It's So Easy Being Green

Green is the new black, my friends. The "globally cool" folks have been doing it for years now, with their cloth bags and energy-efficient light bulbs. They not only hug trees, they plant them. They buy organic, carpool, and very rarely run the dishwasher.

It's a level of coolness I've only fantasized for myself - me, with the plastic grocery bags and energy-deficient light bulbs. I may be green alright - if only with envy.

So when PBN offered me the opportunity to test-drive a Saturn VUE Greenline Hybrid, you better believe I jumped at the chance.



The nice folks at GM delivered a brand new vehicle to my doorstep, a sporty-looking SUV with a Michigan license plate that really got the neighbors talking. Do you have relatives visiting from Michigan? Hey, how do you like your hybrid? They gave you a car?

Before I could give this vehicle a fair assessment, I had to stop comparing it to every car I had ever driven, from zippy little two-doors to whale-sized minivans.

I had never driven a hybrid, a vehicle that relies on both standard and electric power for better fuel economy - in this case an average of 29 MPG (27 city MPG/32 highway MPG).

I was told that the engine would shut down when I stopped at red lights, the revving hum reduced to a quiet purr. A green "ECO" fuel economy indicator light on the front panel was my cue that the engine was indeed purring.

For the two weeks I drove around town in the Saturn VUE, slowing to a stop at every red light, stop sign, and passing squirrel, the ECO light continually flashed to green. I wondered just how much gas I was saving. According to the sticker for my vehicle, the estimated annual fuel cost would be $1,371. (But at $4/gallon? Who knows.)

What I do know is that I enjoyed the sporty look and feel of the VUE. It's an attractive, manageable-sized SUV that gets a lot of second glances from passing drivers. The word "hybrid" inscribed on the side panel might have had something to do with that. Personally, I enjoyed my moment in the sun, the appearance of global coolness if only for the duration of my test drive.

I put the VUE to the test, loading it with squirmy children, overflowing shopping bags, and curious friends. The roomy, leather interior was sleek and comfortable, and my children always asked, "Can we take the Saturn? Please???" before an outing. I was comforted by the presence of OnStar, and enjoyed many imaginary conversations with a friendly OnStar operator who always promised to get me out of a ditch or to the nearest Starbucks.

The trunk boasts a convenient cargo bay, perfect for smaller purchases - the equivalent of, say, three to four cloth bags filled with organic granola and eco bulbs.

Once, when I needed to join some friends for a group yard work escapade and bring my own rake and shovel, I discovered how easy it was to lower one or both portions of the back seat to create a large open trunk space. (And yes, I made sure to line the pristine interior with plastic, lest I leave an unsightly mark.)



Perhaps the best thing about the Saturn VUE Greenline Hybrid is the price. The sticker for my vehicle listed the cost at $23,750 - thousands of dollars below other hybrids on the market. When you also consider the federal incentives for buying a hybrid vehicle, the VUE is a smart choice.

I'm definitely more green these days. I take shorter showers (did you know that showers account for 2/3s of water heating costs?) and keep my thermostat on the down low - as in two degrees down in the winter.

And next time I'm in the market to buy a car, I'll definitely consider the Saturn VUE Greenline Hybrid.

You may read other PBN reviews of the Saturn VUE Greenline Hybrid HERE.