VUE Green Line: $22,995

[Northstar]

Saturn Vue Green Line Gets Lowest Hybrid SUV Price, Best SUV Highway Fuel Economy Rating

New hybrid MSRP starts at $22,995; receives official EPA highway rating of 32 mpg

Detroit -- Saturn announced today that the new 2007 Vue Green Line hybrid SUV will carry a starting price of $22,995 (including destination charge), making it the lowest-priced hybrid SUV on the market.

In addition to its value price, Vue Green Line will carry an EPA fuel economy rating of 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway – the best highway fuel economy of any SUV currently available. That equates a to 20 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to a non-hybrid Vue, depending on driving conditions.

“The Vue Green Line proves you can go green without going broke,” said Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak. “With a starting sticker price almost $4,000 less than any competing hybrid SUV, it makes true hybrid fuel savings available to more people than ever before.”

The Vue Green Line will be produced in Spring Hill, Tenn., and will begin arriving in Saturn retail facilities later this summer.

The Vue’s hybrid system combines sophisticated controls with a precise electric motor/generator mated to the engine. The system delivers fuel economy gains by providing electric power assist during acceleration, through early fuel cut-off during deceleration with torque smoothing and by shutting the engine off at idle. The system also captures electrical energy through regenerative braking.

The vehicle’s 2.4 liter hybrid powertrain provides approximately 170 horsepower – 27 more horsepower than the 2.2 liter engine that powers the conventional Vue. The Vue Green Line’s acceleration is comparable or better than similarly equipped non-hybrid SUVs.

In addition to its hybrid powertrain, the Vue Green Line also features several standard equipment upgrades, including antilock brakes with traction control, 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome-finish skid plates, body-color door handles and exterior mirrors, bright side moldings and rear spoiler as well as specific instrumentation designed to provide the driver with hybrid system information.

As with all Vues, the Green Line model offers standard power convenience package (windows, door locks and exterior mirrors), remote keyless entry, fold-flat front passenger seatback and rear cargo organizer. All Saturn vehicles also come equipped with OnStar and a one-year subscription to the Safe and Sound service plan.

Complete information on the Vue Green Line can be found on the Web at www.saturn.com.

This year, Saturn will double the number of entries in its portfolio, beginning with the Sky roadster that is now arriving at retailers. Later this summer, the Vue Green Line will be joined with the all-new Aura sports sedan and the 260-horsepower turbocharged Sky Red Line. The eight-passenger Outlook crossover utility enters the market toward the end of the year.

Saturn also recently announced plans for a Green Line hybrid version of the Aura sedan in 2007.

[Bimmer325]

I've seen two already.

[FAPTurbo]

Wow, that's more affordable than I tought it'd be. Nice.

[pow]

Here's how the Green Line fits relative to other VUEs...

VUE FWD 4

$17,990 + ABS/TC ($600) + automatic ($1355) + alloys ($400) + skid plates ($170) = $20,515

VUE FWD V6

$21,990 (ABS/TC, automatic, and alloys standard) + skid plates ($170) = $22,160

VUE Green Line

$22,995 (ABS/TC, automatic, alloys, and skid plates standard) = $22,995

Performance and economy...

FWD 4 - 143 horsepower (22/27 MPG)

FWD V6 - 250 horsepower (20/28 MPG)

Greenline - 170 horsepower (27/32 MPG)

The GL commands a $2,480 premium over a comparably equipped non-hybrid VUE. Assuming 12,000 miles per year, 50/50 mix of city/highway, and regular unleaded at $3.30/gallon, it'll take 9 years of driving (108,000 miles) to regain the initial premium. Of course the Green Line has more power than the non-hybrid VUE, but less than the 250-horsepower V6.

[Northstar]

It would depend on where you drive, but the GL seems to be more suited to stop-and-go driving because it won't burn gas sitting in a line at a stoplight or in a traffic jam. I drive almost 100% in the city, so for someone like me it would be pretty good.

[pow]

Here's how the Ford's hybrid compares...

Escape Hybrid FWD

$26,215 (ABS/TC, automatic, and alloys standard) - $2,600 tax credit = $23,615

133 (gas) + 94 (electric) horsepower (36/31 MPG)

The Escape Hybrid costs $620 more than the VUE Green Line. At 12K mi/year, 50/50 city/highway, and regular at $3.30/gallon, it'll take the Escape 3 years and 10 months to regain the $620 premium over the VUE and start saving money.

