As part of the trial Directions and Connections OnStar package mentioned above, we got a limited number of phone minutes to play with in our review of the Vue Green Line. Unlike the OnStar navigation system, hands-free calling via OnStar does not require the aid of an off-board agent. Instead, drivers just have to push the phone button on the roof liner and follow the straightforward prompts with voice commands. Calling options include dialing a specific number one digit at a time, or calling a stored, voice-tagged contact. In our experience, the OnStar calling system works very well. The system has an impressive ability to recognize spoken phone numbers--even when spoken at full speed. For calling by name, the system requires drivers to preprogram contacts, and (unlike the Ford Sync system) will not accept entries that sound similar to each other. As the OnStar calling system is not paired with your cell phone, the car will have its own phone number, which means yet another number to hand out to family and friends. But we were generally impressed with the call quality both through the vehicle's speakers and from the other end of the line.
The only other notable features in the cabin of the Vue Green Line are the instruments related to the hybrid drive train. These consist of: a charge/assist gauge, which indicates whether the hybrid system's electric motor is assisting the gasoline engine or whether the battery is being recharged; an ECO light, which shows when the car's instant gas mileage is meeting or exceeding the average EPA rating; and an Autostop readout on the tachometer, which indicates that the engine has been cut during idling.
Under the hood
Unlike "full hybrids" that can run entirely in electric mode, the Vue Green Line features a simple, low-cost hybrid technology known as Belt Alternator Starter (BAS). The BAS concept works by replacing the belt-driven alternator and starter motor with an electric motor that serves as a generator and a motor. In the Vue Green Line, this motor/generator is hooked up to a 36-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery, and is used to assist the Vue's 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec engine. The result is a dual-propulsion system that, in theory, enables the battery-powered electric motor to assist the gasoline engine when accelerating from standing or when load demand is suddenly increased (for passing or merging, for example). The BAS system also features regenerative braking that turns the electric motor into a generator to capture kinetic energy from braking and convert it into electricity to recharge the battery.
In practice, the BAS in the 2008 Vue Green Line works better than it did in its predecessor. The lag that we felt because of the regenerative braking in the 2007 model is largely gone, and the new Vue Green Line's around-town driving benefits as a result. In urban environments, the Vue Green Line is an adequate all-round performer: handling is tighter than that in the 2007 model, while throttle response at low speeds is passably brisk. GM's addition of Stabilitrak as standard for the 2008 model also gets our vote of appreciation.
On the freeway, the story is less impressive. While the ride itself is smooth and well insulated from road noise, throttle response is disappointing, even with the assistance of the electric motor. In fact, aside from the brisk swing of the needle in the charge/ assist meter, we were hard pressed to detect any effect of the electric motor on the car's acceleration at all. Given the Vue's relatively small-displacement engine and low-tech four-speed transmission, this lack of performance is not too surprising, but we were somewhat relieved to see a manual shift option on the side of the shifter, which gave us the chance to add some juice to our passing maneuvers by holding the gears longer.
Most disappointing in our time with the Vue Green Line was its gas mileage, and for a car that promotes itself primarily on its superior fuel economy we were far from impressed. In our time with the car, we observed an overall gas mileage of 22.8 mpg--below both its city (25 mpg) and highway (32 mpg) EPA estimates.
In sum
The 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line comes with very few available options. Our stripped-down test car came with a base price of $24,170, to which we added only a destination charge of $625 for a sticker total of $24,795. The only things that we could have added to this would have been the Comfort & Convenience Package (eight-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, outside heated power-adjustable mirrors, lighted vanity visor mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated windshield washer nozzles, and Universal Home Remote) for $925; or the Premium Trim Package (leather-appointed seats, leather-wrapped shift knob, three-mode heated driver and front passenger seats) for $1,075. In its base configuration, the Vue Green Line is still technically the cheapest hybrid SUV, just beating out the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid to the title. Saturn has done a good job of restyling the exterior of the Vue Green Line and the addition of Stabilitrak and OnStar navigation are welcome additions. But the cheapest hybrid on the market shows its cheapness in its drive-train tech and its lack of cabin options, and gas mileage is disappointing. For the 2009 model year, Saturn will offer the Vue Green Line with its two-mode hybrid system, a full hybrid system that should give the Vue much better city fuel economy and allow it to drive under electric power at slow speeds. The two-mode Saturn Vue Green Line is one to watch out for.
What You'll Pay
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