This Boring Looking Car Was Way Ahead Of Its Time: But Is It Still Crap?

( www.alltfl.com/ ) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! In this video, Brendan covers his latest purchase: a 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line. Seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to the high-performance Red Line, is GM's first mass-production hybrid SUV ahead of its time?
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#saturn #SUV #hybrid

[@48Boxer]

What's funny is the cars with the "cheap plasticky" interiors seem to be holding up much better than the soft touch materials.

[@NorIsFlop]

literally, look at the 2007 camrys all their dashboards have melted cause they wanted to use soft rubber

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

I have a base trim manual 2004 saturn vue, all hard plastics, and the interior is immaculate. Looks nearly new still, on a car with 160,000 miles.

[@OhPhuckYou]

But I will still get lectured by 6th gen Camry owners about how my CD4 Fusion has a cheap interior. Last time I checked I could not disassemble my interior with my bare hands and my dash is not melting. @@NorIsFlop

[@Browningate]

Don't tell the holier-than-thou-know-it-all-ultra-snobby "professional" car reviewers that.

[@toxin7883]

Depends on the level of soft touch. Ford and gm interiors age poorly on the upper trims. Every Yukon/suburban/tahoe/Escalade I’ve ever seen has a busted center console leather and missing button text on everything you touch within ten years. A comparable Infiniti or Lexus suv even Mercedes have impeccable interiors many years on.

[@keithdosik]

First off, this is why I love this channel cars like this are awesome. Also, I am still asking for Brenden to post a garage update!

[@exploreoutthere6678]

a garage update would be cool.

[@LafemmebearMusic]

Awesome seems like a relative and strong word. But definitely interesting and kinda cool to learn about. 😊

[@pastorrobertorodriguez2476]

Yes please

[@phild9813]

Good call on the garage update. He probably should do one once a month lol

[@christopher9626]

I was sad to see Saturn go. Everyone I know that had one of their cars, absolutely loved them. Fun vid, Man!

[@atmartens]

It was their fastest growing brand. Wild it was cut.

[@Wolfgangersen]

They got cut because Ford dropped mercury. So there's no reason for GM to keep Saturn.

[@joshsamuel408]

Agreed. Was saddest to see Pontiac and Hummer go. I also liked Saturn as well.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

It was sad. They tried, really tried. I know 2 people who bought the Saturn little sedan and they still have them on the road over 20 years.

[@Jok3rz21]

I still have my 2004 Saturn Vue with the 2.2 ecotec, and 5 speed manual. Still running strong with 295k miles 💪🏽😎

[@TevinWeatherspoon]

I got the automatic with 276, 450 miles

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

I also have a 2004 manual Vue with the 2.2, 160,000 miles. The interior has held up incredibly well, and i love the folding grocery holder on these cars so much. The sunroof somehow also doesn't leak.

[@DarkStarX]

I had a 2007 Saturn Vue Redline, black and black. This is the one with the Honda engine that he talks about 250 hp 245 pounds of torque and four-wheel-drive. It was freaking joy to drive. It was so much fun that engine just pulled up and made such a great noise. I do regret getting rid of it, but he is right about the plastics. It was cheap as hell.

[@2H2521]

@DarkStarX *Vue

[@DarkStarX]

@@2H2521 thank You !!

[@runner3033]

I got one as a rental once, and was disappointed as I walked up to it in the stall. Figured it was going to be some 4-cyl auto snooze box. Wrong! It had the Honda J35 V6 in it, holy crap! Thing was a rocket!

[@Vesperia342]

I have to admit I've always wanted a Vue Redline.

[@jnorthrop70]

I was under the impression that the Escape hybrid was licensed Toyota tech, so it would have had an eCVT like the Prius, which is very different than a CVT and very reliable.

[@aaronbehindbars]

You are correct. It's a planetary gearset CVT like Toyota, very reliable.

