Saturn VUE

nortsr1 · November 2003

I don't know if this site was ever mentioned on this board...but after checking out several sites as to Vue accessories I found this one to beat all the others.....Saturnaccessories.com

Let me know if you have any better than this one.

nortsr1 · November 2003

This forum has been too quiet for the last couple of days.Let's hear from someone about something!!!!

dindak · November 2003

"The new Ecotec 2.4-liter will be built at GM Powertrain's Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly facility. The 2.4L Ecotec will be launched in the all-new 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, and is reportedly slated for use in 2005 or 2006 model year Saturns".

Lets hope the VUE also gets the 2.4L upgrade for 05. If it does, I may just get a 4 banger instead of a 6 if we buy/lease one next year.

tqm · November 2003

The 2004 has nicer wheels than my 2003. I like the 17". Was thinking about ordering a set, but then realized this may not work. 2003 use 235/65/R16. 2004 have 235/65/R17. I believe a switch would require re calibration of systems....unless I went with the after market 235/50/R17. Any experience out there?????

nortsr1 · November 2003

If you go to the Aftermarket,Accessories Forum here at Town Hall and click onto Tires, Tires,Tires, you can ask Bretfraz...He is an expert on such questions and will be able to answer your question.

tidester · November 2003

Here's the link: Tires, tires, tires

tidester, host

vuefor2 · November 2003

Dindak ::: A 2.4 Ecotec would be a very welcome addition to the Vue! I may have gone for a 4 cylinder model if the Vue had that to start.

Saskheat ::: I think the whole CR thing is silly. The Vue probably has less problems now than it did in 2002. It's only logical as the initial kinks get worked through over time. As was mentioned, the VTi probably push up the number of problems but from what I read, most of them have been fixed up just fine. I personally think the Vue experience (sales, service and vehicle) is the best available in the small SUV class.

zapcat · November 2003

2004 has 235/60/R17 not 235/65/R17

nortsr1 · November 2003

Someone had asked in a earlier previous post where they could get the invoice prices on the VUE. I went to a competitors site (not allowed to post here}{ and they give both the MSRP and the invoice prices of both the base and other selections, such as side air bags, etc. I will post my e mail in my profile. I doubt if it will do you any good,as their policy is not to negotiate off MSRP???

dindak · November 2003

A couple of people here have mentioned they got some kind of "competitive discount" where Saturn would give you a better price to more closely match say a Ford Escape., Not sure if it's true.

nortsr1 · November 2003

I don't know about a competitive discount. I had asked in an earlier post about whether or not Saturn gave a better "trade-in" value to off-set some of the competitors "rebates" but really never got an answer as to if it is true or not????
Perhaps someone on this board that recently purchased a 2003 or 2004 Vue could let us know if they cross shopped before buying and "was there in fact" a better "trade-in value" as to other type dealerships, such a Ford,DC or whatever.

afk_x · November 2003

The answer is simple. It depends. It depends both on the car you are buying and the dealer you are buying from.

For example - if you come into MY dealership and want to buy a leftover 2003 L series and ask for a higher trade value than initially given you can expect to get one. If you are looking at an 04 VUE then you would hear that while we certainly want to sell you a VUE that we have already appraised the car at the maximum value we are willing to give.

Every Saturn dealer is different, they are independantly run businesses. I can only speak for the one I work at. Remember - it doesn't hurt to ask.

However, I would not suggest that in the negotiation process you bring up the other vehicles you are looking at. This is a weak tactic and shows your inexperience. I would suggest you see what numbers they come up with and if you want to - go and shop them. If you feel they are close tell them you will buy today if they do - X. (X being what ever you feel is necessary to close the deal)

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush to both the salesmanager and the salesperson. They will do whatever they CAN if you use this tactic. Your strongest negotiation tactic is a firm offer to buy. Threatening to go elsewhere is pointless and only paints you into a corner.

nortsr1 · November 2003

afk-x,
Your reply was right on. Will follow that advice when I am ready to deal in late January. I live in S/E Florida about 70 miles from Orlando and they have a huge Saturn dealership there with a great website and a great inventory of 2004 Vues.

