1. home
  2. cars
  3. saturn
  4. vue
  5. 2008
  6. First Test: 2008 Saturn VUE Green Line

First Test: 2008 Saturn VUE Green Line

Who says mild hybrids don't make sense?

Brian VancephotographersKim Reynoldswriters

The common opinion among hybrid connoisseurs is that "weak" hybrids such as this VUE Green Line just don't rate. "They're better than nothing," these gurus of gas-saving will grudgingly confess, "but...not by much." Well, that "not much" might just be a whole lot more important than you think -- and we'll get to that. But first, let's inspect this, the most affordable hybrid SUV your dollar can buy as gasoline edges toward four bucks a gallon.

Popping the hood you'll find -- if you can see past all that confusingly designed plastic shrouding -- a conventional engine, what looks like an electric motor, a belt between the two, and a tray of supervising electrics that makes sure the hydrocarbon side of things plays nice with the electron side. If you've pulled your hair out trying to figure out Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, this thing looks to be duck soup.

In a sense, it amounts to "hybrid helper." The little electric motor restarts the engine upon release of the brakes; it helps during low-speed acceleration; the transmission can attain and hold top gear sooner and longer while cruising; and it reclaims a smidgen of the VUE's kinetic energy under braking. It does none of these things as profoundly as a hybrid possessing a big electric motor or one that artfully interplays the gas and electric systems via an interposed CVT. But it's "better than nothing."

How much does it help? These are tricky waters for a calculator, but let's first consider the VUE's four-engine powertrain lineup. The base engine is a 160-hp, 2.4L I-4, next is our 167-hp, 2.4L hybrid, a 222-hp, 3.6L V-6 follows, and at the top is a 257-hp, 3.6L V-6. If we were to interpolate, or linearly predict, the base price and mileage we'd expect from a 172-hp engine based on the numbers from the engines that bookend it (the base 2.4 and the 3.5 -- I know, I'm mixing engine types and a minor equipment variations), a broad-brush estimate would be 21.1 EPA combined mpg and a base price of $22,227. The VUE Green Line actually achieves 27.7 combined mpg and costs $25,995. Okay, so that's $3768 for an extra 6.6 mpg compared with the base-engined VUE.

If we use a nice round number like $4/gallon and a usage of 15,000 miles per year, the pay-down time is 5.6 years. But wait! There's also a $650 federal tax credit to consider, which drops the number to 4.6 years. And that's assuming a steady price of $4/gal gasoline four years from now. How many of you think that'll happen? Raise your hands. If you have one up, I suggest you read a newspaper once in a while.

The VUE Green Line's start-stop operation is fairly unnoticeable. What is evident, though, is the vehicle's weight -- 3800 pounds, roughly 500 pounds more than its marketplace contemporaries. And that weight virtually defines the Green Line's road feel. 0-to-60 mph is 10.9 seconds? That's its weight. And while the VUE rides comfortably, there's the ever-present impression this is mostly because there's so much lazy mass it can't do anything else. Ditto its languid handling response. If you're hankering for carve-and-pivot handling, hanker elsewhere. On the other hand, this is one pleasant small SUV to go cruising in.

The VUE's interior is handsomely designed, with a build quality that's appropriate for its price and with unexpected front-seat room. Aft, things progressively fall apart, with the second row being less generous, and the cargo hold downright pinched due to the VUE's angled, but at least-attractive rear styling. The VUE Green Line attributes aren't for everybody, but there's no question it has a real audience for the several things it does right.

Oh, and that earlier comment that the VUE Green Line's micro-hybridness "might just be a whole lot more important than you think"? Several weeks ago, I listened to a presentation by Dr. Menehen Anderman of Advanced Automotive Batteries, given at the SAE Hybrid Symposium in San Diego. The most striking conclusion of Dr. Anderman's talk was that, while those of us captivated by advanced automotive technologies are hanging on every press release issued about the super-tech plug-in Chevy Volt, the truth is that time scale of getting the Volts of this world into meaningful production volume is going to be painfully long. No, Dr. Anderman countered. The CO2 and petroleum problems will be best solved by quick action utilizing the scalable technologies we have on hand right now. Volts are fine, in their time. But it could easily turn out that a humble micro-hybrid like this VUE Green Line will be the bigger heroes from an historic perspective. And better yet, right on its tail comes the 2009 2-Mode Green Line, promising even more. Who'd a thunk?

2008 Saturn VUE Green Line
Drivetrain layout Front engine, FWD
Engine type I-4, alum block/heads
Valvetrain DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
Displacement 145.5 cu in/2384 cc
Compression ratio 10.4:1
Power (SAE net) 167 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 167 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Redline 6800 rpm
Weight to power 22.8 lb/hp
Transmission 4-speed automatic
Axle/final-drive ratios 3.63:1/2.47:1
Steering ratio 18.5:1
Turns lock-to-lock 3.5
Brakes, f;r 11.7-in vented; 10.9-in disc, ABS
Wheels, f;r 7.0 x 17, cast alum
Tires, f;r P225/60R17 98S M+S Goodyear Integrity
Wheelbase 106.6 in
Track, f/r 61.4/61.8 in
Length x width x height 180.1 x 72.8 x 66.2 in
Ground clearance 6.9 in
Approach/depart angle 18.2/22.7 deg
Turning circle 40.0 ft
Curb weight 3800 lb
Weight dist., f/r 58/42%
Towing capacity 1500 lb
Seating capacity 5
Headroom, f/r 40.2/39.3 in
Legroom, f/r 40.7/36.9 in
Shoulder room, f/r 56.0/55.9 in
Cargo volume 56.4/29.2 cu ft
Acceleration to mph
0-30 4.0 sec
0-40 5.7
0-50 7.8
0-60 10.9
0-70 14.3
0-80 18.4
Passing, 45-65 mph 4.8 sec
Quarter mile 18.1 sec @ 79.2 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 138 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.74 g (avg)
MT figure eight 29.6 sec @ 0.53 g (avg)
Top-gear revs @ 60 mph 1900 rpm
Base price $24,795
Price as tested $24,795
Stability/traction control Yes/yes
Airbags Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
Basic warranty 3 yrs/36,000 miles
Powertrain warranty 5 yrs/100,000 miles
Roadside assistance 5 yrs/100,000 miles
Fuel capacity 19.2 gal
EPA city/hwy econ 25/32 mpg
CO2 emissions 0.70 lb/mile
MT fuel economy 20.1 mpg
Recommended fuel Unleaded regular