Search Consumer Guide Auto and the Web
 

2004 Saturn Vue
Date Published: 2/29/08

2004 Saturn Vue
More Photos

MSRP:
$16,920 - 24,055

Invoice:
$15,790 - 22,425

Class:
Compact Sport-utility Vehicle
2004 Saturn Vue
Expert Rating Summary
Category 2WD 4 cyl, CVT Rating (See All
Ratings)
Compact Sport-utility Vehicle Average Rating
Acceleration 3 4.2
Fuel Economy 6 4.7
Ride Quality 5 4.1
Steering/Handling/Braking 3 4.3
Quietness 3 3.8
Controls 7 5.3
Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front) 7 5.5
Room/Comfort (rear) 6 4.3
Cargo Room 7 6.8
Value within Class 3 5.6
Total Score: 50 48.6
Ratings: Maximum 10 points per category
2004 SATURN VUE BUYING RESOURCES
Trade-In Calculator
Sell Your Car
2004 Saturn Vue Review
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.

News
The rumor mill sees a hybrid powertrain option coming into Vue for 2006. This apparently works much like Honda's hybrid system, but uses two electric motors (vs. one) to assist a 125-hp 2.0-liter 4-cyl gasoline engine; the motors generate a combined 50 hp. The transmission is said to be a 6-speed "auto-manual," which could mean a CVT, though a conventional torque-converter automatic is more likely.

Meantime, Vue's first redesign has apparently been put back to at least 2008. Earlier reports had it coming for '07.

Instead, Saturn will add a larger-than-Vue crossover sport wagon for 2007 based on GM's long-delayed Lambda platform. The model reportedly starts production in late 2006. Buick and GMC versions respectively follow 6 and 12 months later. Sources say the Saturn arrives with V6 power and choice of front- or all-wheel drive. The V6 should be a new 3.5- or 3.9-liter design with GM's Displacement on Demand (DOD), which shuts down half the cylinders at light throttle loads to save fuel. An optional DOD V8 is reportedly on tap for 2008. Saturn hopes its Lambda model will bring in 100,000 sales a year.
Car Buying Resources

Trade-In Calculator

Research how much your car is truly worth

Trade-In Calculator



Used Cars

Search online classifieds and find a local dealer
Search Local Listings

Vehicle History Report

Get a CARFAX Vehicle History... the first step to protecting yourself from costly hidden problems.



What's Under the Hood?

Learn about how cars work.

Learn things



Insurance

We're dedicated to making insurance easier.

Get Insurance



Sell Your Car

Reach over 8 million buyers
Sell Your Car



    Sell Your Car
Powered by: