2008 Saturn Vue Review

Specifications

There are a few things you can be sure of at GM’s import-fighting Saturndivision: friendly non-confrontational dealerships, no-hassle, no-haggle pricing, and those rust-free, dent-free plastic panels … OK, at least the dealership experience hasn’t changed.

When Saturn ushered in the Relay minivan a few years back it also announced an end to the love-hate relationship many of us had with the brand’s polymer panels. You remember the ads of kids using their parent’s Saturn as a backstop for their baseball game, with the dad coming out and, the audience expecting them to get into trouble, he threw the ball at the car even harder exclaiming something like “This is how you do it!” Well those days are almost entirely gone, because by the end of this year there won’t be a Saturn left with plastic exterior panels.

While some might consider such news a step backwards, most everyone else will embrace the new Saturn that has brought us the Sky roadster, Aura sedan, Outlook SUV and this new Vue.

More worldly American viewers will probably recognize Saturn’s new faceas that of Germany’s Opel, and in the case of this Vue, pretty well everything is shared with its Korean-made European sibling, the Antara. The Vue, while designed and engineered in Europe isn’t assembled in Korea like the Antara, but rather in Mexico. How about that for a global initiative?

So where does it fit into the sport utility landscape? With the current model being the most popular Saturn, having increased in sales year over year, which almost never happens, the new version has a good base to grow from. It’s still a compact, with the same wheelbase length as the old Vue, but a little wider and taller. The addition of a steel outer shell has made it heavier though, which first and foremost gives it an immediate sense of solidity that the old model lacked, and additionally this should help in crash protection, but the added weight also makes it harder on fuel than it could have been if itwere lighter. This is made up for in other ways, mind you, and I’ll get to that in a minute.

What will matter as much to Vue buyers is that this new larger crossover also allows for more interior room, although it still doesn’t have as much front and rear legroom than some in this class – the CR-V, Outlander and RAV4 come to mind – although the difference is hardly noticeable. And while cargo space is up from last year, it also falls slightly short of the segment leaders. Then again, usable cargo space, i.e. the size of the floor area and ability to load longer items in via a flat floor, is one of the Vue’s strong points, as is the convenience of its clever cargo netting system. It makes organizing gear extremely easy, without worry of anything flying around in back during emergency avoidance maneuvers or while having a little bit of fun behind the wheel.

Speaking of getting behind the wheel, I have to say that I get more and more impressed with Saturn’s interior quality with each new model. It’s easy to see the European influence in the Vue, with high quality, soft touch plastics everywhere it feels more like a premium model than the entry-level crossover that it is. Even the pillars are lined with the same high quality woven fabric as the roof liner, something normally only available with luxury brand cars. I like its two-tone cloth seats too, not just because they’re very comfortable, even on long trips thanks to lumbar support in the driver’s seatback, but also the way they match the doors and dash is really upscale. All the switchgear is top-quality as well, which is something I certainly would never have said of Saturns from the past.

One thing GM has always done well is provide a wide choice ofengines. Previously the Vue was available with an Ecotec four in the base XE model, which is the case again. It’s a 2.4-liter mill that makes 169 horsepower and only drives the front wheels through a four-speed automatic. This is perfect for entry-level buyers looking to save money initially, as well as at the pump.

Next up the performance ladder is the all-wheel drive XE which gets a 222-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 mated to a sophisticated 6-speed automatic, and top-line XR and Red Line models no longer get the Honda sourced V6 with its 5-speed drivetrain, but rather an in-house built 3.6-liter V6 that makes 252-horsepower and puts power down to all four wheels via a more sophisticated 6-speed auto, with optional Tap-Shift control for rowing through the gears.

Truly, there are few more powerful V6s in the compact SUV class, and most rivals don’t come with the extra forward gear either, benefiting performance and fuel economy. The latter is fairly good across the line,with 4-cylinder models consuming an EPA estimated 19 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. XE 3.5-liter V6 models with all-wheel drive don’t fare as well, with 15 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway, with the XR FWD gets 16 and 23 respectively, and the XR AWD uses 16 mpg in town and 22 on the open road. Oh, and the aforementioned tap-shift can give a boost in fuel economy, if used to reduce revs.

If even better fuel economy is desired, two hybrids are on the way. The existing “mild” hybrid drivetrain will continue in the new body style, as will a new two-mode hybrid expected to improve city fuel consumption by up to 45 percent. It will eventually get plug-in capability, improving mileage even more. The two-mode setup is especially interesting, being that it makes use of a traditional transmission instead of the hybrid standard CVT. CVTs are wonderfully efficient during day to day driving, but aren’t good for towing. So, expect the top-line Vue hybrid to offer a decent tow rating.

Thriftiness aside, the top-line 3.6-liter V6 really hustles off the line, hardly slowing all the way up to highway speeds and beyond. It’s a smooth, refined powerplant, only getting a bit noisy at the top of its rev range, where most owners will never go. The six-speed automatic shifts crisply too, although not so much that it forgoes smoothness. Like the rest of the Vue, its refined powertrain will impress would-be buyers.

And how does it ride and handle? For a compact crossover it’s surprisingly comfortable, even over rough terrain. It’s extremely stable over loose gravel too, something I found out on the launch program thanks to an especially varied route that had us traversing some gravel roads through a never before seen countryside. When the rear attempts to kick out, standard Stabilitrak stability control pulls everything back in line, which gave me the confidence needed to go quicker than I would have otherwise done.It holds nicely to the pavement as well, gripping tightly even when pushed hard and not leaning uncomfortably. OK, a BMW X3 it’s not when the tight, twisting corners come, but then again the Vue rides a heck of a lot smoother than the Bavarian, so the tradeoff is not without some benefit. Its good composure is due to larger stabilizer bars than the outgoing Vue, plus a double isolated engine cradle and hydraulically assisted steering on V6 models.

While front-wheel drive is standard and even available on top-line models, the Vue’s all-wheel drive system is quite sophisticated for this entry-level class. It’s proactive versus reactive, meaning that it immediately gathers information via multiple sensors and relays it within milliseconds to the AWD system, which distributes torque front or rear, depending on what’s needed. Up to 80 percent of the torque can go to the rear wheels if called upon, although to save fuel the system defaults to front-wheel drive.

And more about that stability control system that Imentioned a minute ago, it also features trailer sway control, plus a rollover sensor to further reduce the chance of the vehicle tipping over. The Vue also boasts a set of front airbags, side-thorax bags and side curtain-type airbags for all outside passengers as standard equipment, just in case the unmentionable occurs. The car’s unibody construction is also extra stiff, with crumple zones built in to absorb impact, while a pedal release system will collapse the pedals during a severe frontal collision. Other safety features include dual pretensioners for front occupants, a tire pressure monitoring system and OnStar. Additionally, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and traction control are also part of the base package, and they work very well, delivering steady, predictable braking during normal driving, and impressively quick, stable stops in panic situations.

For those wanting a little more visual excitement, the Vue Red line comes out towards the end of the summer, and is visually exciting. Like the previous version, modifications are limited to styling in and out, plus suspension settings. The first Green Line will available in the fall, while the two-mode version comes out next summer.