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Saturn VUE

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    mcclearyflmcclearyfl Member Posts: 149
    The photos I have seen of the '04 VUE do indeed show a very tight fit in the engine compartment. I can't make out much of the engine detail.

    The new steering wheel and dash enhancements definitely improve the simple but elegant appearance of the VUE. Am I one of the few people who find the VUE interior to be very attractive? Almost every professional reviewer seems to have a low opinion of the materials, whereas I find them very appropriate for an uncluttered and thoroughly modern aspect. Try sitting in an Infiniti F35 or F45; you will soon be able to precisely define the word "garish".
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    soggydogsoggydog Member Posts: 67
    I have read reports of problems with the CVT and was wondering if it's a cronic problem or just first generation growing pains. Is there anyone here who has a CVT that has not had problems? I like the idea of the automatic 4 CYL, but am concered about the CVT problems.
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I think the layout of the dash is excellent but I think some of the switches and pieces do feel a little cheap. I'm hoping for some improvements in the 2004.
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    relayerohiorelayerohio Member Posts: 7
    Test drove an AWD V4 Automatic today. Didn't hear the loud engine noise and highway noise that I've read about. Engine only growled upon initial acceleration.
    The salesman said the V6 was a much "growlier" engine than the V4. Anyone care to comment? I though I had read hte 4 was actually noiser than the 6.
    Torn between the Escape and the VUE right now, with A-plan on Ford and supplier discount and better financing on the VUE, the prices work out to be almost identical.
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    zapcatzapcat Member Posts: 64
    Looking at the GM website I found something I do not understand. The current VUE V6 is rated for 180 hp but the graph next to it tops out at 200 for the same rpm. Comments anyone?

    http://www.gm.com/automotive/gmpowertrain/engines/gmpow/l81.htm
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    zap : Interesting. Perhaps thats the chart for the old Catera version of the 3.0L. What ever it is, the VUE is definitely rated at around 182 hp.

    relayerohio : The 4 is probably a touch more quiet but the 6 is fine also. Power is nice if you can afford it. Really it comes down to which you like better in the end if price is not part of the equation. Both very good choices.
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    joey2brixjoey2brix Member Posts: 463
    FYI Just saw the red line today at the autoshow.
    Too bad it was painted "electric lime", turned me off right away. Green, silver and black are listed as the 3 color choices. Flier also said FWD or available AWD.
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    skormosskormos Member Posts: 2
    Hi, by the end of the month (April 2003) I am going to purchase a saturn VUE. What I''d like to know from people out there who have had a Saturn for a while is how do the colors fare after a couple of years? I have narrowed it down to Black, Silver and Red as an outside chance. Can anyone share their experience with these colors and how they wear? I know regular black cars get pitted after time and they get those darn swirlies in the paint. How does the Saturn black fare after a few years? Does the silver stay shiny or does it fade? Same with the Red.

    Thanks in advance to anyone who is going to respond and share their insight into this. Also does anyone have any complaints about the steering. Seems as though every review I read comments on that.

    Scotty K.
    Simi Valley, CA
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    millspdmillspd Member Posts: 104
    Hi Scotty,

    I have owned a 2002 VUE AWD V6, silver in color, for almost a year now. Not a very long time at all to observe color. . "performance" (can't think of a better word), but it still looks great. Very pretty in the summer, and does a decent job of hiding road grime in the Winter.

    Of course, I wax frequently too. :-)
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    juliansjulians Member Posts: 42
    folks have a dark green 98 sl. The paint is perfect. I have an orange 03 vue and the paint is perfect. Generally those swirlies only happen if you wash your car with a sponge or a sponge/dish soap...if you use a car wash soap and a cloth, the paint should hold up regardless of color.

    I think the interior is great and uncluttered in the vue. mine is the 4cly 5-speed manual and the motor is not too loud. Has plenty of power for me...but I have never been a redliner.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "With 250 horsepower, there's no doubt it will be fast"

    2004 Saturn Vue Red Line

    Steve, Host
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    vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    We have a red Vue and after a year, it still looks good. I only take her through touchless washes or hand wash though as I hate swirling or scratches. Of course, it's tough avoiding scratches in the winter.
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    gehegehe Member Posts: 78
    (skormos)
    - Scotty ... I think your best bet is to look out for 1992, 1993 ... ie:- original Saturn vehicles and see how they have fared.
    -I can honestly say that I have never seen a ' tired ', worn out looking Saturn, even after 10+ years in production. As a new VUE, new Saturn Fan, I was concerned about the paint from metal to plastic/polymer sides, but they look great. It's not an issue.
    -I have a BRIGHT BLUE VUE ... I am totally prejudice ... I hate PLAIN PAINT. ie:- Non metallic. So the BLACK would be out for me. The BLACK, SILVER GREY VUEs tend to ' BLEND " in, if you get my drift. Unnoticeable.
    -The RED is sharp ... (I know mmspeal is "watching" so I have to say that !!!) ... the SILVER still looks good, the GREEN is handsome, the ORANGE was my first choice, but I love the BRIGHT BLUE. It looks good clean or dirty.
    -Lots o' luck.

