Saturn Vue Green Line: 31.6 CG mpg

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line

Saturn's Vue compact SUV got a little bigger for 2008, and it got a lot nicer as well. Gone are the plastic fenders and door skins that once contributed to huge exterior panel gaps and a general look of shoddy assembly. Gone also is the old Vue's cheap-looking interior.

With the 2008 model, Vue literally went from worst-in-class to best-in-class in terms of interior refinement. Upscale, richly textured materials line the cabin, and everything is assembled with obvious care.

Vue got heavier for 2008, and thirstier as a result. Equipped with the available 3.6-liter V6, Vue averaged just 16-17 mpg in Consumer Guide testing. Ouch. Enter the Green Line.

The Saturn Vue Green Line has been described as a "mild hybrid"--mild, because Vue cannot propel itself on electric power alone. Otherwise Vue is like other hybrids. Its engine does shut off when the vehicle is stopped, and the gas engine enjoys occasional assistance from the electric motor.

Compared to the standard 4-cylinder Vue, Green Line's EPA 25/32 city/highway mpg rating is six mpg better in both conditions. In Consumer Guide testing, a Vue Green Line averaged a frugal 31.6 mpg.

This is an easy hybrid to live with as well. Engine stops and startups are smooth and unobtrusive, and engagement of the electric motor and regenerative brakes is subtle, if not all together seamless.

Per Saturn Director of Product Development Stewart Price, "With gas prices what they are, Vue Green Line is more attractive now than ever. We're especially proud of the highway mileage."