Remember the way Saturn used to be - plastic skinned and a bit odd of styling, a great GM experiment that began in 1985 as an attempt to meet the imports head on?
The company never did and was late to the game when it introduced its first SUV, called the VUE, in 2003.
Essentially what we now call a crossover, competitors like the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4 were already out there.
Well, lots has changed since 2003. The Escape and Tribute are in their second generation. The Vibe is gone, the CR-V and RAV4 third-generation bigger, and Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Mazda and others all have compact five-door crossovers. Even Saturn has changed from GM's import-beater to its European brand. It's new Aura has some Opel/Vauxhall (GM's European divisions) underneath, while the Sky Roadster is sold overseas as the Opel GT. Saturn's upcoming compact Astra is an Opel/Vauxhall Astra. Then there's the new VUE, developed jointly with Opel.
The VUE, bar some changes to the grille, also is being sold in Europe as the Opel Antara and in England as the Vauxhall Antara. And it all started in 2006 with the PreVue concept, certainly not your father's Saturn.
While the production VUE's nose shares some of the look of the new CR-V, with a blunt angled grille with chrome bar and Saturn logo at the end of a flattened power dome hood, the general shape of the PreVue's sharp nose is there. Headlights that follow the fender shape is a design that survived, as well as the fake silver skid plate and inset fog lamps. The small tapered roof line with an upward angled beltline adds dash to the side window shape, as does the roof rack, all PreVue cues. The fender flares are flatter, but keep the concept's multi-edge shape, along with the black and chrome fender vent with marker light. Six-spoke alloys wear Bridgestone DuellerP235/60R17-inch rubber. The PreVue's rounded tail, with big almond-shaped headlights and ribbed silver skid plate keeps the faith, although the former's chrome side exhausts became the real VUE's dual chrome tips.
It's a tidy, tightly designed vehicle, its steel body panel fit much better than the previous model's plastic bits, its Sunburst Orange paint job the thing most commented on.
Our VUE XR's interior is also very similar to the Opel/Vauxhall and well put together, the seats at a nice height to slide into.
The dash top is a padded leather-grained vinyl with a pewter plastic center section housing air vents and a powerful and clear AM-FM-CD-XM Satellite Radio head unit with 36 station presets and an MP3 player audio input. The three-spoke steering wheel looks a lot like a Saab's, also a GM product - hey, we aren't griping. It tilts only, but its stereo and cruise controls get rubberized VW-like volume and speed set buttons that work well. The chrome-trimmed 140-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach flanking a gas and temperature gauge are all backlit in sporty orange with an LCD odometer/trip meter and outside temperature gauge in between.
 Dan and Bill discuss the 2008 Saturn Vue
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The rest of the gray-over-tan interior is nice, better than the hard plastic of the previous VUE. Alloy accents the door grabs and dash center, while dark plastic wood on dash and doors adds a nice look. The leather bucket seats - eight-way power driver's seat with manual lumbar - are Euro-firm and pretty supportive, while the center armrest has dual level storage under its padded top. Saturn is proud of the huge glove box. We had heated seats, while the touch-screen navigation system had voice recognition activated by tapping the steering wheel volume control. You also can access OnStar that way. Our XR added automatic rain-sensing wipers, remote start, universal garage door remote and heated windshield washer.
The new Saturn shares the first VUE's 106.6-inch wheelbase, but is about an inch shorter. That means the back seat just offers adequate room for two adults with a center armrest. It splits and folds flat for cargo. The new VUE also gets adjustable upper and lower rails with hooks for a storage net to contain a variety of items. The new VUE gets a base 169-horsepower 2.4-liter four and front-wheel-drive, a 3.5-liter V-6 with 222 hp in the all-wheel-drive XE model and our 1,300-mile-old VUE XR's DOHC, 3.6-liter V-6 with 257 hp and all-wheel-drive. Hit the gas and all four wheels grab as it hits 60 mph in 8 seconds. A 244-hp Mazda CX-7 and 242-hp Hyundai Santa Fe do it in 8.5 seconds. It offered an average 17 mpg on regular. EPA estimate is 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway. A hybrid version is coming.
Along with a stiff body structure, the new VUE gets MacPherson strut independent front suspension and independent multi-link rear suspension with stabilizer bars, which result in a comfortable and responsive ride for a crossover with standard electronic stability control and traction control. The VUE handles nimbly in turns, the all-wheel-drive shifting power aft to help understeer in turns, although the front end plows a bit more in abrupt maneuvers. It's quiet at highway speed bar tire noise and can comfortably handle light grass and dirt trails. The base four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive Saturn VUE starts at just more than $18,000. But our test model was the XR all-wheel-drive model with the most powerful 257-hp V-6 and started at $26,270, with options like leather interior for $1,075, a $505 convenience package with rain-sensing wipers, remote start, heated windshield washer and built-in garage door remote, a $2,145 navigation system, $325 advanced audio and a $350 trailer package. Add a destination fee and the final is $31,295.
Bottom line: This American crossover felt tidy and responsive, well-built, quiet and comfortable. Price-wise, it's more than its predecessor, about the same as the V-6 Japanese competition and comparably equipped. We liked it a lot.
Florida Times-Union staff writer Dan Scanlan test-drives new vehicles on Northeast Florida roads, averaging 200 miles of combined highway and city traffic during a weeklong test. The vehicles are provided by the manufacturer according to their schedule and represent a broad spectrum of sizes and prices. The prices listed are manufacturer's suggested retail prices. Scanlan can be reached at (904) 359-4549 or at dan.scanlan@jacksonville.com.
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Vehicle type 5-door, 5-passenger crossover sports utility vehicle
Base price $26,270 ($31,295 as tested)
Engine type DOHC cast alloy 24-valve V-6
Displacement 3.6-liter
Horsepower (net) 257 @ 2,6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) 248 @ 2,100 rpm
Transmission 6-sped automatic w/manual shifting
Wheelbase 106.6 inches
Overall length 180.1 inches
Overall width 72.8 inches
Height 67 inches
Front headroom 40.2 inches
Front legroom 40.7 inches
Rear headroom 39.3 inches
Rear legroom 36.9 inches
Cargo capacity 29.2 cu. ft./56.4 w/rear seat folded
Towing capacity up to 3,500 pounds
Curb weight 4,325 lbs.
Fuel capacity 16.7 gallons
Mileage rating 16 mpg city/22-mpg highway
Last word What a difference a year and a Euro-inspired redesign makes.
