A few years ago we purchased a 2000 SL2 with the 1.9 DOHC for my daughters first car and it was (heavy on the 'was') the perfect little ride for her and was as reliable as an anvil. Well, she cracked it up this past week and we are looking for a replacement ride for her so I come to this forum seeking advise.


She will be driving this car probably 50 miles a day going to work/school/beach and wherever else 19 year old girls go so I need it to be reliable. I am looking for another SL2 but am crapping out finding one that isn't totally clapped out.

She has shown a ton of initiative and has started selling her wares at flea markets and street fairs and said that she would like something a little bigger, like an SUV so I started looking at the VUE's, which I know absolutely nothing about.

We don't have a ton of money and her timing could not have been worse so when I ran across this local Craigslist ad, it caught my eye but I need to know what I am looking at here. So, I ask you to take a look at this ad and tell me what you think.

Saturn Vue 2003 perfect condition good shape and clean miles146k$2000

I've heard some bad things about some of the V6's and transmissions that Saturn used but have no first hand experience with them so what should I look for in particular when inspecting these cars? What kind of hidden 'gotchas' do I need to be aware of?

Are there any suggestions as to what models, engine/driveline combos I should avoid altogether? BTW, manual transmissions are a non-starter for her.

I am active on a couple of other forums so I know what a wealth of information they can be so I thank you in advance for your input.

 

I've never owned a Vue, but from what I've read about the automatics, unless your daughter can drive a stick and you find one, just DON'T get a Vue. If I wanted a small, reliable SUV, I'd look for a Rav4. Sorry, but that's just the way I feel. At 19, she should be happy with whatever YOU decide to get for her, regardless of what it is. If that's such an "EXCELLENT" vehicle, you have to ask why they're getting rid of it. At least that's what I wonder.

 

I appreciate the input. I'm not overly concerned with what she "wants" but if I could have my cake and eat it too, I figure why not.

If I handed her the keys to a plow mule, she would be grateful.

 

The 2003 6 cyl Vues came with the L81 3.0L V6 from the L-Series and five-speed Aisin AF33 automatic transmission . The CVT trannys (= timebomb) were only available with the 4 cyls so you are safe on that.

Gotta wait for more feedback from others -- I'm not a Vue guy

 

Thanks for that 411. We wound up pulling the trigger on an 02 Trailblazer LT with the straight 6 4.2L.

I really hated to see her crack up that little Saturn because it was such a good car but it's just a bucket of bolts and everybody walked away ok so it did its job in spades.