Drove an 08' Vue

[likeneverbefore]

My dealer got their 1st 08' in today,
a dark blue XE V6 AWD

I grabbed the keys before it could even go though clean up:p

When I got in to it, My first impressions where WOW. The fit and finish are top rate, all of the "touch points" are soft touch plastics or leather. Take that GM bashers:usa: The seats are firm but comfy, all of the controls are laid out in a organized way. The front cup holders are very deep and even keep tall bottles in tight. The one I drove had the power seat, very comfy. The rear seat is just the right hight off the floor. You legs aren't jammed up in the rear seat.

The rear storage area is a pretty good size. I was expecting much worse. It has these really cool deep pockets on each side on the rear.
I know ppl are saying that the cargo area is too small... Deal with it. You allways have to make a trade off for style.

On to the test drive,
The 1st thing I noticed was the quality of the ride. It has a very very euro feeling. Firm without being hard and harsh. The handling is more like a sports car than a SUV.
Power is more than ok, even with the 3.5 OHV.
Having Stabil-Trac is awsome, keeps you out of trouble. The steering is nicey weighed not to much or too little.

All in all I would buy this CUV in a heartbeat... Maybe someday.

Btw we will have the 08' at Mayfair this weekend in Allentown, you can stop by and see it thurs,fri,Sat,Sun

[kfraney]

I'm sure it's a very nice vehicle and since it wasn't really designed by GM, it probably will have better build quality. My '04 seemed like it had excellent build quality when I bought it, it was a few months later when the rattles and squeaks set in. My point is that most cars seem like they have solid build quality when they have 0 miles on them...

[beach109]

I'm sure it's a very nice vehicle and since it wasn't really designed by GM, it probably will have better build quality. My '04 seemed like it had excellent build quality when I bought it, it was a few months later when the rattles and squeaks set in. My point is that most cars seem like they have solid build quality when they have 0 miles on them...

Somewhat true, but the real difference between the plasticized VUE that has always had a "loose" feel overall and the new all steel model with lots of structural enhancements is more than notable.

And it WAS designed by GM, you just must be forgetting Opel and the others are in the same category we think of Pontiac and Chevy in, they're just overseas only--the Theta platform, for instance, was U.S. only to start before spreading.

All in all, the new model should be a LOT better built than the current model, both in the solidity of the structure and in how everything is now made and attached to that. Whole new ballgame, so to speak.

[Jerome10]

The VUE is not made/designed by GM?

Who makes it then?

[likeneverbefore]

Somewhat true, but the real difference between the plasticized VUE that has always had a "loose" feel overall and the new all steel model with lots of structural enhancements is more than notable.

And it WAS designed by GM, you just must be forgetting Opel and the others are in the same category we think of Pontiac and Chevy in, they're just overseas only--the Theta platform, for instance, was U.S. only to start before spreading.

All in all, the new model should be a LOT better built than the current model, both in the solidity of the structure and in how everything is now made and attached to that. Whole new ballgame, so to speak.

Thats how I felt about the old Vue, just couldn't put my finger on it.

[mellissam]

.....I know ppl are saying that the cargo area is too small... Deal with it. You allways have to make a trade off for style......

Nice review. Great to hear an end-user (?) review of the new VUE...sounds promising. The trade-off for style makes wonder why? They could have easily 'styled' it to be bigger, not smaller. I wonder what the drag coefficient is of the new VUE? IIRC, the old one was around 0.36 or so, which is remarkable given it's boxy shape...not to bad at all! Unless the new one is that much better in that department, there was no excuse for sloping the roof, crunching the cargo area. Function should always trump style, in my book. Make it functional, them dicker around with style.....:) JMHO

[mellissam]

Somewhat true, but the real difference between the plasticized VUE that has always had a "loose" feel overall and the new all steel model with lots of structural enhancements is more than notable.

......

I haven't driven the new VUE, but I find my 06 VUE quite tight and noise free...I'll go out on a limb here, but it depends on which motor/transmission combo you got with the old VUE. I have the peppy/light i4 with Hydra-Matic which doesn't torque the frame, as much as the Honda pp would (66% more hp)...nor does it buzz at hwy speeds with the shorter gearing of the i4 manual....And then there is the soundproofing they did to the 06/07 models. I have no doubt that the i4/Hydra-matic is the best pairing for the old Vue...hands down. The new VUE has undoubtably been beefed up (note its 500lb increase) to support 250hp, hence its 'tightness'. :)

[kfraney]

The VUE is not made/designed by GM?

Who makes it then?

Since it's a rebadged Opel, yes I know that GM owns Opel, then I'd guess that it's designed by Germany's Opel. Also, it's built in Mexico, for whatever that's worth...

