Houston Cars

When Saturn released the first Vue Green Line in 2006, it was underwhelming in a major way.  The EPA MPG ratings were barely above those of the regular Vue, and real-world testing revealed about the same.  In other words, Saturn was asking you to pay more for very little real benefit.  My, how things change,and quickly at that.

Brand new for 2008, the new Vue has been getting great reviews.  The look is much better than the last version, and quality has gone up too.  The Vue Green Line is the first of three planned hybrid versions of the Vue ( Why three?  Stay tuned to find out ), and is rated at an incredible-for-an-SUV 25 MPG city / 32 MPG highway.  This compares quite favorably to the current King of the SUV Mileage, the Ford Escape Hybrid.  Here’s a quick comparison of their EPA estimates:

As you can see, the Ford beats the Vue handily around town ( thanks to Toyota’s fantastic HSD system ), but the Vue comes out ahead on the highway.  32 MPG on the highway from a people mover is pretty dang impressive, at least in today’s world.  Hopefully in a few years things will get better, but that’s a topic for another day.

The two additional planned Vue Hybrids include one using GM’s vaunted Two-Mode hybrid system, and the “real deal”, a Two-mode system with a lithium ion battery pack and plug-in recharging ability.  The plug-in Vue is probably several years away, at best.  If Gm can manage to get this one to market quickly ( i.e. before Toyota has a similar one on the road ), and prices it right, they could corner this market in a hurry.

GM and I don’t get along most of the time.  It pains me to see them make mistake after mistake.  But when they hit a home run, I am the first to get them an “attaboy”.  The Vue Green Line is a winner, no question.  And with a base price of $24,795 ( a bit less than a base Escape Hybrid ), there will be buyers.  Saturn is becoming a relevant brand in a hurry - Toyota and Honda should take notice.  GM may have it’s faults, but Saturn is on the right track today.