06 Vue

Depends on which Vue.

V6 = Timing Belt. Bleh...

I4 = Timing Chain. Yay!

a good video review can be found here: (also info on the upcoming hybrid.)

Changes to the '06 models are: quieter transmissions, newer tranny on the 4cyl (cvt went out in '05) new facia, including ding resistant headlight covers and painted bumpers V6 = 250hp built by Honda America specifically for Saturn (cant buy it in a honda, yes belt driven, but Honda belt, not a ford belt, lol)

4cyl = 143hp Ecotec engine w new aisin tranny (similar to old hydromatic automatic) All '06 Saturns using Quietsteel (as in Caddilac and Buick) Revised interior, softer materials, better lumbar support, center console resesigned. Oh, and the cool cell phone charger/holder too! marx404

Ford belts are probably more affordable. Thats not saying much for timing belts either way.

Denis...

Bought my '06 in November and have been very satisfied so far. Mine's the 4 cyl, 5 speed. Only complaint with that it doesn't have to much extra power to spare if you need it. When the RPM's are up, it'll take off on you, but getting up to speed in a hurry is minimal. For example, it'll rocket up to

75 from 60 in no time, but getting up to 60 on the on-ramp is marginal. Remember, this is the 4 cyl though. I had also been a little disappointed in the mileage as I was only averaging about 24 on the highway, but it has been getting progressively better the last 2 weeks and I can only guess that may be an outside temperature thing (Had a warming trend the last two weeks here in the Northeast) so it's getting closer to 28 now and I'm real happy 'bout that.

Put it this way, my father liked mine so much, he traded in his V6 AWD '03 Vue for an V6 FWD '06 the week after I got mine. Hope this helps and good luck.

Scott

BTW to everyone else - funny story with regards to the above.... I traded in a 94 SL2 with 180K for my Vue and got $1500 for it. Went back to help dad one week later to pick up his and they had detailed it and put it up for sale! Went back on an unrelated issue the next day and my dad's '03 was detailed parked next to my '94. The day after, the '94 sold. Apparently, there was a internal fight to get that car between two of the sales guys and one of the mechanics in the shop. The mechanic got it. Wonder what that says about the old SL2 series, huh? :)

On 15 Mar 2006 13:57:51 -0800, someone posing as denis snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.ca took a five minute break from flipping burgers to boot up the etch-a-sketch and scribbled:

Stay away!!

Stay very far away from nuclear power plants when they're about to explode.

As for the Vue, it seems to be a nice - if small - car. We've had our '05 V6 for a bit over a year now and it seems very nice. So far, no issues, though my wife has only put around 15K miles on it.

My only major complaint is the seats are way too narrow and I feel even more boxed in it than I did in my compact Maxima. Someday, I'll convince her to get me a nice mid-sized Suburban 2500.