Great fuel economy, good acceleration with the stick, outside looks like brand new with the poly side panels, lots of room, seats 5 comfortably. With antilock brakes ABS, manual tranny, I can get through snow/ice very well. No mechanical problems

The interior is cheap. Hard to keep the material cleaned to perfection, carpets hold dirt/stains. Nothing rattles, but bass response from rear speakers can cause distortion when cd loud.

Headed to Honda dealer to replace the Accord, I needed more room for hauling stuff. Stopped by the Saturn dealer to see the VUE, they had several manual tramsmissions (which I wanted) and the price included sunroof, alloy wheels, ABS, cd player, roof rack. This was a special value edition, probably because they were having problems with the CVT

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I have been in the RAV4 and the CRV, and they don't compare on room. Honda/Toyota make great products, but this was a good buy.

SUV handles like a car. Very tight control and good feel of the road. Handles superbly in bad weather as per my experience driving in snow, rain, ice, and other extreme conditions. Dependable in the sense that it starts up when you turn the key. Only one incident in which I needed to have something fixed with the motor or a related engine component in 3 years of ownership.

Things fall apart way to easily. The color is peeling off on my dashboard which is the oddest thing I've ever seen. It's the default "black" dashboard and yet - it's peeling to reveal "black" underneath? Odd. Things tend to burn out way to easily (electrical issues) like power window motors, or the horn/airbag issue related above in the review. Horn/Airbag fails if horn is used at times. Replacement is $1000 and you can expect to be grilled about it even though they have quietly "redesigned" this defect to help prevent the issue from happening again. Windshield is oddly designed. Very prone to easily being damaged. The frame where the window ends on the driver side tends to obstruct your view as a driver. I.E. When making a LEFT turn at times it becomes necessary to lean far out to look around it or lean way back to try and check the view from the drivers side window. Apparently the design of the vehicle has left this part of the frame in an obstructing position under certain left hand turns. The sunvisors are poor in design and basically only useful from the front. Don't bother pulling it out to block sun coming in at you from your drivers side window as it's going to fall short and fail to shade adequately. You'll have to use your "hand" to cover the difference if you do. There is no pull-out extension to the sunvisor like in GM's Blazers or other vehicles. There is no "second" drivers visor either. So pick which side you wish to block and suffer from the other direction as there is only one visor on the drivers side.

In 2002 I found myself in need of a new vehicle along with my fiance. We both liked what we saw at the Saturn dealerships and purchased not one but two Saturn Vues. That was the extent of our happiness. Her's was a lemon from the start - sufferring from numerous "horn" module failures. She had 3 seperate incidents in which she used her horn under normal driving conditions only to have it fail to stop sounding. The only remedy was to pull over and pull out the fuse to stop the noise. She was left to get home on all three occassions with no horn. Come to find out this was apparently affecting the "air bag" on the drivers side as well as it was some sort of air bag module shorting out we were told. Three times it was replaced and three times we were given the third degree as to if we were "beating" up on the horn. The answer was no each and every time. I later came to find out that the part cost $1000 to be replaced and because her vehicle was under warranty they had to replace it. They were not happy and were trying to pin it on her. After I finally said enough was enough with the false accusations, I was able to get a manager to finally admit that there was a new design for that defective part as it was apparently causing problems for other consumers as well. My experience was slightly different. While I didn't seem to have many problems at first, I soon found my "check engine" light going on at odd times for no reason whatsoever. I'd take it in and was told it was just an "error" and nothing to worry about. Gee, it would be nothing to worry about if I didn't have to take a day off work to bring it in on false alarms. I've had the rubber bushing that is for the windshield water hose (to clean my windows) replaced 3 times. It would fall out for no reason at all at times. Something about the design of the windshields allows pebbles and rocks to hit that "sweet" spot to crack them very easily. Just had a windshield replaced, others I've heard of have had various replacements. Now I find myself with the same "horn" defect as my fiance. I was driving along the local route in my town when I found myself needing to honk the horn briefly. That quick tap of the horn resulted in my horn blaring for the next mile and a half as I finally had no other choice but to pull over and pull out the fuse to stop the horn blaring. Now I find myself driving around without a horn as I have to try and deal with Saturn and to see if I can hopefully prevent them from charging me a $1000 for a new module!! Both of our cars were purchased BRAND NEW! We are both the original owners, and as a previous Saturn owner as well as owner of several other cars from other companies, I have to state I have NEVER had a horn problem (or such a costly single repair to boot!) with any of my vehicles until I owned this Saturn Vue (2002)! Aside from the that issue, the vehicle handles very tightly. I've not had any problems with it's handling, or it's reliability in starting up at all. But this issue with the horn sits badly with me and I have to at least put it out there to warn others. It's probably not getting the attention it needs or deserves and is possibly being swept under the rug due to it's costly nature. A real shame because at one time I would have figured "a different kinda car company" was meant to imply their quality and customer loyalty, instead with my fiance and I the experiences we have had with these vehicles have led us to believe it really implies they are different because they defective in unique ways. It hurts me to say after being a loyal customer for years that this is one company that has strayed from it's original mission statement. Avoid them until they get the "bugs" worked out.