[@AUSTiNKiNSER]

You’re correct. eCVT is much more reliable than both a regular cone & belt type CVT and more durable than even a typical automatic. The eCVT has only 22 ish moving parts, and no torque converters or fluid couplings. Doesn’t heat up as much.

[@joshua.harazin]

IIRC it wasn't licensed by Toyota per se. Ford developed it on their own before realizing it was similar to what Toyota had developed. The licensing came afterwards for legal reasons.

[@jnorthrop70]

@@joshua.harazin yep. I think they traded light pickup design licenses for the HSD licenses.

[@OhPhuckYou]

Their old eCVTs were built by Asin though, but yes, everyone thinks its Toyota tech. The orientation of MG1 and MG2 are completely different. It gets a little cloudy as to who originally engineered what first, but the most solid thing I found was that Ford and Toyota both came up with their own eCVTs. Ford was struggling with programing and computers but had their own eCVT that was similar to Toyota, so they ended up doing some work tougher and traded patents to avoid endless lawsuits from both sides. @@joshua.harazin

[@SouthsideKidd550]

AT&T here in Atlanta had these in their fleet. I thought they were pretty good considering they just retired them back in 2020. They have base model RAV4 and Camry hybrids now. A few Fusion hybrids in their collection as well.

[@Kurtiscott]

Always good to see Brendon’s take on these older non-classics. This is actually quite a sanitary example! My father in-law absolutely loved his Saturn so this brings back some fond memories. Cheers

[@randallsmith7124]

I had a 2004 Vue V6 which I bought new... first year with the Honda 3.5L V6. Best vehicle I ever owned. Sure, it had it's issues. Panel gaps were HUGE, which made for a fair amount of wind noise. The SMC panels were dent resistant, but not unbreakable. But the design of the vehicle was phenomenal... definitely not fancy, but imminently practical & utilitarian. Interior fabrics could have been a bit better, but understandable for the price point. I once got a 9 foot christmas tree INSIDE of it... with the tailgate closed. The A/C absolutely ROCKED in the Vue. It was very quick... light on its feet... handled decently... and got mileage in the upper 20s (combined). I wish I still had it.

[@andrewstafford6454]

Had one of the V6 Honda variants for a few years. Way more power than it could handle which made it fun in straight lines once the tires grabbed

[@pmkstudios]

I remember the Vue insides looked about 10k cheaper than we were trying to charge for them and the one hybrid version we had never got fixed enough to actually get off the lot (it kept dying when the customer tried to drive it back home). The red line would still be a good find!

[@kevlarazalea]

Love these weird old Saturns! my first “nice” car was a purple 02 Saturn SC2 😍

[@Hulk-mc7bp]

Those were/are good looking cars

[@notasolution]

The cvt comment is not true. The Ford escapes had ecvts, not cvts, and regularly go to 500,000 miles. The escape hybrid drivetrain is Toyota derived hence why they have proven to be more reliable than even their own regular gas trim levels. I would rely on the escapes ecvt before I relied on a gm fwd transmission without thinking twice about it

[@willbenner3]

Right, it’s truly an ingenious mechanical system.

[@codycoquat5953]

You've got your GM hybrid history backwards. These were the belt driven mild hybrids. The Silverado hybrid (and Tahoe, Escalade, Sierra, Yukon) were legit two-mode hybrids. However, GM chose to pair the hybrid tech with their largest V8s at the time (6.0L) and emphasize power and utility (could power tools, etc.). They still got 20mpg, which was impressive for the time (2009-13).

[@OhPhuckYou]

He completely botched Hybrid history period. He has no understanding of how they work. He sat there and said the Escape Hybrids had a CVT with reliability issues due to having a CVT. No understanding as to what a eCVT is and how it is completely different from a CVT and has none of the reliability issues of a CVT.

[@santileonsteinberg1441]

My aunt has one of these, she bought it new and it still works great! Pretty good cars, very easy to drive and the battery is still in good health even after all these years 😊

[@johnnydevil666]

Ayeeeeeeeee

[@kh-vz2el]

Great deal Brenden, I like the idea of a second disposable vehicle. Much more economical the my last 02 throw away dodge ram.

