8/1/2023 0 Comments Saturn vue redlineGas mileage is surprisingly decent on this compact SUV that competes with the Jeep Liberty and Ford Escape. The Honda engine also clocks a 0-to-60 time of approximately 7 seconds, Saturn says. That’s 69 more horsepower and 47 more pounds-feet of torque than you got from the 3.0-liter GM V-6 that the Honda engine replaces. The Honda engine delivers 242 pounds-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. It’s essentially the same version of the engine that Honda installs in the Odyssey minivan and the Pilot SUV. It’s equipped with an impressive Honda powertrain: a 3.5-liter, 250-horsepower V-6 engine that’s inked to a five-speed automatic transmission. That’s probably the best thing about the top-of-the-line Saturn SUV. Like my girlfriends, my mother may not understand what Red Line means, but she sure understands that a powerful engine is a kind of stealth safety feature that can keep you out of harm’s way. I immediately drove the SUV to Livonia, where I picked up my mother.ĭespite my grumblings, my mother - the uber-nervous driver - thought that the Red Line was fantastic, especially as it did battle with the semi-trucks and speeding drivers on Interstate 275. My afternoon in the Vue Red Line began at GM’s Proving Grounds here. Coming this summer is the Saturn Ion Red Line “quad coupe,” a jazzed-up version of the entry-level four-door Ion that is supposed to appeal to young male buyers who like to customize their import cars. The Red Line is the firs t of a series of Red Line packages on Saturn models. “We have the toughest part of the formula figured out - treating people right,” she explained. unit, the brand is trying to broaden its appeal beyond me and my girlfriends. Shallow as it may seem, I will always pick lighted vanity mirrors over a chrome exhaust tip - especially in a vehicle more suitable for the school carpool than the race track.Īccording to Jill Lajdziak, vice president of sales, service andmarketing for the General Motors Corp. My test vehicle didn’t even have lighted vanity mirrors. My attitude is, why bother tuning the Vue, if you can’t get the interior right? It’s kind of like putting a ritzy Jacuzzi tub in a bathroom with cheap, gold-flecked Formica counters. What’s under the hood - a Honda engine - is terrific.īut I wish Saturn would have lavished more time and money on the Vue Red Line’s interior, which looked tacky and wasn’t as user-friendly as I expected for the steep price. My immediate impression: The Vue Red Line is an uneven package that doesn’t seem to justify the nearly $30,000 price tag. The Red Line package, which is on sale now, costs $1,995, giving my amply equipped five-passenger, all-wheel-drive Saturn Vue Red Line test vehicle a whopping $29,910 sticker price. That’s why we now have the Vue Red Line - a souped-up Saturn with a lowered body, add-on plastic body parts to improve aerodynamics (called “ground effects”), a three-inch chrome exhaust tip, 18-inch wheels and tires that the company describes as “aggressive” and an optional “electric lime” paint job. It wants to offer products that appeal to men who lust after BMWs. It wants to jump on the performance bandwagon. Saturn has often been the brand of choice for soccer moms - popular for its affordable prices, no-hassle sales experience, plastic exterior body panels that don’t rust or ding, and sterling service reputation.īut now, Saturn - like Volvo and other female-friendly brands - wants to be something more. The combination of “Saturn” and “Red Line” is something of an automotive oxymoron. On a vehicle’s tachometer, which counts the number of engine revolutions per minute, the “Red Line” marks the maximum speed at which the engine can safely be operated. Nobody guessed that it was a reference only automotive performance enthusiasts would readily understand. One asked if it was a kind of navigation system. Another thought it was a hospital crisis. One thought it had something to do with preventing people from buying houses in certain neighborhoods. MILFORD–Before I sat down to write about the 2004 Saturn Vue Red Line sport utility vehicle, I did an informal online poll of my girlfriends to see if they even understood what “Red Line” meant. Souped-up Saturn SUV aims for male audience
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |