The interior space The exterior look

vti - horrible reliability - none safety - thank goodness for those side bars. We'll need them if the car keeps stalling. corporate honesty, intergrity and accountability - Saturn knew of these problems when they sold alot of these cars

I am a 2-time Saturn owner (my first in 1997). I have a 2003 Saturn Vue with the vti transmission (I have owned it 11 months). It has 9500 miles on it. The transmission was rebuilt at 4000 miles and 8000 miles. At that time the Service Manager told me until the engineers come up with a permanent solution, it was only a matter of time before it would break down again (probably within 4000 miles). Of course, now he, and the tech, who was present, are no longer working there. Yesterday, the car started stalling. At first it was when the car was just idling. It would take about 3 tries before it would start. Finally, trying to get home, two serious incidents happened. During the first incident, the car stalled, made a grinding noise, and then froze up on the highway off-ramp. Cars were skidding to miss my 5-year old daughter and I in our car. The second incident (10 minutes later and a mile from my home), the car stalled while slowing down and making a left turn. Thank goodness no oncoming cars were close to the intersection. Upon taking it back to the dealership(the 3rd time in 5 months for repairs), the new Service Manager told me it was a loose connector making the car stall as well as the transmission grinding noise. We'll see. I will pick up my Vue tomorrow. Pray for our safety. Today, I discussed my transmission and performance reliability concerns during a three-way call with the District Representative from Saturn Corp and the Dealership's Service Manager (SM). I let them know, it is a now a safety issue...my car is what I consider a deathtrap. During the conversation, the SM strongly stated that 1) very few Saturn Vues ever had a transmission problem, 2) there was never a recall (I corrected him that I had the letter on the voluntary recall), and 3) vti transmissions that have been repaired once, don’t come back in a second time once the transmission has been fixed. I asked him how he explained my transmission failures. He said I was experiencing a very rare problem. I asked both the dealership and saturn to give me a viable solution if the car broke down yet again. They could not give me one. The answer was always (as I'm sure you know), "we will continue to track your problems and will wait and see what happens. We stand behind our product." I starting thinking that maybe, they lost page two of their phone script. Finally, it was enlightening (and infuriating) to see I was not alone. Oh, and for the oil changes... that was their offer to me as well. I refuse, said it was an insult.

I honestly cannot think of a single one. I had a 1978 Datsun 280z that ran better than this "car."

You name it...this car just plain sucks!

What can I say? This is absolutely THE WORST vehicle (and I use the word "vehicle" loosely) because Fred Flintone's car would be a luxery sedan compared to this piece of garbage! If you are a sado-masocist, please buy this car. But if you really hate dealing with mechanics and "service" people, I would suggest that you run, no, sprint, in the opposite direction of ANY Saturn dealership. My wife and I purchased the Saturn VUE by trading in not one, but TWO cars, both with positive equity. We used the car on a road trip for our honeymoon. During our trip, the transmission started making horrible noises and the door locks broke so our car was never secure. These problems occured after we took the car in for power window button problems and the replacement of a fuel pump. The car only had a few thousand miles on it at the time. Not to mention, the steering of this car NEVER worked properly and the service staff say they don't notice anything odd. Back to the VTI transmission. When the Saturn sales personnel was waxing poetic about the innumerable benefits of this new technology, I specifically asked, as being a skeptic of "new" auto technology, if they had experienced any problems with the VTI transmission. "Oh no," said the sales hack, "this transmission is top-of-the-line." Can anyone spell false advertising and misleading consumers??? Today I read that Saturn is recalling all of its VUEs as a result of failing a recent saftey test on the car's suspension. If owners of this car do not file a class action suit against Saturn I do not know a car manufacturer that deserves it more! Any attornys out there??? This car is only useful if you'd like to make a very tall glass of bitter lemonade! This car makes the Pinto look like a safe vehicle and the Corvair like a tank! Perhaps Mr. Nadar could put aside his presidential aspirations and do what he is good at...taking down auto manufacturers!!! We've asked GM to consider our case and perhaps make arrangements for a new vehicle and, of course, they have not been receptive. They will, however, give you a free oil change and all the stale popcorn you can consume. What a deal!

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Ford Bronco II

- Great Fuel Economy for the Size (As good or better than the Wimpy 4cyl Honda CRV) - Superior cargo adaptibility. It's huge Inside - V-6 That is adequate for the job and so far after 18,000km is reliable. - Comfortable multi adjustable seats - A back seat that is accomodating even for adults. - Handling that is best in its class Bar NONE! Makes it fun to drive. - Very Smooth car like ride. - Very Bright headlights - Dependable winter starter and good in the snow too!!Important here because we get 5 months of winter. - Height adjustable steering wheel. - Interior air system dust / pollen filter - Service Dept seems to be above average

- No Trunk Lock - Very poor heater motor for cold climates. Booo SATURN!! - Saab 3.0L V-6 is a little buzzy at higher revs. - Turn signal lever is just a hair too short for ease of finding. - Cup holders are annoyingly low. - Run Like Hell if some one tries to sell you a 4cy VUE with a VTI (CVT) Transmission. Get a V-6 with conventional tranny if you are in the market for a vue. - Cartridge style oil filter. - Cruise Contol reaction to hills.

I have owned my Vue for 12 grin filled moths to date. I would like to start by saying I drove literally every SUV in the small/mid SUV class (3 back to back in an arranged test drive.. the Escape,CRV & VUE) and this was by far the best handling..and it still is. I love driving this vehicle. This is also the smoothest riding vehicle I have ever owned. It truely rides like a car. In reading the reviews posted here I see a common theme emerging..those unfortunate enough to have purchased a 4 cyl model Vue with the Vti tranny are experiencing MAJOR transmission PROBLEMS. I spoke with a Saturn Tech during my last oil change and he admitted in the last few weeks they were getting a Vti in every day with tranny trouble. The 6cly models seem to have happy owners and no problems associated with the traditional hydraulic tranny. I am as happy with my vehicle today as I was when I purchased it. I had one problem that required service. It was a stuck throttle valve on warm up due to washing the vehicle the day before the temperature hit extreme cold. Which brings me to one of my major complaints on this car. The interior heater is woefully inadequate for areas with EXTREME cold. It gets colder here on the prairies than it does in Siberia and -40 for 2-3 weeks in winter isn't uncommon. On days like that, the heater on short runs to work is just barely blowing hot and I keep mine in a garage. I can't imagine what it would be like from frozen solid. If you live in a "Normal" climate the heater will be just fine. I have been consistantly getting between 26-29 Mpg in the city and a Max of 34 MPG on the hwy if I keep the speed down. These are IMP not US gallons. The service guys have been excellent to deal with and always remember me by name during regular service. After the first 6 months I have picked up a squeek in the plastic collar that goes around the steering column (Nothing major)but it does make the vehicle interior seem cheap. That will go on the service dept to do list. There is also a felt vibration or rattle in the steering wheel when making a turn at low speed onto uneven surfaces or hitting a small pothole. I will likely be getting this adressed at the next service. This vehicle is HUGE inside. Cargo space is a big plus for me. The folding front passenger seat really makes for a good drive in movie vehicle. I have also noticed that the Keyfob remotes have very poor range, which is compounded by the box shape of the vehicle (I am told). This is an annoyance that is highlighted by the fact that Saturn was too cheap to include a rear trunk lock on the vehicle. Yes thats right the VUE is the only vehicle on the planet that requires that you open the door with your keys and hit the power lock button to get access to the hatch. What happens when the power locks fail?? Good thinking guys! Saturn prides itself on well thought of, practical vehicles, well they dropped the ball on the trunk lock. I have heard others complain of wind/ highway noise in the vue. I don't find that to be the case. You should try riding in my buddies 04 Nissan Frontier if you want road noise. It isnt a Mercedes sedan, so you have to expect a tiny bit of wind noise in a vehicle with a roof rack. The interior is very plasticy compared with others in its class. The seat material is also on the plain / cheap side, but the seats do adjust quite well comfort wise. Long trips are easy in this car even if you're an adult who is stuck in the back. There's pleanty of room there. The back seats are even reclinable! Makes me wish we'd taken my vue skiing in March instead of my buddies '95 4-Runner. (Which I might add was also noisier) There was way more room in the back of the vue for passengers. I have received numerous compliments on the "Modern Styling" of the Vue, if that sort of thing matters to you. One annoying thing on the Vue is that the cup holders are way down low. This keeps spills down, but it forces you to take your eyes off the road to get your slurpee. Oddly enough the v-6 vue uses a cartridge insert type oil filter (Odd Ball), that no other oil change shops here stock. This forces me to the dealership. At least they don't gouge on oil changes. Only about $6 more than a minnute lube place plus they top everything up. One complaint on the cruise control and the 5-Speed Auto Trans is that if you are in a hilly area on the highway, the transmission drops 2 gears immediately to climb a hill. The revs shoot up and its annoying especially if its a very slight hill or a really long gradual grade that a slight steady increase in throttle would have addressed instead of matting it! The V-6 has more than enough power to climb without winding it up like an F-14 on lift off. I would like to sum up my SATURN experience as very positive and I'd buy another vue (V-6 ONLY) in a heatbeat. Even with my defieciencies listed above (Nothing Major) I am still thrilled to drive this vehicle and even more thrilled when I push it a little!!! :)

