2004 Saturn Vue AWD V6 Red Line

The Good:  Roomy interior, good legroom and cargo room.  Satellite radio.  Nice Instrument cluster.  Easy in/out, large rear doors.  Easy to use controls.  Powerful V6 engine for $29,300.
The Bad:  Way too much plastic.  Small turning circle.  Bouncy ride.  No steering wheel controls for stereo.  We would rather have a Toyota. 

The Saturn Vue Red line is a powerful SUV.  Loaded to the max with ground effects, a large front grille, and modified wheels it certainly looks great from the outside.  New for 2004 is a larger 250 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 engine providing 242 pounds of torque.  New acoustical treatments were added to reduce noise inside the cabin.  A classier instrument cluster and automatic headlamps are now standard on the V6 model.  Our Red Line model also features a tighter performance tuned suspension and larger 18 inch wheels. 

The Saturn Vue is one of the more perfectly sized SUV's around.  Our model was low for easy entry, large for plenty of luggage space in back, and some would say more like a crossover than a SUV.  But what it lacks is personality, and the passion that the driver of a car should have while driving.  It lacks a connection with the road. 

This problem begins with the bland interior, both in terms of materials used and color scheme.  We found that there was way too much hard plastic all around.  The door panels, dash and console lacked any special feeling.  Elbowroom on the side of the doors was tight and the door handles and arm rest improperly placed.  The stick and window controls in the center were nice and the simple and easy to use climate controls and stereo very good.  We found that the lack of stereo controls on the steering wheel to be a problem, as we like to change stations often, especially with satellite radio installed. 

Room inside is plentiful; the rear cabin has plenty of legroom and a good sized door opening for getting in and out.  The lower height of the Vue makes for easy entry compared to the higher SUV's in the market.  The cargo room in this vehicle was also plentiful and easily changeable for a larger interior.  The rear seats came down very quickly, even without easy pull handles like in the Nissan Murano.  There are plenty of spaces to putt your little things as well from the minivan like central console with cup holders and a storage compartment.  The Vue inside is much larger than most of its competitors and if you are looking for a car to carry loads of stuff this may be the one. 

Driving the Vue Red Line around town and on highways reveals a nicely balanced and relatively quiet vehicle.  We would hate to drive the standard Vue without the suspension upgrade as this model had enough body lean for our tastes.  Even with the tight suspension and larger wheels and tires, some body lean still exists, and the large size of the rear end can be easily felt.  Although there is plenty of horsepower under the hood, trying to use it gives you a feeling that you are in a vehicle that cannot handle the speed.  Steering feel is so light that there is no connection with the road.  This is the primary reason for the poor rating we are giving the Vue.  The turning circle is also very bad which makes this vehicle feel larger than it is in parking lots and around your garage.  This poor steering combined with the bouncy suspension and the bland interior makes for a car which does not inspire anything. 

We think the Vue designers need to drive something German to get a sense of what the Vue should be like.  Cars should help drivers be better at driving, and cars should help the driver stay in control while driving.  Most American products are overly bouncy and more like riding on your living room sofa than in a car, which is totally inappropriate for the road and highways of America.  No wonder we have such low speed limits.  The Pontiac Vibe hopefully will be a much better product than this Vue which needs drastic changes to its suspension, steering, and interior to make is a vehicle that is a hit for Saturn. 

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