saskheat · November 2003

Vuefor2: I agree the CVT tranny in the 4 cyl models likely did push down the ratings for the Vue in CR. The fact of the matter is that the CVT is a crappy transmission, made in a former eastern block country noted for poor quality control at best, and I don't believe for a minute that Saturn has the bugs worked out of it. If you don't believe that go look for yourself at carreview.com. Lots of people are still bitching about CVT "noises" and "Failures". They also issued a TSB for dealers on how to fix the noise problem. So they admit now there is a problem. I agree also that Saturn is very customer friendly when it comes to problems and service, but this lemon of a tranny is going to hurt that reputation big time.

nortsr1 · November 2003

I had previously read somewhere that the 2004 V6 Vues had a $1000.00 customer cash assistance and the 4 cylinder had 1500.00 and that the 2003 V6 had $2000.00. When I called a Saturn dealer in NJ today thae told me that the 2004 V6 Vue had $500.00 and the 4cylinder 1000.00.
Cars Direct shows $1500.00 for the FWD V6 Vue.
They $$22885.00 MSRP and their price of $21385.00 with the rebate.
AFK-x can you help me out on this? I am interested in the FWD V6 Vue rebate at this time.

drivven · November 2003

When we purchased our '04 FWD V6 in September in Missouri we received a $1000 on the spot discount (rebate?). I imagine these offers vary with time, location, and demand.

afk_x · November 2003

The incentives changed on the 13th. As far as I know this is a national promotion and not regional.

All 6 cyl 04 VUEs (fwd or awd) get 500 + 1.9 for up to 72 months OR 1500 cash

All cash must be used to reduce amount paid and cannot be taken as cash

So - I guess you guys are right. National inventory must be building up - our store has only a couple in stock. We sell them as fast as we get them. Still - glad to have the extra incetive since it makes my job easier.

dindak · November 2003

I wish they had some incentives on VUE up here. I think they finally have 0% for 48 on remaining 03s but there is likely very little left.

nortsr1 · November 2003

Thanks for the info. I called the dealer back and he did admit that there is $1500.00 off if you don't take the finance offer. The only fly in the ointment is that by taking this offer, the GM Card is not good at all. I had an offer from the GM card that they would "up" my card from the $1500.00 that I already have coming, to $2000.00, which would be good on The Vue {but only until Dec. 1st and "only" on the 2003 model.
I should take advantage of this deal, however; the 2004 model has the 250hp V6 and ABS standard. I think I will just hold off for awhile and see what happens down the time line, say sometime in 2004 Oct.-Nov.
Again, thanks for your help.

vuefor2 · November 2003

I was in getting an oil change and I was talking to the service manager asking about the reliability of CVTs in the Vue. He told me that aside from a few bugs in the early models they have been "pretty good". Apparently some of them needed some adjustments but NO major repairs.

Maybe the CVT is not that bad huh? He also said the Ion now has a CVT available.

zapcat · November 2003

Not according to one of the SaturnFans I know of. His (Andy) just left him on the side of the road.

afk_x · November 2003

I don't know of any catastrophic failures on a large scale. No doubt there will be some that fail - just like any car - there will be a certain early failure rate.

Still - I personally don't see why someone would buy the 4 cyl auto at this point. The 6 cyl is only about 2,000 more and you get over 100 more HP, better resale, and the incentives are nearly the same. The 4 cyl manual I could see - just my opinion of course...