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GM Blazers (owned 2 prior to Saturn Vue)

Dealership. Roomy. Looks great. Affords a great view. Comfortable. Fold down rear seats, functional trunk organizer.

Suspension and ABS malfunction dangerously. Lots of return trips to the shop.

My first Saturn is a 1995 SC2 still running strong at 220,000 km. Very little maintenance cost. Its a great car. I thought buying a 2002 Saturn Vue would result in the same satisfaction. WRONG. Minor issues are the same as I have seen in other reviews, driver's mirror cracked in the winter, windshield washer nozzles popping off, SES light coming on often (apparently a gas cap issue then thermostat). ABS worked terribly, overactive, couldn't come to a normal stop on dry payment at times, ABS light on most of the time - needed new sensors several times, new harness. Noisy steering wheel repaired. Then the stabilizer links. Noisy but parts on order, at 73,000 km stabilizer came apart cutting driver's side tire 360 degrees, driving on the highway. Close call. On the plus side, the dealership was very good about reconciling the cost of damage.

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SC2, Mitsubishi SUV

for a four cylinder has good pick up and fuel effiency very spacious interior

read above

Let me give some history of my saturn usage. My first saturn was a 98 sl2 at one month old it saved my life from a terrible accident. My 2nd 98 sl2 is still running strong at 104000 miles. My 3rd car was a 97 sc1 and this car saved my life in another accident (neither my fault). after my sc1 i bought a 00 sc2 which was traded after 2 years for my vue due to the fact they couldn't fix one simple problem in 8 visits. Now my 02 vue has had 2 slave cylinders replaced in the last year. I have had the front end suspension noises fixed serveral times. the two front doors when the wind blows will pull out so you can see light through the door cracks. the steering wheel was making a clicking noise had it fixed and a month later had to take it back again. The drivers side mirror cracked in the winter. the winshield wiper spray nozel popped off for no reason. the interior seats are coming off for no reason. the driver side window button only works sometimes. This vue is worth nothing now and all I want to do is get something with no problems. If you are looking to buy a vue talk to someone who has had theirs a year and has some miles on it, to find out if saturn fixed these problems.

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Saturn sl2,sc1,sc2, and vue

Lots of power for in city driving and highway speeds.Interior is spacious with lots of leg room.

Motor issues, weak suspension for any sort of serious off-road driving other than gravel roads?? Lots of air noise in the cab,but the stereo can easily overpower when it's working.The vehicle has a tendency to pull sharply when accelerating quickly from a dead start due to the electronically assisted steering.We have had either bad karma with the front windshield or have noticed that rocks seem to like our glass as we are on our third windshield

Totally disheartend with the 2002 AWD V6 Vue.The Wife and I bought the unit new and thought that we would have a trouble free vehicle for several years,WRONG! The front suspention (plastic) bushings rattled in the first three months and had to be replaced.The service engine soon light has come on so many times, we have lost count. The cd player ate several Cd's and has also died.We park in a garage and in the winter, we have had so many problems with vaccuum leaks and condensation build up in the throttle body that it too has had to be replaced.(several occasions that the wife had to drive 10 Kms on the highway in winter in limp mode).Now we are facing the issue of the PCV valve freezing up causing pressure to build up in the crank case and spewing oil all over the motor and floor of my garage through the oil cap.The smell of burnt oil throughout my garage and probably permiating into everything else stored in there will be fun to air out in the spring when hopefully we can unload this headache

Passenger room is good. I actually like the power window controls on the center console area. Cargo area is good, like the bins, etc. Back seat area has leg room, don't feel cramped into the veh. Exterior looks good. The overall size of the veh is good, easy to handle. Like the lights on the interior, easy to use.

