Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Honda CR-V vs Saturn VUE
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
icvci : Honda has had some fairly problematic launches lately, I really wouldn't bet on any new vehicle model. You are also obviously a Honda fan, but some U.S. brands have come light years since your Fiero.
My sister-in-laws Focus?
My Neon?
My cousins L-Series?
Nah, I'll still take my chances. I agree, the Fiero was uncommonly bad (Thank goodness for a 62 month unlimited mileage warranty with a one time $25 deductible!) But, my Honda's have been VERY good.
I'd take a Honda flawed launch over a domestic debacle anyday. The worst Honda launch is 100X better than the worst domestic launch.
I really don't want to go there though. I'm tired of defending imports. Buy what you want (Like you wouldn't anyway.) CR, J.D. Power, and Intellichoice can carry their banner. Not me, not here.
I know if I had a bad experience I would feel the same way. That said, one needs to keep an open mind in life which is why we initially popped into the Saturn dealer and tried a Vue. The $$ savings and better customer service were the deal breakers for us when it came down to CR-V vs Vue. The reliability data I've seen does not back up your comments.
Nothing wrong with Hondas though, we have had 2.
Sorry, I wasn't intentionally plugging one vehicle. I was more interested in debunking an earlier comment about the VUE's reliability rating being based on the ratings of other Saturns.
Then I came across an 86 Civic CRX DX with 32,000 miles. It was garaged and in great condition. My Fiero was (had been) near death with 168,000 miles (again, thank goodness for that warranty). I put 66,000 miles on the CRX before a Porsche 911 rear ended me and totaled it. It was the most pleasant 66,000 miles I had driven since I bought the Fiero. Never saw a dealer. I was sold.
I bought a Neon used from a family member. It looked like a good car. I'll leave it at that.
So back to Honda it was for me.
Anyway, I think the VUE looks neat, I'm just a little gun-shy when it comes to domestics. I did look at the Vibe when purchasing my Protege5 and would have bought one. But, there isn't a 5 speed to be found in Michigan.
Drove to work behind a VUE today, plate read 4VUE2NV. (Insert sarcastic remark here.)
icvci : Funny thing is my parents bought us an 84 Fiero when we were in high school. It was a fun car but the 4 speed manual had issues. Not too bad considering the time period. I went with a Civic in university as American cars a bit shaky but we have now had 3 GMs in a row now and none of them have been any trouble. I'm not saying GM doesn't make any bad cars / trucks any more, but I am saying they have all of ours been pretty much pain free. Our latest an 02 Alero has been perfect for it's first year. While I would look at Honda again, with the incentives offered by other makers like Nissan, GM and a couple of others, I have trouble understanding the premium one has to pay to get a Honda sometimes.
I'm not sure that holds true for new ones though. I wouldn't have wanted anything more on our CR-V than what came standard and, it's a competitivly priced. Even at MSRP, I think they are a pretty good value.
Which would you rather pay? An MSRP that is a fair price for the vehicle, or a $2K discount off a vehicle that was MSRP priced $2K higher than it should have been. I see quite a few posts from people who refuse to pay MSRP based on principle and completely ignore the fact that competition is the same price even after the discounts.
I think we would have been happy with either. It was a matter of making a decision based on the info at the time. The competitive variables change all the time and if we looked at the vehicles today our choice may have been different. All I know for sure is that we love our Vue.
Just curious, what were the incentives at the time you purchased?
"Saturn wanted to sell a vehicle a bit more than the competition."
or...
Saturn couldn't get a higher price.
Saturn didn't have any other buyers.
The market price of a vehicle is most often aligned with how the buyers value that vehicle. If the market price is low, it's typically because the market does not value that design.
I'll buy that. Then again, it's not like I just followed the Pied Piper. I drove, I read, I listened, I bought.
Actually, the CR-V is my first Honda. Prior to owning it, I was not a car nut and knew little about the industry. I didn't know enough to be biased. I drove a Plymouth, a Ford, 2 Subarus, a Chevy, and 2 Mazdas. I bought cars that I could afford. Of those cars, only one of the Mazdas impressed me.
When it came time for me to buy a new car, I did my research and drove everything in the class. I also checked out a few things outside of the class, just for good measure. I was looking for another car that would impress me. Cheap was no longer the sole criterion.
About 4-5 months after purchasing the CR-V, I logged onto the Town Hall for the first time. The CR-V had not only impressed me, it had turned me into an enthusiast. I continued to learn and found some things that I didn't like, but also found more information that continued to leave a favorable impression. Nowadays I'm attending and coordinating rallies for CR-V owners.
