2005 VUE - Just Honest Opinions

[Picbuddy]

Hi folks, I am kinda new here, I've been watching these chat boards for the last 5 years since I bought my VUE, but just registered to post recently.

I want to know what other 2005 owners think. I have owed and even custom built a large amount of cars, like over 100 with feathers being an 82 Delorean, 78 Ferrari 308GTB, 70 Porsche 911E, etc, oh yeah and a 96 Vette Vert. I actually traded up (sold my Vette at Corvettes of Houston) and bought a new Saturn VUE. Selected the AWD V6, got the coolest motor ever the Honda 3.5 and I have to say I love this thing.

I tested (and bought a Saturn L200) and liked it so much that I gave it to my parents at 38k. They use it daily.


I am certain that a lot of GM owners have always heard this myth that GM cars are designed to fall apart at 100k. My WIFE is a master mechanical engineer just a few years from her phd at Texas A&M and her opinion is that if GM could master a design so accurate at failure at 100k, they could make better cars.....

Anyway. Can I hear from the other 2005 owners, what's up with your VUE?

Thanks

Greg
College Station, Texas

[Chazberry]

Welcome to the Forum Greg.
I've got an '07, but nuissance SES due to Evaporative Fuel System - back 3x.
Getting my first Wheel Bearing replaced at 27k. Otherwise, I like it.

[kodak_jack]

I bought my 05 Vue specifically for the plastic body panels and the HONDA V-6. I had THREE GM V-6's and they all had the infamous intake manifold gasket problem. There is NO WAY I'm ever buying another GM V-6. They knew they had the problem for almost 20 years and never did a darn thing to fix it.
As far as the Vue is concerned, it needed a more robust front end. Almost all of the front end components have to be replaced before 30,000 miles. Even then, they just replace parts with like parts. I wanted to get parts with grease fittings from Energy Suspensions and was told there isn't a kit with all of them in it. You have to measure and replace them one part at a time. The heater is inadequate for temperatures below 30 Degrees F. I never would have spent the money for heated leather seats, but I bought my Vue used and it was loaded, than God. The heated seats work great!! It seems as if some people get great mileage out of their tires, but I needed to replace the Duellers when they had less than 30,000 miles on them and the Cooper's I replaced them with aren't doing any better (with even tire wear). This may also be linked to the lousy suspension, but who knows? Overall, I'm very pleased with my Vue and hope I can outdo my 9 year and 150,000 mile record with another plastic vehicle, the Chevy Lumina APV.

[kodak_jack]

Sorry about a second post, but for some reason I can't edit my post above.
I'm VERY disappointed in the aluminum wheels on my Vue. They must have had a micro clearcoat on them because they look like crap!! I'm thinking I'd like to try refinishing them next year. There is a refinishing kit from Eastwood that's $160 - just for the materials. They just don't like salt and the clearcoat on my wife's Taurus wheels still looks brand new for the same conditions.

[XRL]

Originally Posted by Picbuddy

I am certain that a lot of GM owners have always heard this myth that GM cars are designed to fall apart at 100k. My WIFE is a master mechanical engineer just a few years from her phd at Texas A&M and her opinion is that if GM could master a design so accurate at failure at 100k, they could make better cars.....

I don't think it's that they're designed to fall apart at 100k, more so that they're not designed to last past 36k. At 100k most owners just decide to concede defeat and get a new car. I think GM *could* build better cars. But it would be cost prohibitive, and they'd need to get better workers. There's plenty of BMW X5s that have over 100k on them and still look and run brand new. That said, the exterior of my '04 RL still looks very good(though it needs some love right now since it's been a week or 3 since I've washed it), and the Honda powertrain is still strong (if the valves are a bit noisy outside the car). The interior is still OK, with all the squeaks, rattles, and other nonsense you would expect in a cheap GM vehicle. The biggest issues i've had have been the paint peeling off in the center dash, and the steering wheel, both of which I can fix relatively easily.

But then again, my RL has spent much of its life in Florida, away from all those car killing things like road salt and snow.

But overall, it's hard to fault the Vue. The suspension and brakes suck, and it squeaks a lot (not that it didn't when I first got it). The interior is of such low quality and so lacking in design that it can't wear. My interior will be around after a nuclear apocalypse, sitting next to styrofoam containers and giant roaches.

I think it's a decent vehicle, not great, but decent. As long as you don't want something super extravagant in luxury features, it's decent.

[2NDSOUT]

Short Story on my 2005 VUE...my wife and I had one as a lease vehicle. We got it literally with 10 miles on it at the end of March 2005. The VUE was only 15 days old when we got it.

Our VUE was great. Even though it was a lease, we had planned to buy the VUE off of the lease when the lease was up, before an accident claimed the VUE. You can read about it. I wrote a post on it...

We had 68K miles on the VUE when it was wrecked. It was a GREAT vehicle and was a stick 4 Cylinder. The only problem we had was a shifter bushing breaking on us, that cost $135 to fix at the dealership.

Would I buy a 2005 VUE again? Damn right I would! That vehicle saved my wife and son both from sustaining any injuries.

I'll see if I can find the link to the post....