killerkevk · November 2003

I am in the process of buying a new Saturn VUE. What prompted this purchase was that I have 3 payments remaining on my current Chevrolet Lumina. I received an offer from GMAC last Saturday that they would pay for my first 2 monthly payments if I purchased between November 6, 2003 and January 2, 2004. They stated in the offer that Saturns were included. I started doing some research of GM SUV'S and came across the VUE. I then proceeded to contact my local dealership to see if they accepted my GM points. They advised me that I could use up to 1,000 GM points by November 30, 2003 towards the purchase of a new Saturn vehicle. They then told me that they had 2 2003 4 cylinder all wheel drive vehicles available with 0% financing and $1,000 cash rebate. At this point I was just looking at the bottom line monthly payment. I test drove the 2003 4 cylinder Vue with my wife. I was concerned about the power getting onto the expressway and even though the power was adequate, it just felt like a struggle to get up there. My wife asked me how it felt and I said fine, but deep down, I had my reservations but didn't say anything, again just looking at the bottom line payment. Then this week, I got on this site and started reading all the various comments going back to September til now. After reading some of the comments regarding the 4 cylinder transmission and then the improvements made to the 2004 model and the gentlemen's comment above, I started to have second doubts. Almost like getting ready to walk down the aisle and saying, no, this doesn't feel right. So, I called up my salesman and told him that I was having 2nd thoughts about the vehicle and told him I wanted to look at a 2004 6 cylinder Vue. I took it for a test drive last night and the difference in the pep is significant. I'm used to 6 cylinders, so going down to a 4 is a change for me. I signed the paperwork to purchase one last night. I get a Honda Accura engine, 3.5 compared to a 3.0 and a different engine from last year and ABS brakes are standard. I just want to thank all of you that have contributed to this site because without your input, I would have never known about the various changes from the 2003 models to the 2004 models. I got 1,000 points towards the purchase of the vehicle, $500 rebate and 1.9% financing over 60 months and GMAC pays for my first 2 payments. My monthly payment is about $50 higher than before, but I have added a comfort package with this auto that I could not have added with the 2003 model and my wife gets to pick the color she wants, not the white colors that are remaining for the 2003 models. Again, thanks for your help. That's what this site is for. I will let you know how my Saturn Vue experience is from time to time.

afk_x · November 2003

Are you in Cananda? How did you use the GM card on the purchase of an 04? I'll have to do some research on this one...

By the way, congrats on your VUE. I'm sure you will love it.

killerkevk · November 2003

I live on the South Shore of Boston. GMAC has a promotion going on where I can apply 1,000 points towards the purchase of a new Saturn, but it ends on November 30, 2003. Thanks on my purchase, am looking to pick it up tomorrow.

homebase1 · November 2003

I posted two weeks ago about our shiny new 04 V6 FWD Vue, but my review hasn't been posted yet? Why so slow to allow postings?

tidester · November 2003

I'm not sure what you mean. From what I can see this was the first posting you've ever made on edmunds.com's Town Hall. I didn't see any review by you in the Consumer Ratings section (or anybody else, for that matter) in the '04 Vue section or in the '03 section.

You might want to fill out the Feedback Form if you think there is a problem.

tidester, host

nortsr1 · November 2003

I was told by two different Saturn dealerships that the GM Card is "NOT" being accepted????

killerkevk · November 2003

Afk_x,

Just got a call from the dealership regarding the GM points on the purchase of a 2004 Vue, and I have been told that they can not be applied towards the purchase of a 2004, just a 2002 or 2003 new vehicle. I am so disappointed and pissed. I went down to the dealership and specifically asked if I could use the points and was told I could, now I find out that it is limited to 2003 models. I feel they should have known that and told me that upfront. The deal is now dead as I type. Think I'm gonna have a few tonight to drown my sorrows!

dindak · November 2003

I had a similar issue where I was suppose to get an upgrade loyalty credit when we bought our Alero. Turned out it could not be combined with another credit so we had to pay an extra $1000. It was the dealer's fault as they did not understand the promo but we bought anyway as it was clearly an honest mistake (they were trying to get us the best price possible).

stever · November 2003

I think you must mean the owner comments in the New Cars pages? Those comments are reviewed by real people before posting (to weed out bad language or ads, etc.).

It takes a while for staffers to plow through them and get them posted.

Steve, Host

homebase1 · November 2003

Thanks for the quick replies.

I posted a review a couple weeks ago, I didn't know that I needed to create a login name to make a review as the page didn't prompt me to login to perform that action.

It's understandable that Edmunds doesn't want ads and foul-mouthed people here, it's a good website! Hopefully my review will show up soon.

afk_x · November 2003

Ya - I was afraid that would happen.