    re:- Back window dirt ...
    -The previous messages about rear window dirt made me wonder. Unless everyone is "twalking" about the usual dirt; I don't seem to have much problem.
    -But, then ... I have MUD FLAPS. I think they look handsome and work great.

    re:- DOOR TROUBLE ...
    -My inside, front driver's door handle stopped working. A sudden click and it went dead. The part is on order. No big deal. I love the VUE and I have got so used to hitting the down button and opening my door from the outside, monkey style.
    -Saturn English Creek said it was their first.
    -Later ...
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    dwabiddwabid Member Posts: 36
    My previous saturn was a mettalic blue, and It held its color well for 9 years. When I purchased 2003 VUE I opted for the silver. I was actually torn between that and the burnt orange. I finally came down to climate. The day after I took a second test drive it snowed here in Wisconsin and the roads were covered with salt, as evidenced by all cars with dark paint jobs. That pushed me to the silver.

    In past experience, the cars I've owned with the darker colors all faired worse than the lighter, especially black. Paints and coatings have changed over the years but it seems after about 3 years a good detailing is needed on the black car to get its looks back...
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    relayerohiorelayerohio Member Posts: 7
    Got this response from Saturn Customer Service:

    This larger, more powerful engine will be available on the Red Line VUE.
    (Not replacing the regular V6 engine in the VUE). 17 inch wheels will be standard on all-wheel-drive V-6 models, and optional on the front-wheel drive V6 models. The Red Line VUE will actually have 18 inch wheels.

    Almost seems like the Honda Engine won't be an option on the regular VUE, but if it is, probably will increase the price considerably.
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    mcclearyflmcclearyfl Member Posts: 149
    This is quite remarkable news, and it runs contrary to all reports I have read. However, if true, it would be a logical step. It is much easier from an inventory standpoint to smoothly continue the current V6 into the 2004 model year and offer the Honda V6 as an option in the regular Vue or as the standard engine in the Redline.

    I do caution you that GM customer service reps are notoriously inaccurate. As the current owner of an Olds Aurora, our interest group has reported quite remarkable inaccuracies on the Oldsmobile website as this venerable brand disappears for ever.

    What convinces me to discredit the report is that it is eminently logical. GM has not demonstrated great logic over the last several years.
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    relayerohiorelayerohio Member Posts: 7
    The only other thing to discredit it is if GM is buying 50,000 V6's from Honda next year, that seems like an extreme number to purchase if it's truly an optional on the normal VUE's, since most speculation on this board has the red line costing what full-size SUV's typically cost.

    Test driving one of the normal V6's tomorrow and doing a comparison with an Escape XLT later in the day.......have the costs on identical configuaration of each within $300 of each other..anyone got a quarter to flip?
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Hope you are right. I would go with the 3.0L on a price and fuel economy basis alone. I how all the VUEs get the new freshened interior though!
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    saturnfreak01saturnfreak01 Member Posts: 134
    As a third time Saturn owner I am used to Saturn's sense of style. Often unique and controversial at the same time.

    After seeing pictures of the VUE Redline here at edmunds.com I am left torn as to whether it looks good or bad. I dislike the new Edsel like grill in the front and am not sure whether its painted bumpers help or hurt the vehicles overall looks.

    Thoughts? opinions?
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    zapcatzapcat Member Posts: 64
    I agree with you on all points about the looks of the Redline vue.

    -relayer.... those Saturn Reps don't have a clue.
    back in January they had no idea a Honda motor was coming and GM announced it back in August/September!
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    dwabiddwabid Member Posts: 36
    Several months ago I wrote about the inability of my VUE's sunroof to retract completely. The dealer did not have an answer and I have chatted with several owners who tell me it should retract compltely (it stops about 3 inches short) or others who experience the same problem. Now that the weather is warm here in Wisconsin I finally emailed Saturn directly to get the final answer... Here it is:

    "After researching your question a bit further,
    I located Saturn Bulletin 02-T-79. This bulletin talks about the design of the sunroof changing on the VUE. The sunroof will not fully retract on
    the newly designed sunroofs."

    Mystery solved. Not to my liking but solved nonetheless...
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    vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    Doesn't that Honda engine need premium fuel? That would certainly make it all even worse.
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    mmspealmmspeal Member Posts: 122
    If it makes you feel better, you are not missing much. My VUE must be a little bit older and the sunroof does retract all the way when manually opened. The only time that position is any good though is when I am stuck in traffic (which I try to avoid but kind of unavoidable where I live). If the VUE is moving, I can't stand to have it all the way open as it sounds like I am carrying a helicopter in the back!