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Toyota 4-Runner Ford Ranger Ford Escape Nissan Frontier

- Great pickup - Great looks - Spacious interior, trunk space - Great handling - Smooth engine and transmission - Good feel for the road

- Expected reliability not as good as the top notch Japanese competitors - Plasticy interior. Surely, GM could have done better. - Minor creeks and rattles can be heard at times inside, nothing too bothersome. I cant think of another SUV within 5000 dollars of this price that can provide a better ride. - Average stereo system - Trunk window wont slide down - Average off road capabilities. Buy this if 90 % of your driving is in the city and at worst you will drive on mud roads. I dont think the VUE can handle rocks and stones the way a Jeep can

Wow, what a wonderful SUV. I have been through some ups and downs in the three months that I have owned this SUV but I didnt lose faith and I absolutely love this SUV. I was drawn to this vehicle because I read that they made substantial improvements to the SUV from the 2003 model. It had a powerful engine, great looks and a great pickup. Saturn of Cary gave me 4500 dollars off the MSRP and I was sold. I bought a black VUE V6 2wd with Tan leather, sunroof, side curtain airbags, interior faux wood trim, heated seats, and 17 inch tires. The first 2000 miles, the SUV lived up to my expectations but did nto dazzle me. The electric assisted steering felt light and I didnt have much of a feel for the road. Otherwise the handling was good and the acceleration was good. The road noise comes in at highway speeds on less than perfect roads but not at all unbearable. After around two months something unfortunate happened. I hear a squeaking noise from under the hood on the right front side of the SUV, and the noise was very pronounced during right turns. It was disgusting and unbelievable. I certainly didnt expect a brand new SUV to do this in a couple of months after purchase. I took it to the dealer who replaced the right sway link. The noise promptly disappeared but I felt that the vehicle was slightly swaying while driving at high speeds. A week later, I took it in for an oil change. The dealer topped off the fluids and checked the air pressure. Ever since, the SUV has been driving like a dream. The sway has completely disappeared and I cant explain why. The SUV has progressively become smoother over the first 3000 miles. I now have a better feel for the road than I felt on the day I bought it. The handling is superb, and the SUV feels very stable on curvy roads. Mileage for city/hwy combo driving is averaging between 20.5 and 21.5 mpg. I hope it stays this way for a long time.

