2007 Saturn Vue Green Line Review

Saturn Vue Green Line – Review: Apple is running a brilliant TV spot starring nerdy John Hodgman and geeky Justin Long in the lead roles of “PC” and “Mac.” PC is a meek, troubled soul while Mac is a confident smooth talker. The takeaway is that PCs are half-heartedly engineered, high-maintenance, and undesirable. The automotive corollary might be the Saturn Vue Green Line in the role of PC and the Toyota Prius as Mac. We drove a Saturn Vue Green Line around Los Angeles for a week, and can't think of many reasons to recommend what comes across as a slapped-together patch designed to deflect criticism for GM's tardiness to the hybrid game.

Why We Drove It

The Saturn Vue Green Line is GM's first production hybrid, blending a 2.4-liter gasoline engine with a basic electric assist motor and nickel metal hydride battery pack. It includes regenerative braking to recharge the battery pack, and has an auto-stop feature to automatically shut off the gasoline engine when sitting at a traffic light or in traffic. It is a mild hybrid that cannot be driven on battery power alone. An “eco” light in the gauge cluster tells the driver when fuel economy is maximized, but the Green Line does not include an average fuel economy display or power meter like other hybrids. The Green Line is $3,225 more expensive than a Vue four-cylinder with an automatic transmission.

Performance

The Saturn Vue Green Line is not a full hybrid, which means it cannot operate on the electric assist motors alone. That's not ideal, but the compromise equates to a lower price tag for the technology. The Saturn Vue's hybrid powertrain isn't the most refined – the engine kicks on and off with a shudder, for example – but is adequate for the commuting most people do. If you need more power, the Vue Green Line can deliver but not with extra reserves. I like the traditional transmission mated to this hybrid because when accelerating the Vue doesn't suffer the long, protracted drone of a typical hybrid with a CVT.

Handling

Despite cabin upgrades for 2006, the Vue is a mediocre piece of design and engineering. Dynamically the Vue feels dull and ponderous, light and disconnected all at the same time. The electric steering is awful, providing zero feel for the road or the degree to which the front wheels might be turned. The brakes feel OK until the regenerative feature abruptly cycles on and off, suddenly cutting or lengthening stopping distances at whim. Ride quality is decent, and you get the sense that there is a fundamentally sound SUV under all the compromise-by-committee execution.

Visibility

Outward visibility from the Saturn Vue Green Line's driver's seat is excellent. The windshield supports are shaped to maximize visibility and the side mirrors are huge. The rear head rests don't block the view out of the large back window, and it's easy to see out over your shoulders. The Vue is very easy to park and maneuver from a visibility standpoint.

Fun to Drive

There's not a single thing about the Saturn Vue Green Line that makes it fun to drive. Most hybrids, at the very least, have a fuel economy/power assist computer that presents a challenge in maximizing fuel economy – but not the Vue. Reset the trip odometer and crunch numbers on a calculator to find out what your real-world fuel economy is. We managed just 22.6 mpg, a little short of the EPA rating of 27 in the city and 32 on the highway.

Front Comfort

Except for seats that seem a size or two too small, the Saturn Vue is quite comfortable for front seat passengers. The cloth upholstery is tasteful and feels durable; it doesn't pill or collect lint. The manual seat height adjuster provides just enough vertical height to satisfy the short-torsoed. The upper door panels are softly padded, there are inboard armrests, and the steering wheel is nicely shaped. Larger people are likely to feel pinched between the door panel and the center armrest. Also, a passenger of mine wearing shorts complained that when she slid out of the Vue, the plastic on the seat base pinched her skin. Yowch!

Rear Comfort

Avoid riding in the Saturn Vue Green Line's low, flat, unsupportive park bench of a back seat if you can. With tall people in the front, similar-sized rear passengers will find their legs in contact with the front seatbacks. Saturn does provide decent foot space under the front chairs, and it's easy to get in and out through the large rear doors.

Interior Noise

Thinly isolated from outside noise, the Saturn Vue Green Line generates plenty of tire and wind roar at highway speeds. I found myself really cranking up the stereo, especially talk radio stations, to hear the music or discussion over the din.

Loading Cargo

Well executed for cargo carrying, this is where the Saturn Vue Green Line shines. It features a low liftover height and the tailgate rises enough for six-footers to clear their heads. The rear seats fold flat by simply releasing the seatbacks and giving them a push, and the front passenger's seat also folds flat to carry really long items. The cargo area on our test Vue contained eight tie-down hooks, an organizer, and twin storage bins on either side. Saturn also includes nice grips for closing the hatch and an integrated step pad on the rear bumper.

Build Quality

We found several build quality issues with our Saturn Vue Green Line. On the outside, the paint showed substantial orange peel texture, the left rear door and chrome beltline trim displayed grossly inconsistent gaps, the tailgate didn't fit evenly, and the seams between the hood, headlights, and headlight seals needed improvement. Getting inside, the doors slammed with a cheap judder. The pillar trim and plastic gauge shroud were flimsy, the glove box door was mounted off-center, and the lower left dash panel exhibited large gap where it joined the upper dash pad. Finally, the silver plastic trim along the right side of the center stack was loose due to a broken clip.