Do you think they will ever build Saturns again?

[JeffTheJoc]

If the economy improves, do you think GM will ever bring Saturns back?
They really were a very popular vehicle.
.

[sideup66]

Originally Posted by JeffTheJoc

If the economy improves, do you think GM will ever bring Saturns back?
They really were a very popular vehicle.
.

Id LOVE to see that. I <3 my Saturn . Bring back the plastic doors and im super happy, id love the day where i trade in my 03 vue and can buy a new redline .

[ruley73]

Originally Posted by JeffTheJoc

If the economy improves, do you think GM will ever bring Saturns back?
They really were a very popular vehicle.
.

No.

Oldsmobile gurus are hoping for the same too. I don't think that will ever happen either.

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by ruley73

No.

Oldsmobile gurus are hoping for the same too. I don't think that will ever happen either.

And I'm pretty sure Saab, Geo, Pontiac, and Hummer (Mercury for Ford and Plymouth, Eagle, and AMC for Chrysler) gurus are hoping for the same as well. And no, those won't happen either.

In Saturn's defense, had they started business at the beginning of 2000 or 2001, I'm sure they'd kick ass today...

[DigitalSaturns]

Not going to happen, and Pontiac is done and over with never to return.

[txsaturn]

Originally Posted by JeffTheJoc

They really were a very popular vehicle.
.

Yet they were never really profitable....

They were great, quirky cars but a cult following won't convince the bean counters to resurrect the brand. Plus, they'd never be able to re-establish the dealer network, which was one of few of the brand's defining traits.

[2NDSOUT]

Sorry but this was discussed ad nauseum when Saturn was done in 2010.

The cars will never be built again. What is left on the road, we should enjoy while we have the time.

[XRL]

Saturn will never see the light of day again. They were never profitable and don't exactly have a lot of value in the name brand. To the vast majority of people, Saturn means cheap POS car, something along the lines of a Geo but with plastic panels (and very few actually understand the benefits of the plastic panels, they assume it was done to be cheaper).

Honestly, I think Hummer is the defunct brand with the best chances of being brought back to life, because they were hugely profitable and have a lot of brand cache. I would expect to see a Hummer reboot as a more fuel efficient version this time around, with a tagline along the lines of being a "no compromises" vehicle that can get great fuel economy (likely from a TDI powertrain), offroad prowess, durable yet high quality and luxurious interiors, and imposing and rugged exterior styling.

I would rate the chances of Hummer being revived as somewhere around the chances of the crab people invading the surface world however. In which case, a Hummer would make a fantastic vehicle for mowing down hordes of crab people.

[2NDSOUT]

Originally Posted by XRL

Saturn will never see the light of day again. They were never profitable and don't exactly have a lot of value in the name brand. To the vast majority of people, Saturn means cheap POS car, something along the lines of a Geo but with plastic panels (and very few actually understand the benefits of the plastic panels, they assume it was done to be cheaper).

Honestly, I think Hummer is the defunct brand with the best chances of being brought back to life, because they were hugely profitable and have a lot of brand cache. I would expect to see a Hummer reboot as a more fuel efficient version this time around, with a tagline along the lines of being a "no compromises" vehicle that can get great fuel economy (likely from a TDI powertrain), offroad prowess, durable yet high quality and luxurious interiors, and imposing and rugged exterior styling.

I would rate the chances of Hummer being revived as somewhere around the chances of the crab people invading the surface world however. In which case, a Hummer would make a fantastic vehicle for mowing down hordes of crab people.

Hummer had a brief revival for some unknown production last year where there were roughly iirc, 800-1000 Hummers that were built and that was it.

I don't see any of the defunct brands coming back- it would take a LOT of money for someone to buy up all of the necessary blueprints, etc and a demand for parts, etc. for a defunct brand to make a comeback. Yes it was done with Delorean, but that was because someone in Texas bought the warehouse that held all of the remaining leftover parts that weren't used back in the day when Deloreans were built. And now you can buy a "New" Delorean for the tune of $55K and up.

Not going to happen.

[sideup66]

Originally Posted by XRL

Saturn will never see the light of day again. They were never profitable and don't exactly have a lot of value in the name brand. To the vast majority of people, Saturn means cheap POS car, something along the lines of a Geo but with plastic panels (and very few actually understand the benefits of the plastic panels, they assume it was done to be cheaper).

