Just Bought 2004 V6 AWD Vue

I'm one of the few people left in this country that actually wanted a
station wagon! I commute ~ 18 mi round-trip and occasionally need a vehicle
that can carry things and is fuel efficient. I drove trucks during my early
years and owned a Bronco II and Nissan pick-up. I was done with truck-like
rides, SUVs and poor gas mileage. My wife's Sebring convertible is actually
my favorite car to drive. But, two years ago I bought a 20" TV and couldn't
fit the damn box in my SL2!
I really liked the Pontiac Vibe and it came with a top review from Consumer
Reports. But, I didn't like the local dealer. They were still GM "old
school". The Matrix is the same vehicle I didn't care for its looks.
When I bought my 97 SL2 new from Saturn, it was a pleasant experience and I
continued to service my vehicle at the dealership. I checked out the L
series 4cyl. wagon and it was perfect for me except for the price. There
were no incentives for the wagon although there was $4000 off the sedans!
The sales manager gassed up his 2004 Vue and let me have it for 2 days. I
was impressed with the 250 hp ride. It was more minivan-like than truck.
It only had 5K miles and he offered it to me for $20K after subtracting
$3.5K incentives and installing a $300 roof-rack. He found financing for
3.9% (60 month). The 4cyl. L wagon was just over $19K and gas mileage
wasn't that great. I checked out the Rav 4, Santa-Fe, CRV and Liberty.
The Santa-Fe ride in the 4 cyl. FWD was barely OK but I loved it's looks.
The 4cyl. also had the same fuel efficiency as the V6 AWD Vue. The other
SUVs had the spare tire on the rear lift like my Bronco. No thank you.
The only negative was the Saturn dealer adding a $185 charge for "paperwork
& inspection sticker" after the deal was made. They are slipping back to
the GM ways. If you need to charge for this, fine, add it to the line items
(dealer prep) up front! I noticed in the consumer reviews that the Vue got
downgraded for "cheap plastics" in the interior. Is this from previous
years experience? I thought the Vue was just as good if not better than the
other models I mentioned.

 

Congrats on the new Vue. wow, 250 HP! seems like a lot for a medium SUV
but the MPG's on it are about the same as the 2.2 Ecotec. I'm not
surprised that Saturn's not discounting the L wagons. Wagons are getting
real popular, even with the non family types, to haul their toys around.
We're looking to buy a 2.2 Ecotec Saturn L Wagon soon.

 

About the only Daimler Chrysler product I'd buy now (besides an viper
is their new Magnum wagon. it could use a bit more style work, but
RWD, Hemi, and wagon haulability.

Wagons are so much nicer than SUVs - lower, better MPG, and you can fit
as much, or MORE into a wagon. I've yet to see an SUV swallow a fridge,
but our old Celebrity did so just fine...

 

Minivans are nice, too. especially with their versatility. we remove the
rear seats in our Venture to go car camping or to haul lots of cargo. But
wagons are almost as versatile. I remember the '72 Plymouth Fury wagon my
parents had back in the 70's (Brady Bunch special). It was pretty damn
versatile. It sat 9 people, 3 on each bench seat, and the 2 rear bench
seats could fold flat and make a flat surface for car camping, hauling
stuff. etc. plus the Fury wagon had a 318ci V8, so it could tow probably
5,000 pounds (more if it had the 400 or 440ci). My FWD Venture can only
tow 3500, not that we need to tow anyway. I'd never consider owning
anything other than a wagon or minivan, except for a tiny commuter car
maybe but I only commute 5 miles a day so mpg's aren't too important.
Minivans back in the '80's killed wagons, but now wagons are coming back in
vogue for people who want versatility in a more attractive, car based
package, a la wagon.