Saturn VUE

enniskillen

Hi Duke

Don't feel bad about looking at all your options, that's what these forums should be for, learning from each other. Just out of curiousity did you see post 1461 on this site, it was specifically for you ?
Aztek's unconventional looks were a turn off for me at first, but with the new solid colour schemes, they are growing on me. The interior is a little too tupperware inspired for me and the cooler kind of gimmicky, but the corporately advertised price of 25000 Canadian, makes it a very interesting choice.
The Vue's are arriving at the Oshawa shipping yard in large quantities. So far they all are still all 2002's .Someone mentioned in an eariler post that the all the 4 cyl auto's are sold out. I have only seen one, so I suppose that selling that one would count as "sold out"
There I'm proud of myself, I didn't even mention the Rendezvous.

OOPS

Jeff

theduke

Yes, I have read your 1561. This is why I took my wife to test drive both he RV and the Aztek last weekend.(she like the Vibe look but it is too small for our needs).
I agree that they are better value et al, but I must say that driving the Vue was more "fun" and it feels less bulky, althought it is smaller by a few inches only.
Just to say that they are all on my final list. They price might end up being the deciding factor. I will keep you posted.

millspd

Hey all,

I just picked up my Saturn VUE AWD V6 in silver last weekend, and I love it! It took a bit to get the car (it wasn't in stock at the time but the dealer had the exact car I wanted on order from the factory), but it was worth the wait. I haven't been this giddy over a car in quite some time.

This makes the third Saturn that we have bought (wife has a 2002 L200), and I just love 'em.

gehe

re:-millspd's new VUE ... (Silver no less)
-Totally envious. Did you give it/he/she a name yet ? I'm a great believer in names, assigned personalities etc if you want trouble free ownership. Nothing like a good 'pep' "twalk" just before a cold morning start ! Works every time.
-So, what made you decide on Silver ?
-I am still going back and forth on my 2003 color ... order pending.
-I received a confirmation on his vote for Silver from my kid brother with a comment that ... "unless I was going into my second childhood with the Bright Blue" ! Cheeky monkey ! I think I am still on my first.
-Silver is a little ahead of Bright Blue vote wise, but I forgot "theduke" voted for Blue.
-My friend Samantha thinks that Silver SUVs look like large pop up toasters !
-Help me out here. I may have to make a decision this week ... or risk the wrath of J_ _ _ _ the salesperson, hithertofore rather pleasant.

re:-the duke..
-I'm betting a US buck that when you make your decision, money will not be the final deciding factor. I think you will "Do the VUE" .

Have a great weekend all ...
gehe

millspd

I'm not much into naming stuff, but I do lovingly wash my cars. :-)

Silver and gray are my favorite colors. They are subdued colors, and that appeals to me. I'm not much for red, the "burnt orange" scares me, frankly. The black speckled with silver is darn eye-catching, though. I just wouldn't want to clean it!

can't remember -- are you thinking about the sunroof? I got one, and I love it. Nothing quite like cruising around town with all four windows down and the sunroof open. Life is good.

theduke

I bet you are right.
Thanks

mmspeal

I also had a very difficult time choosing a colour when I ordered my VUE. I thought I liked the gold - thought it looked classy - and had to have the tan interior as I didn't like how the grey had tan posts that didn't match. I ordered in the gold and at the time, the dealer told me I could change the colour up until the week prior to production. In between, the dealership parked a red one on their ramp in front and I had to drive by it every day. I've always liked red vehicles as they are pretty easy to keep clean and just loved the sporty look of the red VUE with all the windows tinted black. I changed my order at the last possible minute. The dealer was a little scared when the invoice came in and listed gold as the colour but when my VUE arrived it was indeed, red.
Now you may not have wanted to know this as it may prolong the agony of trying to decide but just thought I'd let you know. Order what you think you want and if you decide differently over the next couple of weeks, you are not stuck!

logic1

The Vue did about as well as a small SUV can in the NHTA safety tests. Lets hope it continues the good work at the Insurance Institute offset crash test. Things are looking good for Saturn.

stever

Here's the link to the NHTSA press release with the crash test results.

Steve
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joelis

It actually hides dirt much better than a regular black does. It takes on the characteristics of a dark gray, much more so than a black. Wife had a real black vehicle before this one, and she doesn't need to wash this one nearly as often (although she does anyway because it is new...)

