Driving Impressions

The Saturn Outlook offers a nice ride and it feels stable on the road. To gain interior space, the Outlook uses a long wheelbase with short overhangs as well as a wide track. Pushing the four wheels out to the corners like that also results in a better ride and more stability on the road. The overall weight of 4,900 pounds contributes to that smooth ride, though that weight pales in comparison to that of a 5500-pound Tahoe. The 3.6-liter engine adds direct injection for 2009, improving from 275 to 288 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque to 270 in the XR model with dual exhaust. The XE model has single exhaust, and is rated at 281 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. The 3.6-liter V6 engine has always handled the Outlook?s weight well, but it now feels a bit more responsive at low- and mid-range speeds. The torque peaks at a conveniently low 3400 rpm, so the acceleration happens early. We never felt the need for more power. The acceleration was always there, and at 80 miles per hour it felt very smooth and extremely quiet. The Outlook?s fuel economy easily beats that of traditional SUVs and compares well to smaller crossover SUVs. The Outlook's EPA-rated 17/24 mpg City/Highway (16/23 mpg with all-wheel drive) is comparable to that of the Ford Edge with its similar and comparable V6, but the Edge is smaller and only seats five. Steering and handling is above average for a vehicle this size, a benefit of the Outlook?s car-like structure. It?s far more direct and responsive than in any large SUV, especially GM?s big SUVs, which are notorious for their numb and sloppy steering. The six-speed automatic transmission works well, and we usually left it in Drive. However, a button on the side of the shift knob can be pressed with your thumb for manual shifting when driving in changing terrain or in traffic. We enjoyed using the manual feature and liked the tight gear changes. The all-wheel-drive system sends 60 percent of the power to the front wheels and 40 percent to the rear on dry pavement, and adjusts that ratio when the sensors detect slipping. That 60/40 split is more balanced than most; some systems are heavily balanced to the front, some as much as 95/5. The Outlook's system is better balanced than those. It's not uncommon to detect a difference in the ride, between a front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive version of the same vehicle, and it's usually the front-wheel- drive model that's smoother. In this case, we think the front suspension of the AWD model felt tighter and less jouncy, firmer and more comfortable at the same time. That contributed to the good handling.

Final Word

The Saturn Outlook is an attractive and practical vehicle that seats eight people more comfortably than most. Its legroom and Smart Slide feature make entry to the third row a snap. It gets much better fuel economy than a comparable truck-based SUV yet its V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission deliver responsive acceleration performance. Unless you need heavy duty towing capacity, the Outlook makes much more sense than a large, truck-based SUV. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from Southern California. Kirk Bell contributed from Chicago.