Jalopnik: vue green line

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Part Three

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Why you should buy the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid:
You want a hybrid but you do more highway driving than city driving. You need more room than a Prius offers but you don't want to spend the money for an Escape Hybrid. You want an SUV that gets 32 MPG on the highway and you don't really care how it does it. You want a hybrid but you won't pay MSRP.

Why you shouldn't buy this car:
Spirited driving is something you enjoy. You've ever chanted "drill, baby, drill." You like the idea of cruising silently in a giant golf cart. Creature comforts and a smooth ride are more important to you than fuel efficiency.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: Yes
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: Yes
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: Yes
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes
Very Serious Businessmen: No
Sheiklets: No

Also Consider:
• Ford Escape Hybrid
• Toyota Prius
• Non-hybrid Saturn Vue XE
• Chevy Malibu Hybrid
• A 1994 Geo Metro

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Saturn
• Model year: 2008
• Base Price: $24,170
• Price as Tested: $25,720
• Engine type: 2.4-liter inline four cylinder
• Horsepower: 172 @ 6200 RPM
• Torque: 167 @ 5100 RPM
• Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic
• Curb Weight: 3789 LB
• LxWxH: 180.1" x 72.8" x 66.2
• Wheelbase: 106.6"
• Tires: 225/60R-17 low-rolling-resistance
• 0-60 mph: N/A
• 1/4 mile: N/A
• Top speed: N/A
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 25/32 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: Frontal: **** driver, *****passenger; Side: ***** f/r

Also See:
• 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Part One
• 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Part Two

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Part Two

Andrew Stoy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Exterior Design: ****
It may still be a straightforward compact SUV, but thanks to the Opelization of Saturn, the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid looks far better than its predecessor — with a more refined, European styling direction than its competitors, particularly the block-like Ford Escape. The rubber fits the wheel wells, all the handles feel solid and even the hybrid badges, which use the same circuit board motif as those found on other, more-garishly festooned GM hybrids, are in-proportion and appropriately used — just three on the entire exterior surface. UPDATE: We hear that may have changed for the 2009 model year.

Interior Design: ***
The Vue's interior comes across as much more upscale than its price would suggest. Soft-touch plastics and brushed aluminum trim abound. Everything has a solid, quality feel to it. Two significant problems remain: First, the trim piece on the lower half of the steering wheel has a raised ridge that cuts into the hand; while this is a small detail, it makes a huge difference while driving, as any attempt to hold the wheel from the bottom is met with discomfort and potential blood loss. Second, the sloped-in rear roofline cuts significantly into rear cargo room.

Acceleration: ***
You aren't going to win any drag races in the Vue Hybrid, but when the electric assist kicks in, the Vue Hybrid does just fine for normal driving conditions. Even accelerating onto the freeway was without drama; keep your expectations in line with the type of vehicle you're driving, and you'll find the Vue's power perfectly acceptable.

Braking: ***
Braking action in the Vue Hybrid is superb...to the point of irritation. The regenerative charging action, which uses engine braking to recharge the batteries in this case, was powerful enough to pitch passengers forward slightly, even with a minor application of the pedal.

Ride: **
Not surprisingly, the Vue Hybrid makes tradeoffs between ride and handling and fuel efficiency. With low-rolling-resistance tires inflated in the upper 30 PSI range, the ride is harsh and noisy. The Vue follows every undulation in the road, requiring constant steering wheel correction at highway speeds. It's by no means sports-car firm, but it's not smooth and comfortable either. At least all that road noise will constantly remind you of how much you're helping the environment.

Handling: *
Without question, the Saturn Vue Hybrid has the worst steering of any current production vehicle I've ever driven. Not just numb and overassisted, but the electric rack-and-pinion seems to make up ratios as it goes along, particularly in low speed parking maneuvers. More than once I overshot a parking space, and even my driveway, because the Vue just didn't do what was expected. Also, the high-pressure low-resistance tires provide very little grip, and I was able to make all four tires howl in protest during a gradual turn onto a freeway on-ramp...at 25 MPH.

Gearbox: ****
The Vue's autobox did its job without complaint and, more importantly, without intrusion. It's just a four-speed automatic, so there wasn't a whole lot of technology to cause problems here. The shifts were perfectly matched to the hybrid's characteristics.

Audio: ***
The Vue Hybrid comes with GM's standard-issue audio system, which with an easy-to-use interface, is actually quite good. Everything you need is present: ~~Sirius~~ XM satellite radio, an aux jack and a CD player, along with redundant controls on the steering wheel. Sound quality is excellent, but you'll need to turn it up loud to overcome the roar of the tires and wind.