Sorry to hear the deal is dead...I am (fairly) sure that you will be able to use the GM card on the 04 VUE eventually. I would hope anyways.

The real question is - will you be better overall served by waiting or buying now. Thats up to you.

I can't imagine that Saturn will have trouble selling the 04 VUE V6 - people just don't know about it yet. Also - it is flat towable - and that will help drive sales once the RV group starts to find out...

My point is - with GM making two payments - and the 500 + 1.9 - maybe you should do it anyways. Who knows...

As for them knowing ... well ... I can certainly understand the confusion. We (Saturn retailers) quite frankly are not used to the number of programs . They are different for every model, and every model has different incentives within - some vary with term - some don't. For example the 04 ION1 has 650 + 3.9 for A B C D E tier while the 04 ION2 has 1500 + 0.0 for A B C tier customers and 1500 + 6.9 for D and E tier. Then again there is also a 72 month program and a special finance program or of course there is the "customer choice" cash which I'm not even sure of the amount if you don't take the financing. Most vary with the year - but not all do. Then there are about 5 other programs that some cars and some customers qualify for and others don't depending on a variety of factors. Quite frankly - its a mess right now and retailers are making mistakes left and right. There is no good system in place where you can scan all the programs - nor a place to imput a VIN and see all programs on one screen. Fortunately that - is coming - and mistakes will go down signifigantly...

Anyways - Its late and I'm rambling...forgive your salesguy/gal for his error. I'm quite certain his intent was not to decieve you...

dindak · November 2003

I checked the inventory at the local Saturn dealer and they probably have 20 2004 V6 VUEs in stock. I think they are trying to get rid of 2003s before they do anything as they had a big ad in the paper yesterday offering 0% for 48 months plus $1500 cash on remaining 03s, best deal I have ever seen.

saskheat · November 2003

KillerKevK::: You won't be disappointed by going with the V-6 over the 4cyl CVT tranny. You just saved yourself headaches galore down the road. Good idea to trust that "GUT" instinct. Congrats on your '04. Wish they had them available here in July when I bought my '03.

cutehumor · November 2003

I just checked carsdirect.com in the Memphis area on 2004 v6 vues, they have a $1500 rebate until 12/1/03. check there to make sure everything is on the up and up.

nortsr1 · November 2003

Refer to my post #2913....YES,$1500.00 but then...you cannot use the GM card points.

knf2020 · November 2003

Saturn has the 4th best power to weight ratio of all SUVs.

Saturn AWD 14.5 lb/hp 24k MSRP
Saturn FWD 13.9 lb/hp 22k MSRP
Infiniti FX45 13.7 lb/hp 44k MSRP
Cadillac SRX 13.9 lb/hp 48k MSRP
Porsche 11.6 lb/hp 89k MSRP

V6 VUE should do the 1/4 mile in 90-93 mph.

calibear7 · November 2003

I agree with knf2020, the Vue is a great buy for the money. I highly recommend the AWD V6. W O W what a difference over the 2003s. Quite a jump from 181hp to 250!! Not to mention the five speed auto, Honda built motor (in Ohio) also the trans. too I Think?, a more refined inside and out and the MP3 stereo. Heck who needs a 6 disk cd player with mp3 (200+ songs on one CD).
I don't know about other areas of the country or Canada but here in central California Saturn has 1.9% fin. for 60 months or 72 months with $500 rebate & $350 car tax help.
and get this for tiers 1,2 and 3 (Excellent credit to so-so credit).
My friend likes driving my Vue better than his Maxima, go figure?
-- interesting message board Will write more later thanks to all

joey2brix · November 2003

Maybe with all this outsourcing going on keeping 9M people out of work, GM might want to have Honda make all of their cars. We'd get great cars and GM might actually make money.

dindak · November 2003

GM makes lots of great cars and trucks all by them selves now. Unfortunately they also make lots of mediocre ones also which drags them down. Things are changing though.

Kirstie_H · November 2003

Town Hall Members are invited by GM to a Live WebCast announcing the 2005 Buick Terraza and Saturn RELAY!