She has a different problem with the color though. Since she got hers 2 weeks ago, there are now two more Silver Black ones in our town (of about 5,000 people).

I know how she feels though - there are now two other yellow corvettes in town, both of which appeared After I got mine last year.

Come to think of it, our custom house plan was the first of its kind when we built 5 years ago, and now we the same one popping up in other neighbourhoods around town.

Trend Setters I guess...

gehe

to everyone:-
-Hey, many thanks for all the great responses. Really appreciate it. Every tid bit.
-Buuuuuuuuut ......

-I decided BLUE ! 2003 "BRIGHT BLUE"

-Just got comfortable with it in my mind as the time let it 'settle' like a big meal. I don't know why, but I was just not ready to make this decision. The Silver just doesn't 'float my boat' and I think it's ordinary now.
-Black is too 80's.
-So, the 'first' childhood continues, I'll have the first Bright Blue VUE from Holman Saturn, and probably the first in the neighbourhood.
(mmspeal). Many thanks for the gold red story and the point about being able to change a little later. That felt good !
-I loved your RED story. Neat. Actually, I didn't consider RED, but I agree that sporty look is great. I wonder if speed cops notice it too ?
(joelis). Yup. It probably shouldn't matter, but it's cool to have something different even if it's just for a time. As cheap and common as my Tracker is, the 'Quazar Blue' with White top was never that common. (More Ford Explorers really...)

-So I faxed my rep. this morning. Have to tell you her name now, and it's not "J_ _ _ _" ... as the next bit doesn't make any sence without knowing.
-Her name is Jeani, pronounced 'gee-knee'. If anyone remembers the Post Punk group "BLONDIE" from the late 70's with Debra Harry and their hit, 'DENNI, DENNI'...?
-Well I faxed her and encouraged her to sing along...
JEANI, JEANI,
YOUR EYES SO BLUE, (they are actually...)
JEANI, JEANI,
JUST LIKE MY NEW VUE,
JEANI, JEANI,
I WANT MY BLUE VUE, OOH, OOH !!!
-Okay. She already knows I am a total 'fruit loop' so I am sure this will just fit right in there ...

-Have to say, though, being sort of serious here for a moment, I have really enjoyed this whole car buying process.
-Not the sudden rush into having to get reliable transportation or getting back into car payments, or being caught too early without the best down payment etc. But, the ability to research the 'net' so thoroughly, print out great color pics, chat with all you great folks, read so many different opions etc. and the Saturn experience ... can't be beat !
(millspd) Sunroof. I sure did. My big indulgence. Actually I only ever saw it once and never saw it operate so I hope it's the best !
Later all.

 

gehe

This is for Jeff (alias "dubguy") ... mayb "theduke" ...
-I saw this on another auto site and I was impressed that there was some else out there with a wicked tongue like me.
-Boy, this felt good. It's like watching somone 'throw a wobbly' in public and it's just great to know there are people out there who behave worse than you do ...
-I thought the last bit was 'important'...
tee hee

 Detailed review:
Special edition package with 5 speed manual/FWD/power/cruise/passive security/cd w/6 speakers/alloy wheels/sunroof, for 16,995 (includes freight) with lots of room and great gas mileage. Same wheelbase as jeep Grand. It can't be beat. Almost settled on Jetta wagon, but VW didn't have what I wanted and lucky to stop by Saturn, which is no hassle and a pleasant change of pace. Two road trips with 4 people and loaded down, got 26.8 MPG - As good as my 4cyl Accord auto. Check it out-handles well, and can't be beat for room/MPG/versatility. CRV is ugly next to it

 Also considered:
2002 Volkswagen Jetta
2002 Ford Focus
2003 Toyota Matrix

 Vehicle purchased:
2002 Saturn VUE

millspd

The sunroof is just great. The sales manager had to show me twice how to tilt the sunroof up with the control (as opposed to retracting it), but that's probably just me fat-fingering it.

Congratulations on your new VUE! I have to run an errand for my wife tonight. Oh, darn, have to drive the VUE again! :-)

thorn

"How bad is the VUE? Click for the carnage."

http://www.forbes.com/2002/06/17/0617test.html

dindak

The guy obviously doesn't like the VUE, but given the 8-10 other reviews I have read on the vehicle one can conclude his opinion is in the minority. I tested a very early V6 and it had none of the negative attributes this man speaks of. In fact, Motor Week picked the VUE as the best small SUV and they generally favor imports.