[@UintaDave]

Shout out to Brenden! He’s the best addition to the TFL regulars

[@jameskennedy673]

I haven’t been a hybrid person. A full size pickup truck & large SUV person, that being said, I would take this one or one very close to it. I’m not a person who wants to have a vehicle to impress people. I like that you, what I call “think outside of the vehicle box”. So we will be 🤔, what’s he gonna buy next🙂🙂. I’m enjoying what you’re doing, Keep’m coming

[@oncontinualevolution9966]

Let’s be honest here the planetary hybrid powertrain in the Ford Escape Hybrid is branded as a CVT it’s an electric controlled IVT. The CVT is variable in a set of positive ratios. An IVT can go through positive and negative going through 1:0. So sounds more complex but it in this application has less moving parts and the gear set is not what goes wrong. It’s the electric motors: overheating, internally shorting windings, and the inverters.

[@alexanderkajdi8117]

The Best thing about Saturn vehicles was the plastic body panels and the interior space in the Vue.

[@michaelbrown5980]

My in laws had a 1st gen v6 Vue. It was awd and was actually pretty good.

[@damilolaakanni]

The Prius was actually the first mass-produced hybrid, it was first produced in 1997. It just wasn't the first one in North America.

[@skyhawk470]

wrong

[@bradleyross2872]

I still have my first car (2004 V6) and the grocery basket at 5:13 is incredibly useful for groceries and just about anything. You could fit 4 backpacks and still have enough room to put someone in the trunk.

[@mikeholbrook5084]

I really like this series and here you go putting your own money into one of the cars/trucks. Great video and great information. Thanks!!

[@krashnpa]

Saturn is a piece of history for a reason!

[@nlken7175]

Loved the Saturn plastic body panels. Never rust or dent.

[@jonascampelo871]

Great buy! Does the battery still works as it should or did it lost some or a lot of power? 17 years is a lot of time for batteries.

[@hideawayhomesllc5103]

Our daughter bought a 2009 Saturn Vue Hybrid. Nothing more than an auto start-stop. Constant problems with build and eventually the throttle body stuff. Ended up wholesaling it.

[@1leggeddog]

My wife LOVED her short lived VUE. Loved the manual shift, the seating position, etc

[@robertmunroe3976]

I’ve got the 2006 Vue with the J35 Honda V6; it’s pretty quick!! People don’t expect that it can spin the front wheels; which it easily does until the AWD kicks in.

[@johns6284]

I have a 2008 4 cyl Vue with over 100K miles. Runs great. Never let me down. Surprised how nice it rides. Good run a round car.

[@JarmelSingsKaraoke]

Great job Brendan..and Camera Ninja Cole ...

[@7red7]

A close friend of mine bought one of these brand new, and it's still daily driven and runs great.

[@joeknowz4898]

I was amazed at the power of the J35 250 hp engine... we had an 06 V-6 with a few options. I should have bought the Red Line too and put it away...We sold it to our neighbors in 2018 , I told him I'll buy it back if he wants to get rid of it..

[@TheMW2informer]

I’ve always loved that color on those cars, it really stands out when you see one in that color today with all the white, gray, and black vehicles nowadays.

[@dragonxblkangelx216]

Not to mention the Saturn Vue is basically the Equniox and Torrent’s older brother

[@pauly5678]

I thought it was a pretty nice looking car, we had the non-hybrid version and we loved it.

[@isaac24]

The V6s of those are unkillable, with the Honda drivetrain. Grandma has one with 230k and my cousin has one with 315k. I have an SL1 with 225k. Love Saturns. (The original ones, anyway, not the Aura, Outlook, Relay, and that crap)

[@Wecouldusemorethinking]

With the sky high prices of new vehicles, Brendan is gonna save the American economy by educating consumers on values of used cars. No big deal, just out here doing God’s work.

