New version of old clutch

This Saturn won't downshift at every hill as many automatics tend to do

When I was a kid, my dad and I built a couple of model cars powered by tiny 1-horsepower gasoline engines. No one had ever heard of a "go cart" back then, and besides, these little cars were much more elaborate. Built of wood, they had hoods and trunks that opened, horns and fenders, and they looked as much like a real roadster as we could possibly make them.

It took real finesse to get the first one we built moving without stalling the little engine. I'd rev up the engine with the foot throttle and then slowly engage the hand clutch lever. If I was lucky, the engine didn't stall and the car moved forward. There was no transmission, so the gear ratio was chosen after much experimentation, and the performance left much to be desired. Dad was eventually transferred to another Air Force base, and that car was left behind. The next car we built used a modern-for-the-time centrifugal clutch, which smoothly engaged the drive belt as the engine rpm increased. What a revolution! Step on the gas and away you go! Plus, as the engine speed accelerated, the gear ratio automatically increased as the drive pulley grew larger due to centrifugal force ... an automatic transmission! No more stalling engine, no more power-robbing idler pulley. The little automatic clutch was cheap, light and efficient, and it made me look like a good driver!

Which brings me to this week's test vehicle, a 2004 Saturn VUE with front-wheel drive. I initially thought something was wrong with the SUV's transmission ... it seemed to be slipping. As I accelerated, the engine speed didn't keep up with the vehicle speed. At times the tachometer would hold steady at 5,000 rpm, but the vehicle would be accelerating. When I'd release the accelerator, the engine speed would slowly drop to 2,000 rpm. When I'd climb a hill at a steady 70 mph, the engine would smoothly gain about 1,000! This was GM's modern version of the old centrifugal clutch. They call it the "VTi variable" transmission, and its main components are a steel drive belt and two pulleys which can vary in size according to power and load conditions. Although I found the sifting characteristics a bit unsettling at first, I soon grew used to it and even liked it by the time I turned the test car in.

The VUE is another compact, car-based SUV competing with the Mazda Tribute, Ford Escape, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav-4 and others. As I have explained previously in this column, these vehicles are not intended for serious off-road use because they lack frames, skid plates and two-speed transfer cases for slow crawling over rough terrain. The VUE does have outstanding ground clearance of 8 inches, but you would still be asking for trouble if you try to follow a Jeep or a Hummer to your favorite remote camping site.

According to the owner's manual, the VUE is intended for paved roads, and that's where most SUVs are driven, anyway. Keep it where it belongs, and you should be pretty happy with a VUE. Considering the low price ($18,560, before add-ons) the 4 cylinder VUE is quiet at cruising speeds, and handles and rides well. It reminded me a lot of the Honda Element, with its squared-off styling, front-wheel drive with available all-wheel drive, and independent suspension. But there are also a lot of differences, such as the electric power steering with variable assist; the fold-flat front passenger seatback that allows carrying extra long items such as a kayak; the fold-flat rear seats with two-position reclining seat backs; and available OnStar communications system.

My VUE was equipped with a 2.2 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with twin balance shafts. It produced 143 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 152 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. It started and ran smoothly, and mated to the VTi transmission, it provided adequate, but not peppy, performance. I was particularly impressed with the power delivery when climbing and descending hills on the interstate. That irritating tendency of many automatic transmissions to downshift at every hill is eliminated -- or at least not noticed -- with the VTi transmission because the shifting is seamless.

The VUE has large, easy-to-read instruments with a clean white face with dark numerals. The steering wheel has a tilt feature that actually has enough movement to make a difference, and the wheel itself is the right size. Who needs a huge steering wheel when you have power steering? Thankfully, though, Saturn chose to put the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel where you can see them.

The rear end is attractively styled and features a lift gate, which I feel is more convenient than a swing-open gate. Inside is a nifty foldaway plastic storage compartment designed to keep your groceries or sports equipment from rolling around. Unlike the VUE's competition, folding the rear seats to create extra cargo capacity can be done with one hand tied behind your back. You don't even have to remove the headrests!

My VUE, provided by Cape Saturn, came equipped with a power driver's seat, power windows, remote entry, sunroof, floor mats and alloy wheels and listed for the no-haggle price of $22,320, which seems fair enough. No haggle? As you probably know, in Saturn's view there should be no haggling over price, and a lot of people like that. In my VUE, it doesn't get any simpler than that.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian.