A few weeks back, my old 1990 dodge sedan died and we started looking for something to replace it. With our growing family of 5 (and the extra stuff one must haul as a result) we decided on a smaller SUV and went to a local Saturn lot that had a good mix used models from various makers. The Subaru and Honda models were rated the best, so that is what we were looking for. We discovered that with the current $3500 in incentives, we could get a new Saturn Vue (4 cylinder manual) for about the same price as a used Subaru or Honda SUV. After some test drives and after doing a little research, we decided to go for a new 2004 Saturn Vue and bought the automatic (VTi) 4 cylinder version (my wife could not handle the manual version). The VTI transmission was a little wierd, and the seats were not quite as comfortable as other models we tested -- but the kids liked the sunroof, mom loved the color (electric blue) and I was more-or-less happy with the purchase. I though I had the car I'd be driving for the next 10 years.
Then the regrets set in. After reading the glowing reviews of the new V6 from a number of defferent sources, I began to wonder what I was missing out on. So I went back to the Saturn lot and test drove a FWD V6. Well, to quote Will Smith in one of his blockbuster movies... "Wow, I got to get myself one of these!"
Thank goodness for Saturn's 30 day/1500 mile exchange policy -- what a deal!
After convincing my wife that the exchange was necessary for my happiness, we went back to Saturn, found the V6 FWD model we could afford, and a few hours later I had the car of my dreams. We had to give up a few options (such as the sunroof, side door beams, and color) and still paid approx $1800 more for the car, but it was worth every penny. I didn't realize that the V6 models come with so many extra options as standard equipment -- better wheels, Anti-lock breaks, fog lamps, leather wrapped steering wheel/accents in addition to the awsome V6. My 2004 Vue is now a classic Silver, lighning fast, and has the cool CD/MP3 player (the only option above the base price that I got). And, guess what? My wife likes it better too. However, but the kids are upset at losing the sunroof. But I have no regrets.
The 2004 Vue is probably not the best small SUV on the market, but with the Honda 3.5L V6, it has to be the spunkiest. It may not have as many bells and whistles as some of the better rated models, it may be a little less comfortable, and may not handle quite as well -- but I do feel I got a lot of bang for the buck (especially with the $3500 in incentives). And as far as safety is concerned, the Vue has ranked as one of the safest in its class. So all-in-all, I am really happy with this car thus far. And to the reviewers/testers of the Vue point out the excessive plastic on the interror as a negative... with my kids and their sticky fingers -- cleanining plastic is a whole lot easier than cleaning uphostry.
Now I only hope that the 2004 Vue proves to be a reliable choice. After reading dozens of owner reviews on the MSN site, it appears that the 2004 Vue is vastly improved in this area, compared to the 2002/2003 models. Time will tell.
I have 3 recommendations:
1) If you are looking to buy a small to mid-size SUV, consider the 2004 Vue. With the incentives, I feel it is a good value for the dollar. The $3500 in incentives are over at the end of this month (May 2004).2) If you are looking at the 4 cylinder 2004 Vue, be sure to test drive the V6 just to make sure you can live with the difference.
3) If you recently bought a Saturn of any kind and have some regrets, take advantance of the 30 day Saturn Exchange policy. It takes some time (about the same as buying the car in the first place), but the Saturn sales staff were really nice about it and didn't appear to mind being put through all that extra paperwork. No other car dealership gives you this flexibility to correct a mistake -- so take advantage of it if you do get a serious case of the "regrets" as I did.