Books and DVDs and diapers are all wonderful, no question about it.  Our reviewers take whatever comes their way, trying it out eagerly and writing about it cheerfully.  But a week-long, at-home, no-pressure test-drive of a new hybrid SUV - the Saturn VUE Green Line?  As one blogger put it: “…when I was offered the chance to test drive a new Saturn VUE, I jumped at it.  In fact, I jumped so hard that I think I knocked over the nice people offering.”

When Baby #2 is on the horizon, parents typically abandon their trusty sedans and upgrade to a minivan or SUV - often stretching the budget not only to buy the new gas-guzzler, but to fill ‘er up.  Parents who are expecting a second child and are out car-shopping have “trouble finding one that was both large enough for our growing family and priced within reason. I have always been a supporter of fuel efficient vehicles, but found it discouraging that the models on the market didn’t fit the needs of the average American family. Saturn has found a way to fix that with the VUE Green Line Hybrid, which combines ample space for tots and their associated gear and a sticker price that won’t force you to sell off a kid just to pay for it.”

Across the board, our bloggers loved the VUE Green Line:  “The VUE is fun to drive, responsive and dare I say, zippy. With its hybrid engine, emissions are reduced and gas mileage is increased, making VUE not only a fun car to drive, but a responsible one, as well. Judging from the interest at every stop light and parking lot, I would say that the Saturn VUE is one hot little number as well.”  One blogger noted the “fold up cargo bay for smaller purchases. Those pesky grocery sacks won’t have a chance to spew groceries all over.”

Even bloggers with kid/carpool combos that necessitate three rows of seats were tempted by the VUE:  “On Tuesday and Thursday you will pass me eleventy times going in circles as two of my children have overlapping activities on both the start and finish time; a hybrid is perfect for this situation as I really did notice the fuel economy.”

No wonder my mother never let me participate in any activities that weren’t within walking distance.  Whew.

One blogger “had to stand on [her] tiptoes to reach the top of the door to close it after unloading groceries.”  Another blogger noted that “there is a small green button inside the vehicle that, when pressed, also economized the AC. I wasn’t aware that this feature was on, and I found it mildly annoying that the AC cut out every time I came to a red light.”  And a few bloggers were slightly unnerved by the workings of the engine:  “The engine actually shuts off when the car is idling (stop signs, red lights) and at that point the SUV is powered by the electrical system.”  But “as soon as my foot lifted off the brake, the engine went back to a normal idle. It only freaked me out the first couple times.”

The kids loved the VUE: “When my oldest climbed into the VUE, her first words were:
Mom! I know why they call this a VUE! It has the best view of any back seat I’ve ever ridden in! As much fun as I had, I would wager the kids had even more fun,” and so did the husbands: “He showed all of his co-workers and took clients to lunch in it.”

And the bloggers did too - “In a word - L.O.V.E.“  As that first admittedly eager reviewer concluded, “I really did love the VUE and the fact that Saturn and GM are moving closer towards being more economically friendly and help to protect rather than harm our environment.  I hope more companies jump in and start realizing that larger families need options that are economically and environmentally friendly.”

We’ve got more reviews of the Saturn VUE Green Line coming up!  Check the schedule below - we’ll update it with the final few reviews and the date of the Round-Up Review here at PBN.

5/11 - Ruthless in the Suburbs
5/14 - Stuff Con Queso
5/16 - One Plus Two
5/21 - 24/7
5/23 - Cape Buffalo
5/25 - Midwestern Mommy
6/1 - Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting
6/8 - Binkytown

*If you’re looking for the Blog Blast, we’ll be rounding up the posts starting later today with a winner being announced on Sunday!