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Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave

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Comments

  • kcoreykcorey Member Posts: 130
    At this stage of the game you're right. The '09 Enclaves have several great new features over the '08's. BUT...what is the price difference?!So far, I haven't seen any prices. And, you might be able to get a DEAL on an '08.
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    There isn't anything earth shattering coming out in the 09s to justify a dramatic price increase. Lots of things were rumored, but in the end a few nice options are coming, but no real justification I can see for major price bumps.

    The 09s will likely be more expensive at the outset simply because they are newer. I would expect this to mediate itself in time and for the price to settle back.

    I am anxious for the EPA numbers to come out on the new engine. I would expect a small increase in highway mpg, probably not much for city though any increase would be welcome.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    There are no deals on Enclaves except $500 owner loyalty. Heck you might have to wait for an '09 since the 08's are probably already spoken for.
  • tom174tom174 Member Posts: 1
    Good day , i just received my 2007 outlook after 7 days , fixing a " t bar " roof leak and looking for more infor on this situation , dealer had to change all of the interior roof , and i am thinking that this cause my windshield to crack over the last winter , any infor on this situation ,
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Not exactly sure what a "T bar" is but the only stuff on the roof that could leak is the ONStar antenna or the roof rack. Either of these could easily leak if sealer not applyed or gasket misaligned. Nothing to do with windshield.
  • twodahlstwodahls Member Posts: 1
    I currently have a true 4 wheel drive truck. I take my truck on the beach in 4 wheel drive. I'm unfamiliar with AWD systems. Would the Saturn's AWD system be able to handle beach sand, or is this just for better transaction in snow, rain etc?
  • husky92husky92 Member Posts: 56
    I've seen articles that indicate that the Lambda cars are unlikely to get the new 2-mode hybrid system any time soon and yet, the Saturn Vue with the 3.6 liter V6 is getting it:

    http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/01/06/detroit-2008-saturn-vue-2-mode-hybrid/

    If they can put it in this SUV, why not the Lambdas? They're talking about a 50% increase in fuel economy. That would be awesome.
  • kcoreykcorey Member Posts: 130
    Read it all the way through...UP TO 50% increase. At a cost of about $3.000 to $4,000 more per car, and a big decrease in performance, it really isn't worth it...especially when you have to replace the batteries in about 5 to 6 years. Sorry, but hybrids and diesels are not thae way to go, especially in an SUV or Lambda.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    The 50% is epa so it is as accurate as the ratings are which is about right as of 2008.

    Who says Lamdas will not get it? Seems like the Vue version would drop right in with some mods.

    Prices will come down but it is hard to sell a hybrid unless you are a prius that is bought for the buyer to feel good about himself. The other hybrids do not sell.
  • husky92husky92 Member Posts: 56
    Who says Lamdas will not get it? Seems like the Vue version would drop right in with some mods.

    Lots of postings indicating that the 2 mode hybrid won't work in the Lambdas. Of couse the Vue getting it directly contradicts this.

    Here's one of the postings I was referring to:

    http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/gm-lambda-cuvs-not-going-hybrid-anytime-soon-- - sierra-will/

    Prices will come down but it is hard to sell a hybrid unless you are a prius that is bought for the buyer to feel good about himself. The other hybrids do not sell.

    Gas only hit $4/gallon in the last couple weeks. I would definitely be interested. I know many say it's not worth the extra cost but there are many other reasons. Given the choice of giving more money to Buick and less money to the oil companies and Saudi Arabia, I'm going to choose Buick.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    It says the trans is not wide enough to fit in the Lambda?? That does not make sense since between the trans and the wheels are shafts which can easily be lengthened.

    At $4 the only hybrid that is selling well is the Prius and it is selling to people with lots of money ($100,000 HH income). The others, inclucing Honda's, are not selling well.

    I agree there are other reasons to buy hybrids but even now they are still not selling. Not to worry though because the new CAFE regs will force a lot more hybrids.
  • kcoreykcorey Member Posts: 130
    Keep reading further on down on autoblog. GM has had to recall the batteries! Sorry, but hybrids in a heavy SUV or Lamda...no way. Oh sure, a Prius (or even a small VW)...much different weight ratio. But a Lamda...then add 7 people...luggage...so much for an battery powered car!
  • allmet33allmet33 Member Posts: 3,557
    Hybrids aren't selling as well as expected because folks are realizing the truth about them. They only offer a true benefit if they are driven daily stop & go traffic. Take the Mercury Mariner and the Hybrid version...the regular Mariner gets 21/27 mpg, the Hybrid version gets 33/29. So if you don't drive in the city regularly...there's no clear cut benefit to buying one.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Right, and most people want a big car/SUV/Truck for the long trips etc. on the highway.
  • husky92husky92 Member Posts: 56
    Right, and most people want a big car/SUV/Truck for the long trips etc. on the highway.

    Well, I'm not going to start an argument here other than to say that I'm not "most people". I just think that $4/gallon gas is going to get people thinking about ways to save gas. Maybe the technology still needs to mature but personally, I don't see the value of a Prius or Hybrid Civic. The Civic already gets great mileage. I'd love to get 22-24 MPG in my Sequoia.

    As for this notion that hybrids don't sell well, I don't know where that is coming from:

    http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/BUSINESS01/806110403

    Sales are down only because they can't make enough of them and yes, because of the battery recall. Demand is way up. I think $4/gallon is significant. Talk to anybody who regularly takes the bus about the number of people taking the bus since gas hit $4. I'd anticipate a gigantic drop in large SUV sales for June.
  • tom178tom178 Member Posts: 3
    Have you found a solution to your problem? I have an 08 Outlook and when I have the rear two windows there seems to be quite abit of turbulence within the cabin. Lowering the front windows or opening the sunroof remedies the issue but it seems I am troubled by the cars response at highway speeds. The sunroof actually shakes violently and rear view mirror will do the same at times.
  • tom178tom178 Member Posts: 3
    My new 08 saturn outlook is a beautiful family car. My only question is this. Ha s anyone with an outlook, acadia or enclave experienced cabin turbulence at highway speeds. I am not talking about the flub flub and pressure waves. I am talking about pretty violent shaking from the sunroof and rearview mirror. I am very concerned that I have a serious problem. :sick:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    So, you're saying this is way beyond the usual helicopter noise that's pretty common with most cars these days?
  • tom178tom178 Member Posts: 3
    yes, absolutely which is why I am concerned. We brought it to the dealership and the technician called GM. They said this is usual with all the models. I do not think they understand the extent of the vibrations. I have never seen this before in a car and I am used to the usual "flub flub" sounds as they are normal in many new cars.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    If it's "is usual with all the models" then you should be able to reproduce the noise by test driving another '08 on the lot. If you can't then you should request more investigate work be done by the tech. Bent wheels, bad tires, unbalanced driveshafts come to mind off the top of my head for things to check.

    Recording the noise level in your rig and another one or two off the lot may help convince GM that you do have a problem beyond the norm.
  • allmet33allmet33 Member Posts: 3,557
    I've got an '07 Outlook and the same thing happened. I noticed it during the test drive when I put the two rear windows down. I don't know about a violent shaking, but then again...I was only doing like 40-45 mph. Considering I never drive with just the rear windows down...for me it was no issue. Personally, I think it's just a quirk in the overall design and I'm pretty sure Saturn knows of it, but didn't think it would be an issue since most folks don't drive with just the rear windows down.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    The Yukon is a hybrid and gets 21 mpg city, better than a Camry.

    Also there are a lot of Hybrid city buses out there.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    This is typical of a lot of cars/trucks. Has to do with cabin pressure vs. aero of vehicle. Just open a front window slightly.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Right, and most people want a big car/SUV/Truck for the long trips etc. on the highway.

    I do not know about most people but around here with the soccer moms/dads most never get 10 miles from their house. I am dragging the kids from school to tennis to swimming to soccer. In fact the only time I was on the expressway was when I went to the museum downtown.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Until 3 months ago only the Prius was selling. Now that gas is over $4 and everybody is panicing they are selling beyond the capacity of the OEM's. IN other words until recently most all had no problem meeting demand excepy Prius. Even Honda dropped their hybrid.
  • allmet33allmet33 Member Posts: 3,557
    Right! I have exerienced it in other vehicles before, but like I said...MOST folks really don't drive with just the rear windows down (some do because I see it). That being the case...only a small percentage of folks would ever really comment on it. I'm with you...just crack the front windows or the sunroof (if you have one) to offset the cabin pressure.
  • husky92husky92 Member Posts: 56
    Even Honda dropped their hybrid.

    I think they dropped the Accord Hybrid because it didn't really get much better mileage over the regular accord and therefore didn't sell. They still make the Civic Hybrid.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Actually I was thinking of the standalone Insight, but that is an unfair comparison since it was a 2 seater.
  • hawkeye15hawkeye15 Member Posts: 9
    Sorry to all of you that have read my posts in the acadia/outlook areas, but I think it's important enough that I should try to let as many people know about my experience. My only complaints with my Enclave were the unresponsive tranny going into the higher gears too soon and the jerky downshift to 5th on hills. TSB #08-07-30-022 available May 8, 2008 has completely eliminated all problems. The car shifts like you expect a car to shift. It came with a warning that it could decrease mpg, but I haven't seen it happen. I still get 14 mpg in around town short trips and 21-22 at 76 mph on the interstate. I still don't like that it needs to downshift on minor hills, but it isn't noticeable(except on the tach). I would really like to hear from anybody else with this update. Thanks.
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Just got back from a Madison Wisconsin to Detroit michigan trip.

    All highway with 3 stops for gas/food. 75-80 mph pretty much with a couple short slow downs due to jams. Got 23.9 mpg which I am happy with.

    One thing I noticed is that if I kept the rpm below 2000 ( during take offs) the mpg stayed up. If I went over 2000 there was trans kickdown and the mpg dropped quickly. Around town I am trying to keep the revs below 2000 and it seems to really make a difference.

    Per the above post I think the vehicle really is set to cruise at a low rpm for great mpg but if you need the power it kicks down quickly. Remember this is a 6 speed.

    Mine is about 5 months old and I thought it had the updated software but I will check. But I do not have any complaints so I am probably up to date.
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    Good news on the upgrade. Re the downshifting on minor hills. We have an Envoy XL with the 4 sp and 3.42 rear end I believe. It downshifts one gear on some hills, on steeper hills it will sometime downshift a second time. At that point with cruise say on 73 or so, it is roaring along in second :-( definitely hurts to look at the DIC when that happens.

    Bill
  • hawkeye15hawkeye15 Member Posts: 9
    62vetteefp, If you are satisfied with the way it shifts and drives, I'd leave it alone, but the May update makes the light throttle shift as yours will on a heavy throttle. The new shifting is what I'm familiar with in other vehicles and preferred to have the responsiveness (if that's a word) at all times.
    Wlbrown9-I hear you on the double downshifts-my Oldsmobile minivan used to do that and I had a loud roar that accompanied it. The Enclave only drops to 5th and is super quiet, so I'm the only one that notices it, now, by seeing the tach needle swing.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    I just got done reading the full test of the Outlook and I must say that I am impressed. I was all set a couple of years of getting a Trailblazer, but then decided that if I am going to do that, I might as well get a Suburban when it came time to replace the family vehicle. Which probably won't be for a few years, but I like looking. :D

    Over the years that Trailblazer has been out, it has failed to impress my enough to actually get one. I have liked them, but not enough to actually want to own one. So I started eyeing 'Burbs because I would want to cargo room in addition to the seating capacity... yes I actually plan to have a use for all 8 seats.

    Now I see the Outlook and eventually we'll have the Acacia and the Enclave. I have really liked what I see and it now looks as though this is the vehicle that I would like to get. It gets decent mileage, has seating for 8 and can do so without too much scrunching and has enough cargo room that I wouldn't need the Suburban. I have never really liked mini-vans, except for the Astro Van (call me wierd, but I thought that was a great vehicle), and so if I were to end up with one, I would be settling for something that is functional, but not something I would own because I wanted to.

    So I like what I see... I would probably get the GMC Acacia, but since it's all basically the same architecture, it wouldn't really matter unless there were major differences in the 3 models.
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    "Wlbrown9-I hear you on the double downshifts-my Oldsmobile minivan used to do that and I had a loud roar that accompanied it. The Enclave only drops to 5th and is super quiet, so I'm the only one that notices it, now, by seeing the tach needle swing. "

    I'll see for myself now. I bought a 2008 Saturn XR Tuesday. 145 miles so far. I really do like it. Gas mileage looks decent, better than my '00 Trooper. I have noticed a little bit of the shifting. A lot of my daily drive will be at 45 - 70 but I think I will get used to the shifting between 4th - 5th & 6th. Can't wait to try it out on the road for a trip. Left the dealership and had a 15 mile run on the interstate...reset the MPG on the DIC and got 25+ for that first run. Of course, as soon as I got on city streets it dropped fast and was down to 22 by the time I got home.

    BTW, I'm on my third day and saw that we have a recall...heated wiper fluid. It will be a couple of months before I need anything heated in Memphis.

    Bill
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Thanks for the update. As soon as I get my notice I will have to visit my dealer. Have not been there since I bought my vehicle. Been a fantastic vehicle
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    At least they are steping up to the plate. Only time Toyota steps up to the plate is after their customers either hound them or the courts tell them to. Thats why CR reports on the Camry has dropped so much. So go back to your tinny toyota forums where you belong. :P
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    The problem is when you need warranty work. Their attitude is nothing is wrong, its a toyota its all in your head and thats the way its supposed to work. Go over to the Camry site and read back about all the problems and the people who have sold them at a loss just to get rid of them BECAUSE THEY DON'T STEP UP TO THE PLATE.
  • toyota4lifetoyota4life Member Posts: 53
    Like other manufacturers, GM is often reluctant to publicly admit problems. Instead, it describes such things as banging engines in brand-new trucks as "perfectly normal," while secretly buying back vehicles from consumers who are assertive to retain a lawyer. It's been playing this little game lately with its full-sized pickups and SUVs.

    Then there's DexCool, the standard coolant on many new GM vehicles. The owner's manual states that this stuff lasts up to 100,000 miles. In fact, in all too many cases, the coolant turns to gunk long before then, causing serious problems that include overheating and subsequent engine failure. GM knows about the problem but so far has refused to take responsibility.

    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news03/gm_buyback.html

    :P
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    Kind of like the Toyota sludge problems on the Camry, the Tundra engines blowing up on brand new trucks or the big recall and few deaths on their trucks due to hesatation. Same problem that Toyota owners have been fighting with Toyota on certain models of Lexus and the Camry but it is all on deaf ears. Sinse you are toyota4life you couldn't see a problem if it was right in front of your nose so why not go back to your Toyota boards and ejoy.
  • drwilscdrwilsc Member Posts: 140
    Has anyone had a chance to sample an '09 Lambda? Can you tell a difference in the acceleration with the Direct Injected engine?
  • liameenliameen Member Posts: 16
    I wish I could share toyota4life's confidence in Toyota products and dealers. My experiences with my 2001 Toyota Sequoia Limited and my local dealer's service dept have been below standard. The truck itself has always been giving electronic trouble of some kind- mosltly minor stuff, but annoying. However, the central computer module has had to be replaced, and now the throttle body assembly ($1036 + labor) for some electrical fault. The truck was liable to stall ANYWHERE. It was very dangerous.
    Also the first Sequoias had a braking system that was not adequate for the weight of the truck. Our brakes have been replaced at least three if not four times in 75k miles, and it's not the driver's fault. We put up 65k on our last vehicle before we had to replace the brakes.
    Lastly, I have been overcharged, cheated and lied to my face by my local Toyota service manager.
    We just bought a Buick Enclave CXL(Goodbye Toyota). So far we like it. I know that now there is a recall coming up- so what? I've had GM prducts that have been recalled before- they just fix the problem and give the car back.
  • shillelaghshillelagh Member Posts: 17
    Will be going to BBB arbitration hearing 10/08 for refund on our 08' Outlook. Since 10/07 the vehicle has 55 days out of service, from an engine rebuild to a passive airbag deployment. Look Out Honda, here I come. :)
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A reporter is looking to interview owners of a 2007 or 2008 minivan, SUV or crossover that is loaded with two or more high-tech features such as a navigation system, DVD player, heated mirrors, parking sensors, rear view cameras, iPod connectivity, radio data system, Bluetooth, satellite radio, tire pressure monitoring, universal garage door opener, Sync, etc. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com before Friday, October 10, 2008 with your daytime contact information and a few words about your vehicle.
  • speedingticketspeedingticket Member Posts: 33
    I have read quite enough about GM's quality issues, especially with the Outlooks. Thanks for your post, you've helped me with my decision. Toyota here I come!
  • 62vetteefp62vetteefp Member Posts: 6,043
    Do not know about what you have read but I have had one issue on my Enclave. the right rear taillamp chrome strip was gone one day. Assume a carwash pulled it off. The supplier must not have applied it incorrectly. Other than that it has been great.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. :P
  • ccat130ccat130 Member Posts: 3
    Our Acadia was purchased new in May 2007. A year later I couldn't believe the catastrophic failures the vehicle had. Our history now includes a transmission rebuild, 4 transmission leak repairs, a failed batter, a failed air conditioner part that caused water to drain inside the car in pint size quantities, a failed water pump, and the last straw was that the engine just had to be removed for another major failure. All of the service has been through GMC dealers and warranted, but I have no confidence in the vehicle for my family to drive it. I tried to get help trading it from GM, but once they had my money that didn't care. This was a fully loaded $42,000 vehicle that has spent 8 weeks in the shop with the engine , transmission, water pump, AC system, and battery all having major failures. It is my problem now. I shouldn’t have to trade in a 2 year old car. It looks like that is going to cost me $10,000 out of pocket to trade it.

    I would be extremely careful before looking at the GMC Acadia, Chevy Traverse, Saturn Outlook, or Buick Enclave they are all the same vehicle.
This discussion has been closed.