Saturn Was a Marketing Success

[Charlie]

A new feeditems entry has been added:

[drupal=3375]Saturn Was a Marketing Success[/drupal]

Ch****** Sadler from CBC News: Historians reviewing what went wrong with Saturn shouldn't blame fickle consumers for turning their back on a brand trying to do things differently, says an automotive marketing expert.

[Kooler King]

Is that like: "Doctor, the patient didn't make it, but the operation was a success." ?

[ar15]

In Today's economy, Saturn doesn't make any sense. Saturn started as a company that had unique products, sold in a unique way. They evolved into just another "me-too" GM division.

Saturn Vue = Chevy Equinox = Cadillac BRX

Saturn Sky = Pontiac Solstice (since Pontiac is gone, perhaps they'll rebadge as a Chevy)

Saturn Aura = Chevy Impala

Saturn Outlook = Chevy Traverse= Buick Enclave= GMC Acadia

Saturn Astra = Chevy Cobalt

[VTHokie00SL2]

Originally Posted by ar15

Saturn Astra = Chevy Cobalt

Not really on that one!

[ar15]

Originally Posted by VTHokie00SL2

Not really on that one!

Isn't there an equivalent?

[ptrentacosta]

I think GM gave Saturn the ASTRA so we couldn't compete against the Cobalt. That's why the took away the ION instead of redesigning the ION. The Cobalt was the Chevy version of the ION. The ION won the R.L. Polk award for owner loyalty in its category four years in a row 2004-2007. That award was based on actual car registrations. Basically Saturn was without an entry level car for two years.

[page2171]

Originally Posted by ar15

Saturn Vue = Chevy Equinox = Cadillac BRX

Kind of...the Cadillac SRX is on a related platform, there is no BRX

Originally Posted by ar15

Saturn Sky = Pontiac Solstice (since Pontiac is gone, perhaps they'll rebadge as a Chevy)

Actually, the Kappa cars are dead...no future planned beyond the end of production for the Solstice and Sky

Originally Posted by ar15

Saturn Aura = Chevy Impala

Wrong...the Chevy Malibu is the platform mate of the Aura, along with the G6.

[Matt42]

Two of the best cars I ever had were Saturn SW2s, hands down. My wife traded in a perfectly good 1993 SW2 on a 2003 Vue V6 with AWD. It was horrible. It torque-steered, it bump-steered and the power steering was so sensitive on zero that passengers got car sick. At 41,000 miles the AWD unit was making a wagga-wagga-wagga sound, and the English made Vauxhall engine sounded like a worn-out 1962 Chevy 283. Changing spark plugs, wires, water pump, thermostat and many other normal items required removing the intake manifold. Just before we took delivery (wife bought it off a shipping list), the dealer removed the sticker that said the engine was made in England. Had I known that, I would not have bought the car--and saved myself a $21,000 bath.

When I read, in 1999, that GM had reabsorbed Saturn, I should have known to expect a return to normal GM mediocrity and stayed away. GM's reputation for save-a-nickel-everywhere was one of the reasons for setting up Saturn in the first place, and to get back the car buyer that preferred Japanese cars instead of normal Detroit junk from the 1970s. That's how Saturn got us, and with the S series cars, I have no regrets.

If I have any consolation, the Vues with Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) were way worse. Some consolation.

[RedL300]

Hey Matt Gotta tell ya..Drive an Aura..It's anything but "mediocre".
The 'L"? Okay,maybe a little,but the Aura wasn't COTY for nothing.