Best Used Saturn Compact SUV - VUE
Sport-utility vehicles were hailed as the saviors of the auto industry at the end of the 1990s. These large and powerful vehicles appealed to a wide range of drivers who were looking for something capable of carrying all of their gear and a healthy number of passengers as well, and they served well to replace dull minivans which were as boring to look at as they were to drive. Their fantastic sales were a huge boon to car companies, thanks to the fact that SUVs were inexpensive to build and could be cranked out quickly with huge profit margins.
The primary movers and shakers when it came to sport-utility vehicles were the kings of the road based on full-size truck platforms. These SUVs, while certainly attracting more than their fair share of buyers, didn't exactly fit into the plans of every automaker, leaving some companies on the outside looking in when it came to sport-utility development. Fortunately, the rise of compact SUVs helped even out the playing field and let all manner of automotive brands vie for the dollars of families looking to make a basic transportation upgrade.
Compact SUVs didn't restrict themselves to the body-on-frame construction common to their larger brethren, and instead more frequently adopted car platforms that were retrofitted with all-wheel drive and given greater ride height in order to maintain the look that customers were after. Their more civilized roots ensured a more comfortable ride and better fuel mileage than full-size trucks thanks to their reduced weight and more compliant suspension. This helped to make them popular amongst those seeking increased cargo and passenger room but hoping to avoid numb, ponderous handling.
Saturn leapt into the compact SUV market wholeheartedly, supplementing their lineup of passenger cars with a vehicle called the VUE. Released in 2002, the VUE was a smash hit, quickly becoming their top seller and holding that position for a number of years. The VUE took advantage of a new platform developed by General Motors meant to underpin a new generation of small sport-utility vehicles, and its modern engineering helped to pull it past older competitors on the market. This article examines the qualities and characteristics that have attracted so many drivers to the best compact SUV built by Saturn, and help buyers decide if the VUE offers them the value they are looking for in a secondhand vehicle.
2002 - 2007 Saturn VUE
The 2002 - 2007 Saturn VUE bears a straightforward, unassuming design that has found its way into the hearts of compact SUV buyers across North America. Its accessible looks help it to stand out from other vehicles in its segment without resorting to attention-grabbing body work or an unusual shape. The VUE is clearly designed to function more as a transporter than a rugged all-terrain conqueror, which means that the intimidation factor of the SUVs appearance is low. This makes it a safe choice for urban dwellers intent on not adopting the look of an outdoor adventurer. The vehicle received a refresh in 2006 that added in a few more curves on the way to modernizing the VUE's sheet metal.
A number of different 4 and 6-cylinder engines are available in the Saturn VUE, depending upon which model year is being considered. The first 2 years of production offered a choice of either a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine making 143 horsepower, or a 181 horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6. The latter was upgraded to a much more potent 3.5-liter unit in 2004, and output rose to 250 ponies. A 5-speed manual transmission or a continuously-variable automatic can be found in the base model until 2005 (when the CVT was removed from the lineup and replaced with a 4-speed automatic), while each V-6 sees a 5-speed automatic as its only gear changing option. All-wheel drive was an option for both trim levels from 2002 - 2004, but starting in 2005 only 6-cylinder editions of the VUE benefited from this feature. A special sport trim called the 'Red Line' also became available during this model year, and it added a tighter suspension and other go-fast goodies to the V-6-powered SUV.
As the VUE evolved from year to year, the quality of the materials used in its interior improved considerably. Later versions of the sport-utility vehicle display great fit and finish, and comfortable seating for 5 is combined with a very flat cargo floor that makes hauling even oversize gear an exercise in simplicity.
The 2002 - 2007 Saturn VUE is a solid used compact SUV choice that has aged well in a very competitive market.