[@LafemmebearMusic]

Kind of cus even he talks about how a lot of the cars he buys need a lot of work to keep getting you down the road hence why he turns them over so quickly, that’s his words btw. Old cars might be cheap… for a reason.

[@onekoneb]

The main complaint I had about my '05 V6 Saturn was driving in the cold, the plastics would shrink and cold air would come in the door gaps. Otherwise, I really liked it.

[@greggaxley8390]

We had an 07 Vue that was unfortunately totaled out by someone not paying attention to their driving. The passenger seat folds flat for a reason. That indention on the back is meant for a laptop, and it was intended to be used as a "salesman's" car in addition to a family SUV. This is why there's a power port on the dash, one in the back, and on under the rubber cup holder from what I recall, to run/charge every device a family or salesman would need. With the Honda power train it was a good vehicle, but as it aged the GM showed itself in the form of suspicious suspension noises. 😁

[@stupid8911]

This is awesome; if and when you have the opportunity, can you give us updates on this? Maybe even just an MPG test?

[@RyanSaldana]

Give this a new set of darker wheels, tint the windows, and vinyl wrap the pillars and it’d look totally fine in 2023.

[@2006gtobob]

Thanks, guys. This is one obscure car I don't recall. I probably looked at it as a half-ass stop-gap measure by GM and dismissed it immediately, like I usually did/do with GM products.

[@timstrobel9220]

I didn't know the first gen of the Vue has a fold forward passenger seat like the matrix/vibe of that time

[@workforce520]

We had one for years and it was mostly great. Very spacious and great fuel economy. I would give it a 7/10. Back seat comfort sucked if you needed more thigh support and it was pretty slow. We also had an issue where the ECU died and then o2 sensors needed to be replaced so it could be smogged in California. Well for years you didn’t have to smog hybrids here so you didn’t have to worry about it. Now you have to do it wouldn’t pass because of that. We ended up selling it to a relative in a state that didn’t require smog.

[@rileyproctor5907]

This video makes me miss my 2005 Saturn Vue Redline when I traded her in she only had 55,000 miles in 2021

[@LilDiabloRob]

I ALMOST BOUGHT TWO LAST MONTH. One 5spd FWD for a work beater and a Redline V6 AWD for a replacement daily.

[@douglasvieira1990dv]

Great video!!!!🎉

[@jefffagans5798]

I think it little funny when they talk about the plastic interior even it hold up better over time than modern cars now days

[@luisdelossantos5338]

I loved my 2004 Vue v6 with the Honda 3.5L and I believe it also had the Honda transmission. The whole powertrain I believe came from Honda. Never had it long enough to see whether the radiator or cooling system ever malfunctioned due to it being filled from the Saturn factory with the GM coolant instead of the genuine Honda stuff. NEVER had to worry about dents with its plastic cladding, I wish manufacturers still used it.

[@jaidenglass4421]

Both my grandmother and aunt have j35 vues, one is a 2004 the other is a 2006. Both have little to no engine issues even though my grandmother's was used as a farm vehicle

[@karuso8605]

How did the battery hold up? That's always my biggest concern with those otherwise nice hybrids..

[@workforce520]

The batteries hold up pretty well. And if they fail, it’s stupidly easy to replace.

[@karuso8605]

@@workforce520 just read it up.. these used to have a NiMh battery rather than the LiFePO4 the Hybrids have nowadays. Still I'd expect a replacement to be priced higher then the resell value of the car. Couldn't find anything new..

[@brentvance3958]

My daughter has a 2009 Nissan Rouge with a CVT. 235k miles so far and running great.

[@lilrusty6720]

This video series is great and informative. The background noise/music is distracting.

[@JamesPhieffer]

It wasn't a full hybrid. It was one of GM's mild-hybrids, as the hybrid system could not propel the vehicle on its own, but only acted as a power boost for the engine. Basically the system was designed to provide V-6 power with 4 cylinder fuel efficiency. And it worked. It was much cheaper than full hybrids like the Prius and Escape, while being capable of providing similar real-world fuel economy, depending on use. Thus the system ended up being available in almost every front drive GM vehicle.

