2008 Saturn Vue
Tuesday, May 29th, 2007
The 2008 Saturn Vue is one of the more intriguing new vehicles on the market this year, and not because of any innovative technology, advances in safety or huge leaps in fuel economy. With the Vue, you get fairly straightforward hardware: front-mounted four- and six-cylinder engines, front- or all-wheel drive, MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, seating for five, and six airbags.
In the 2008 Vue, the plastic sides and cavernous panel gaps are gone, replaced by stylish sheetmetal. Inside, we’re happy to note that interior quality incorporated into the Vue in recent years hasn’t been lost in the transition. Under the hood, buyers get a choice of the top-of-the-line 3.6-liter, 257-hp, 248-lb-ft V6, a 3.5-liter, 222-hp, 219-lb-ft V6, or a base 2.4-liter, 169-hp, 161-lb-ft inline four. The four comes with a four-speed automatic transmission, while the V6s are mated to a six-speed automatic. The performance Red Line version (with the 3.6-liter V6) arrives this fall, followed by two Green Line hybrid options by year end.
Steering is nimble and sharp and properly weighted (Saturn opted for hydraulic steering assist in V6 models, while the four-cylinder Vues get the latest version of electrically assisted steering that we universally despise; we’ll give you our take when we get a chance to test it). The ride, while compliant and devoid of harshness, avoided wallowing through the corners or diving into hard stops. There could be a little more power from the V6, but it seemed smooth enough. Build quality and fit and finish were excellent.
There’s a $3,000 price hike for the base four-cylinder model, which starts at $21,395. (But that now includes standard automatic transmission, stability control, head-curtain airbags, antilock brakes, collapsible pedals and 16-inch alloy wheels.) Our biggest complaints centered on some of the little things that we might have never noticed in the Vue’s lesser predecessor.
The shifter mechanism scraped like someone had poured sand into the center console, and the brake pedal stop emitted a distinctive metallic click each time the pedal was released. We also think some of the plastic parts, like the gas cap lid and the cupholders, may not be strong enough to last. Redundant electric lock switches on all doors would be helpful, especially in a family vehicle where passengers tend to come and go with regularity.
Tags: 2008 saturn, 2008 vue, saturn vue, vue
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