Does anyone drive a Saturn Vue?

[birdiesunshine]

If so, what do you think of it? We are about to buy one and I want to know what people think of them.

Thanks.

 

[Disney Princess 6]

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[birdiesunshine]

Originally posted by Disney Princess 6
I've driven my MIL's several times and I love it!! It's so comfortable. She has the decked out version. We own a Saturn sedan that I don't really like, so I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the VUE. It's the only Saturn I think I'd consider buying at this point.

In case you're wondering, I don't like the weird controls on our Saturn sedan or the fact that it sits so low to the ground.

We took it for a test drive tonight and was surprised how roomy it is considering it looks small from the outside. They said it's really safe too. It's not the prettiest looking SUV but it's cute and I like the way it drives. Thanks for the info.

 

[JQuatt21]

My best friend has one (the 4 cylinder) and it has great room and gas mileage. But in the winters, it does not handle that great in the winter and the engine revs really high (rpm). There is not enough power to tow anything or to go in heavy snow. But as long as u r happy. Good luck in your endeavors.

 

[KristaTX]

We have the 6 cylinder 4 wheel drive model. We have liked it a lot, but there have been a few minor problems. However, we think that is because ours was the first model year for the Vue (2002) and the kinks weren't worked out. I would never buy another 1st year model of any car.

I think we would buy another Vue someday. But we would never buy a 4 Cylinder. The 4 wheel drive isn't that big of a deal here in Texas, but we like being able to accelerate on the highways rapidly and we like to have towing capacity. I think I have heard that the newer Vues have Honda engines maybe?? Maybe I'm making that up, but it would be worth asking at the Saturn place.

 

[KristaTX]

I forgot to mention that the Vue is our second Saturn, so we have been pleased enough with Saturn to buy 2 of them. I drive a '95 SL1 stick shift. We have had few problems with it. The only complaint we have had with it is the fabric on the seats and on the ceiling. Our Vue has leather seats, and we are glad we went with that. We'll see how the ceiling fabric holds up. . .

 

[Bojangles]

My husband has one. It is a piece of crap. He had it less than a year and it's been back to the dealer no less than 10 times. The repairs are covered by warrenty, but not the time/gas it takes to haul it over there every few weeks.

 

[dmfuru]

The VUE has had its share of recalls, including this recent one--I think you could do better.

Saturn Recalls 246,000 VUE Vehicles
By DAVID RUNK
The Associated Press

DETROIT - Saturn will voluntarily recall nearly all of its VUE sport utility vehicles, which regulators are investigating because the vehicle's rear suspension failed during two government rollover tests.

The recall by the General Motors Corp. division affects 246,433 VUEs in the 2002-2004 model years, including 231,123 in the United States and 15,310 in Canada.

"We're not pleased with this, and we're working hard to see it never happens again," GM vice chairman and chief financial officer John Devine said while attending an auto seminar in Traverse City. "Rather than talk about it, we'd rather fix it."

GM has had a spate of costly recalls this year involving several million vehicles. The world's No. 1 automaker cited higher recall costs as a drag on its second-quarter financial results released last month, but still earned $1.34 billion in the April-June quarter, up from $901 million a year ago.

On Thursday, shares of GM fell 59 cents to close at $42.54 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the left-rear suspension failed on the four-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive Saturn VUEs in June during a 45-mph test that includes a sharp turn. Both times a wheel collapsed beneath the vehicle.

Saturn said the VUE did not roll over during the test, but said the rear suspension was damaged when a wheel struck the pavement. Saturn said it will make adjustments to strengthen the VUE's suspension.

Saturn retailers began calling VUE owners late Wednesday to alert them to the recall. VUE owners will be formally notified by a letter. They then will be advised when to bring in their VUEs so modifications can be made at no cost.

In addition, Saturn retailers will conduct consumer education clinics for VUE owners that will explain the test and how the suspension modification will help the VUE complete the NHTSA evaluation.

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson said the recall won't immediately affect the status of the government's investigation.

"We'll leave the investigation open. We need to make sure the remedy they're offering is going to satisfactorily address the issue," Tyson said. "Certainly, we're pleased that they've stepped forward and provided a remedy."

NHTSA this year began testing a vehicle's tendency to roll over with a moving test. Before that, the agency measured rollover propensity using a mathematical formula based on a vehicle's height and width. Under the old formula, the 2003 Saturn VUE received three out of five stars for rollover resistance. NHTSA hasn't given the 2004 VUE a starred rating.

A Saturn spokeswoman said changes were made in the VUE production line starting Monday. The VUE, which was introduced in the 2002 model year, is produced at Saturn's manufacturing facility in Spring Hill, Tenn.

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And from Edmunds.com


What Edmunds.com Says
A well-thought-out and capable mini sport-ute, the Vue's unimpressive interior and sloppy steering keep it from challenging the class leaders in this segment.

Pros
Strong V6, large doors ease entry/exit, spacious cabin, comfortable ride, excellent crash test scores, good fuel economy.

Cons
Bland interior, low-grade plastics, inconsistent build quality, noisy four-cylinder, vague steering.

 

[debster812]

When we were looking last summer, the Vue was on the list (Vue, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and Subaru Forester). The VUE fell off the list pretty quickly because everything we read (reviews, car magazines, etc) said even the 6 cyl was underpowered, and the 4 cyl was worse.

We finally settled on the Forester, which I LOVE.