|
"Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle
into one of 17 classes based on size, price, and market position. Among
utility vehicles, Compact SUVs are the least costly and offer the best fuel
economy. Most utilize a car-type chassis and are not designed for heavy-duty,
off-road use. Nearly all are five-passenger vehicles.
Our Best Buys include
Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Mazda Tribute, and Mercury Mariner. Our Recommended
picks are Honda Element, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Liberty, Kia Sportage, and
Subaru Forester.
Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Rav4 are new or significantly
redesigned."
|
|
Acceleration
"No opportunity yet to test gas-electric hybrid Green Line or a 4-cyl gasoline
Vue. Saturn pegs conventional 4-cyl model at a 1.1 sec 0-60 mph with manual transmission.
That's slow for any modern vehicle. Smooth, refined V6/automatic combo provides
impressive power, response; Saturn says about 7.5 sec 0-60. V6s tow up to 3500
lb."
Ride
"Tires, suspension do a good job of absorbing the worst bumps, expansion joints,
but mild side-to-side rocking motions annoy. Red Line's stiffer suspension quells
some of that without adding undue harshness."
Economy
"Test 2WD V6 averaged 21.6 mpg in mostly highway driving. In city/highway mix,
test AWD V6 averaged 16.2 mpg, test Red Line 16.7. Saturn recommends regular-grade
fuel for all engines."
Noise
"V6 subdued at cruise, emits rich-sounding growl in rapid acceleration. Wind
noise low, but copious road rumble tiresome on long drives, bumps produce loud
thumps, doors close with a clang."
Comfort - Front
"Good leg room. Head room adequate even with intrusion from sunroof housing.
Gearshift mounts at base of dashboard, frees floor space for purses and such.
Seats too soft for best support, lack good lateral bolstering; Red Line-package
seats firmer, have more-pronounced bolstering. Either way, some testers complain
of mediocre lumbar support."
Comfort - Rear
"Ample head space. Leg room adequate if front seats are less than halfway back.
Seat flat, thinly padded, notably unsupportive, though clever design accommodates
two child seats with one seatback section folded down. Door openings modest,
and no ceiling-mounted grab handles to ease entry and exit, but step-in height
relatively low."
Controls
"Clear instrumentation nicely organized. Power controls for windows, locks, mirrors
arrayed on center console, which some testers find inconvenient. Interior revisions
for 2006 long overdue, most noticeable in front-seat area, where substantial-feeling,
padded panels replace flimsy, hard-surfaced plastics. Steering-wheel audio controls
have top-notch design, but minor switchgear, such as power-window controls, sunroof
button, have cheap-feeling weight, movement. "
Cargo Room
"Liftgate lacks separate-opening glass--a minor demerit--but load floor longer
than in most rivals. Rear-seatback release awkward to reach, feels crude, and
seatbacks don't fold fully flat, but work with fold-down right-front seatback
to accommodate long objects. Standard pop-up cargo organizer a nice touch, despite
flimsy plastic dividers. Cabin storage adequate."
|
