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2008 Saturn VUE Safety Review

November 18, 2008

SAFETY | 10 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Five stars, front impact and side impact rating; four stars, rollover rating
NHTSA

Good," frontal offset impact and side impact; "Top Safety Pick 2008
IIHS

Plenty of standard safety features
Edmunds

With the 2008 Saturn Vue, it's clear that safety is one of the vehicle's top priorities. The emphasis is clearly seen in both the Saturn Vue's crash-test ratings and its list of safety features.

The 2008 Saturn Vue has been crash tested by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and results from both agencies were superb. In NHTSA tests, the 2008 Saturn Vue earned a perfect five-star rating for both front impact tests, as well as both side impact categories. The only category in which the Saturn Vue scored fewer than five stars was for rollover, where the NHTSA gave it a four-star rating. The IIHS results are equally impressive, as it earned the highest possible rating in each of the IIHS tests. In fact, the Vue performed so well during those tests that the IIHS awarded it a Top Safety Pick 2008 title, stating that it displayed "good performance in front, side, and rear tests."

The Vue is packed with safety features. Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com invariably mention the Vue's "slew of standard safety features that were not available on its predecessor," according to Cars.com. Edmunds reviewers report that those safety features include "antilock brakes, stability control, traction control, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and active head restraints." Motor Trend says that the Saturn Vue's safety features, including "seatbelt pretensioners" and "collapsing pedals" allow crash-test dummies to "emerge unscathed (or at least undead) from the worst crashes conceived by any world government." Motor Trend adds "standard stability control with trailer-sway mitigation (a class exclusive) might even help intelligent dummies avoid a crash."

The list of safety features on the Saturn Vue is further complemented by better-than-average visibility, which ConsumerGuide says is "good to all directions." Car and Driver reviewers also rave about the "expansive view out the front windshield," which they call "excellent."

Conclusion

The 2008 Saturn Vue performs at the top of its class in safety.

SAFETY | 10 out of 10Expert Quotes:Five stars, front impact and side impact rating; four stars, rollover ratingNHTSAGood," frontal offset impact and side impact; "Top Safety Pick 2008IIHSPlenty of standard safety featuresEdmunds With the 2008 Saturn Vue, it's clear that safety is one of the vehicle's top priorities. The emphasis is clearly seen in both the Saturn Vue's crash-test ratings and its list of safety features. The 2008 Saturn Vue has been crash tested by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and results from both agencies were superb. In NHTSA tests, the 2008 Saturn Vue earned a perfect five-star rating for both front impact tests, as well as both side impact categories. The only category in which the Saturn Vue scored fewer than five stars was for rollover, where the NHTSA gave it a four-star rating. The IIHS results are equally impressive, as it earned the highest possible rating in each of the IIHS tests. In fact, the Vue performed so well during those tests that the IIHS awarded it a Top Safety Pick 2008 title, stating that it displayed "good performance in front, side, and rear tests." The Vue is packed with safety features. Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com invariably mention the Vue's "slew of standard safety features that were not available on its predecessor," according to Cars.com. Edmunds reviewers report that those safety features include "antilock brakes, stability control, traction control, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and active head restraints." Motor Trend says that the Saturn Vue's safety features, including "seatbelt pretensioners" and "collapsing pedals" allow crash-test dummies to "emerge unscathed (or at least undead) from the worst crashes conceived by any world government." Motor Trend adds "standard stability control with trailer-sway mitigation (a class exclusive) might even help intelligent dummies avoid a crash." The list of safety features on the Saturn Vue is further complemented by better-than-average visibility, which ConsumerGuide says is "good to all directions." Car and Driver reviewers also rave about the "expansive view out the front windshield," which they call "excellent." ConclusionThe 2008 Saturn Vue performs at the top of its class in safety. 2008 SATURN VUE STYLING | [8 out of 10] Edmunds: "Handsome interior and exterior European styling" Cars.com: "One of the most aggressively styled SUVs on the road" ConsumerGuide: "Everything is well laid out and easy to see" The 2008 Saturn Vue is a completely redesigned compact ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

With space for five and two rows of seating, the 2008 Saturn Vue competes against the smaller compact crossover vehicles. Its primary rival is perhaps the Honda CR-V, a vehicle that was redesigned last year and boasts a roomy interior and smooth ride. But the CR-V comes only with a peppy and efficient four-cylinder engine, and it's quite a bit lighter than the Vue. The Subaru Forester is another alternative; compared to the Vue, the Forester drives more like a sporty small car, with crisp handling and good performance from its flat-four engine, plus standard all-wheel drive. The Toyota RAV4--closely priced--is about the same size as the Vue on the outside, but it has seating for seven and a third-row seat, along with a more efficient four-cylinder engine and a more powerful V-6. And the Ford Escape, despite a recent reskin, looks dated but is still very competitive, with a space-efficient design. The Vue's fuel economy is not as good as that of either the Ford Escape or Toyota RAV4 equipped with their optional V-6 engines.

Next Steps:

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See the Saturn VUE in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Comments (1 total)

  1. By Duane Hanely #1, Posted: 6/2/2009

    Approx. 1 yr. ago my daughter bought this new 2008 Saturn Vue with a four cyl. engine and Automatic Transmission . With around 30,000 mi. on it it has a wineing noise after it is supposed to be in High Gear . She complained about it and the dealership said there is nothing wrong with it . That is very anoying , especially for a new car . What can we do about this problem ?

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