Should you buy a Hummer, Saab, or Saturn?

Buying from these three orphans of the General Motors bankruptcy process carries newfound consumer risks, making it difficult to endorse buying their vehicles right now. Further, there are just three models between them that meet Consumer Reports standards to be recommended: Saab 9-3 sedan, Saab 9-5, and Saturn Aura XR V6. And of those, the Saabs are decidedly dated cars overdue for a redesign.

While Hummer, Saab, and Saturn are not part of Motors Liquidation Company, where the so-called bad assets from the former GM corporation are staged, these brands are pending imminent sale or other resolution. Think of them as the kids who didn’t make the varsity team. They may get picked for junior varsity, or simply sent home.

Each brand has a likely purchaser lined up (Hummer – Tengzhong, Saab – Koenigsegg, Saturn – Penkse Automotive Group), though the deals have not been finalized. We can report on the current vehicles and state expectations that parts, service, and warranties will be honored by the next owners. But the reality is, we don’t know for sure what the future holds. Do you want to gamble with your own money, even though incentives are likely to be high?

Another factor is the dealer body. Many dealerships have closed under the weight of the recession, while others will be relinquishing their franchise rights when they expire. Hummer, Saab, and Saturn dealerships are not nearly common as Chevrolet stores. If the local dealership closes, how convenient would it be to visit another? And, what if the new owners withdraw from your region, choosing instead to focus on areas that would maximize per-store volume?

Plus, there is an underlying concern for consumer protections with lemon law and personal injury claims, as reported previously with Chrysler and GM.

The bottom line is that there are significant unknowns that add risks to buying what are in most cases mediocre vehicles. If your heart is set on purchasing from these brands and you are looking from a great deal, I suggest you wait a few months to see how the ownership situation shakes out.

Read: "What the post-bankruptcy GM means to you."

—Jeff Bartlett

Comments

[WooDz]

Is this a report or an advert for GM?

I'm struggling to work it out.

[Wombatish]

It says.... don't buy one.

That's a pretty terrible advertisement.

[Alexandros]

So, the Saab 9-3 Convertible doesn't meet Consumers Report standards to be recommended ???? Oh boy, oh boy....

[Jeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports]

Reliability is average for the sedan but well below average for the convertible.

[kcliss]

The Saturn Aura and Outlook are built on Chevy platforms, so, in theory, a Chevy dealer should be able to provide service. Warranty coverage, though, is still a concern.

[Diesel]

Great work, Jeff. Might as well kick 'em when they're down. What do you drive, Jeff?

[Jeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports]

What I drive is less important that what I won't be buying this summer. The point here is that there are some unknowns when purchasing from these brands, and it would be prudent to approach with caution. You have not been hearing this perspective in the mainstream media; this is a message that Consumer Reports can uniquely deliver, as we are not beholden to advertisers.

And BTW, I am quite on record as having a fondness toward the Hummer vehicles. Check out the link at my name for one of my many adventures.

[Deborah C]

There are so many environmental reasons for not buying a Hummer that this brand deserves to die for that reason alone. Selling off a horrible product line just seems like sticking somebody else with the problem, although if any company is dumb enough to buy such a lemon, that company probably deserves what it gets. Of course, that sort of greed is what has landed us in the current financial mess that the planet is in.

[Deborah C]

Just a comment on the rather idiotic message "Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author." Since I am the author of my comments, haven't I already approved them by writing them in the first place? Are you going to send them to my e-mail address and ask that I approve them a second time? Who writes this stuff?

[Lazy Dayz]

After our local Saturn dealership closed this spring, I received a letter from GM telling me that they would service my 2002 Saturn SL at any GM dealership. Shortly after that I needed an o-ring set for my Saturn's AC unit. I went to the local GM complex, one of the largest in the state, where I had purchased my Chevy pickup and Equinox (a real problem vehicle). They told me that they couldn't do anything for me as they had no parts books or service manuals for Saturn. They wouldn't even try to match up the o-rings. I might as well have been driving a Yugo. I will not buy anything from GM again.

[Diesel]

In your article, it appears you had a nice trip on some rough roads. Did you really like the Hummer or was it a day trip fondness because it got you to your hotel for drinks?