Thursday, December 4th - The live webcast will be on http://gmtv.feedroom.com/ from 12pm-1pm EST.

GM Crossover Sport Vans (CSVs) Virtual Launch 2005 Buick Terraza and Saturn RELAY CSVs.

GM LEADERSHIP SCHEDULED TO SPEAK:
Bob Lutz, vice chairman, Product Development and chairman GM North America
Roger Adams, general manager, Buick
Jill Lajdziak, vice president, Saturn Sales, Service and Marketing
Tom Kowaleski, vice president, GM North America Communications

Buick Terraza is the third entry into Buicks truck portfolio. Terraza will complement Rendezvous and Rainier by delivering another premium, refined experience that blends the best qualities of Buick sedans with the utility that todays marketplace demands. Terraza will compete at the upper end of the segment and continue the trend started with Rendezvous. Terraza was selected after consumers said the name has a luxurious, yet rugged image and conveyed a strong vehicle with comfort features.

Saturn RELAY is a flexible people carrier with interior appointments reflecting the direction of future Saturn vehicles, which will help continue to grow the brand by attracting a new group of customers. It will also help Saturn meet the needs of existing Saturn owners with growing families and active lifestyles. The name RELAY, associated with motion and movement, conveys the vehicles ability to connect people and their destinations.

scanrman · November 2003

I just wanted to convey my buying and driving experience I had when purchasing my new Vue.

It started about 3 weeks ago when I recieved a letter from GMAC about the "pull ahead" program available for my leased '01 L300. With 6 months to go, I was eligible to turn the car in early, no penalty, the remaining 6 payments waived and in return I could lease or purchase any new '03 or '04 GM product. With every mile I drove on the leased L300 costing me 20 cents, it took little convincing that the time was ripe to get into a new vehicle. First stop was my Saturn Dealer to test drive a Vue. I started with the FWD V6. WOW, was all I could say. While the price was very competitive, I decided to try out the FWD 4 with the VTi transmission. Peppy enough, but the interior noise level coming from the combination of a straining 4 cyl and the VTi transmission was a bit too much for me. I decided to have my dealer look for the vehicle with the options I wanted (FWD V6,Black or White, tan leather, comfort package, Side Curtain air bags, cd/mp3 with advanced audio, sunroof). While he located the vehicle I went to compare other SUV's from GM.

Next stop was the Buick/GMC dealer. The Rendevous drove much smoother and quieter than the Vue, but the price tag for a similarly equipped Rendevous (CXL package)was staggering. over 10K difference, for what? The Buick monniker? Next was the Envoy. Nice ride, quiet, handled nice, but again, Pricey.

My salesman at Saturn worked tirelessly locating a Vue for me. I waivered back and forth between cloth and leather, sunroof, no sunroof. Every close match he found just didn't feel right. Finally he located a White/Tan Leather with all the options I wanted at a sister store in the area. He worked the transfer and again, went above and beyond the call when he went to one sister store only to find out the car had been transferred to another sister store 30 miles away. Here it was, 6:30 in the evening before Thanksgiving and he was running all over the area just trying to get a Vue for me.

Later that night he e-mailed me and told me the car was there and that he would call me Friday and we'd work out the details.

By Friday evening, I had test drove the Vue and had credit acceptance (truly another story at another time). He had the rocker panel cladding added to the car (an option that I would encourage ANY Vue owner to get) and by 2PM Yesterday, I had the keys to my Vue in hand.

Oh, did I mention that all this was done while the dealer made less than sticker price (I get the GM Supplier Discount price).

It can't get any better than that. Saturn... I'm sold on your vehicles and your Sales team.

dindak · November 2003

scanrman : Congrats! Let us know how it goes as that is the model I'm interested it.

kirstie : Will they have a replay? I can't watch an hour of internet TV at work.

;-)

I wonder if they will actually show all of the the product.

vuefor2 · December 2003

Hope you are as happy as we are with our AWD V6.