Given the guy works for Forbes, he is probably used to playing with cars 3 X the price anyway.

joelis

This guy is an absolute moron. There are a number of issues with his story, but look at this example: "It is also hard to understand why Saturn designers put a map/storage pocket only in the back of the driver's seat but not the passenger's seat. Isn't this supposed to be a vehicle that's targeted at families? Woe to the kid who gets stuck behind the front passenger in the VUE, because this child will lose out on a place to stash his or her Game Boy, Walkman or action figures"

Did he even try to flip the front seat forward to see the reason why it was built with the hard casing? Unbelievable. How do morons like this get to do car reviews?

npgmbr

When I read that article (the part about the front passenger seat) I was thinking exactaly the same thing.

Obviously this guy has some homework to do. It seems he has a bias to other vehicles but thats ok. Other sites like Car and Driver, Motortrend and Autoweek (which all know they're stuff when it comes to autos) are much better suited to give advise on the matter.

npgmbr

Wanting to remain a member of the GM family I was at the end of this year to purchase a new VUE or Vibe. However I have decided to hold out for maybe another year.

Dont get me wrong, I love what I see in the VUE and Vibe, but I just read some info on a new entrant from Mazda called the 6. The vehicle looks damd good and I just want to see if the wagon will fall into my price range. If its over 30k, my choice will be either the VUE or Vibe.

dindak

Mazda 6 looks pretty good on paper but I am scared to buy Mazda after hearing horror stories about the 626 and Mazda service locally. The wagon will likely be around the same price as a V6 VUE I would guess.

Anyone know what the new VUE colors are for 2003?

gehe

(millspd) ... thanks for the sunroof burb. Cute message. Yeah ... such a tough life.
-I actually had to zip out to Staples this morning and spotted a Gold VUE pull into a parking slot coming towards me down our local main street. It was instanly reconizable !
-Got so excited. Sort of as rare as a UFO sighting around here.
-So I returned the long way so I could do a slow drive by. This is a classey looking vehicle. Very exciting.

re:- Blue VUE
-So the order went in, Jeani faxed a copy to me of the 'official' doc. with all those formal numbers and details that make it all so exciting. No VIN # yet so no schedule in Springhill yet.
-Oh ... and my corny fax on the color ... Jeani loved it ... no really ! (I don't think she remembers Blondie though... )

re:- Forbes
-Ouch, Owe ! Boy. Who is a Crab Apple then ? Think this guy was sitting on a burr.
-Sure stirred up a hornet's nest in this Town Hall though !
-Trouble is with life, there are those loud mouthed know-it-alls that are all ego and no thought that evade ones space.
-If one feels inclined, you could find bad things to say about Mother Terresa, so ... "water off a Duck's back."
Later ...

gehe

(dindak)
-The 2003 colors read directly from the new brouchure are:-

BLACK ... (Black, "like your hat", Black)
BRIGHT BLUE ... (Royal Blue)
MEDIUM GREEN ... (kinda Kelly/Olive ...?)
ORANGE ... (last years)
RED ... (Cranberry)
SILVER ... (last years)
WHITE ... (last years)

... that's it.
-They sure didn't get "Martha's" help naming these colors (!)

waffler62

Just got my gold Vue with the FWD/M-5 combination and power package/sunroof 8 days ago. Starting Sunday, I've had an intermittent problem on startup that sounds like gears grinding in the transaxle when the clutch is fully depressed. It makes this sound at every gear change, but only when the pedal is pushed clear to the floor; then, when I turn off the engine and restart, the problem is gone. This happened twice Sunday and Monday, once today; the episode today was followed on the restart by failure of the radio and turn signals to function, which corrected itself after another restart. I can't find any pattern or combination of things to stimulate this behavior. Has anyone had this problem, or have any ideas? I just turned 501 miles today and absolutely love it except for the ghosts in the machine.

tesswithavue

for a chicklet with a new gold vue ! Boy do I love this SUV. Bye-Bye MiniVan,,,,, hello VUE.
Had a Saturn SL2 but needed more room. I really loved that car. Was so tickled to hear about the VUE. Got the V6 with ABS and added a roof rack.
Now if I can just hide the keys from the hubby,,,,maybe the laundry room. He never goes in there,,,, Nice to meet all of you VUEers.
Tess in Colorado

thorn

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/5best/2002/2002_5best_trucks_honda_crv.xml?keywords=cr-v

And then there's the Vue from the bottom:

http://www.caranddriver.com/

January 2002

dindak

thorn : go back to the CR-V camp and spread your misinformation there. CR-V RULES!!

tesswithavue : Congrats on the VUE!

gehe : Blue and green sound interesting. Definitely would like to see those.

vuefor2

What color is your Vue? We have a similar one with no roof rack and it's red. We absolutely love our Vue and have made many long road trips in it.