[likeneverbefore]

Nice review. Great to hear an end-user (?) review of the new VUE...sounds promising. The trade-off for style makes wonder why? They could have easily 'styled' it to be bigger, not smaller. I wonder what the drag coefficient is of the new VUE? IIRC, the old one was around 0.36 or so, which is remarkable given it's boxy shape...not to bad at all! Unless the new one is that much better in that department, there was no excuse for sloping the roof, crunching the cargo area. Function should always trump style, in my book. Make it functional, them dicker around with style.....:) JMHO

Wait untill you see the VUE up close, the style is worth the trade off in space.
I had 3 customers look at it just today!!!!
and it's not even on the lot yet

[lordkosc]

Whats the gas mileage on the XE with AWD? :|

I will be at Mayfair! YES!!! I'll get to see it!

[likeneverbefore]

Whats the gas mileage on the XE with AWD? :|

I will be at Mayfair! YES!!! I'll get to see it!

come see me, ask for Ryan Rea.

[drejr842]

I drove an '08 Vue XR 3.6 extensively today. My first impression is the styling is very polarizing -- you either love it or hate. As an owner of an '06 Redline Vue, I have to say I'm mostly turned off by the styling and I would also agree that function follows form in this instance. However, overall fit and finish is a step above the outgoing Vue. Side by side, the new Vue sits taller than the old model and the cowl (base of windshield) and beltline is much higher, giving you a more closed in feeling and less commanding view of the road. The load floor height in the rear is also much higher and, along with the steep rake of the rear glass gives the impression of less usable space. One added benefit is that the rear seats now fold completely flat and there is a nifty track system in the cargo area with adjustable netting. On the road, I have to say the new powertrain feels less refined than the outgoing Honda unit. Power feels similar but not quicker and you can feel the added 600lbs. of weight. Handling feels similar also, but the added stability control will likely improve handling in certain situations. Perhaps the biggest improvement is at highway crusing speeds with a drastic reduction in tire and wind noise which I've always disliked on the previous model Vue. Overall, it's a good effort from Saturn and I'm sure the '08 will find many new buyers, but I have a feeling previous generation Vue owners will be divided on there impressions of the new model.

[likeneverbefore]

I drove an '08 Vue XR 3.6 extensively today. My first impression is the styling is very polarizing -- you either love it or hate. As an owner of an '06 Redline Vue, I have to say I'm mostly turned off by the styling and I would also agree that function follows form in this instance. However, overall fit and finish is a step above the outgoing Vue. Side by side, the new Vue sits taller than the old model and the cowl (base of windshield) and beltline is much higher, giving you a more closed in feeling and less commanding view of the road. The load floor height in the rear is also much higher and, along with the steep rake of the rear glass gives the impression of less usable space. One added benefit is that the rear seats now fold completely flat and there is a nifty track system in the cargo area with adjustable netting. On the road, I have to say the new powertrain feels less refined than the outgoing Honda unit. Power feels similar but not quicker and you can feel the added 600lbs. of weight. Handling feels similar also, but the added stability control will likely improve handling in certain situations. Perhaps the biggest improvement is at highway crusing speeds with a drastic reduction in tire and wind noise which I've always disliked on the previous model Vue. Overall, it's a good effort from Saturn and I'm sure the '08 will find many new buyers, but I have a feeling previous generation Vue owners will be divided on there impressions of the new model.

Everyone needs to get over the fact that the 3.6 isn't a HONDA engine.
I have a sneaky feeling that if the engine has HONDA label on it, everyone would be falling all over it. BTW the 3.5 XE that I drove "felt" as fast, or faster then the outgoing VUE V6

[mellissam]

Everyone needs to get over the fact that the 3.6 isn't a HONDA engine.
I have a sneaky feeling that if the engine has HONDA label on it, everyone would be falling all over it. BTW the 3.5 XE that I drove "felt" as fast, or faster then the outgoing VUE V6

The Honda-Vue Owners Association would probably agree with that, but for the minority (I wonder what the ratio of i4/v6??) of us with the i4, I could care less what hp monster they put in there (I care insofar as it is a 'good' motor)...the review of the 2.4l is one I am watching...of course, it'll get panned being so heavy, but the mpgs will be interesting to note...wonder how a 2.2l 06 vs 2.4l 08 would fare? ;)

[lordkosc]

I never made it to mayfair :(

Oh wells... If I stop down at Saturn of the Valley sometime soon, I'll ask for you Ryan! :yes:

[montrealvue]

Everyone needs to get over the fact that the 3.6 isn't a HONDA engine.
I have a sneaky feeling that if the engine has HONDA label on it, everyone would be falling all over it.
Wrong, when I first checked out my '06 V6 FWD before I bought it, I didn't know it was a Honda unit. The fact of the matter is the Honda V6 engine/tranny combo is a very tough act to follow. Its near perfect, my initial impressions of the 3.6L is that it is not as refined. The manufacturer has nothing to do with it.

[likeneverbefore]

Wrong, when I first checked out my '06 V6 FWD before I bought it, I didn't know it was a Honda unit. The fact of the matter is the Honda V6 engine/tranny combo is a very tough act to follow. Its near perfect, my initial impressions of the 3.6L is that it is not as refined. The manufacturer has nothing to do with it.

