling Kamala Harris?

@revnto7k 3 ай бұрын

The S series was Saturn, the rest all trash.

@landonbenford8369 2 ай бұрын

I wouldn't go that far. Between me, my then-wife, and my in-laws, we've owned Six. Four of them were Second Generation, or rebadged versions, including my Saturn Ion 3. Second best car I EVER Owned. The Best I owned was a 1991 Escort Pony. The other three Saturns? Two went over 200,000 miles and my ex-wife's 2005 base Vue is STILL Goin'!!😅

@petertornabeni602 3 ай бұрын

Why couldn’t Chevrolet have gotten these cars ? What a colossal waste of money and resources. GM could have done better without buying hummer,Saab and EDS. Creating Saturn, took from the other divisions.. weakening the GM family.

@charlesharmon4926 3 ай бұрын

Because they had Geo which were badge engineered Isuzus and Suzukis along with a rebadge Corolla built in that plant in Fremont, CA that builds Teslas now. In the mind of then young Gen Xers like myself, Chevolet by the late 1980s was just another low quality gas guzzler Detroit brand and GM needed a new fresh approach

@OLDS98 Ай бұрын

You have no idea how many people have said this over the years and it was true. The money could have been invested in other GM brands. Three of them may not be dead today( Oldsmobile and Pontiac and Holden). The people at Chevrolet screamed the loudest against Saturn at GM.

@glennso47 3 ай бұрын

I once had a 2002 Saturn L200.

@lordmaul3 2 ай бұрын

The Saturn Aura was just a rebadged variant of the Chevrolet Malibu. During the last years of Saturn a lot of their vehicles were just rebadged variants of other GM vehicles. GM by far is the undisputed world champion when it comes to badge engineering. I mean this in the worst way. The Cadillac Cimarron is prime example of this. The Bozo's at GM were really tried to sell the soap with the Cadillac Cimarron. People with a half a brain could see the Cimarron was nothing more than a Chevy Cavalier with different front and rear fascia, slightly better seats and interior. Oh just stick Cadillac badge on it and these clowns out here won't see the difference. GTFOOH! Cadillac took one of the biggest L's in automotive history with that fiasco.

@SoundBlasterAWE64Gold 3 ай бұрын

Japanese and European imports prove to be hits all the time. And as of recently it is the Chinese who are obliterating American makes in EV sales. I don't understand American business minds. How is it more profitable to brainwash your customers into buying overpriced junk instead of making a product that is perfectly average for a low price and watch sales skyrocket? I mean, "entry level" American cars cost as much as a "luxury car" in Europe. So many unnecessary features to drive the price up. Chinese EVs are cheap and functional, unlike for example Tesla that carries a hefty price tag that is getting hard to justify with the world's economy falling apart again.