By the way, Saab, Hummer, and Saturn seem to be in good hands. All will run out the current product life-cycle and refurbish with new ventures according to the news. Warranties will be honored per our President, but maybe on the taxpayers tab. Maybe the Chinese will build Hummers in bunches and park them at the N. Korea border..Their may be another bright side to the Hummer brand.

Have you seen the incentives on these brands? They are almost to good to give up. Along with a stable warranty, how can you say they are not a good buy?

[Jeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports]

@Deborah - That message is built in to the system. I believe the intention is that the blog author will approve. All messages are manually approved.

@Diesel - Objectively, Hummer vehicles do not measure up in the real world. However, before the gas drama, they represented American military might and vehicular machismo. Add to that solid off-road credentials and ample hands-on adventures with various Hummer models, and yes, I dig Hummer.

[Marc]

Frankly I don't understand the fuss. Dealerships are all rip offs and warrantees are a joke. In most cases they only cover the first 2-3 years of a cars lifetime when few repairs are needed. Routine maintenance, tires, headlights, etc. aren't covered.

[NYC Consumer]

Saturn's are great cars--I am now on my second and the dealerships are the only ones that treat customers correctly. The Saturn dealers have a different relationship with GM than did the others and it appears that a responsible person is buying Saturn. What this should mean to customers is that we will be treated better by the new Saturn than by other company. Don't give up on Saturn--it isn't just the car it is the culture of treating customers with respect.

[Michael Lewis]

How come you don't discuss Pontiac? I presume you would be negative on their cars as well given that the brand is about to be abandoned.

[sarah]

I find it hard to believe that the Aura V6 is the only Saturn that holds up to consumer standards. What about the Outlook which is extremely popular and per recent surveys outsells both the Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia.

[Donna]

We own a 2005 Saturn Vue that has had one problem in 4 years. Its the 6 cylinder with the Honda engine which is why my husband bought it. There are lots of Vue's in my area. Reliability seems to be above the norm.

[Dan]

As an independent Saab mechanic who benefits directly from the closure of Saab dealerships, I have long told customers not to buy another one and switch to a more reliable brand (Honda, Toyota). They just aren't that good. There's a strong cult following which I can relate to, I've owned 3 myself, but they have always needed more repairs than average.

[sarahsmile90]

I think this is perfectly sound advice. I have no interest in purchasing any of these vehicles, but with the future being unknown at this point why take a risk?

[GLloyd]

The driver of an 18 wheeler ran a red light and the rig's right side wheels and hanging fuel tank ran over the front of mother's small 2000 Saturn.
The engine compartment was crushed. The airbag worked. The windshield did not break. The doors still opened properly. It was an emotional experience for mother, but physically, she only suffered a broken thumb from the steering wheel spin as the car was dragged. She bought another new Saturn and experienced a similar accident and similar results in 2002, being hit by a big Ford SUV. Three years ago, my daughter was driving a '95 Saab 900S 4 door when it was hit in the rear and pushed under an SUV in her front. The airbag worked, the engine was pushed under the passenger compartment rather than into my daughter, and she only suffered stress to her back, stressing a previous injury. In all cases the crash protection afforded by the structural integrity of the Saturns and Saab worked. In all cases, the data collection process by the insurance companies was flawed, with weights to prevent liability on the part of the insurance companies. In neither case did the vehicle manufacturers receive proper structural empirical evidence of the good structural engineering of the cars. As well, the data reported to the government was flawed. Saturn and Saab have good histories. I will not buy one this year, but that decision is strictly a financial one based on both their and our financial instability, not one based on design or engineering opinions that are contrary to empirical evidence of which I, as a designer, have direct experience. I live close to Springhill, Tennessee, where Saturn was first built. The people in that area are of the same cultural character as those who work at Nissan or Toyota, only a few miles away. The VW plant in Chattanooga will employ people of the same cultural background. The Mercedes and Honda plants in Alabama also have workers who grew up with the same work-ethic consistent with the workers who built Saabs or Saturns. Everything does not come down to Six-Sigma production or California designers. Look deeper into design, engineering and production philosophies and the integrity of the workers who build the vehicles before you make any recommendations. Then, you will be operating as a "good" consumer reporting organization in a gestalt approach. We did not sue either Saab or Saturn because they did their work well.