| The motto of the Saturn Car Dealerships at the company’s launch in 1985 was, “A different kind of company, a different kind of car.” As a subsidiary of General Motors, the Saturn slogan was to help customers realize the intentions of General Motors, to organize Saturn like a Japanese car company where the workers have greater control and involvement in the manufacturing plant’s operations. Additionally, Saturn dealerships are referred to in the corporate office as retail facilities to break the dealer stigma. Each Saturn auto dealer is established in a non compete area with other Saturn dealers. This is done to eliminate the haggling process between the salesperson and the customer. At Saturn car dealers, the sticker price is the price.
The, “what’s the best you can do,” way of shopping does not exist.
The Saturn dealerships, or retail facilities, proudly display the 2007 North American Car of the Year selected by automotive journalists in the Saturn Aura. The Aura is a four door mid sized sedan. On the smaller side is the Saturn Ion Sedan and Ion Quad Coupe. For the sportier customers, Saturn offers the Sky. Although there are no mini-vans in the Saturn fleet, there are two sports utility vehicles offered in the Outlook and the Vue. Future models to be introduced include the Astra, a sport compact combining the room of a sports utility vehicle with the power and handling of a smaller car.
Saturn dealers have not missed the bandwagon on the alternative fuel and fuel efficient automobiles that are so popular today. Saturn offers what they refer to as their green line, capitalizing on the sustainable green movement. The green line includes a hybrid Vue and a hybrid Aura. The Aura hybrid model boasts a 30 percent greater fuel efficiency than the standard Aura and the Vue’s green model estimates a 20 percent greater fuel economy than the standard Vue making it the most fuel efficient sports utility vehicle on the road.
The Saturn dealer locator on the website is a bit difficult to navigate to. The prospective customer has to first select the Shop option from the menu, and then, Check Retailer’s Price. The customer can then enter their zip code to find a list of local dealers. The list of dealers includes the contact information for the dealer, a link to a map, a link to the dealer’s individual web site (if one exists), and the ability to schedule a test drive, schedule a trade in evaluation, or locate a specific vehicle.
Special financing offers for 2007 Aura and sports utility vehicles are currently at 1.9 percent APR for three years, 2.9 percent for four years, 3.9 percent for five years, and 5.9 percent for six years. The Ions are being offered at 0 percent APR for three, four and five years with 5.9 percent for six years. For the 2008 line of Saturn Vues, the Saturn dealerships are offering 4.9 percent APR for three years, 5.9 percent for four years, and 6.9 percent for five years.
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