A similarly equipped Escape V6 (the Escape Hybrid has performance similar to V6) costs $23,245 after $500 rebate. The Escape Hybrid has 0% 60-mo financing, however. If you're buying an Escape, definitely go for the Hybrid, which will start saving money in fewer than six months (Escape V6 gets just 20/24).

EDIT: But, yeah, what's more relevant are the gallons of fuel you save from burning into the atmosphere...

A VUE Green Line will consume 83 fewer gallons of fuel and emit 0.8 tons fewer CO2 emissions anually than a VUE 4, while an Escape Hybrid will consume 187 fewer gallons of fuel anually and emit 1.8 fewer tons of CO2 than an Escape V6.

Edited May 25, 2006 by empowah

[rueben44]

One problem is that you did not deduct the tax break from the Vue's price tag off the back which would mean you would not really be set back.

$22,995

- $2600

20,395 which is cheaper than the base model similarly equipped!

[pow]

One problem is that you did not deduct the tax break from the Vue's price tag off the back which would mean you would not really be set back.

  $22,995

- $2600

20,395 which is cheaper than the base model similarly equipped!

There are no tax breaks for the VUE.

[rueben44]

Well that sucks! Why not it is a Hybrid also?

[avant1963]

I did read that the VUE will be getting the tax breaks just like the Escape and it was probably going to be the same $2600. Looking for the source...

[VenSeattle]

I did read that the VUE will be getting the tax breaks just like the Escape and it was probably going to be the same $2600.  Looking for the source...

Is this it?

http://www.aceee.org/transportation/taxcredits06.pdf

[Derek77]

What the hell?! I posted this yesterday morning and got 3 replies all day. It gets reposted at close to midnight and it's the hottest thing since sliced bread. I don't get it.

[Dsuupr]

Great, but the Vue is just ugly. It will be that much more interesting when they do it with a sedan, or a compact car (Cobalt, or ??).

[pow]

Is this it?

http://www.aceee.org/transportation/taxcredits06.pdf

My bad... $1300 it is. Now the premium is only $1180.

[regfootball]

Great, but the Vue is just ugly.  It will be that much more interesting when they do it with a sedan, or a compact car (Cobalt, or ??).

nah, the vue is pretty nice to look at.....

[Guest Josh]

Heck of a bargain. It's perception people. GM is now a hybrid player and will roll this out to other vehicles in the near future.

[loki]

it'll be great when this gets into a malibu 2.4L(assuming that'll be the base engine in 08), 28/36 seems reasonable, (changed it to +4 not +5 like on the vue's) maybe by "08 the 2.4 will have DI also and make more like 190~200hp?

[pow]

it'll be great when this gets into a malibu 2.4L(assuming that'll be the base engine in 08), 28/36 seems reasonable, (changed it to +4 not +5 like on the vue's) maybe by "08 the 2.4 will have DI also and make more like 190~200hp?

According to the link above, a Malibu with BAS system will get 27 MPG city. It better be a lot, lot cheaper than the Camry Hybrid (40 MPG).

[loki]

vue:..................................... stick? auto v6

Curb Weight - Automatic (lb.) No data 3246 3478

Curb Weight - Manual (lb.) 3111 No data No data

malibu:

Curb Weight - Automatic (lb.) 3174 3297 3315 3315

"msn autos" since the wieghts arn't on chevy.com for the 'BU...?

we assuming the battery in the vue adds....~100lbs? making it closer to 3350lbs? the bu maybe closer to 3250?

hm..didn't know it was that light? well on second thought, i guess the 6speed wouldn't be going in these would it? i guess the 27MPG city seems fine, but they seem to be jumping the gun putting that in there... it going to be a 1/2 Year intro?(the malibu)

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

Isn't a Toyota Prius only $1,500 less? That's awesome pricing! Can't wait to see this and how it will grow Saturn! Saw a Red Line today and it looked dynamite-bet we can expect the same thing here!

[sciguy_0504]

Good price for a great vehicle. The GL only adds to the VUE's appeal, which grew exponentially after the redesign.

[Shantanu]

The Vue Green Line is getting bad buzz in the usual envirowhacky circles (read: Hybrid forums). But I think that this may be the most significant hybrid since the second Toyota Prius.

At this price range, no other product can compete with the Green Line. And according to some tests they've done, in real world performance it gets *almost* the same fuel economy as the Ford Escape Hybrid, a vehicle that costs much more.

Basically GM has figured out a way to give you 80% of the benefits of hybrid technology at about 20% of the cost (as one lone dissenter on a Toyota Prius forum put it). That is significant.

