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2004 Saturn VUE Red Line

Round Two of the Red Lines

My older brother went through high school before me, of course, and although we are a couple of years apart we ended up taking most of the same classes with many of the same teachers. With my brother establishing the family reputation its no wonder some teachers had preconceived ideas of what to expect when they saw Straub on the attendance roll, but like so many things in life you cant always go by name associated assumptions.

But who am I to talk? I did the same thing before picking up Saturns new VUE Red Line, thinking that it would be just like the ION Red Line I tested a short while ago. I judged it to be a relatively good car for its make, but

I made the mistake of expecting the VUE Red Line to be similar to its ION sibling. In other words, I had low expectations of the sporty SUV. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

it left me wanting for more refinement. Based on its shortcomings Im embarrassed to admit that when I initially got behind the wheel of the VUE I had minimal expectations. Thats where the sporty SUV surprised me, and nicely topped its sibling in every category that matters to me.

I immediately noticed a difference in performance. Its impressive 3.5-liter 24-valve,

The VUE Red Line was surprisingly good, and nicely topped its sibling in every category that matters to me. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

DOHC, Honda-derived V6 is powerful and responsive, putting 250 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 242 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm down to the road via all of its wheels. The Red Lines five-speed automatic transmission shifts each gear smoothly and subtly, making for a really enjoyable drivetrain. I should mention, however, that you dont have to step up to the Red Line package to enjoy this engine, as it comes as an option in both front- and all-wheel drivetrains.

What is specific to the Red Line package, however,

The 250-hp 3.5-liter 24-valve, DOHC, Honda-derived V6 is powerful and responsive. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

is a set of snazzy P245/50S R18 all-season tires mounted on 18-inch alloy wheels, framing a large set of 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS. A sport-tuned suspension also comes as part of the package, but I cant say I found it all that sporty. In fact, it felt a little loose. Actually its four-wheel independent suspension was just that: four wheels acting independently of each other. When I went hard into a corner I could really feel the body roll, which was a shame because was difficult to take advantage of the superb engine. I wanted to push it a little more around corners, but when I tried it just "melted" underneath, so to speak. Too bad!

The VUEs interior is basic

While the Red Line package doesnt change much on the inside, the VUEs interior is basic and functional. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

and functional, but still not as impressive as the engine. Like the ION, Saturns SUV doesnt have that sporty flavor. The biggest difference between the two models, however, at least from a drivers perspective, is that the instrument cluster is in front of the driver and not mounted at center, which is a plus in my books. The seats are comfortably cushy, but perhaps a little too cushy for my tushy that would have rather been held in place during aggressive maneuvers. This led to more movement in the seats than if the seats were formfitting, or had better side support.

On a more positive note the Red Line package makes the VUE quite distinguishable from its non-tricked out little ION brother, due to a reworked front and rear fascia, extended rockers and bright chrome exhaust tips. The

The VUE Red Line isnt a stand-alone model but rather a $1,995 upgrade package to the standard V6-equipped VUE. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

flashy, yet hardly tacky ensemble is enough to make most people take a second glance.

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