2008 Saturn VUE Red Line Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published September 25, 2009

2:39 min

2008 Saturn Vue Red Line Not so long ago, SUVs ran free and wild. Their main function? Hauling motorboats and ATVs. Today's sport utility vehicles are more domesticated. The only things you'll find them hauling are kids, en route to soccer practice. This is why performance-oriented SUVs like the Saturn Vue Red Line are so refreshing. With its rear spoiler and 18-inch alloys, it boasts an aggressive look that tells you this sport utility vehicle wants to be driven hard. Fortunately, the Vue Red Line also has the performance capability to make good on that promise. Buyers of the Saturn Vue can choose from among three trims: the base XE, the midgrade XR and the sporting Red Line. The Red Line features sport suspension tuning and a lowered ride height. These features help the SUV feel poised on the road, and endow the driver with a sense of control that inspires confidence. The Saturn Vue Red Line also offers a 3.6-liter V6 that churns out 257 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. This engine has the goods to get you out of a jam in a hurry, if the situation calls for it. Though burdened by its relatively porcine curb weight, the Vue Red Line holds its own at the track. Its 64-mph slalom speed is on par with the times logged by the Acura RDX and the turbocharged all-wheel-drive Mazda CX-7. It runs the quarter mile in 16.5 seconds at 84.8 mph, which places it slightly behind others in this class. Braking ability is better than average. This Saturn stops from 60 mph in 130 feet. Within its doors, the Vue Red Line offers a stylish cabin that calls to mind an upscale bachelor pad. You'll find handsome leather, sporty stitching and cool-looking suede inserts. Faux carbon-fiber trim and chrome accents round out the Vue's clean, classy look. The Vue Red Line does feel a bit tame in one area, though. Its six-speed automatic transmission with GM's Tapshift buttons on the steering wheel responds crisply to upshifts, but there's a slight hesitation when downshifting. This sluggish response compromises the Red Line's sporting ability. This kind of behavior is typical for a transmission that's been calibrated for optimum fuel economy. The first-generation Vue was generic at best. Transformed with European good looks, a German-engineered chassis and sporting performance, the current-generation Vue Red Line is finally a contender. If there were an award for "most improved," the 2008 Saturn Vue Red Line would be the winner, hands down.