    Gehe - you were right - I was watching! :-) I really like the blue too - if it was available when I bought mine, I would have went that way. The dealership where I bought mine has a blue one all dressed up with decals as the "Toronto Maple Leaf" VUE - it looks great but don't know if I'd want to drive it right now.
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    mcclearyflmcclearyfl Member Posts: 149
    Saturn Customer Service sent me the following considerate reply:

    "Thank you for taking the time to e-mail Saturn. We appreciate your interest in the 2004 Saturn VUE! Actually, this vehicle is scheduled to make its debut in the Fall of 2003. I apologize, but I do not have an exact date to provide you at this time. I recommend you keep an eye on our website for future updates and information. You may also contact us closer to the debut date for additional information."

    Of course I'm ancient enough to remember "the good old days" when new models had debuts with much hoopla and with drapes over the showroom windows so the latest model was not open to prying eyes before the official launch date. Now, new models just kind of appear, and at almost any time of the year -- or, as in the case of Oldsmobile, not at all!
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    gehegehe Member Posts: 78
    -Nothing like being "watched" !
    -Enjoyed your POST.
    -Yes. Blue is very nice. Mine still has that new car smell even from feet away. I work from home in a 'barn' out back and when I pass "Miz Viv" sometime I catch a whif of her newness in the breeze. It's probably the polymer sides in the sun. Love it !
    -And YES. Even my VUE gets dirty. I know I 'ribbed' you about yours way back when. This was a tough Winter.
    -The V6 front wheels need hand work as the disk brakes leave a deposit that doesn't come out in the auto-wash.
    re:- Mum Approved ...
    -My folks were out from the yUK for a month last month and Viv passed the "Mum Test". More notable what wasn't said than what was and because my Mum didn't 'fetch & carry-on" about traffic, headaches, travel sickness, but was content to chit and chat her way through our travels. A really good sign !
    -My Dad & I did a whole bunch of Home Depot shopping as he is Mr. Fix-Everything. Twice we had really long things to go into Viv and both times he looked at me in alarm about how we would manage. (10' steel up-rights and a full size wooden door). I calmly replied that someone that thought about all that when designing. Everything fit just fine.
    -Love that VUE.
    Later...
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    mtenamtena Member Posts: 58
    The keyless remote and the dome light appear to be malfunctioning, and the "service" light just went on in my new AWD 4 (with all of 45 miles on it).

    I'll share my thoughts on the new vehicle once I can get over to the dealer to get these matters resolved.

    I got the medium green with sunroof, ABS and VTi.
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    mtenamtena Member Posts: 58
    Well the codes pointed to a defective horn, which was somehow resulting in a blown fuse.

    The service folks at my San Jose Saturn dealer were very friendly and replaced the horn on the spot.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    On the fleet VUE. Check out the latest report about this "homegrown, handsome sport-utility vehicle."

    Long-Term Test: 2002 Saturn Vue

    Steve, Host
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Decent review. Wonder if it was an early model? I have tested 2 VUEs and not heard a single rattle. The things seem pretty good. Do other people have rattles in their VUEs??
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    mtenamtena Member Posts: 58
    I definitely like the crash test scores. My insurance agent told me that the premium for my 2003 Vue will be approximately $75 less than for my 2001 Jetta turbo, which I just traded in.
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    vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    We have no rattles at all. My keys are the only thing I really ever hear, our Vue is very tightly made. As for the crash tests, they are a big selling point for us as we are planning kids in the next year.

    I hope our Ion also gets good scores. We kind of assumed it would as most newer cars seem to do well.
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    carguy1234carguy1234 Member Posts: 233
    Our 2003 V6 AWD is also rattle free. Now 7 months old, it still seems just like new. We are quite pleased overall with the VUE.

    Also nice to see the VUE get the best crash test rating at Consumer Reports for the small suvs.
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    samwiseinkysamwiseinky Member Posts: 5
    Got the silver base FWD 4 cylinder VUE, manual. Very nice, as advertised. Is the rumbling when it's in reverse anything to worry about?
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    samwiseinkysamwiseinky Member Posts: 5
    Actually, it looks to me like whatever size SUV you're talking about, the VUE has the best crash tests, at least according to this table on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration page.

    http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2003SUVs.html
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    fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    My one week old Vue is apparently a totally different vehicle than the one "Phil" drove to his personal disgust.
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    mmspealmmspeal Member Posts: 122
    That rumble drives me nuts!!! I took mine in for it and they say it is normal as all the other one's they had on the lot and one in for an oil change did the same thing. I have 25 000 clicks now and it still does it so I guess it won't go away either.