[@kcp7042]

Well, I guess we all know now where Ram got the e-torque idea from!! Start/stop, assist with initial launch, belt connects the battery to the engine.

[@crushthequarter6863]

I would take it. I am a saturn fan. I have an 01 saturn 5 speed small sedan. 330,000 miles on it. Still Kicking. Aside from suspension replacement the only issues were water pump and alternator. Still on the stock clutch. Oh and it would get 42 mpg on the highway when I first got it. Now it's closer to 36 mpg being so old and needing a tune-up.

[@robb4866]

I had an 02 SL2 5 speed and it was sweet. Got it with 45k miles and sold it 7 yrs later with 125k for the same $$$$. Averaged 32mpg but I got 52mpg driving to Disneyland 1 year. I originally got it when gas hit $3 gallon the first time as my lifted 1996 K1500 got 12-15mpg and wasnt good enough for all the driving I was doing! I miss that car - a few minor issues over 100k miles: rear power window motors & a leak on the moon roof when it rained. Sad to see Saurn gone as I would pick up another easily!

[@calebchan2005]

I have the 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid. Its direct competitor at the time. American companies made good hybrid SUVs back then.

[@bigsmith7349]

I remember in the 90s they would run a full shopping cart into the doors to show how tuff it was lol

[@GordyBro]

I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to get one of these as her first car. I made the mistake of showing her the Ion Redline I was looking at, and then she wanted that! Then I showed her a Cobalt SS, and she wants me to take the Ion, and her get the SS. The view also came with a 5spd manual, so they might not be quick, but you can still have fun when you're not driving the sports car. And if you're anything like me, you won't go to push the clutch in, in your automatic, and accidently brake check the person behind you XD

[@joshua.harazin]

The Malibu Hybrid of that vintage had the same powertrain. It got a whole TWO more mpg over the standard 4 cyl. The electric motor has less output than 2 hair dryers.

[@Get_yotted]

5:22 this is common on GM’s world cars. This is to save money by not making different door cards for RHD and LHD markets. Saturns for the most park are re-badged European cars.

[@marcelesgarcia2383]

You guys should make a video on the gmc Yukon hybrid or the chevy Tahoe hybrid

[@SHO1989]

Whate was the horse power of the electric drive and did it combine with the ICE for a higher total horsepower?

[@allcarguy]

You should do an mpg loupe against a competitor like the hyundai tucson or Rav4

[@JasPlun]

I had the Saturn that had the Acura MDX engine and transmission in it. It was a cool car, but it was terrible in rain as the wipers due to how the windshield was designed could not get the water off fast enough. It also had very cheap interior. Leather seats were super thin leather and I remember the spare tire cover in the trunk was made of styro-foam that squeeked all the time. I did not keep it a year before getting rid of it.

[@Simple_Jack82]

Thanks for keeping it 💯. I was kinda interested after hearing about them in the video

[@JohnArnis]

A good friend of mine had Saturn Vue with FWD and a Honda made V6. Quick SUV!

[@OhPhuckYou]

2:55 No, the Hybrid Escapes have always came with a eCVT, and is infinitely more reliable than any conventional automatic. The first gen Ford Escapes has a Asisan built eCVT to boot. An eCVT is COMPLETELY different from a CVT found in a shitbox Altima as they don't use any belts. They use two motor/generators and a planetary gearset. Failures are almost unheard of. These eCVT Power Split transaxles have been around since 1997. I do not know how auto journalists can screw this up so bad every time they attempt to talk about Hybrids. It completely removes any creditability. The only Hybrid I can think of that came with a regular band style CVT was the old Honda IMA system, but those old Honda Hybrids did not really make enough power to damage their CVT to begin with.

[@santarosa6676]

We had a 97 wagon with upgraded suspension and manual transmission for 20 years! Not one problem. Loud but what a great car to drive.