Reliability. Steering wheel issues. Engine. etc

At first, we really liked the vehicle...Nice sized passenger and cargo area. Now I'm feeling that this purchase was a HUGE mistake. It all started w/the sunroof rattling. Add'l problems: seatcover doesn't fit properly, loose axle nuts, a/c leak, squeaking/rubbing noises from steering wheel ,pilot sleeves had to be replaced, strut problem, upper bearing had to be replaced, e-brake problems, washer nozzle has come off many times, engine light on many times (evidently there is a problem w/the gas pressure and/or gas cap...or, as you'll see later, is it the ENGINE!? ), solenoid problem, premature balding of tires (believe found out later that this was due to the bearing problem), engine had to be overhauled at ~41,000 miles, strong squeeling noise from engine compartment after engine overhauled, (tech couldn't hear the noise), took veh back to shop a couple of days later so tech could listen again--heard noise, problem w/belt, leak/drip from engine, loose harmonic balancer, air bag now diagnosed by computer as being bad, stabilitzer link stuck. To my recollection, those are the problems we've had in in the past couple of years. I am currently having another shop check the stabilizer links issue--they disagree somewhat w/the diagnosis. There is a problem, but not exactly as Saturn shop describes. Also, I will be having someone else check out the airbag issue. I'm not convinced at this time that the airbag module is the problem. I will continue to educate myself on this matter (some other issues have come up ...can't comment on at this time).

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Toyota PU, Chevy PU, etc

- heater and a/c is very powerful. Very quick to warm-up in the winter. Rear heater ducts probably a help. - cabin and cargo room - looks/styling (I guess) I'm still not sure about the looks but I still have people stop me in parking lots to ask me questions about it - comfortable ride - the fold-out cargo tray (or whatever they call it) is a good idea, handles groceries like a dream

- incredible amount of wind noise, but about equal to the other trucks I test drove. Increased noise with the bug deflector. - whatever way the front-end is designed seems to leave it very vunerable to stone chips (why I purchased the bug deflector) - sometimes the steering feels loose

Well I've had my manual 4cyl for about a year and a half now. Other than a rear bearing being replaced (it took about three complaints for them to find the noise) everything has been well. What really has sold me on the Vue was two trips I took. You spend 7 hours straight driving a car and you really find out if you like it or not. I found even the 4cyl was able to get me onto the 401 and into the traffic flow without problem. The seats were comfortable and it was really an enjpyable ride. The cargo room is very adequate and from all the cars I looked at, the most efficient use of space. One of the reasons we bought was due to passenger space. My son who sits directly behind me (I'm 6'2") was a little 'squashed' in some of the trucks we looked at --- but he's fine in the Vue and in fact has all kinds of room. When you buy this product you should realize what you're geting --- a basic value vehicle. The lower end gives you good value for your money. However, if I had decided to spend more I'd probably be in the Honda CRV or Nissan Pathfinder.

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- 01 Saturn L - 95 Saturn L - 95 Nissan King Cab

I've made some mistakes in my life but none as big as the day I decided to purchase this 2003 Saturn VUE. I'm half tempted to drive it into a tree and claim the insurance money. Of coarse, the lap belt and air bags would probably fail and I'd end up dead. Very shortly after purchasing the vehicle I returned to the dealer complaining that it didn't seem to shift right. It was jerky and shifted in and out of gear. They told me it was normal, that the car adjusts itself to the drivers driving style and it would soon stop....WRONG. Several months later I complained about noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. They said they checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong. Later, I fond a pool of liquid under the left rear, took it in and they said it must have been from a mud puddle or from my Air conditioning unit. My Wife took it in yet again complaining about noise from the rear of the vehicle but again they assured me they checked the vehicle and nothing was wrong. Later, I developed an oil leak which they told me was simply a bad oil plug, $7 fix and no problems. Now, at 50,000 miles (my wife drives 60 miles to and from work) I take it in for an oil change and low and behold......My stabilizer links are shot ($251.81), My RDM Clutch is shot ($985.20) and my Left rear Wheel Bearing is bad ($223.14) Finally, my oil pump is leaking ($885.09) Grand Total $2,345.23. I would have though that $23,000 would buy more than 50,000 miles of car. What really gets me is that I've always had my oil changed faithfully at the Saturn Dealer and every time they would nickel and dime me for a filter here, a filter there, scheudled maintinance here etc. Everytime they told me some type of maintinance was needed I went ahead and paid for it and had it done, right down to the tire rotations. For what? Aside from that, the car is noisy, it doesn't idle right, It still shifts very jerky, the gas mileage is horrible (I average 19 in the city and about 22, 23 on the highway)

The appearance! THATS ALL!

Where do I begin... Very little power, unless you work out forget about using the horn. I hope you keep coolant stocked in your car because the coolant is ALWAYS low. Keep your car garaged, they paint chip easily!

