New car 2007: Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid Fuel Mid-Size SUV

The gas/electric hybrid, called the “Green Line,” is the only SUV from GM with this engine configuration. The Saturn Vue is a compact SUV built on a mid-size truck platform, the same as other General Motors products including the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent SUVs.

Personally, I would like to see all compact passenger vehicles get well over 30 MPG in town and over 40 on the highway. Anything less is wasteful. The technology exists, yet the automakers don’t use it. It’s a shame, especially when you consider that China’s fuel-economy standards are higher than our own.

The Saturn Vue Green Line’s gas/electric hybrid engine provided about a 20% increase in fuel economy over similar vehicles with gasoline-only engines. That’s not much when you consider you’re starting at around 22 MPG on the highway for a gas powered engine and getting 25 from the hybrid.

Both the hybrids and the gasoline powered engines provide poor gas mileage. The Saturns — both gas powered, and hybrid fuel � get around-town mileage in the high teens and low 20s, and highway mileage in the mid-20s. That just isn’t enough to be considered environmentally friendly. You’ll save a little money on gas, but you won’t be doing much for the environment, nor decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.

Another annoyance — hopefully to be resolved by changes in the EPA’s reporting of fuel economy — was that our fuel tests found the reported EPA city mileage of the Green Line to be between 10 and 15% higher than actual, and the highway mileage to be 25% higher than actual. Tisk, tisk, tisk. Because the fuel savings just isn’t there we have compared the Saturn Vue Green Line to both hybrid fuel engine vehicles, and those with standard internal combustion engines powerd by gasoline.

Pros: Relatively inexpensive. Roomy interior for passengers. Lots of interior cargo space. Nice wide, flat cargo floor. Engine shuts off automatically when stopped, and turns on seamlessly.

Cons: No significant gas savings and little reduction in green house gas emissions. Poor acceleration. Road noise in cabin. Fold-flat passenger seats don’t fold flat.

MSRP: $17,475 - $23,710

Invoice: $16,339 - $22,169

Vehicle Price As Tested (including $625 destination charge): $23,750

Class: Compact Sport Utility Vehicle

EPA Mileage (city/highway): 27/32

Tested Mileage (city/highway): 25/23.5

Where Built: Springhill, Tennessee, USA

Fuel Capacity: 16.3

Options: Leather appointments package $755

Competition: Acura RDX, Ford Escape, Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Wrangler, Kia Sportage, Mercury Mariner, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota RAV4

Models and Versions

The 2007 Saturn Vue is available only in the compact sport utility format. It comes in a variety of configurations. The base model has a 4-cylinder, gasoline engine with two-wheel drive, and either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.

There is an optional V6 engine version, that comes with 2-wheel drive, a 5-speed automatic transmission, traction control, and antilock brakes. The Saturn Vue Red Line has a V6 engine, All Wheel Drive (AWD), a 5-speed automatic transmission, traction control, and antilock brakes.