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SUV Review:
Saturn, the car brand, not the ringed planet,
has always been a mystery to me. On one hand it’s the most lovable
branch of General Motors, one that keeps its buyers sublimely happy.
Saturn buyers are among
the most loyal a dealer could wish for, largely because they rate their
buying experience so high. It’s the no-hassle dealerships they love, not
necessarily the cars themselves.
And that’s no surprise.
When you drive the vehicles Saturn produced before this year, you’ll
find they’re mainly garbage, nothing but puffed-up Power Wheels toys
covered in plastic bodies and driven by chain-saw engines.
Starting recently,
though, Saturn began rapidly dumping its geriatric lineup in favor of
new, fresh, decent vehicles, one’s people might want to buy even if the
company’s dealerships were staffed entirely by angry, drunk midgets.
The Sky is one of
those. This two-seat convertible sports car is not only fun to drive,
but absolutely gorgeous. Saturn’s bread-and-butter SUVs are joining the
improvement party, too.
The Vue, introduced in
2004 as a low-cost but otherwise lackluster Crossover, is totally new
for 2008. The cretaceous-period design of the old Vue is replaced by,
believe it or not, a newish European car called the Opel Antara.
The Saturn Vue’s cabin
is roomy for a compact SUV, allowing plenty of
space for knees and
hips, even in the back seat. While I normally think badge engineering is
stupid, in this case it did Saturn a lot of good. The Opel-based Vue is
as handsome on the outside and as comfortable on the inside, with a
stylish cabin and smooth ride.
The ride is actually
softer and squishier than in most SUVs, especially the new ones that try
to be sporty. The whole vehicle dips and dives quite a bit when you stop
or accelerate, but it has a nice feeling of levitation on the highway,
if you like that sort of thing.
Another strong point
comes at the engine buffet. You have three tasty choices, ranging from a
fuel-thrifty 2.4-liter four-cylinder to a powerful 3.6-liter V6.
Acceleration with the
biggest engine is almost V8-like. On the downside, so is its gas
mileage. It only gets 16 miles per gallon in town, according to the
federal government. Another drawback is the higher price.
While the original Vue
was a dirt-cheap SUV, the new one starts at $21,400 for the base model
and more than $31,000 for a fully loaded all-wheel-drive version. That’s
a lot of money for a Saturn, even if it is a great vehicle.
What was
tested? The 2008 Saturn Vue XR AWD with a base
price of $26,270. Options: Premium trim package for $1,075, a
convenience package for $505, a navigation system for $2,145, the
trailer towing package for $350 and an advanced audio system for $325.
The total MSRP price as tested, including the $625 destination charge,
is $31,295.
Why avoid it?
It can get expensive for a Saturn, especially considering its
budget-minded predecessor, and has a soft, squishy ride some people
won’t like.
Why buy it?
It looks nice, drives well and is very comfortable on the road. It’s a
vast improvement over the previous Vue and shows how Saturn is committed
to selling better vehicles than in the past.
By Derek Price ©
AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Saturn Home Page
Byline: SUV
Review provided by Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Column Name: Saturn taps European brand for all-new SUV
Topic: The 2008 Saturn Vue XR AWD SUV
Word Count: 617
Photo Caption: The 2008 Saturn Vue XR AWD SUV
Photo Credits: Saturn Vue Internet Media
Series #: 2008 - 08
Download
the Microsoft Word version here:
2008 Saturn Vue
Download the Original Image File here:
2008 Saturn Vue
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