I never thought it was possible to hate something that I have to spend the next 5 years with! Saturn is an over hyped Car Dealership. "#1 in customer satisfaction", I think NOT! I didn’t think it was possible to have so many problems with a new car and have no one care. Saturn's customer satisfaction policy is a smoke screen. I had to return my first VUE because there was something wrong with first gear. It took the dealership over a week to get me a new car and they gave me NO LOANER in the meantime. When I finally came to pick up my new VUE the car was FILTHY! There were scuffmarks on the doors and the leather. There were knife marks in the cloth that lined the trunk (they used my trunk as a cutting board). There was extra screws and bolts in my cup holder. There were no car mats, which I paid for. There wasn’t even a full tank of gas! The 2004 Saturn Vue is the worst SUV EVER made, it has no real power, the horn barely works, and I pushed out the center of my steering wheel trying to stop someone from hitting me! The coolant constantly needs to be refilled. The paint easily chips, I have only had the car 4 months and I had the hood re-painted. There is not one positive attribute to the car, other than its appearance. Saturn is a terrible dealership and the VUE is a TERRIBLE car. I suggest you spend the extra money on a better, quality SUV and a more caring car dealership. Saturn and their entire car company is nothing but a facade trying to fool innocent consumers into buying a terrible product!

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First and Last Saturn ever owned. I was always a Ford girl and I dont know why I left!

V6 Engine although noisy which my understanding is the noise has disappeared with the 2004 Honda engines, but I have to say 2003 V6 delivers the power needed. The AWD system seems to work just fine and is a joy to drive, especially in the rain/snow. The folding cargo compartment is a neat idea, although I must admit I installed a cargo net and rarely use the folding one anymore..The net is just so much more convient when needed. The controls are laid out pretty good I think with the exception of the Horn (See Below) All in All I have had no problems with VUE as yet..It has 35,000 miles on it right now and for those more observant people you'll notice that only leaves 1,000 more miles before the warranty is expired. So it may be a whole different story in another month or two.

There's a few... The Oil Cartridge is an incrediablity stupid design idea. I see this has disappeared with the 04 VUE which now uses the conventional spin-on oil filter like 99.99% of all other cars/trucks made today. I can't wait for a year or two down the road when the oil cartridge with cost $50.00 if you can find them since they were only used in 2 model years. Saturn should retro-fit all 02/03 VUEs at no cost to a Spin-on filter. Next we have that Horn ....Unless you are a World Class Wieght Lifter with the Strength of Twenty men..Forget about using the Horn. I don't understand why All my toyotas have steering wheel mounted Horns with Airbags and you can push it with your pinky finger and have it work. The Saturn on the other hand requires you to slam it with a brick and has already caused me a fender-bender because a woman was backing up that could'nt see out of her Ultimate Behemoth of a Truck and backed into me before I could slam into reverse, Of the Horn was of no use because I didn't have a Brick handy even though I did try using my hand like you would in a normal car. Luckily the Damage was minimal and only required some black touch up paint. The Next problem I have to Blame on the EPA instead of Saturn, It use to be that when you filled up the gas tank too much the excess gas just ran on the ground and evaporated, Thanks to the EPA it now runs done the Vapor recovery pipe and destroys your senor causing the dreaded check enginge to come on, Thankfully it was under warranty and only required 2 trips back to the dealer to replace. Now we only fill the tank up til the gas pump clicks off and don't try to sqeeze in that extra $1.00's worth of gas. And Speaking of Gas My VUE is only getting about 20 MPG in city driving, I'm not sure if that's good or bad, But since I use it for work which requires driving from site to site I just went out and Bought a Toyota ECHO for better gas mileage and will use the VUE for those Rain/Snow days when I need it most.

Purchased Brand and after reading the reviews here I'm glad I went with the 6 cyl. Overall this has been a pretty good SUV for me. It seems the 4 clys have turned out to be junk and if I recall they were being pushed pretty hard by the dealer when I bought mine. I owned a 1999 SL2 Saturn and that was a determining factor in buying the VUE. I must say that the 'Saturn Expirence' the second time around wasn't as great as the first. Of course the SL2 was purchased in Belair Md and I couldn't say enough good about it. This one as stated was purchased in PA and seemed more like I was buying from a Ford or Chevy dealer...It just didn't have that "we appreciate your business feel..." anyway on with the Strengths/Weaknesses.

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Not really Similar but my wife and I own the following: Toyota Tacomca 4x4 1999 Toyota RAV4 2004 (the wifes) Toyota ECHO 2005