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cup holders?

Vti transmission, Steering, Suspension, Noise

Shortly after purchasing my 2004 4cyl. Vue in January I began to hear a scraping noise from under the car at low speeds. The dealer said it was the vti transmission and replaced some parts at 1300 miles. After they worked on the car it was worse than ever. Steering problems and there was a horrible grinding noise from under the car,that occurred on cold starts and persisted for up to 15 minutes. The vehicle was back and forth to the dealer and finally on the 5th time they kept it for a week and replaced the transmission. It drove ok for about a week and then problems began again. I have experienced rattles, scraping and popping in the steering. They did replace some type of links. Even with the new transmission I have experienced loss of power at low speeds and going up hills. When I take it to the dealer they tell me that they cannot duplicate the problem. THIS IS THE WORST CAR THAT I HAVE EVERY OWNED. I have only 2900 miles on it, and I am afraid to drive it because everyday it is another noise and another problem. My attorney has not been successful with the lemon law. SATURN WAS VERY HAPPY TO TAKE MY MONEY, BUT DOES NOT PUT PEOPLE FIRST. THEY ARE THE WORST COMPANY THAT I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR.

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Honda CRV

Nice styling inside and out. Powerful V6. Smooth, quiet ride. Excellent handling. Dent resistant panels. Lots of extra features. Good quality/value for the money.

Rear glass can't open seperately from hatch. No rear AC/heat controls. Not a lot of color choices. Not much center console storage room.

So far, it's a great SUV. I had never heard of a VUE, and never considered a Saturn, but after making a trip with a relative in her 2003 VUE, I was interested. I was impressed with the size and styling, but had a few complaints: a bit too noisy, not enough power and interior looked a little cheap amoung other things. After looking into the 2004 VUE I found out that every issue I had was addressed in the new model. The 2004 V6 has plenty of power at 250hp, and is built by Honda, which is a good thing in my book. I have a Ford Explorer and owned a Isuzu Rodeo before that, this VUE runs much smoother, quieter and stronger, handles better and the leather interior looks great and is much more comfortable than either vehicle. It even has extra details like my wife's Aurora that cost over 10k more than the Saturn, such as heated seats, navigation in the mirror, automatic anti glare mirror, six way power seat, armrests, etc. I have only had the VUE a short time, but if it continues to impress me, I believe it will be one of the best overall vehicles I have ever owned (out of eight). It's a shame that it seems the 2003 VUE was a bit of a stumbling block for Saturn, but they made up for it with the 2004. The sales team at Saturn of Conyers, GA were great . . . no pressure, no BS, knowledgeable and helpful. We love it!

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I must admit the exterior was beautiful...bright blue!

EVERYTHING ELSE.....before you subject yourself to buying one find out if you like the service people...you will see them A LOT!!!

DON'T BUY THIS CAR!! I read over and agree with much of the complaints about this car! This was my 2nd Saturn, AND LAST! The company ISN'T what it use to be and Service is the pits! We bought the VUE mainly b/c of the 0% financing and have paid for it! The car has been in for a number of stupid things like the horn going out, the alarm not shutting off, the door not opening, the windshield washer flying off, the passanger seat was a rocking chair the entire time we had the car! But the big stuff was the noises!! OH THE NOISES! The service dept. blames the same noise on different problems everytime...and nothing is ever fixed the first time you bring it in! The last time they changed the Transmission case and after a week in a rental I regretted getting the VUE back. When we did it WAS HORRIBLE!! It wouldn't go in reverse well and would almost feel like it was shifting into nuetral! You chance your life getting into it now! Just two days ago we PAID $5,500. to get out of the VUE!!!! That was with 0% financing!!!! The trade in value goes down each year too!! It is so depressing to think we bought the VUE to save money!! What a joke! Dealership was all eager to return my calls when I wanted to buy one but NEVER got call backs when I wanted to sell it! They were NO HELP WHAT SO EVER! I thought mine was a Lemon until I read the reviews...TAKE THE WARNING....ITS NOT A LEMON..THEY ARE ALL A PIECE OF JUNK!!!!!!!!!!

Looks. I must admit, I like the styling. I would put price here because you get a lot of goodies for your money; but no price is worth all the trips to the dealer for repairs. You think you are getting a good value, but your not.

See summary. The VUE is an effort in cost cutting. AVOID THIS VEHICLE!

I bought the VUE based off previous Saturn experience. I must say, the old Saturn is dead. My buying experience was no different than any other car dealer I have ever been to. The VUE finished off my liking of Saturn. This vehicle has been the worst I have ever owned. It has more rattles and squeeks than my 1968 Camaro. It has been into the shop for the following: 1)Rear differential replaced 2)All front sway bar linkages and bushings replaced - TWICE 3)Driver mirror replace (it cracked for no reason when the temperature went below freezing). 4)Winshield washer nozzle replaced (the thing blew right out when I went to wash my window) 5)Airbag coil replaced 6)Hood latch replaced The transmission is starting to shift funny, almost as if it is slipping and on top of all that, it has a rust bubble forming on the hood. There is no damage (scratch, rock chip etc) that would allow an entry for rust. It is coming from underneith. The vehicle is only 1 year and one month old with only 11 thousand miles on it. RUST AT 11,000 MILES?!?! As soon as the warranty comes near completion, this thing is GONE. I can't get rid of it fast enough. It is no wonder Saturn hasn't made a dime since the company started.

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1995 4 door Blazer - I wish I never traded it in on the VUE.

this is the wrost car i have ever owned in my life.i have to take it back to the shop every month.wheel bearing went out on the same wheel in less that a year was treated very badly by the dealer,ihate this car and tell people not to buy it..it is a Lemon

The ecotech motor was designed to be modified for entry level race applications from the ground up. Engine uses a timing chain that's designed to match the life of motor not risking the breakage & maintenance issues of a belt. Horsepower is higher than the rated 143.In a race engine development web article the stock engines are producing closer to 168 hp. This explains why the 0-60 is about 11.0 sec, more at par to slightly heavier rigs with 6 cylinders. Vehicle feels quite roomy compared to some of the others. The safety forcast for the '04 with side air shout get a perfect 5 star. Last years 40 mph offset showed the structure held out well, but the driver side bottomed out the air bag. This year they were revamped to 2-stage. The side impact with side airbags have already proved out with 5 stars under the stringent federal test. The price, of the car, especially with incentives. The ecomomy seems real good for this type of vehicle. I'm not quite sure if this car is really compact like the RAV4's, Forresters & and the CRV's. Sizewise it's closer in class to a Highlander. I thin the highlander is 4 inches longer & a half inch wider, while rhe VUE is more like a foot longer than the CRV. Very quite motor, responsive handleing, & strong brakes.

I think where the weaknesses could fall is in reliability. It appears there are a lot of unhappy campers out there. Transmissions, axles, noises, etc. Hopefully, they got the '04's under control.

So far so good. I had to have the passenger lock tumbler flipped upright, was installed wrong on assembly line. I got a great deal after 3k factory rebate & 1200 dealer discount. This is black with side airbags, cd player with steel wheels. The fuel economy is usually 25-26 on short trip 65% freeway, although I experienced a freak 17mpg when I allowed the vehicle idle a lot, I drive a mile in about 2 hours while doing a scouting for food event with my kids. I currently have just under 2,000 mi on it. The transmission since day one has always had a mild gear sound when cold. I was a little skeptical about the VTI transmission and wanted to stay with the basics. I would have liked the Honda v-6 with AWD, but when I saw the opportunity to snag this one at under 14k, I jumped on it. I think Saturn meet it's objective for price, size, economy & safety. The jury is still out for reliabilty.