Honestly, I think Hummer is the defunct brand with the best chances of being brought back to life, because they were hugely profitable and have a lot of brand cache. I would expect to see a Hummer reboot as a more fuel efficient version this time around, with a tagline along the lines of being a "no compromises" vehicle that can get great fuel economy (likely from a TDI powertrain), offroad prowess, durable yet high quality and luxurious interiors, and imposing and rugged exterior styling.

I would rate the chances of Hummer being revived as somewhere around the chances of the crab people invading the surface world however. In which case, a Hummer would make a fantastic vehicle for mowing down hordes of crab people.

No offense I find it a bit hypocritical you say that. Reason being if I look back at old posts to where you first picked up your Vue, you didnt seem to think of it as "cheap POS" car.

However, I will agree, most people think that somehow there is no steel at all in the car making it a rolling deathtrap (to be honest I dont think you can get plastic to hold 4000 Ibs, no matter how thick it is). And have no clue as to their construction.

If they came back somehow, yes I would definitely buy a new one. For what you pay, you get a decent, reliable car that does reasonably well on gas.

What I dont understand is how its seen as POS yet people see so many old ones on the road. Honda does the same thing and everyone sees that as the uber reliable brand...

[Midnight13]

Originally Posted by sideup66

No offense I find it a bit hypocritical you say that. Reason being if I look back at old posts to where you first picked up your Vue, you didnt seem to think of it as "cheap POS" car.

However, I will agree, most people think that somehow there is no steel at all in the car making it a rolling deathtrap (to be honest I dont think you can get plastic to hold 4000 Ibs, no matter how thick it is). And have no clue as to their construction.

If they came back somehow, yes I would definitely buy a new one. For what you pay, you get a decent, reliable car that does reasonably well on gas.

What I dont understand is how its seen as POS yet people see so many old ones on the road. Honda does the same thing and everyone sees that as the uber reliable brand...

XRL has a point in saying this is how people see Saturns now. Look at the majority of people buying them up now. Doesn't really matter what emblem is on the front of the car..a $500-$1500 car is just a cheap POS to drive until it breaks down,then they get another $500-$1500 car.

They're all over the road now, because they are 10-17 yr old cars!! (S-series anyways). Most adults with families, and young children don't want to put their chances in an old car like that. I wouldn't want to be stranded on the side of the road in below freezing temps with my kids in the car waiting for a tow truck! New or newer vehicles are just more reliable. I wish Saturns were still made, they are pretty reliable, even considering the issues i've had with mine over the years. The plastic panels were an amazing idea! What I LOVE about mine! Something that was also bashed by many. Saturn will never come back. I still have my "14 yr old SL", and glad I do!!! I trust it with myself my 3 yr old, and soon enough, newborn.

The newer Saturns that are bought now, are either returning former Saturn owners, or people looking for a cheap vehicle, and a brand that has been known for reliability.

As Saturns are phased out, say 10yrs from now, the brand will be remembered, yet we'll all move on to something else.

[sideup66]

Originally Posted by Midnight13

XRL has a point in saying this is how people see Saturns now. Look at the majority of people buying them up now. Doesn't really matter what emblem is on the front of the car..a $500-$1500 car is just a cheap POS to drive until it breaks down,then they get another $500-$1500 car.

They're all over the road now, because they are 10-17 yr old cars!! (S-series anyways). Most adults with families, and young children don't want to put their chances in an old car like that. I wouldn't want to be stranded on the side of the road in below freezing temps with my kids in the car waiting for a tow truck! New or newer vehicles are just more reliable. I wish Saturns were still made, they are pretty reliable, even considering the issues i've had with mine over the years. The plastic panels were an amazing idea! What I LOVE about mine! Something that was also bashed by many. Saturn will never come back. I still have my "14 yr old SL", and glad I do!!! I trust it with myself my 3 yr old, and soon enough, newborn.

The newer Saturns that are bought now, are either returning former Saturn owners, or people looking for a cheap vehicle, and a brand that has been known for reliability.

As Saturns are phased out, say 10yrs from now, the brand will be remembered, yet we'll all move on to something else.

I said one time you see the group of people who own a car change as the car gets older. Same for saturns. Ones especially like my Vue and the early 00s models are great buys for college students as their still considered safe vehicles and despite the stupid issues they have (thanks GM!) they tend to be quite reliable and inexpensive to maintain/repair.

[XRL]

Originally Posted by sideup66

No offense I find it a bit hypocritical you say that. Reason being if I look back at old posts to where you first picked up your Vue, you didnt seem to think of it as "cheap POS" car.

