Slate & Saturn- Similar Histories so far

[mikebreeze]

I remember when GM announced that Saturn Corp. would start building vehicles in 1985. They launched the S series in 1991, the L Series in 2000 and the Saturn Vue in 2002. A number of other vehicles came afterwards but they were mainly rebadged vehicles from other GM divisions. Then Saturn was sunsetted in 2010. People were asking similar types of questions on the Saturn forums that they do on this forum. It's like history repeating itself. I owned a 2004 and a 2007 Saturn Vue. The vehicles themselves were OK. But they had issues. The vTI (their name for a CVT) transmission had issues. Mine lasted about 70K on my 2004. They gave me a good deal on a 2007 Vue to replace it. I kept that one for seven years. The Honda V6 was great but all the GM stuff started breaking so I got rid of it.

GM never made money on Saturn. With the low cost of the Slate truck I hope the same fate does not await Slate. It better not because I put a deposit on one!

 

[Sandman614]

You think Slate and Saturn are similar because people on an internet forum are asking similar questions now as they were nearly 30 years ago? And that they are supposed to be lower priced vehicles?

About the only thing they have in common is 4 wheels and a name that starts with an S.

This is some low quality bot F.U.D.

 

[sodamo]

Maybe we need a dislike or down vote button.

 

[AZFox]

Saturn was the brainchild of General Motors executives. At the time GM was the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

Slate Auto originated as a project called "Re:Car" within Re:Build Manufacturing to address the growing gap in affordable vehicles in the U.S. market.

The core idea came from Miles Arnone, who questioned the disappearance of affordable cars like the Ford Model T or Volkswagen Beetle. He envisioned a modern equivalent—an ultra-low-cost electric vehicle accessible to everyday Americans. This concept evolved into Slate’s mission: creating a radically simple and affordable EV. The company even adopted a playful nod to the Model T with its branding: "Any color you want, as long as it’s Slate gray."​

Seems way different to me. At least the origin story does.

 

[bartflossom]

Saturn was aiming at the low cost basic vehicle market and it did have plastic body panels. Also they had a "same price for everyone" policy, (which they quickly dropped when the Vue came out.)

As far as the forum goes I was once active on the Pontiac Solstice forum about 2 years before it came out and there were some similarities. Super enthused people, people who hoped it came out but weren't counting on it, people who wanted it with more horsepower, etc.. So I can see where you're coming from. There are similarities, but the differences are bigger like open source customization, no dealerships, the utility of a truck, right to repair, and of course the drivetrain.

 

[mikebreeze]

You think Slate and Saturn are similar because people on an internet forum are asking similar questions now as they were nearly 30 years ago? And that they are supposed to be lower priced vehicles?

About the only thing they have in common is 4 wheels and a name that starts with an S.

This is some low quality bot F.U.D.

I am not a bot and I was around when Saturn started 40 years ago. Were you?

 

[Imhotep]

I am not a bot and I was around when Saturn started 40 years ago. Were you?

I was, but I sure wasn’t posting on the internet then lol.

 

[sodamo]

I was, but I sure wasn’t posting on the internet then lol.

LOL, I can relate.

 

[mikebreeze]

The forum saturnfans.com did not start until the early 1990's. It was finally taken down a few years ago.

 

[sodamo]

The forum saturnfans.com did not start until the early 1990's. It was finally taken down a few years ago.

So, to be clear, you are asserting that Saturn fans were making similar comments post production as Slate fans pre production?

 

[Luxrage]

The only thing I hope Slate replicates from Saturn is their embrace of the owner's community:

 

[jonboy108]

We were fairly early Tesla purchasers- 2015, likely one of the first to jump in when Tesla established a service center in Cleveland (actually suburb Lyndhurst) Ohio. In those earlier days, the Tesla staff were perky, enthusiastic folks who coordinated owners' coffee and donut gatherings. I enjoyed meeting others, sharing stories and getting to know one another. Early supercharger visits prompted conversations and kinship. I didn't bite on Saturn when they came out but remember hearing the hype about the dealer experience. It'll be cool if Slate can do something similar. The prototype visit to Cleveland had a bit of that vibe and it was at the Great Lakes Science Center at the lakefront. Cool venue. Don't know how the vibe either changes, dies or continues. I don't want to be driving my Slate and feel envious of the Jeepers with their rubber duck collections and secret waves. At the end of the day, all we really have are the communities in which we reside and the circles of friends that support us.

 

[Sandman614]

I am not a bot and I was around when Saturn started 40 years ago. Were you?

No, but history books exist. And even a cursory glance of some wikipedia pages would tell very different stories of these companies origins, goals, leadership, target markets, funding, production, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Sojourner]

I liked the original post. And I can understand why those who didn't didn't. But the immediate dismissal of the OP was off-putting.

To me, the point of the post was the last para:

GM never made money on Saturn. With the low cost of the Slate truck I hope the same fate does not await Slate. It better not because I put a deposit on one!

I agree. 100%

 

[SparkYellow]

I am not a bot and I was around when Saturn started 40 years ago. Were you?

Thank you for sharing your observation with Saturn as a newcomer on the market. I am sorry that anyone would read your post to mean that the two vehicles are similar.