Edited June 5, 2006 by Shantanu

[Shantanu]

According to the link above, a Malibu with BAS system will get 27 MPG city. It better be a lot, lot cheaper than the Camry Hybrid (40 MPG).

Yeah but that thing also says the Prius gets 60mpg, which as we all know is an extreme crock of $h!.

[sciguy_0504]

Yeah but that thing also says the Prius gets 60mpg, which as we all know is an extreme crock of $h!.

Mag tests of the Camry Hybrid have substantiated the claim, I believe. They did not on the Prius.

[deftonesfan867]

The Vue Green Line is getting bad buzz in the usual envirowhacky circles (read: Hybrid forums).  But I think that this may be the most significant hybrid since the second Toyota Prius.

At this price range, no other product can compete with the Green Line.  And according to some tests they've done, in real world performance it gets *almost* the same fuel economy as the Ford Escape Hybrid, a vehicle that costs much more.

Basically GM has figured out a way to give you 80% of the benefits of hybrid technology at about 20% of the cost (as one lone dissenter on a Toyota Prius forum put it).  That is significant.

The only reasons it gets bad buzz from them is becuase 1) its a GM vehicle and 2) it makes em look idiotic for paying that much for a full hybrid when GM's cheaper system works good.

[Snate]

Looks good...hopefully it won't bomb the real world MPG figures like every hybrid to date.

I'm not holding my breath though.

[regfootball]

Mag tests of the Camry Hybrid have substantiated the claim, I believe.  They did not on the Prius.

i've seen 33-37 on the Camry hybrid which i admit is appealing in that scenario.

the envirowhackos are upset because they

-know they blew too much for they their underachieving toyotas

-are afraid the mainstream public will buy the vue hybrid and they no longer can stake a claim on their own cultural phenomenon (Prius). once something is mainstraemed then they will lose their identity or REASON TO LIVE

Edited June 6, 2006 by regfootball

[regfootball]

geez, i've been reading posts on some hybrid forums. you ought to see the pompous asses and psychos

So, in spite of the fact that I married into a GM family, I decided to forgo the discounted price I could have gotten on a GM vehicle, & bought my FEH. My husband was initially a little wary about my decision, but now he brags about my mpg as much as I do!

I did email Saturn, telling them that I thought it was a mistake not to offer a full-hybrid VUE, as I'm sure I'm not the only "little person" who would have been willing to pay more for it than for a straight ICE VUE. No response to that one.

I tell you what - you folks at GM would drag me away from Honda if you could produce a mid-sized SUV that can seat 7, awd when needed, wide like my Pilot (48" between wheel wells), get 30+ MPG, and cost under $30K. Give me just enough stink to drag home a couch or a load of 2x4's from Home Depot. I know that's a lot to ask, but

xxxxxx

You seem like a really nice guy. Why are you waisting yourself on GM? BAS is a joke as most of GM has been for the last fourty years.

I really wish you would go to work for one of the Asian producers where you could do some real good.

GM is thinking of paying for gas in Fl. and CA. for a year for folks that buy select SUv's. Does that sound like a good move by a company thats going broke. Sounds about as brite as some of the unino contracts they have signed in the past.

Nothings changing at GM. There still building junk, still building that junk as poorly as poosible with some of the over all worst engineering and production in the world.

Cant GM just die and we move on past this hemoraging mass of American misfortune.

at least there are a few folks with some common sense....

I still have some hope for GM, but I don't know if they will be able to overcome their labor cost problem. The Japanese built their plants in low wage, non union states . GM plants are in high wage union states.The Japanese aren't "better' because they are "smarter" or have a better "corporate culture". They are better because they pay their USA employees $1000 less per car! This advantage is almost impossible to overcome.It is one reason GM stayed with the big SUVs so long, and ignored small profit small cars.

Putting it all on labor is an oversimplification. But I think xxxxx also referenced legacy costs such as health care and retirement commitments. For GM and Ford, these are bigger issues than specifically labor. Currently GM and Ford are supporting 2 -1/2 retirees for every employee on the roles. The cost to do this exceeded the cost of product development in 2005. Over time this legacy cost issue will impact a lot more industries than just the auto industry. The issue is that in the times we currently live in, it is the auto industry who's domestic suppliers have to compete on cost with foreign companies whose home governments supsidize the health care and retirement for the company's employees. None of these companies has operated long enough in the US to build up the sizeable retiree base that US automakers have to support.