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/sho...dsout+2005+VUE

[docderek05]

My 2005 is very good..with 127,000 original miles, original wheel bearings except one, right rear, and other than Mobil One, and a K&N fipk, and a series of tires...in various sizes, the power train has been excellent, but the suspension has failed me..the front suspension especially. it's all new, now. all upgrades from Saturn's weak parts bin items also. New brakes, rotors, rear brake shoes..never understood why they put drums on this thing..but oh well..they are easily replaced, and serviced. I have said many times..its a love / hate relationship..I love it..when its good...I hate it when it cheaps out on me..like the peeling paint on the console, that is just too cheap to be laughable, and a real slap to a consumer..seeing as to when I bought this thing it listed out at 31k, loaded except the nav,it was the most expensive Saturn in their inventory at the time, I did NOT pay 31 for it, but Its shocking how cheezy the interior actually is. My seats have held up well. interior carpet etc. is very good,,little wear, and I drive it 80 miles a day commuting..so I have many complaints, that I keep to myself...and live with its foibles...but I am, as I said..happy to sit at a light and wax whatever pulls up along side, or watch the look on a trailblazer drivers face when the vtec locks up and this thing just sprints away from them. I live in a salt and sand winter nightmare, and the car has been very good at resisting rust and crap from the elements in New England winters, no complaints there, but you need the right tire. Avoid the Turanzas in bad or cold weather..
So I am going to drive it till they pry it from my hands..because..it's FUN. Period.

[wolfman]

Bought new with 26 miles.

To date, the only things I have turned wrenches on*:

Lug nuts
Oil drain plug
Oil filter cap (Ecotec)
Brake caliper and caliper bracket bolts

54,000 and counting.

*Does not include a lot of add ons

[Picbuddy]

Nice. I'm quite impressed with the power of the Honda V6 3.5. Here in central Texas we have a few trends going on. People with blue headlights and then what we call "Cow Trucks" which involves young punks and their large pickups that daddy paid for, modifying the exhaust to make as much noise and smoke as possible. Our stealthy VUE can easily leave those pricks half a block away and it is satisfying in a way to see them back there in the mirror burning all that gas. In fact, tonights new South Park episode has effectively coined a good phrase for those gentlemen.

Not much has gone wrong with mine, that will turn 50k probably today. Yeah, the cheap paint has worn off the console, light in the fog lamps button went out, gas gauge never worked under 1/3 a tank since new, windows are starting to make jerky sounds when going up and down. Front shocks are loud and sucky. Very dangerous to turn to sharp at higher speeds, like a flip over waiting to happen. But I have learned to drive it right, that considered. I like the thing.

Please do continue with the comments, this is some good stuff, thanks.

Greg

Originally Posted by docderek05

My 2005 is very good..with 127,000 original miles, original wheel bearings except one, right rear, and other than Mobil One, and a K&N fipk, and a series of tires...in various sizes, the power train has been excellent, but the suspension has failed me..the front suspension especially. it's all new, now. all upgrades from Saturn's weak parts bin items also. New brakes, rotors, rear brake shoes..never understood why they put drums on this thing..but oh well..they are easily replaced, and serviced. I have said many times..its a love / hate relationship..I love it..when its good...I hate it when it cheaps out on me..like the peeling paint on the console, that is just too cheap to be laughable, and a real slap to a consumer..seeing as to when I bought this thing it listed out at 31k, loaded except the nav,it was the most expensive Saturn in their inventory at the time, I did NOT pay 31 for it, but Its shocking how cheezy the interior actually is. My seats have held up well. interior carpet etc. is very good,,little wear, and I drive it 80 miles a day commuting..so I have many complaints, that I keep to myself...and live with its foibles...but I am, as I said..happy to sit at a light and wax whatever pulls up along side, or watch the look on a trailblazer drivers face when the vtec locks up and this thing just sprints away from them. I live in a salt and sand winter nightmare, and the car has been very good at resisting rust and crap from the elements in New England winters, no complaints there, but you need the right tire. Avoid the Turanzas in bad or cold weather..
So I am going to drive it till they pry it from my hands..because..it's FUN. Period.

[chillin05VUE]

I bought mine back in August of last year with 30k on the clock. It know has about 43k. I've driven it to Canada and Southern California from Washington state within a months time. I must say that the VUE is one kick-ass car to drive. Noisy as heck but still fun. We drove it across the desert when we got lost and decided the quickest way back to the freeway was a straight across the desert. I averaged about 26 mpg highway and get 19 mixed driving.

I had some punk kids in an old Suburban laugh at me because I have VTEC on my windows. They were surprised when I told them it has a Honda motor. Then I floored it and left them behind (after checking the area for Tacomas finest).

The only thing I wish that Saturn did was to use more sound deadening. You can hear road noise as if the windows were open. But then I came out of a '96 Cutlass Supreme that was damn-near quiet with the windows up. I was looking at an '04 4cyl AWD with the VTi but didn't like the smell of the inside. Smelled like wet dog, dirty diapers and vomit, so I passed. Didn't know about the problems of the VTi until I joined this forum. So, do I like my VUE? Yes. Plastic body panels and Honda motor, how can you go wrong? I expect this car to last for a long LONG time.

[nancy2vues]

Turned over 184,000 mi. recently. Have a 2005, 4 cyl. 5 speed. We've run through three wheel bearings, brakes, rotors, etc, and have a laundry list of little issues that I'll get around to one of these days: rear wiper motor burned up; 4th speed of the blower does not work; driver's side heated seat broken too. I think of the above as personality quirks--just this weekend I noticed a little ringing noise when I'm turning. Guess I'll have to have that looked at There are many good things about the VUE to report such as the original clutch I drive a lot for work, on bumpy Michigan roads, so I'm in no hurry to replace the car. When the time comes...I'll really have to think about what to buy to replace it. I would have to work hard to convince myself to buy a new VUE due to the lack of manual trans. option. This really saddens me, but so it goes. (You can tell by my name that we currently have two vues--2003 and 2004. Also had another 2003, which was retired due to an accident). Good luck!