However, I will agree, most people think that somehow there is no steel at all in the car making it a rolling deathtrap (to be honest I dont think you can get plastic to hold 4000 Ibs, no matter how thick it is). And have no clue as to their construction.

If they came back somehow, yes I would definitely buy a new one. For what you pay, you get a decent, reliable car that does reasonably well on gas.

What I dont understand is how its seen as POS yet people see so many old ones on the road. Honda does the same thing and everyone sees that as the uber reliable brand...

Hondas have much higher quality overall and are much nicer inside. Hondas never had a reputation for being cheap, they had a reputation for being quality vehicles for people that wanted to go from A to B. The interior and build quality of a Honda compared to any comparable time and model from GM is night and day.

The reality is, my Vue (like all Saturns) was not intended to be a nice car, it was built to a price, and built to be a cheap offering that would appeal to buyers more interested in value pricing (and to some extent, meek people who were too afraid to bargain for a deal on a car) than anything else. While I can't complain about its service mechanically (thanks Honda), there's no denying that it was built to be cheap and it showed in many places. And there's nothing wrong with that, but the reality is, in today's market there's SEVERAL brands that can build to that lower price points now, without (as bad) the stigma of being a cheap Saturn. Chevy has the Cruze and Aveo/Spark, Equinox, Malibu, etc., so they have no need to have an entry level brand, Chevy is their entry level brand! There's no reason to have dual entry level brands, they're low margin and high overhead.

I don't see any of the brands making a full comeback. I could see maybe a small group of sporty offerings from Pontiac, sold as special models. Maybe a few limited vehicles from Hummer sold as specialty vehicles on a limited basis at a high premium at special dealers.

But again, I doubt that will happen. It's far more likely that an external company will buy Hummer and build their own vehicles from that (I could see Tata buying them as an entry level Land Rover sub-brand, or someone else that's not a major player buying them as a spearhead, likely from China).

A Hummer used as an entry level Land Rover using fuel efficient powertrains (like the turbo4 from Ford in the Evoque) could be a winner. Then again, if anyone were to build Hummers again that were nice and got decent fuel economy, they could likely be a winner still. People still want Hummers, but they damn sure don't want to settle for mid teens gas mileage on the highway.

[Dropped Ion]

Originally Posted by JeffTheJoc

If the economy improves, do you think GM will ever bring Saturns back?
They really were a very popular vehicle.
.

To be honest I am surprised they went away. It's a reliable, affordable car with great customer service...what else could you ask for?

[dsquare86]

Honda is not as reliable as people think, when my wifes Integra breaks down -- Saturn time

[slipstream]

I think Gm kinda just stopped the "port" companies.

Pontiac ported a lot of Chevrolet vehicles, in some cases literally just changing the badge.

Near the end, Saturn ported Opel and relied heavily on other GM platforms and designs (Outlook, Relay etc) iirc, the Saturn Vue is still being sold in the world as something else, but it looks the exact same lol.

Hummer wasn't really profitable but went to a Chinese company until that failed.

The only real brand comeback story to pay attention to is DMC. An entrepeneur bought DMC a while ago and started to reproduce DMC DeLoreans with original parts and new parts. They have a few dealerships in USA, and it's definitely a neat car, retaining a lot of the styling but updated a bit with new safety features and engines, including an electric version coming out.

/twocents

[ricksLS1]

The Outlook was a Clone to the Traverse, Arcadia and Enclave. The Aura was built in the same line as the Malibu. The Astra was a flop (Opel based) as was the L series.

The ION was a flop too. Someone could buy the name (Like Penske) and put it on another vehicle.

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by ricksLS1

The ION was a flop too. Someone could buy the name (Like Penske) and put it on another vehicle.

Really, the Ion was a flop? I thought it was pretty good, a more worthy successor to the S-series IMHO

[mikec]

Originally Posted by adventureoflink

Really, the Ion was a flop? I thought it was pretty good, a more worthy successor to the S-series IMHO

I personally liked the Ion but it did make a top 10 worst car list:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11381...-all-time.html

[ricksLS1]

Originally Posted by adventureoflink

Really, the Ion was a flop? I thought it was pretty good, a more worthy successor to the S-series IMHO

How many years was the ION produced? As sales go it was a flop.

I can see a CHinese company buying the Saturn brand and building cars in China and using the Saturn nameplate. Not that I would agree with this. They do this with TV's now. RCA name is owned by a Chinese company.