Congratulations.

eforeman

Hello, all.

I tried to solicit a little advice on the saturnfans board with little effect, so I'm going to try here. Last week I found myself considering a new car purchase after my 1994 Honda Accord's moonroof sprung a leak. I dutifully went down to the Honda place to browse last Sunday because the place was closed, and I knew I could look around in peace. I saw pretty much what I expected.

What I didn't expect to see was a bunch of shiny SUV's sitting in the Saturn lot adjacent to the Honda dealer. I walked over to take a look and saw at least 10 AWD V6 VUE's. What intrigued me, however, were the big sale tags on the VUE's proclaiming discounts of about $2K. I've done a little research since then, but my main finding was that the 2003 models are already on the way (if they aren't already here).

So here's my question. Given the current discounts on the 2002 models, are they a good buy or would it be much better to wait for a 2003 model. I don't have a good feel for how severe the problems in the 2002 models are and how much will be improved/changed in the 2003 edition. My instincts tell me that if I'm really interested after a test drive that I should probably wait, but perhaps changes will only be minor. Does anyone have any thoughts/advice for me? Thanks a lot.

slocko

they sort of have to discount the price because either some or all of the 2003 models now include leather and the price only went up less than a 100.

mmspeal

It is my understanding that leather is an option on the 2003's - not included in the price. The leather is a $1000 upgrade. From looking at posts here and on SaturnFans, it seems as though nothing has really changed in the models other than some colours and the availability of some additional options. Their advertising pictures are even the same as in the 2002 brochures. If you like the Vue and don't want leather or any of the other new options , I'd go for the discounted one. It doesn't make much sense to me to pay an extra $2000 just so the owner's manual says 2003 instead of 2002.

dindak

Go for a 02 for sure. I would never pay a big premium to go up one model year.

slocko

the 2003 does not have a premium. the 2002 is being discounted by $2000, making it a no brainer if you don't want leather.

erunic

Waffler congrats on your new VUE. With the amount of odd problems you are having, take it back to the dealership and let them diagnose the problem. If they are unable to resolve/find the problem, exercise the right for a refund and order a replacement. Gold is not available in 2003.

I saw a 2003 last Thursday at the dealership. It had the Advanced audio option ($180) for amplifier and subwoofer and the leather heated seats. Other than that, the VUE remains unchanged as best I could tell for 2003. The service department did not think I could add the audio option to my 2002 red vue as the wiring harness are different. It's interesting the color changes for 2003, I was a bit surprised to see Gold dropped. I have over 7600 miles on my vue and do not regret purchasing it. In mixed driving I am averaging 27-28 mpg.

Eric

joelis

We know what you meant. I think we may have another lost Honda expert though (with poor information...)

Steve, I'm not trying to flame anyone here, just stating the obvious...

eforeman

I appreciate those above who responded to my question. If I end up getting a VUE, I will be sure to share my experiences.

slocko

just trying to correct an impression. the way the post read it seemed to say that the msrp on the 2003 cost $2000 more than the msrp on the 2002. i don't think that I am misinformed. I got the information for 2002 prices from edmund and the information for 2003 prices from saturnbp.com.

My Honda Ody is the family vehicle. I'm currently shopping for a commuting vehicle for myself. I test drove the saturn, the axiom, the pilot so far. for kicks i'm going to test drive the x5.

dindak

I wish I had that kind of price range when I was shopping for a commuter vehicle.

tesswithavue

I prefer to call it champagne because it sounds better. I had a choice of red or "champagne" with the features I wanted. I finally chose on the basis that I have had a red car in the past. I am getting ready to take the new VUE to the beach in california in about 3 weeks. About 1000 miles through the desert. We will see how she does.
Lovin' my VUE !
Tess

vuefor2

This is our first red vehicle after a black and a gray. We didn't have a lot of choice as they only have 3 Vues available. Glad to hear you love your Vue as much as we love ours. I really look forward to driving it every day and I have not ever felt that way about a car before.

