Comments on: 2008 Saturn VUE Hybrid Gets Best Highway mpg Rating of Any SUV

By: conversionvansforsale

conversionvansforsale — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:11:33 +0000

With all of these advantages to van leasing, it is important to note that there are some disadvantages. The biggest one of those is that one does not actually own the van at any time. Even during the period that the individual is driving the van it is not theirs. It always remains the property of the leasing company.

By: nolan

nolan — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:22:45 +0000

special k is right, the mild hybrid approach is typical american auto/corporate sluggish & deal-killer approach to adapting to change b/c of the up-front expense incurred. just rent & watch “who killed the electric car?”, a great doc, & you will understand the insidiousness that lies behind gm’s embarrassing resistance to change. you have republican leadership’s corporate cronies to thank for this (ie: big oil profiteers & sucklings). the dual-mode hybrid will be a welcome & long overdue adjustment to what consumers really want

By: Mr Green jeans

Mr Green jeans — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:48:51 +0000

Merrily we inch along . . . how about a diesel plug-in hybrid. All the technology is already there; new diesel standards and technology are much cleaner than gas; easy to convert to biodiesel as distribution channels increase (for even cleaner burn); more power and torque; and of course engine life has to factor into the definition of sustainable somewhere and 300k is not at all uncommon for the diesel. If I had to choose between diesel and hybrid, I’ll take any of the new generation diesels over any hybrid, anytime.
But back to the present . . . I am happy to see GM jump into the fray not for nationalist reasons but the embodied energy of any product manufactured in Japan and then imported for sale here puts a HUGE dent in it’s lifetime efficiency and energy footprint. Plus I am still wondering what’s gonna happen with all those spent batteries when the old ones need to be replaced. Seriously, does anybody know what the plan is?

By: noel park

noel park — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:36:54 +0000

omegaman66:

I don’t hink anyone would argue with you on that. I think that many of us just long to see GM take the technical high ground, and the champion fuel economy bragging rights, away from Toyota.

I would love to see something like an e-flex Smart sized city car to get about 100 miles engine free and 50 -60 real mpg on the engine. It would be a total halo car for GM, every bit as important, if not more so, than the Corvette. The Prius has clearly done this, and more, for Toyota.

I realize that this is unlikely to happen, so bring on the Volt. I posted the other day about the need for an e-flex mini van and/or small pickup for small business folks like me. All in good time, I hope.

I agree with you. Saving gas is good, whether in a Volt or a Tahoe. I hope that there will be a whole range of such vehicles in the future. In the meantime, let’s have something with spectacular fuel economy to push back against the Prius.

By: omegaman66

omegaman66 — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 13:26:04 +0000

Geez people!!! The volt is scheduled out in late 2010. Do you expect a car better than the volt to come out from GM before the Volt??? Of course not. If they could put a volt style eflex system in another car next year then we wouldn’t be bothering ourselves with a Volt website now would we.

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Compare ALL SUV’s to ALL hybrids would be a better comparison but the comparison is pointless either way. People want and need suv’s. Deal with it.

Hybrid technology isn’t about getting the most miles per gallon from “A” car it is more about either
1. importing less oil.
2. saving money at the gas station.

Like it or not (and you should) putting hybrid technology into bigger cars is where the technology saves the most.

By: ziv

ziv — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:32:32 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficients
Sorry, put the Wiki aerodynamics link in the wrong place in the last post.

By: ziv

ziv — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:31:02 +0000

Noel, you are right, the Prius has the lowest cd of any car currently in production. I like the ‘pregnant skateboard’ look a little better now…

By: noel park

noel park — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:41:55 +0000

I think that the “styling” of the Prius was dominated by aero considerations. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought I read that it has the lowest Cd in the industry.

It won’t make anybody forget the Ferrari 275 GTB but, if you believe as I do that form follows function, you have to give them credit. I hope that the Volt does as well.

It reminds me of the controversial debut of the C5 Corvette with its decidedly bulbous tail. It came straight out of the wind tunnel. While styling is a matter of taste, no one can argue with the astounding highway fuel mileage of the C5, let alone its racing successes.

By: SteveF

SteveF — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:11:47 +0000

Couple of interesting comparison on this MPG. The Saturn Vue Hybrid get better MPG than the Saturn Aura Hybrid (just one mile difference). Another interesting point is that the 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid gets better MPG then the new 2008 Honda Accord (this is LX with the smallest engine) with 21 mpg/31 mpg. Of course the Accord is not hybrid but the Accord always has the perception of being greener than one of those SUVs. I for myself own two small cars but maybe improving the MPG on SUV like Vue can be make a difference.

By: O.Jeff

O.Jeff — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:29:16 +0000

I will definitely consider the plug-in dual-mode hybrid Vue when it comes out.
I much prefer the upright seating position and greater utility afforded by the compact SUV form factor versus the 4-door sedan form factor.