[@Trapper4265]

The Honda Insight, the Cadillac of Hybrids. (Crickets) I'm the only one who saw the movie "Be Cool" with John Travolta and Uma Thurman? 😂

[@christianobrien4465]

I agree and yes.. destined for greatness! Great content

[@michaelsprinzeles4022]

My wife & I test drove the 4 & 6 cylinder Vue in 04. The transmissions were so dismal even my wife gave the Vue a flat "NO!". I can't imagine them aging well.

[@markv78]

Anothrt plus is the composit panels dont rust so for those that live in snow country that huge

[@willbenner3]

All CVTs are not the same. Belt driven CVTs like those in Nissan products are the source of the bad rap that CVTs have earned. eCVT units like those in the Escape Hybrid and Prius are remarkable feats of engineering that have few failure points because they work based on a planetary gear set which alters the drive ratio based on the inputs from the engine and two electric motors without the need for a torque converter. This is a case where a hybrid vehicle can truly do something better than a conventional vehicle. As for the gas mileage, I seriously doubt that the hybrid Vue can beat the hybrid Escape of the same era regardless of what the EPA numbers say. I checked Fuelly and it looks like hybrid Vues get low twenties and hybrid Escapes get high twenties.

[@shitloveaduck]

I say the armrests are well built & durable!! If they were leather or fabric coated they would be in rough shape by now. These will clean up to like new condition!! What we want,,, all too often is not what we need or actually wanted,, in the long run.

[@garymiller1977]

Even as a 2007 it still looks good as far as style.

[@Crispychicken4u]

Always wanted the first gen redline in lime green. Honda vtech motor ! But wish it had a manual instead of the weak Honda DW-1 auto trans

[@atmartens]

My friend had a Vue in college and we drove it on a 14 hour spring break road trip. To this day, it was the worst vehicle I’ve ever driven. Terrible brakes, felt like it’d easily tip over and everything was plastic.

[@ivorton23]

The Prius actually came out in Japan in 1997

[@TheRealCatof]

I see a lot of these here in Minnespolis. I always thought they were pretty decent little crossovers

[@ragdolltrucking]

The Saturn vue had the best feeling manual shifter out of any vehicle ever made, such a random car to have it too

[@soulin2010]

I always thought those hybrids were cool.. I have the last generation Vue.. a 09.. I absolutely love it.. wish gm would bring back the saturn.. as maybe a ev. They have a huge cult following.

[@TevinWeatherspoon]

The V6 version did come with AWD

[@scott8919]

In other words, it's Honda's IMA if you bought it off wish.

[@jessieharbinjr.6589]

Too bad they didn’t use a Honda 4 cylinder. That GM 2.4 ecotec was a timing chain chewing, oil burning turd!

[@rickymack2611]

I had the Chevy non hybrid version, a 2005 Equinox. Fairly plain jane little SUV

[@AltTechFan]

Since you aren't a dealer, what do you do with the bargains that you buy?

[@snomass1]

He sells some

[@mr220v]

A 4cyl Vue with a manual transmission is invincible. Cheap to keep on the road, and it can take a beating.

[@bloomerdavid]

Some models of Saturns are up there with Toyota when it comes to reliability.

[@J.W.W.]

The only Vue to buy is the 3.5 Honda V6 version

[@AxiomRazor]

If you wanted the real Vue to reckon with, a 2005 Redline was where it's at.

[@radi0activedonutsx3]

I think it's aged quite well too!

[@blue_lancer_es]

First prius was a 97 model car.

[@joseeduardo4327]

That steering wheel looks like a mid 2000s Subaru one. Haha the GM bleeding thru there too

[@aaronbritt2025]

If I'm buying a Vue, I'm getting the Redline with the Honda 3.5L V6.

[@marcelesgarcia2383]

Gm based the chevy Equinox off of the Saturn vue

[@marcelesgarcia2383]

2005-2009

[@Crispychicken4u]

And the Pontiac torrent

[@phild9813]

“This one, is not the cool one.” 😂😂😂

[@maddie76440]

Respect the time and effort you put into these videos!