    I still don't think it is normal so if anyone finds a dealership that takes them seriously and finds something wrong, please tell the details!
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    skormosskormos Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone my name Is Scotty and recently I posted here asking about Saturn's colors and how they fade. After much research and the input from this board I got my 2003 Vue in silver and it's awesome. For anyone with a silver Vue I highly suggest springing for the 150.00 lower body cladding. It breaks up the large silver doors and adds a sleek appeal to the vehicle, it also is functional as it deflects scratches from the lower half of the vehicle. I'd also like to say that the VUE is amazingly quiet relative to my 98 camaro and the cargo area hold's a complete drum set and speakers! My only complaint about the Vue is that the sound system is sub par. Being a musician I am very keen to the fact that the Saturn audio system in this vehicle is in need of help. Also noticed that the sunroof on the 2003 Vue does not retract all the way so I guess we all are not crazy.

    Thanks again to all the members who chimed in on their color choices and insight. This is a great community here.

    Scotty K.
    Los Angeles, CA
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    millspdmillspd Member Posts: 104
    Silver is a beautiful color for the VUE, and I still love my '02 AWD V6!

    Of course, my sunroof completely retracts. ;-P
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Do you have a red VUE? I think I saw you peeling out of your parking lot the other day.
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    dwabiddwabid Member Posts: 36
    "Of course, my sunroof completely retracts. ;-P "
    Doh ---low blow ;-)

     
    Is that cladding dealer installed? I never considered it. Looks like a great idea. We are accessorizing our MINI so much the Vue is getting a little jealous...
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    mmspealmmspeal Member Posts: 122
    Yup it was probably me. Did I really go peeling out? (maybe cause I was so sick of getting stuck in the traffic around here last week - that was brutal)
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    gehegehe Member Posts: 78
    re:- Review. Thought that was a cute review, (stevehostguy). Thanks.
    -Funny how the VUE kinda creeps up on you. All those negative opinions, but he still liked it.
    re:- Rattles ...
    -We're talking the VUE, right ? Not us folks ?
    -I hope the VUE isn't as picky about the squeaks and creaks that we make !
    -My V6 VUE dash has an on going squeak like styrofoam boards rubbing. (I tune it out). Have the same start-up rumble as (mmspeal) mentioned, but I think that's about the AWD being stationary, using the hand brake and just getting moving first time. Tuned that out too. Sure don't have any of the under carriage noise.
    Later ...
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    millspdmillspd Member Posts: 104
    I was just teasing about the sunroof. :-)
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    fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    My daughter chose the silver, and it goes well with my silver Mountaineer! The dealer "offered" to install an option package for $600.00 that included the lower door cladding. I didn't take it. The sound system is an upgrade type that seems quite adequate, but not premium. I believe there are six speakers in the package.
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I actually saw it from a bit of a distance so I couldn't really tell. It's a really busy road though, I try and avoid it though it's the best way to get to the QEW east for me if I'm heading into the city after work.
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    br1009br1009 Member Posts: 3
    Anyone found a cause or explanation for the annoying rumble and shaking when backing a 2002 Vue 5-speed? Can this problem be fixed and at what cost? What about possible long term damage to the drive train or chasis from the shaking?
    Are things any better on the 2003 models? What about with automatic transmissions? How can the dealers say this is normal? It sure doesn't feel normal to me!
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    mmspealmmspeal Member Posts: 122
    I totally agree !!! I've driven standard transmissions all my life (I had one automatic and I blew the tranny right after warranty up so never again) and I've never had a vehicle rumble like that. I think there is something wrong but dealership keeps saying no cause they all do it - I say that doesn't make it right! Hopefully someone comes across a dealership that fixes it and passes on the resolution so we can all ensure it gets done.
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    fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    I have a 5 speed manual 4 cylinder 2003. It is backed out of the garage daily. None of us in the family have ever noted distress of any sort when backing. I noted on the window sticker that the engine was manufactured in the USA, and the transmission came from Italy. Hmmmmmmmmm!
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    dave000kdave000k Member Posts: 13
    My local Saturn dealer sent out letters to former and current Saturn owners to come to the dealership and collect a free prize. The prizes were all legit. Then of course, they asked if I wanted to see a new Saturn. At this time there was no pressure. I wanted to see the VUE. I liked it. However, the only incentives being offered were the 0% interest and $500 conquest rebate. I know this dealership has discounted in the past. Anyway, the salesman tried to pressure me into buying today. He brought in his manager. He even told me to buy the VUE and return it in 30 days if I didn't like it. He seemed irritated when I didn't want to make a decision today. Has the Saturn buying experience changed since I bought in 1991? I didn't like it; especially when the price is not negotiable.
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    bob0029bob0029 Member Posts: 2
    Have a 2003 FWD Vue V6 is very noisey. Does anyone have this also?
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