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Comments
Oil cartridge filter has been in use since 99 when the 2000 L series came out. Works extremely well thank you very much.
The owners manual states you should drive the car until the change oil soon light comes on, or at 7500 miles or 6 months which ever comes first. Personally with how easy it is to change on the 4 cyl I would do it ever 3,000 or 3 months.
Dindak was 100% correct - I ignor mine as well.
The VUE is a new GM model BUT the vast majority of the components have been in use for a while. Do you need any kindling for a fire? Thats what I think consumer reports is best for.
I normally wait longer to shift, too, but that's when i get the "gap" in acceleration that makes it feel jerky. I've never had a car that seemed to have such a space, or at least one that I couldn't control easily via slightly retiming my clutching. Do tyou think this is just part of the breaking in process, or does it sound like the tranny needs tweaking? Just curious if others have ever experienced anything similar... I hasten to add that it does NOT feel like an obvious "fault" - if the one I test drove hadn't been so much smoother I would simply have though thtis a normal characteristic. FWIW.
Brian-detroit- Get the carpeted floor mats as an option. They are nice and they keep the carpet clean which you really need if you got the beige interior. Another must I have found is the bumper guard pad. It will protect the bumper from unsightly scratches when you drag heavy stuff from the cargo area.
Duke- I can't remebr the class on the HITCH but a V-6 AWD with hitch has a max. towing capacity of 2,000 lbs.
mreloc- We haven't had them long enough to know about bugs. I think I was the first buyer on here and I have a little over 2,000 miles on mine and so far, so good. But if you are really worried, you can buy the warranty to cover any problems that may cone up.
I don't want to disable the alarm itself, just the honking when it's activated. On my current car, the lights flash when I use the remote to lock the car.
I wish I would see more of them around. I live in a metropolitan area of almost 8 million people and I have seen one.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
DD
It's not "whisper quiet", but it's MUCH quieter than an S series. Perfectly acceptable at cruising speed.
Ride is VERY steady.
Has plenty of oomph - I'm not looking to win any races, but I've yet to feel that I was underpowered.
Steering does require more correction than my ex-rack/pinion hydraulic power-assist car, but it's not a problem, just different. Makes the VUE seem heavier than it is, but not uncomfortably so.
Seats have been fine so far -- I'm driving it 350 nmiles tomorrow, so I can give you a better impression after that!!!
AWD 4 and AWD V-6: P235/65R16
This is not a very common size tire. There is only one brand in Tirerack for this size tire.
If one suffers a flat and the tire is not repairable, would it be difficult to replace a tire of this size if needed?
www.epinions.com
and then put in Saturn Vue. You will be directed to the reviews on the Vue.
Congrats Brian! Let us know how it goes.
The heavier highway handling is entirely liveable-with. Yeah, by choice I prefer small-car nippy handling... but this ISN'T a small car, and that's just fine -- I'm luxuriating in all that cabin space, which is the trade-off (and very welcome!) BTW, I tested the "corrections" by just letting go of the wheel, and curiously, it stayed straight and true about the same amount of time as my old "tight" handling car. Yet when you have your hands ont he wheel, you feel the need to correct. I wonder if it's just very sensitive through the actually WHEEL? Again, none of thse are "complaints", just observations.
Haven' refilled yet, so not sure about mileage - I'm guessing it's going to be about 27.
Still love it. It's a super car -- and it's very amusing to see heads turning as you drive by in a new model!!
I stopped by the dealership yesterday and there was a red AWD v-6 auto on the showroom that had a door slightly out of alignment. I pointed it out to the salesperson (apparently I was the first person to notice). The various Saturn people said the panels have to have room to expand and contract to which I agreed and pointed out that is what the vehicle has large gaps. My salesperson is going to have the body shop examine the vehicle and make an adjustment. He also said he would look at my vehicle to see if it has the same problem. The problem basically was the driver's side rear door was in closer to the vehicle than the driver's door. Just didn't have a nice fit and finish. Other than that, the red looks nice, but I can see the first accessory I will need is a laser/radar detector.
Does anyone know if a car with temporary tags can cross the U.S./Canadian border? I am supposed to go winter camping the weekend of 3/15 and will not have actual plates for my vehicle. I am considering borrowing my brother's car for the trip instead.
The dealership has seen two problems with the VUEs already. Both were electrical, one a wire was stretched too tight and rubbed off the insulation. The other was an airbag harness problem where a wire had separated from the passenger airbag. Just thought I would pass along information as it is gathered. The wwww.candiandriver.com site has some nice pictures of the red VUE (and one picture of the gold) for those of you that would like to see closer color approximations. Oh, the dealership with whom I am dealing has yet to sell a white VUE (currently there are two on the lot).