Perfect?
By me the Honda V6 is much much louder then the HF V6

What I meant is it is all in Perception, when the Honda VUE came out not many ppl knew that it was a Honda powertrain. But as soon as the word got out... SOME ppl thought "The Vue has a Honda engine", so automatically they thought (Honda=Good). But now when GM brings out a world class V6, all they can think about is..."why did they get rid of the Honda engine:cry: :cry: ":upset:

Have you driven the 3.6 VUE yet?
I for one have not, but if it's anything like the Aura it should be good.

Just stating the facts.

[homerec130]

Getting back on track - I test drove an 08 XR Vue this weekend. (I'm still waiting for mine to come in.) I was quite impressed with the ride and fit of the interior parts. It is a lot quieter than both my 04 and 06. I like the center arm rest in the front (similar to my old Exploder) and it was far more comfortable than the old armrests. I like the reclining and fold flat of the rear seats as well as the comfort of the front seats (fabric). The seat fabric seems to be heavier (more durable) than in previous years. The front seats seem to fit around you instead of you sitting on top of them. I am not sure if it was the configuration I was driving or not, but there is no temperature/compass on the rear view mirror. I did see the temp on the dash. I did like the gear indicator on the cluster as well. (Not sure if all will have it or just those with the paddle shifter). I am also glad to see the grab handles on all four seats. Also, I like the headlight sensor in the center of the dash rather than on the side. Hopefully it will stop the lights from coming on when you get the pillar shadow.

Some "issues" though (some are personal preferences, others a little more substantial)

1. Roof rails had a matte finish - not sure of they will be a true "chrome" (like on my 06) or not with the chrome accent package
2. Wish the 12 V DC outlet was on the front of the shift quadrant (like before) than on the front of the cente console. You won't have to run a cord across the shift unit when putting in a dash/window mount GPS/seeing eye
3. We've lost the milk jug holders in the rear of the cargo area. The new holders won't hold a mik jug (looks like it may hold a 2 liter bottle).
4. The new spare looks to be more of a donut spare than the old ones. (At least we have a spare)
5. Granted the cargo area is a little smaller due to the sloping of the back, however, it seems the wheel wells are flatter so you can put something on top of them.

All in all, I think I made the right decision in waiting for the 08 instead of the 07 (besides, I couldn't get what I wanted in the 07). We're guessing that mine will be in within the next 2 weeks (they are showing it as shipped). I am planning a road trip at the end of the month, so if I have it by then, I should be able to give it a good break in. I'll post more after my trip.

Homer

[BobbyP]

Wrong, when I first checked out my '06 V6 FWD before I bought it, I didn't know it was a Honda unit. The fact of the matter is the Honda V6 engine/tranny combo is a very tough act to follow. Its near perfect, my initial impressions of the 3.6L is that it is not as refined. The manufacturer has nothing to do with it.

montrealvue I felt the same way when I drove the Suzuki XL-7 with the 3.6L engine.

IMO I can't see why anyone would trade in a 06 or 07 VUE for a 2008 VUE. When I bought my VUE RL in 2006, I didn't even consider anything else. I wanted a Saturn. Today I would look very hard at all the SUV's in it's segment.

[cdp326]

montrealvue I felt the same way when I drove the Suzuki XL-7 with the 3.6L engine.
This is from the ConsumerGuide Auto's review of the 2007 Suzuki XL7:
Unlike the similar engine in other GM vehicles, the XL7's V6 is coarse in acceleration and never quiets completely.
Link: http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2007-suzuki-xl7-1.htm

I don't understand how it could be different, but you never know.

IMO I can't see why anyone would trade in a 06 or 07 VUE for a 2008 VUE. When I bought my VUE RL in 2006, I didn't even consider anything else. I wanted a Saturn. Today I would look very hard at all the SUV's in it's segment.
Improvement in safety features, quality, seating/accomodations, etc....

The problem was that there weren't more people that wanted the Saturn. If it weren't for people like you that wanted the Saturn and not something else, things would have been different for the brand, and not for the better....

[montrealvue]

montrealvue I felt the same way when I drove the Suzuki XL-7 with the 3.6L engine.

IMO I can't see why anyone would trade in a 06 or 07 VUE for a 2008 VUE. When I bought my VUE RL in 2006, I didn't even consider anything else. I wanted a Saturn. Today I would look very hard at all the SUV's in it's segment.
I agree with you about the XL-7, it looked great on the outside but upon closer inspection the interior lacked refinement (lots of plastic, the cheapo kind). The engine left me unimpressed. Not that it was bad, it just didn't seem to have the same smooth, effortless power my '06 V6 has. So far, the '08 Vue is not even on my radar due to it's smaller size and low fuel economy. When you take a vehicle like an '07 Outlander, it's about $4000 less than a similarly equipped '08 Vue and is better on gas (on paper anyway). I am glad I got my '06 when I did.