Saturn Vue Green Line: The advantage is price
Cox News Service
December 15, 2006
Your heart and mind may want a hybrid vehicle, but your wallet says no. These "green" autos, which run on gasoline and electricity, can be much costlier than gas-only models. The Saturn Vue Green Line aims to change that.
 Photo by Saturn
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Saturn Vue Green Line | |
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ABOUT THE SATURN VUE GREEN LINE:
Body style: SUV
Trim lines: standard and comfortably safe packages available
Price: Starting at about $22,995; tester was $25,750
Drive: Front-wheel
Seating: Two in front, three in rear
Engine: 2.4 liter four cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Miles per gallon of fuel: EPA estimate 27 city, 32 highway
WHAT'S SPECIAL: This hybrid SUV uses a technology that's different from most hybrids and allows the engine to pause when you brake and lets the electric battery give supplemental power when you accelerate. The battery charges during deceleration and powers the vehicle fully when it is stopped.
WHAT WE LIKE: The advantage with the Vue Green Line is price. The test model was $25,750, only about $1,400 more than a similar all-gas Vue. That premium is much lower than other hybrids, which can be $5,000 higher than their counterparts.
WHAT ISN'T THERE: The speed and power of this vehicle won't blow you away but are adequate nonetheless. And you wouldn't buy this vehicle seeking those traits, anyhow. Still, it's easy to drive and rides very smoothly.
YOU OUGHTA KNOW: The Vue Green Line has an "Eco" icon on the instrument panel that lights up when the vehicle is achieving its best fuel economy performance. You'll notice this lighting up fairly frequently when you're traveling between 20 and 50 mph. That's much better than a lot of hybrids, which achieve their best performance at less than 20 mph, which is a fairly infrequently driven rate of speed.
EXTRAS: Saturn didn't forget style when it was thinking green. The Vue has some nice touches such as the rear spoiler, leather interior and color-coded door handles. General Motors' OnStar roadside assistance system is standard. Other options available include heated front seats and a rear seat DVD system. The Vue Green Line also gets a five-star safety rating for front- and side- impact collisions.
AND ANOTHER THING: The Green Line uses a 36-volt battery, which is different from most hybrids that use 300-some odd volt batteries, which will cost more to replace.