Anyone know anything about that Saturn re-union in Spring Hill? Are they having one this year?

slocko

financially it makes no sense for me to buy any of those vehicles. i have a perfectly good 97 dodge stratus with 44,000 miles that i bought new with no problems.

but 6 months i changed jobs and now i am commuting about 50 mins each way and i want a nice car that is quiet, powerful, comfortable and high. i hate being trapped behind suvs, trucks, or vans and not being able to see what's ahead.

i am not the best person when it comes to finances which is why i am sort of afraid to test drive the X5. I might fall in love with it and be damned with the financial consequences

stever

Our Financial Calculators may help in your decision process.

Steve
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mosby1861

I am trying to decide which is the better way to go. I qualify for the x-plan with Ford - which is 1% below invoice so I can get a loaded xlt v6. But I really like the vue, and a similar model would be pricey. Any thoughts?

ANy good financing rates on the Saturn? I know the 2002s are discounted now, but financing rates could make the difference!

5679

I haven't seen any references in this forum to the noise levels during acceleration, on the 4 cyl. but particularly on the AWD 6.
Have I missed something? Anyone else find it bothersome?

slocko

what good are financial calculators if you don't follow their advice

slocko

I have to agree with you 5679. It's one of the reasons the VUE dropped from number one on my list to three. I test drove AWD 6 and found it noisy during acceleration.

gehe

(tesswithavue)
-Hey Tess, welcome ! You sound like you have a great sense of humor. Laundry room indeed ! Make him make dinner for a ride .
-PS:- POST your VUE pic.
(dindak)
re Colors. Yes. Finally 'calm' about the blue and I think it will be just fine.
-I intend to POST a pic on Saturnfans.com, (as soon as mine is delivered), in the owners section as I don't see any "pic post" here. Maybe Steve can correct me.
-While we are on that subject ... all you VUE fans / owners ...
-How come there is only ONE pic on the 'owners', saturnfans.com site? (A happy couple with Silver). I think it would be totally cool to see pics of all the VUEs around the country with all the colors.
-My Tracker's A/C gave in today so it was a very DRY, 3 hour ride home from NYC with all the windows & back flap down. The heat is HEAVY. I am so looking forward to getting my VUE. Not sure I even want to spend any money on the Tracker's A/C at this point. There is talk of rain ... at last !

(eforeman)
-Welcome. I have ordered a 2003 only because there were no 2002 available with my add-ons.
-I would take the money and go with a 2002.
-You will love the VUE. Remember, what ever small problems occur, Saturn will stand behind the car.
Later !

stever

lol, Slocko - well, maybe I can interest you in a helping of True Cost to Own?

Gehe, pic posting instructions are set out in the Town Hall Help linked on the upper left side of the page.

Mosby1861, incentive information can be found on our Incentives & Rebates page.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

unlucky13

Not only is it loud and annoying but it makes too
much noise for the amount of power it has.

vuefor2

I'm not sure what people are comparing the Vue engine to, but I don't find the V6 noisy at all. Yes it's noisier than a typical V6 sedan, but compared to other small SUVs it's really no worse. Power is excellent and smooth. From what I understand, the 3.0 V6 is a derivative of the V6 in the Catera and has it's origins in England. We love the our Vue and the V6 power is one of the reasons we chose it over the CR-V.

5679

When I test drove the 4 cyl. 5 spd on June 15, the salesperson didn't mention that the 2003s were out. I just learned of it when reading this forum. So I'm hoping the new ones might have improved noise baffling. However, I could live with the levels when compared to my 5 spd. SL1. I wasn't prepared for the levels experienced in the V6, but I have no SUV experience so i don't have anything to compare.
The levels were quite acceptable when cruising along.

moendm

I am glad to hear someone else voice this concern...I was told by Saturn..."yes, the transmission is a bit louder than some SUVs"...I test drove the Jeep Liberty, Mazda Tribute, and the Honda CR-V...the quietest vehicle was the CR-V, then Jeep Liberty, the Tribute and VUE were next. Each of the four vehicles have their pros and cons. Last weekend I took home a VUE for two days and drove it both highway and city...it wasn't as bad as what I had imagined or remembered on my previous test drive...probably got use to it. When I returned the VUE I ordered a 2003 AWD-6 VUE (with leather)...this will be my third Saturn. I did a lot of research and test driving and decided that the VUE will most meet my needs.