2005 SATURN Vue 3.5L V6 5AT (250 HP)

Vehicle Overview

General Motors built the Saturn brand as a lower-budget brand and built most of its products on European platforms.

Back in 2005, the 4×4 market started to rise, and GM didn’t want to lose that trend. It was a highly skilled SUV-maker and increased its presence with the introduction of the Saturn Vue in 2002, which it upgraded three years later.

After producing econoboxes and, sometimes, cheap-looking cars, Saturn made a bold move and introduced the Vue in 2002. It was not that cheap car anymore, and indeed it didn’t look like one. Its rectangular, horizontal headlights flanked the narrow grille at the front. The bumper was tall and sported a pair of fog lights placed on the sides of a lower grille. Even though it shared its platform with the Chevrolet Equinox and the Pontiac Torrent, the cabin looked different. Its ascending beltline and raked-forward C-pillar with clear cuts were unique to Saturn. In the back, the darkened D-pillars from the tailgate and the rear side windows created the illusion of a wrapped-around glass area for the back of the car.

Inside, it was not an econobox anymore. A leather-clad interior and the wood trims on the dashboard, center stack, and door panels looked more upmarket than the brand.

Under the hood, GM installed a 2.2-liter Theta engine carried over from its European brand Opel and a Honda-sourced 3.5-liter V-6. The latter powered the Red Line edition.