Test Drove
reviewed by Emily Hansen

Tiny Little Eco-Nuts

By: Emily Hansen

Test drove: 1/18/2007 to 1/31/2007

As a mom of three kids, I am fully engaged in the world of recycling, conserving and generally being environmentally aware. My kids regularly bust my chops when I leave lights on or if I fail to separate the plastics from the paper. They know to look at the symbol on the bottom of plastic bottles to determine their recycle-ability. My parents have no clue as to how easy they had it. I think the most conscientious thing I asked about, as a kid, was "where does the water in the toilet go after I flush"? It is just such a different world. The last few years of higher gas prices have shifted many people to start thinking about all things green and especially the fuel efficiency of their cars.

Although they have been on the market for several years, Hybrids have been gaining steam in the last two years. I have personally seen a couple of Hybrids show up on my block and I am sure that is just the beginning. The Saturn Vue Green Line has taken a slightly different approach to the Hybrid than some other manufacturers in this segment. First of all the battery in Vue Green Line is relatively small. It looks like an oversized hockey-stick handle (can you tell what we have been obsessed with this season) that stretches from the left to the right of the car behind the second row. It is cleverly hidden under a cover and doesn't compromise the size of the cargo area. The battery is so small in comparison to other hybrid batteries that it actually leaves room for some storage space under the floorboards. Saturn has capitalized on this by putting a cleverly placed pop-up cargo management system in this space. I can pop up the sides and my groceries are fully contained. No earth friendly organic milk rolling on top and squishing my loaf of whole grain bread!

The rest of the car is pretty clever as well; there is a special gauge in the Vue Green Line that indicates when I am charging the cute little battery in the back or if I am using its electric power to assist the engine. It even illuminates an "eco" light on the dash when I'm using the system most efficiently. The Saturn Vue Green Line also differs from many hybrid cars because it gets better gas mileage on the highway than it does in the city. In non-engineer terms, the best way I can explain this difference is that the Vue Green Line gains most of its great gas mileage from its smallish 4 cylinder engine. Ok, stay with me here, it uses the electric part of the engine to boost power when you need it for accelerating. The superior highway mileage (the EPA has given the Vue Green Line a 32 mpg rating) happens mostly because, once you are up to highway speeds, you are using less gas in a little engine. What I find to be great is that the car performs very well in day-to-day driving. I don't have to do a Fred Flintstone (pushing with my feet) while accelerating to get going on the highway and the real bonus is that I don't have worry about stopping at the gas station more than once during my test drive.

My kids sit comfortably in the Saturn Vue Green Line. Surprisingly the backseat has quite a bit of legroom for my teenager, even when he is sitting between two booster seats. The only concern from the gallery of eco-freaks in the back (did I just say that out loud?) is the fact that the seat belts are difficult to buckle one-handed. They have to hold the receiver end still as they connect the buckle end until it clicks. This seems trivial, but it can add several minutes onto a trip when kids are capable of buckling themselves in their seats. They certainly don't want you to do it for them, yet it is frustrating to watch them fumble with the two ends of the seatbelt.

A luxury mobile the Vue Green Line is not. It has the basics and a few nice little extras like the previously mentioned cargo management system. The list of available options is pretty short, but includes things like XM Satellite radio, a menu of OnStar options and heated front seats. The price, size and functionality of the car should always be factored into any buying decision, and the Saturn Vue Green Line wins in all three of those categories. Let's see, Eco-happy, Easy to park, fits a family of 5, their dog, and some groceries all within a budget. Sounds like a smart idea to me, and my kids might just let up a little on some of my eco-failures.

*For more information on the Saturn Vue Green Line and its safety features, visit www.cars.com. For questions or comments regarding this review, write to .

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