Saturn may be a little late getting into the SUV game, but it looks like the timing of their new product is spot on. With rising gas prices and concerns over the need for larger and larger SUVs, the VUE comes to market in a palatable size with plenty of room for five adults and a host of standard safety features.

Saturn cars—and now SUVs— have a strong familial resemblance that is more than skin deep. The VUE is based on a car-like architecture that helps it to ride and handle more like a sporty sedan; the design also helps the VUE achieve a good crash test rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Traffic Safety. The VUE shares another trait with its car brethren: dent-resistant side panels. A Saturn first, these tough polymer panels look and feel like metal, but react very differently when impacted. The fact that the side panels resist dings and dents all but guarantees that your VUE will keep on looking new, year after year.

Saturn has clearly taken the time to try and figure out what their SUV needed to stand out from the crowd. Instead of a flashy design and oversized wheels, the Saturn team concentrated on the little things that mean a lot. Take the interior design for example; here you'll find a host of clever compartments, including two rear bins designed to hold a 1-gallon milk jug firmly in place. There are rear hooks for hanging plastic grocery bags and a pull strap for easily pulling down the rear hatch when it is open. Up front you'll find two comfortable bucket seats divided by a wide center console with more storage areas and a set of dual cup holders. You'll find the transmission shifter to be placed within easy reach, centered in a protruding pod that extends from the lower dash. We like this design because it allows you to easily reach the shifter without having it block the instruments, as is the case with most column-mounted shift rods.

Rear seat passengers also enjoy an open and roomy space, highlighted by a reclining 70/30 split-bench seat. Unlike many small SUV's, the VUE retains a good amount of cargo volume behind the second row seat for luggage, groceries or the kid's gear. Fold the second row seat flat and the VUE doubles its cargo hauling ability; the front passenger seat even folds completely flat so you can load in really long objects and still close the rear hatch. We also found that entry and exit of the rear seat was made easy by the VUE's low step in height and long rear doors.

If it can be said that the VUE shines in minor details, it can also be said that it excels in the most major detail of all: safety. Besides the crash worthiness of its excellent body frame, the VUE includes such necessary features as the LATCH child safety seat anchor system, three-point safety belts at all five seating positions and a head-curtain side airbag that drops from the ceiling in the event of a collision.

The VUE's power and drivetrain options are as flexible as its polymer side panels. You can combine either front-wheel or all-wheel drive with your choice of a frugal four or potent six-cylinder engine. The base VUE comes standard with a 2.2-liter Ecotec engine that produces a respectable 143 horsepower. We've experienced the Ecotec in other GM cars, but never in a vehicle as heavy as the VUE. To our great delight, we found the little four most willing to serve, with good low-end power and a fairly respectable fuel consumption rate. VUEs equipped with the four cylinder engine come standard with a 5-speed-manual transmission but offer the option of a very cool Vti (continuously variable transmission) automatic that can accelerate the VUE almost as quickly as the manual and returns nearly the same fuel economy.

Buyers who want more power can opt for the 3.0-liter V6 that develops 181-horsepower and comes standard with a 5-speed automatic; the additional gear helps save fuel at cruising speeds as well as reducing engine noise inside the cabin.

As far as driving the VUE is concerned, we think you'll find the experience to be rather car-like. The VUE feels well-balanced, negotiating turns and dips much the way the L300 sedan does, which is to say very well. The VUE uses an electric power steering unit that feels just like a traditional pump-driven system but does not tax the engine with the added burden of an additional belt and pulley. The system knows to boost assist during low speed maneuvers—such as parallel parking—and reduce it when running at faster speeds where too much assist can disconnect the driver from the road.

Base models start at a very reasonable $17,000 and include front-wheel drive, air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, alarm system with engine immobilizer, illuminated entry, daytime running lights, rear window defroster, front and rear power outlets, AM/FM stereo radio, tilt steering wheel, tachometer and rear wiper. Fully loaded models can include leather seating, premium audio system, power glass sunroof, traction control (2WD) and heated front seats.