2003 Saturn VUE

The 2003 Saturn Vue is a hardy beast. It gets you where you need to go, and it does so efficiently and safely. Some people complained about the dent resistant paneling on this model, but I say it’s perfect. I would know. I tangoed with a Ford F-350 on the interstate at 70 mph and ended up with black rubber marks on the side of the car. The truck had a huge dent on the side. If it hadn’t been for those dent resistant panels, the Vue probably would have needed quite a bit of work. That is why Vues will always have a special place in my heart! It’s a four cylinder vehicle, so it’s not the most powerful. If you need to speed up quickly, then this isn’t the car for you. It gets you where you need to go, but don’t expect it to win races. The fuel efficiency is pretty good for a small SUV. There are times during highway driving that I can get about 24 mpg out of this baby. Around town it gets about 20 mpg. One of the most common problems with this vehicle tend to deal with its suspension. The strut bars and towers are the main culprits. Within the first year of owning this vehicle, it had been in the shop three times for suspension related issues. Since then though, it hasn’t had any other suspension problems. The most memorable repair experience was when the AC Compressor stopped working. We went to our local dealership (which isn’t a Saturn dealership) and they told us they’d have to order the part and it would take about a week to get in. We were told that it was absolutely fine to drive until then as long as we didn’t use the AC. On the way home from the shop, I heard a loud thwack and the car suddenly lost power. I made it into a parking lot only to discover the V belt, the main belt for the car, had snapped. I arranged for the car to be towed back to the dealership the next day. The next mechanic who looked at it stated that we probably shouldn’t have been driving it contrary to what we were told by the other mechanic. In the end they charged our warranty company for the repair along with the AC Compressor since that was a warranty issue. I’ve not taken my car back to that dealership for service since that experience. This is the perfect vehicle for running errands or nice long road trips. It’s very useful when camping because of the several cigarette lighter power adaptors and the very roomy back end. One of the really great features of this car is the cargo bin in the back. It pops out from the floor, and keeps groceries from moving around all over the car. It’s a very handy feature in my book. I also own a Nissan Maxima, and that car is built for speeding. When I think about which car is my favorite, it’s always a toss-up because while I love my Vue and all the awesome features it has, the Nissan is a six cylinder engine. But for anyone looking for a small SUV with great cargo space and a nice ride, the 2003 Saturn Vue fits that bill just fine.