All of the 4,000 Sport Package Plus VUEs have been sold. No word yet on a second batch.
--> Eric
erunic: I have seen people crossing the boarder with temp tags/plates. Don't see why it would be a problem. Just make sure you have all the supporting documents with you just in case. Where are you camping? There isn't much snow/ winter in the Toronto area.
Don't think there will be a second batch of Sport Package models any time soon. From what I understand, they were made to fill production until the CVT models were on the line.
BTW, one more observation regarding the steering (and the one which suddenly occured to me is the BIGGEST difference between the VUE's handling and other cars): there's virtually **no** play in the steering wheel at high speed. I'm pretty sure this is why you feel you have to correct more.....
Getting the cargo cover installed on Monday (yeah, it's a fairly cheesy design, but it beats leaving my stuff in plain sight); still debating what to do about car car/guarantee options.
Brian, report back and let us know how you're liking it!
Still have not been able to test a 4 cyl. VUE. Very frustrating as I may order one soon if I like it.
How does this affect winter handling? I usually look for feedback to know how the front wheels are doing and how tight I can turn.
Aside from that issue, I still love the vehicle. It is the perfect size for me and I fit all three kids (a bit tight) in the back seat. It is great for trips to the grocery store and such. I VERY highly recommend the in-dash 6 disc CD player - it is a technological marvel and sounds GREAT. I bought the Bumper Protector but figure I should wait for weather above 55 degrees as I'm not sure how the adhesive strips will hold otherwise. Has anyone bought the cargo mat? Does it have a 'cutout' or flap so you can still use the plastic cargo 'cage'? Took it to the car wash today and it looked great - assume front alum wheels will require some extra care to remove brake dust (my Saab was really bad).
Anyway, more to come as I accumulate some miles. Getting positive reviews from family and friends on the Orange color - I am very happy with that decision. Bought rubber 'truck' mats from the local auto supply - they are a must as they catch the dirty snow and slop and hold onto it, as opposed to letting it seep into the Saturn mats or worse yet, the carpet.
Congrats Brian! Hope they sort out the timing thing... mine's been fine so far (have now clocked 1100 miles in a week!)
The cargo mat doesn't have a cutout, alas; I've actually decided NOT to get one after all, for just that reason. The cargo holder may seem flimsy, but in practice it's actually VERY useful and I find myself using it most of the time!
I agree on the floor mats, though; I picked up some cheap and cheerful ones from target, but want to get some sturdier ones for longterm use. Also, I think a runner across the back floor may be a good idea (my daughter can get ANYHTING dirty!). I think I'm also going to investigate getting some seat covers - I love the beige upholstery, but it is pretty light and I spend a LOT of time in my car, so...
"This car rules. You can hang with any mugen mofo with this ride. Also, chicx dig it."
We're getting the FWD with manual trans., power group, sunroof and leather.
brian_detroit : Could be condensation/ water in the tank, but it should have been gone by now. Let us know what it is.
As for BeemerBoy, I drive a nice German car and yes, Saturn could take a few lessons. But, for the $, the VUE is the best deal going. With GM employee discount I'm getting an adequately performing 4 cyl, 5 spd, sunroof, alloys, power pckg, CD and ABS and traction control for $16,300. Drove a $25K CRV for and didn't like it as well (not to mention the arrogance of the dealer). Space could be bigger in the VUE, but dollar for dollar- it can't be beat. Add to that the non-repulsive dealership and it's a no-brainer.
So if you book your VUE in, be sure to budget extra time - it's a learning curve for everybody at the moment as they figure out how to handle their new beast
Also, while there talked to my salesman again (he came and had coffee with me - it really IS that kind of a dealership!) and he says that a couple more "limited" editions are planned (not just the trendy one that's been trailed already, but some more like the Sport Pkg). Apparently the dealers are being INUNDATED with requests and so they told Saturn who have decided to respond to the demand.
Also, looks like the CVT is supposed to start shipping in April.
Now to go empty out the back of the car before I go to work... without my cargo cover!!
PS I'm cross-posting this to the saturnfans site, too...
For January '02 the VUE sold 2708 units. The Escape sold 9100 and the CR-V sold 13700 so people are buying small sport utes. Are they having trouble getting them to the dealers? Something does not seem correct. I can't imagine GM keeping this vehicle with numbers like that. At least a VUE owner won't run into another every block---but I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
1. Drove VUE on snow. It takes a second or two of violent spinning before AWD kicks in. Plus, it has a space saver backup tire. Also, when the AWD kicks in, the car is not very stable and the rear wheels seem to be affecting steering. That moment I really hope it's only the front wheels working. I doubt if the AWD on VUE really helps. For the same matter I also test drove CR-V, AWD kicks in faster (I feel) on a CR-V and the body is stabler when it kicks in.
