Although the SKY roadster, AURA sedan, and OUTLOOK crossover have been receiving all the press, the old VUE compact SUV--which never received any respect from auto reviewers--has continued to sell about as well as all three of them put together. So while the all-new 2008 Saturn VUE has received less press attention than other recent new Saturns, it is perhaps the most important of the lot.

The compact SUV segment has recently become extremely competitive, what with most members now offering V6s, and a few offering third row seats. Does the new VUE have what it takes to compete? I took a front-wheel-drive VUE XR out for a spin to find out.

Styling

I'm of a mixed mind concerning the exterior styling. At first I hated it. The proportions are odd, with tall fenders and bodysides beneath a swoopy (some might say pinched in) greenhouse. A tall, thin riff on the currently fashionable fender vent further accentuates the vertical dimension. Because of these proportions, the new VUE looks much smaller than it actually is, even toy-like. Or, if you want to be especially uncharitable, pudgy.

Then I realized that some people, and especially women, might perceive the roly-poly shape as "cute and friendly." So I conducted the most scientific of investigations: I asked my wife, owner of a "cute and friendly" PT Cruiser. The verdict: "cute and friendly."

I suppose I should mention that the new VUE's basic platform was developed by Daewoo, GM's Korean subsidiary, and that this specific version was styled and tweaked by Opel, GM's German subsidiary. The main thing distinguishing the VUE from the Opel Antara is the use of Saturn badges in place of Opel ones. Yes, GM has truly gone global. So what what have here is "cute and friendly," courtesy of Korean engineers and a German design studio.

I should also mention that the new VUE's body is constructed of steel. The widely-gapped dent-resistant plastic panels that used to distinguish Saturns as "a different kind of car?" Gone.

The original Saturn VUE was heavily criticized by reviewers (including myself) for having a cheap-looking and -feeling interior. Scads of pebbled hard plastic just didn't measure up. Although the interior was upgraded through the years, it never escaped this stigma.

The new Saturn VUE's interior makes use of hard plastic, but not as much of it, and what is present has been styled to provide a moderately upscale vibe. The fits are tight, and just about everything feels solid. Some high-touch surfaces, like the door-mounted armrests, are thinly padded. This might well be the nicest interior in the segment. Others come across as more plasticky.

The styling of the interior is more conservative than that of Saturns past. No ungrained hard plastic surfaces covered in raised dots. No centrally-mounted instruments. Nothing remotely goofy here. Just restrained tastefulness, with metal-look accent trim used to keep things interesting. I suppose this is Opel's influence.

Accommodations

The front seats are about average in comfort. Don't count on much lateral support, though: the side bolsters are too widely-spaced and too squishy for that. This is fine for the regular VUE, but the seats of the upcoming Red Line performance variant better do better.

From the driver's seat, the VUE feels larger than the exterior styling suggests it ought to. Credit a high seating position behind an also high instrument panel. Visibility is good, but would be better if the base of the windshield and windows was not so high.

The rear seat falls a bit behind the class average. It doesn't provide the extreme legroom some do, just a good amount. It isn't high enough off the floor to provide the best thigh support (though it is better than that in the old VUE in this regard). And the seatback feels insufficiently padded and overly firm. But this seatback does recline, and the seat will serve well enough for the task most often required of such seats: the transport of children.

Unlike in the Mitsubishi and Toyota, no third row is offered. If you want a third row in a Saturn SUV, you're going to have to step up to the super-sized OUTLOOK.

The cargo area appears a bit smaller than average. Some nice touches have been included, though: a track system (for tie downs?) in the sidewalls and a set of small compartments beneath the load floor. The liftgate raises high enough that it should not pose a threat to most heads.

On the Road

The "mid-sized" feeling only intensifies once the new Saturn VUE is underway. Like the distantly related Equinox, the new Saturn VUE drives like a larger vehicle. This is both good and bad. It does not feel agile or involving. But it does feel solid and substantial.