Toys: ***
With its auto-stop and electric assist, the Vue Green Line Hybrid can be "fun to drive," just not how you'd traditionally use that term. More like a Game Boy equipped with a new game called "let's see how low my fuel economy can go." Sure, it's fun for the driver, but it's irritating as hell to the guy in the car behind you. But who cares about them — we're trying to save humanity here, people! Other than the hybrid system, the Vue has all the basics. A nice stereo, trip computer, special hybrid air-conditioning mode that allows engine stops even on hot days (up to a point), and just enough power goodies to satisfy.

Value: ****
The Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid isn't as sophisticated as other competition in the gas/electric SUV arena. Fortunately, it's also several thousand dollars less, even at MSRP. It's an even better deal if you manage to snag one during the Employee Pricing For Everyone deal (yes, the 2008 Vue Hybrid is included). If you can live with its shortcomings, the Vue may be the best hybrid deal on the market.

Overall: ***
The Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid takes a good compact SUV, the Vue, and adds about 40% better fuel economy for a 20% price premium — an excellent trade-off. If you're looking strictly at mileage math, the Vue is better than average. But, if you're shopping for a hybrid SUV, the Saturn comes in significantly cheaper than its Ford counterpart while actually returning better highway mileage in a more attractive package inside and out. With some additional refinement to its road manners and handling, the Vue Hybrid would have done even better.

Also See: Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Part One

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid, Part One

Andrew Stoy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EDT

"That's a hybrid but you can't drive it on all-electric power?" No, you can't. And I got pretty good at explaining why not by the time the sixth person asked. The least enjoyable part of spending a week with the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid was telling inquisitive folks how it worked. And how it didn't work. GM bills the Vue as a hybrid, which it is; however, thanks to marketing and hype, most folks assume a hybrid vehicle can be powered by straight electric, straight gas, or a combination of the two. And the Saturn Vue hybrid isn't that kind of hybrid.

GM makes hybrid vehicles that can run in pure electric mode: The Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids both use the company's Two-Mode Hybrid system. We'll make the logical leap and call the Saturn system the One-Mode Hybrid. Using a combination generator/motor attached to the engine, the Vue Hybrid provides sort of an electric turbo-boost effect when needed to complement the relatively frugal Ecotec four-cylinder under the hood. It also uses regenerative engine braking to charge a small 36-volt battery pack behind the rear seats. The Vue Hybrid cannot cruise on electricity alone, though it does shut down the engine during stops.

So what good is a hybrid if you can't drive on straight electricity? It all depends upon what kind of driving you do most. If you're running errands in stop-and-go situations around town, the Vue Hybrid could provide you with significant fuel cost savings, since the engine will shut off at lights and give you an electric boost when you accelerate away. Similarly, on wide-open freeway driving, the Vue provides an estimated 32 MPG thanks to its electric assist — even better than the more-advanced Escape Hybrid's 31 MPG highway.

If, on the other hand, you tend to creep along in gridlocked interstate traffic, the Vue Hybrid will provide fewer benefits: Since the Vue's engine will remain on while crawling at low speeds, a true two-mode system like that found in the larger Tahoe/Yukon SUVs or the Ford Escape Hybrid would allow you to move at low speeds on pure electric power, saving more fuel. The disadvantage for the Saturn here is easily apparent when you compare the Vue's 25 MPG city rating with the Escape Hybrid's 34 MPG city mileage.

Why would a buyer choose the Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid over an Escape Hybrid, then? While the GM system is less advanced than the Ford hybrid powertrain, it's also significantly less expensive. A Saturn Hybrid starts at about $26,200, more than $3,000 less than the lowest-priced Ford Escape Hybrid. Unfortunately, it's also about $4,000 more than a comparably equipped non-hybrid Vue XE; that money buys you about a 6 MPG improvement both city and highway.

Actually, that money buys you the mileage improvement and a really nice driving experience for a small four-cylinder SUV, with the electric motor assist making up for what would have been a modestly powered ride at best. The system did an excellent job of seamlessly starting the engine after a stop, and I was never able to "beat" the motor, hitting the gas before the engine was running and ready to go.

To be sure, compromises have been made in the quest for economy numbers. The Vue is downright loud on the highway, with tire noise competing with wind noise; blame low rolling-resistance tires at high inflation combined with a lack of weight-adding sound deadening. But apart from the noise, the Vue's cabin is a pleasant place in which to get from place to place, nicer than its competition and in a totally different class from the previous-generation plastic-paneled Vue.

Viewed in light of the Vue lineup itself, which has matured into one of the most attractive small utes on the market today, the Vue Green Line Hybrid makes a compelling case for itself. That is, if you can find one — GM loves to disclaim its hybrid offerings as "limited availability," and that’s truer than ever with the recent rush to economical vehicles. Of course, availability might not be a problem when you consider that the Vue Hybrid's most logical competition may be the straight-gas Vue XE; one-stop shopping, turning customers curious about the Vue Hybrid on to a four-cylinder XE, might be just what GM had in mind.