2008 Saturn Vue XR

>> I guess this phrase would be the auto marketers craft at its best. The compact performance SUV. Hmm, let's check out Saturn's entry in that odd space. The Vue XR. ^M00:00:12 [ Music ] ^M00:00:17 Now a big part of our Saturn XR story is the horsepower under the hood. We'll get to that in a minute, but let's check out the cabin tech because we're fairly well loaded on this vehicle. We've got the main option. This is the navigation audio system. We have a single disk CD slot. It is MP3 CD compatible. Right alongside that is the auxiliary input jack. No iPod adapters available for this vehicle. You have to go the simple way. In terms of Bluetooth, that's also an audio feature you kind of won't find here because they use instead the OnStar system. So it's got OnStar hands free calling as its hands free system. If you want a Bluetooth rig, that's going to be after market and up to you. Now before I get to the main nav system, back to the OnStar console. Because this vehicle has the latest, I think its Generation 7 OnStar hardware, that's where you call the OnStar operator by hitting the OnStar button. And then tell them where you want to go. They download directions to the car and you end up getting prompts on the dashboard. It's not a bad system, but if you've got this, I don't think you're going to use it much. This is one of the latest GM units. You can see the look and feel is pretty clean, good color, design, pretty good rendering of things like buttons. It is a touch screen. Simple buttons along both sides. This is standard GM stuff, which gets you into relatively obvious menus. For example, here are audio settings. We also have XM radio, so I've got some setting here for XM. I can add and drop categories I don't like and so I never have to even tune across those for example. Now, if you didn't get this high-end head unit, you're going to end up an AM FM single CD six speaker system. On top of that, you can then add six-disk changer ability. Once you get to nav, you say goodbye to your six-disk changer as is so common in cars. There's also an audio upgrade option for 300 bucks or so. You go to ten speakers, 180 watts and an eight-inch subwoofer. I'd recommend that. Getting into the display, you see we've got a good look at streets and such here. Again this, this monitor does a good job of showing information relatively clearly. It almost looks a little bit out of focus at times, but at least it's not jaggy, which looks worse to my eye than a slight softness to it all. Here's our transmission, our only transmission. Six speed automatic. There's also an option for what they call tap shift, which lets you actually influence the gears one at a time, manu matic. That doesn't cost much. I would definitely get that. Now this guy gets fed by a relative potent motor because this is a Vue XR. That means a 3 point six liter, dual overhead cam, variable valve timing V6. 257 is the horsepower, about 240 some odd foot pounds of torque. You've got an electronic all wheel drive and of course, GM's baby Stablitrack as your stability system all around. Okay, let's price this Saturn Vue. Now this is an XR all wheel drive. So all four wheels are driven and it has the big engine. That gets you a base of just under 27000. On top of that, you'd add 2140ish for the navigation plus entertainment unit. If you don't want to go that way and just look at audio options, you've got a 295 up charge for a six-disk charger. That would be nice to have. Or 325 will also bring you 10 speakers and better amplification. You can combo those together of course. XM is standard at this trim level as is OnStar hands free calling, their form of Bluetooth. ^M00:03:38 [ Music ]