This is not entirely a matter of tuning. At nearly 4,100 pounds in front-drive form (add a couple hundred more for all-wheel-drive), the new VUE XR V6 is a porker. Even the four-cylinder base XE model tips the scale at over 3,800 pounds. A Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 checks in about a quarter-ton lower. So while the Honda gets by okay even though only a four-cylinder is available, with the Saturn most people are going to want a V6. (A four isn't even offered with all-wheel-drive.)

Owing to the high curb weight, the 252-horsepower XR isn't going to win a race against the lighter 269-horsepower V6 RAV4. But who races these vehicles, anyway? In typical suburban driving, the new VUE's V6 (a GM unit, not the Honda V6 used in the old VUE) feels plenty strong. Quiet, too. The wide spread of ratios offered by the six-speed automatic helps.

Unfortunately, this engine is strong enough that in the front-wheel-drive model torque steer often rears its ugly head. This could be the least polished aspect of the new VUE. There is a fix: opt for the all-wheel-drive, which under hard acceleration shunts less torque through the front wheels.

I did not notice the exceptional steering feel a couple of car magazines have reported. To me, the steering felt slow and uncommunicative and the handling felt vague. However, it felt much better than the electric-assist steering system of the old VUE (which is still employed in the new VUE with the four-cylinder engine). Maybe the magazines were so effusive in their praise because their expectations were low? Whatever the reason, I felt that the steering was well-weighted but provided little feedback. It also had to be turned further to produce a given turning radius than I expected it to--we've got quite a bit of understeer here, and early on. Of course, they'll have the Red Line for people like me. For most SUV buyers I suppose the steering and handling are passable.

The ride is smooth as compact SUVs go, and quiet--with one exception. There was excessive wind noise around the left rear door of the VUE I drove. This probably won't affect all VUEs.

Saturn VUE Price Comparisons and Pricing

Pricing for the new VUE starts quite a bit higher than that for the old one, even before factoring in the $2,000 rebate available on the latter. How much higher? Try nearly $3,300, for a total of $21,395. However, the level of standard equipment is much higher than last year. Option up an old VUE to the base level of the new one (automatic transmission, ABS brakes, side curtain airbags, satellite radio, alloy wheels), and the price ends up nearly the same.

And this still doesn't take into account another $875 worth of standard equipment on the new VUE, including front side airbags and stability control.

So, if you adjust for feature differences and don't include incentives, the new VUE is actually less expensive than the old one.

Among RAV4s, the Limited V6 is most comparable to the VUE XR. The Toyota lists for about $700 more than the $25,045 Saturn. Adjusting for feature differences (chiefly standard OnStar on the VUE) widens the gap to about $1,300 ($1,000 at invoice). So the VUE is a bit cheaper, but the prices are close enough that other factors will play a larger role.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Saturn VUE:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/VUE.php

Last Words

The new Saturn VUE comes in about a quarter-ton too heavy, and at least in non-Red Line form lacks the chassis dynamics to please enthusiasts. But enthusiasts aren't a key market for such vehicles anyway, or the Honda CR-V with no available V6 wouldn't be the top seller.

No, the Honda sells well because most buyers are looking for a substantial, refined look and feel to the vehicle. On this basis the new VUE performs very well, with an upscale appearance, solid feel, and smooth, quiet ride. Acceleration with the V6 is also fairly strong. The weak point could be fuel economy, where the high curb weight helps yield numbers two to three digits lower than you'll find with the Honda or Toyota.

I've given the vehicle I drove three stars, partly because there's too much torque steer with front-wheel-drive. I'd give the new VUE XR AWD four stars by a hair because it offers what most people are looking for at a reasonable price. If you're looking for sporty handling, though, either wait for the Red Line (which I plan to drive once it's available) or buy something like the Mazda CX-7--or, better yet for any enthuasiast, a car.

A Note on Saturn VUE Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a VUE rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Saturn VUE reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the VUE--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Ford Escape review
Honda CR-V review
Hyundai Tucson review
Kia Sportage review
Land Rover LR2 review
Mazda CX-7 review
Mitsubishi Outlander review
Saturn VUE review (2004, previous generation)
Subaru Forester review
Toyota RAV4 review
Amount Paid (US$): 25000
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: XR FWD