First Drive Review
Whether you think GM's idea of selling European Opels as Saturns on this side of the Atlantic is a clever business move or a cheap design shortcut, it's tough to argue with the product that has resulted from the strategy. Saturns have never looked or felt so good.
Aside from the sexy Sky roadster (rebadged as the Opel GT), the 2008 Vue (Opel Antara) may be the best-looking of the current Saturn lineup. The high-arcing roofline, the sporty beltline, and the thicker D-pillars compromise visibility a touch, but it's about style, man. Nobody chops the top on his '32 Ford five inches and then complains about visibility. It's a small compromise, really, as the rearward view of the Vue isn't as dangerous as that of the Dodge Magnum—it just makes the cabin feel cozier. The cheeky front-end styling seems to be almost at odds with the handsome, athletic profile, but it imbues the Vue with the sort of friendly character the company from Spring Hill cultivates.
The Nicest Saturn Interior We've Ever Encountered
Inside, the Vue wears the classiest outfit of any Saturn. The XR we drove came with a two-tone interior. The seats are draped in a gray leather that matches the lower door panels, and the upper doors and the dash pad are a soft, rubbery black. The center stack is fashioned from satin-finish gray plastic with a foggy chrome around the shifter and surround.
If the devil is in the details, then, in the Vue, he lurks in the steering wheel and parking brake, two controls whose functions we hope he is not inhibiting. The lower quarters of the three-spoke steering wheel are trimmed in the same chrome finish that surrounds the shifter, forming a shape that is mimicked by the parking-brake handle. Thoughtful design like this suggests to us that Saturn's future as a North American Opel outlet will be brighter than its plastic-paneled past.
Space? There's plenty for everybody up front, with plenty for most in the back. There is no third row, which we didn't mind because so many third-row seats are more cargo obstacles than anything else. The comfortable front seats appear at first glance to be fairly supportive, but once you're in them, the sporty-looking bolsters are so soft that they crush into a wider seat under the slightest cornering pressure. Our thicker staffers appreciated the extra cushioning on the highway, but the seats don't offer any support for spirited driving.