Point is... I didn't buy the CR-V because I valued Hondas. I didn't know enough about Hondas for that to be possible. Owning the CR-V is what convinced me that Honda provides a good value.
Just curious.
The Mazda that impressed me was my wife's old 323 hatchback. It was a wierd-looking little thing, but the engine had good hustle, it ran like a champ, and we fit all kinds of stuff in the back. The MX6 was more fun to drive, but the 323 was simply a great car for the money.
You should stop and consider that I was offered a better deal by Saturn than I was offered by (for example) the Toyota dealer or any other I was considering. That is what I meant by saying "Saturn wanted to sell a vehicle a bit more than the competition." This is not a point of argument. I am simply clarifying the matter.
fleetwoodsimca : Taking some time and not following the crowd is definitely where value is found, much like anything in life. Honda CR-V is a fine vehicle and I think it should be on any small SUV shopping list BUT, I think there are about 3 other SUVs I would deem to be a better value given the incentives that are now in place.
Don't get me wrong, they definitely have different ribbons and bows (door handles, headlights, taillights) but, much of the package looks the same.
Very similar shape.
To us, the Vue was a better value, even when we bought. We liked the polymer door panels, the peppy V6 and the tailgate better than the CR-V. Quality wise, our Vue has been very good, we are happy and we really have no complaints. I only wish we could get the 0% now on.
Not good or bad, just an observation. I could be totally off. Seems I'm the only one who notices similarities so I guess I'm alone. Oh well, I can live with that.
I think the best in this class are VUE, CR-V, Escape and Tribute. I think the coming Equinox looks promising also.
I think Isuzu's days are numbered. Given they only make SUVs, they should be really good at it and they are average at best so sales keep sliding.
tidester, host
Speaking of the Isuzu Rodeo, I owned a '99 model for 17,300 miles. It was perfectly reliable for 17,233 miles and went to the dealership only 5 times. It visited the dealer four times for regularly-scheduled maintenance (oil/filter changes/15,000 mile service). The fifth visit occurred at 17,234 miles when the transmission turned to soup--naturally it was 4:55 on a rainy Friday evening 20 miles from home. After four weeks, Isuzu returned the truck with a new transmission. I drove it straight to a GM dealer and traded it in.
By the way, I don't think all Isuzus are unreliable and I would buy another if they sold something worth owning. 6 year old designs (Rodeo), new skins on outdated designs (Axiom), and badge engineering (Ascender) aren't enough in today's competitive truck market.
I just picked my 2003 AWD V6 VUE up on Monday... we love the ride, the looks, and the interior room. I am hoping the AWD is excellent, because that was the real reason we went for the VUE... it was between this and the 2003 CRV... the VUE incentives, along with the space and my brother's great experience with Saturn convinced me to buy the VUE.
Now the problem:
We had the "Service Engine Light Soon" come on at 150 miles... the dealer checked out the car, reset it and now it is back on at 223 miles... we have not had to put gasoline in the car yet (dealer gave us a full tank), so it is not related to a loose gas cap.
I am waiting for them to call me back now, to set-up an appointment for checking it again. Anyone else have a similar problem??
My wife did notice one thing however. She accidentally bumped the shift lever and it went into neutral while she was at speed. Of course the engine immediately revved up and startled her. It seems like the shift path should be gated in some fashion to avoid such happenings. A rambunctious youngster in the passenger seat could accidently bump the gear selector into a different gear, or neutral at any time, causing a dangerous situation. It can't get into reverse because of gating, but the other gears are fair game.
Has anyone else encountered this problem?
;-)
Benchmarks are always moving, though. Honda just spec'd out an Element with the 200 hp 2.4 from the TSX. It was just a show car for SEMA, but the CR-V is expected to get a mid-life face lift next year. Who knows...
What happened to the VUE this past year? Last year, CR had it rated above the industry average by about 10-15%. This year, it dropped to about 60% below the industry average. I know the average is always going higher, but that seems a bit disproportionate. Were there any major recalls or part failures? I didn't hear anything.
I would prefer a V6, but a 2.4L Ecotec would be fine and would save me money. With a growing family, that could be important.
I took a closer look at the CR data and it looks like the majority of the bad vibes are coming from owners of 2002 models.
Body Integrity was rated "below average" (9-15% of owners reported problems). Body Integrity refers to squeaks, rattles, door seals, weather stripping, etc.
Body Hardware, Fuel, Suspension, and Electrical were all rated "average".
All the other categories were "above average" or "good".
I kinda doubt the CVT is the answer as the transmission category is scored above average and good for the 2002 and 2003 model years.