It's a fact of doing business and a condition that the domestic automakers are working hard to manage through.

when I say labor costs I mean pensions,medical,wages-the whole shooting match. In respect to medical, Honda claims that one reason it is building plants in Canada is that its health cost there are ZERO!!(actually I think their claim was "better education" but the "real reason" was healthcare costs.) This is the same story for cars built in most of Europe-no health care costs. Same story for Airbus vs Boeing-no medical costs for Airbus.

Edited June 6, 2006 by regfootball

[Imaj]

the envirowhackos are upset because they

-know they blew too much for they their underachieving toyotas

-are afraid the mainstream public will buy the vue hybrid and they no longer can stake a claim on their own cultural phenomenon (Prius).  once something is mainstraemed then they will lose their identity or REASON TO LIVE

LOL I bet Thomas Freidman is one of them :rotflmao:

[roopull]

Great, but the Vue is just ugly.  It will be that much more interesting when they do it with a sedan, or a compact car (Cobalt, or ??).

Funny... my wife thinks the Vue is the best looking SUV on the market & if I'd let her get another Saturn, that'd replace her SC1.

As far as the Green Line goes, I like the simplicity of the design & the low low price... Good on Saturn!

Yeah but that thing also says the Prius gets 60mpg, which as we all know is an extreme crock of $h!. banghead.gif

Remember, that's an EPA figure, not a Toyota one. You can thank your idiotic government for using outdated & irrelevant testing methods that favor a hybrid. VW's TDIs get much better mileage than the EPA will ever give them credit for... as do just about any diesel.

The backlash from that BS 60mpg claim is goint to hurt Toyo & all hybrids in the long-run. I understand, however, that the EPA is re-figuring their testing methods to better reflect REAL WORLD driving.

[Shantanu]

i've seen 33-37 on the Camry hybrid which i admit is appealing in that scenario.

the envirowhackos are upset because they

-know they blew too much for they their underachieving toyotas

-are afraid the mainstream public will buy the vue hybrid and they no longer can stake a claim on their own cultural phenomenon (Prius).  once something is mainstraemed then they will lose their identity or REASON TO LIVE

If the Toyota Camry hybrid is getting ~35mpg in the real world, that could be withing striking distance of the Malibu hybrid. Keep in mind, this is a $25,900 car we are talking about. If GM can put out a Malibu mild hybrid that gets ~32 mpg, and is about $20,000, that will be very significant (4 cyllinder base Malibu is $17,000).

Edited June 9, 2006 by Shantanu

[roopull]

If the Toyota Camry hybrid is getting ~35mpg in the real world, that could be withing striking distance of the Malibu hybrid.  Keep in mind, this is a $25,900 car we are talking about.  If GM can put out a Malibu mild hybrid that gets ~32 mpg, and is about $20,000, that will be very significant (4 cyllinder base Malibu is $17,000).

Now, I really like the Malibu... really, I do. I ended up in a rental version & was VERY impressed. In fact, it's one of the vehicles that made me start thinking that maybe there was hope for GM, afterall.

THAT being said, the Malibu is no Camry... not even close. The Camry is what Toyo does best & the Malibu, hybrid or not, is simply out-classed. I can't imagine many people cross-shopping these two.

[pow]

Now, I really like the Malibu... really, I do.  I ended up in a rental version & was VERY impressed.  In fact, it's one of the vehicles that made me start thinking that maybe there was hope for GM, afterall.

THAT being said, the Malibu is no Camry...  not even close.  The Camry is what Toyo does best & the Malibu, hybrid or not, is simply out-classed.  I can't imagine many people cross-shopping these two.

Any hybrid Malibu should come next generation. Not even a V8 would make that thing attractive.

[Shantanu]

Now, I really like the Malibu... really, I do.  I ended up in a rental version & was VERY impressed.  In fact, it's one of the vehicles that made me start thinking that maybe there was hope for GM, afterall.

THAT being said, the Malibu is no Camry...  not even close.  The Camry is what Toyo does best & the Malibu, hybrid or not, is simply out-classed.  I can't imagine many people cross-shopping these two.

I don't think the Malibu as it is, is cross shopped that much with the Toyota Camry. The Toyota Camry is a highly desireable, almost premium product, or at least a very premium family car. And the Malibu holds up the lower end of the family car market. As such, the Malibu costs thousands less after discounts.

I would say a more typical GM competitor to the Camry is the Buick LaCrosse, and the upcoming Saturn Aura will probably also get cross shopped.

[pow]

My bad... $1300 it is. Now the premium is only $1180.

143836[/snapback]

They revised it. The VUE Green Line tax credit is now $650.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid_new.shtml