Did you get a 03 or 04 in the end?

killerkevk · December 2003

Hello All,

I'm baaaaaaccccckkkk!!!!! I just wanted all of you(especially afk_x) to know that after my debacle on not being able to use my GM points towards the purchase of a 2004 Saturn, I decided to buy the 2004 Saturn Vue FWD V6. I decided that I could wait to see if they came out with a different program next year that would allow me the points, but then I would lose the deal that would have GMAC pay for my first 2 months auto payments. So, that means I would be riding around in a [non-permissible content removed] box for the next 4 to 6 months for nothing but the ability to cash in my GM points. So, I called up the salesman and brought the deal back to life. It cost me about $13 more per month but my wife loved the car and so didn't I. Well, we have owned it for a week and we have gone about 125 miles in it, and I can't believe the pep in this car!!!! You step on the gas and your head jerks back! I love it, though I won't get to drive it much(wife's car). And she loves it. I got the comfort package for my wife so she can keep her tooshie warm. The only thing I screwed up on was I should have got the mp3 player. oh well. Just wanted to let you guys know that I decided to buy now rather than lata!

luv94rx7 · December 2003

"The only thing I screwed up on was I should have got the mp3 player. oh well."

I'm dealing with my local Saturn dealer now on a 2004 VUE V6 AWD. He says they can order the MP3 player from the factory and do a swap. MP3 player also is a digital radio. Well worth the $150 upgrade to me. I have MP3 CDs with 12 hours of all my favorite songs.

erminiany1 · December 2003

I have a 2002 Tribute and considering trading because of some running problems with breaks, battery, and widshield wipers now. No patience here. I noticed that the Vue board does not have a sections with "problems with" and the Tribute board does. When we purchased Tribute looked at Vue, but went with Tribute. Can anyone tell me of any running problems?? Thank you

drivven · December 2003

All: We just returned from a 1200 mile round trip St. Louis to Minneapolis in our 2004 FWD V-6 VUE. Probably the most impressive thing about the vehicle is the ride. Very smooth. I was under the impression that midi-SUVs would be choppy to say the least - not this vehicle.

One observation about the handling, however. I know in the past the VUE had been criticized for the effects of the electric steering and how lively it was especially at highway speeds. Supposedly for 2004 that had been modified and the steering now gave more of a standard feedback. Interestingly enough I felt what could be described as light steering on the road so if this model is an improvement over the past models, I don't think I would have enjoyed them. It's not distracting mind you, but it does feel on the light side.

Now for the interesting aspect of our trip. It was the first over a long haul and we were interested in the economy. We started with about 1800 miles on the odometer so I'm not sure if it qualifies as a "broken-in" motor. The first total highway miles fill up showed us getting just a shade over 27mpg. Well that's pretty good, I thought. However, the next fill up after about 280 miles of highway only gave us a disappointing 22.5mpg. The next tank was 24+mpg. Quite a range. (Average highway speed on the Interstate was right in the 70-73mph range) It just may be that the attitude (tilt) of the vehicle when being refilled has something to do with the amount of fuel able to be dumped into it - we're not sure. It may be too that cooler weather cuts down on the efficiency. Has anyone else with the 3.5L engine taken note of fuel economy on extended highway driving? If so, I'd be interested.

One other item, we noticed the temp gauge showing a reading indicating a relatively low water temp. The gauge was not riding in the middle of the range but rather just over the 1/4 range mark. Our dealership technicians assured us that was "normal" for the 3.5L engine, but I'm not 100% convinced at this time. I don't really think they've seen enough of these yet to know how they should be running. The cooler running temp made us wonder if perhaps our rather disappointing mileage outcome might in someway be related to the engine not performing at what we would assume would be optimum operating temp.

Any gut feelings about any of this?? Thanks.

luv94rx7 · December 2003

I live in the Twin Cities, MN. I have tracked my MPG on every car I have owned over the last 10+ years. I fill it up to the brim every time and log it. You will find the colder it is the worse your MPG will be in cold climates. Expect 20-30% worse MPG in MN winters compared to the summers.
An expample would be my wife's Mazda Protege. Summer MPG is 27-29. Winter it is 20-23MPG.

Saturn VUE

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