2004 Saturn Vue: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

This SUV from General Motors' Saturn division trades V6s for 2004, going from a 181-hp GM engine to a 250-hp Honda unit, and added a performance option package midyear. Vue seats five and has Saturn's traditional dent-resistant plastic body panels. It offers front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive without low-range gearing, and a choice of 4-cyl and V6 engines. Vues with the 4 cyl and 2WD use a 5-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic; the CVT furnishes variable drive ratios instead of conventional gear changes. The AWD 4-cyl Vue comes only with the CVT. V6 Vues trade a 3.0 liter for the same 3.5 used in Honda's Pilot SUV and Odyssey minivan. The V6 comes with a conventional 5-speed automatic transmission, also supplied by Honda. ABS is optional on 4-cyl models, standard on V6s. Options include head-protecting curtain side airbags and OnStar assistance. For 2004, 17-inch alloy wheels replace 16s as standard on AWD V6s and optional on 2WD V6s. Revised steering calibrations are designed to improve steering feel; interior trim changes include chrome-ringed, white-faced instruments. Satellite radio is a new option. Arriving midyear was optional DVD rear entertainment, plus a performance-oriented V6 option package called the Red Line, with stiffer suspension and 18-inch wheels among its modifications.