2. Interier looks cheap - compared with Japanese makes.
3. Engine is loud, but feels strout. More power than CR-V. But louder, in a way that is easy to notice.
4. Didn't notice the centering problem of steering (the test drive is not long enough maybe) but do feel that the steering is not as nimble as that of CR-V.
5. The defrost system doesn't work well with the side windows. We turned on the fan into high and the defrost system but the fog on the side window just didn't want to go. I couldn't see through the side window until we turned on the air conditioner (the sales rep suggested this) right before we ended the test drive.
6. Seats are comfortable, at least to me. The gas padel feels like that of a car. In the CR-V, your leg is almost straigh up and this is a very uncomfortable position to step on the gas padel. I got the same experience with Echo - short but tall. My ankle has to bent rather hard to release the padel.
Thank You
Another very important point is that the Vue is a brand new model IN JANUARY. The CRV and the Escape have both been around for awhile. Some people are very resistant to buying a brand new model. I, myself, considered waiting on the Vue till it had been around for a few years. But alas, as a previuos Saturn owner, I felt confidence in the Saturn product. You will find that many Vue buyers are previous Saturn owners and trusted the new model because they trusted the Saturn name. If you want to make a real-world comparison, it might be better to wait until the Vue has had a chance to break into the market a little. Keep your eye on those numbers. Saturn is looking to watch the bottom drop out of the CRV numbers as those people jump over to the Vue.
I am impressed by the comfort of the ride and the room. and of course the orange color just moves it over the top.
I have noticed that the VUES on the dealer's lot all have expensive dealer add ons which make the vehicle rather pricey.
Anybody experience any of these?
- CD storage door does not 'spring' open consistently
- What seems like a lot of cold air comes out of the upper vents when on floor heat or defrost
- Heat is not overly abundant(perhaps on top of the prior item I have a duct issue?)
Still love the interior layout. Just about time for another wash (suspect they will do it when I go in for service).
wes19: Those dealer "add ons" must be an American thing as you never see that in Canada. Cars on the lots here have list prices as advertised by manufacturer, never anything else. My buddy in Dallas mention the "add ons" to me but I thought it was an isolated case.
My heating is great - no problems there, so you may want to have it checked. Takes a little time to warm up, though... You can hear it adjust as you turn the dial through the variables -- run it through all options and see if you notice any differences.
Yes, both cabin boxes have icky switches - it's one of my few real complaints, and I think they DID cheat there. You have to hit that console storage box exactly on the spring - not to the side - for it to work. Play around with it - if it's just that you have to "center" it, then yours is the same as mine and it's probably just The Way It Is. But if it's more inconsistent than that, have them take a look at it.
Mreloc:
No information on what the next editions will include - I suspect they will be similar to teh SE. What WILL annoy me is if they do one which ditches the sunroof and/or wheels but includes the premium sound pkg (which I would have preferred!)
Oh well -- I really am enjyoing my new VUE, and a colleague who just got a RAV4 was REALLY p.o'd when he heard what I paid for mine!!!!
You then seem to contradict yourself a bit. You talk about how the VUE is new so no one knows about it but then you state that current Saturn owners are buying the VUE. So which is it? Is it so new no one knows about it or are Saturn owners buying it based on reputation? The CR-V was also new for '02 but there was a previous model so people are probably more familiar than they would be with the VUE. Who bought the 13000+ CR-Vs? People who knew about it or those that didn't? I don't know but apparently you do related to the VUE purchasers.
And yes I will keep an eye on the sales numbers. February should be released soon. Will those numbers be realistic or is it still too early to get an accurate picture of the VUE sales? I have no doubts the VUE will take some sales from the CR-V and other small SUVs as well. I haven't heard what their target sales are but I read GM is expecting to sell 55000 Vibes so I would think the VUE is similar.
Also I did a quick comparison. It seems like GM got the pricing fairly correct. A VUE equipped like a CR-V EX has an invoice cost of ~$21741, while the CR-V's invoice is ~$21440.
By the way, don't be so sensitive, no one was attacking YOU. We were simply responding to your figures.
Just my opinion . . . I really think a fair comparison of sales figures can't be made until both models have been out there for at least a year. Then they are both a proven product.
As far as reputation, many prior Saturn CAR owners were very pleased with the "SATURN EXPERIENCE" and many of those make up the early buyers that you will see in early 2002. Other buyers are waiting to see . . . Just my two cents . . .