Saturn's hybrid Vue not so green

Dan Neil in the LA Times says that the new Saturn VUE takes a low budget approach to the hybrid vehicle that isn't very satisfying. He says the car feels cheap and the gas mileage improvements are pretty minimal compared to other manufacturers like Toyota.

The salient advantage of the Vue hybrid system, says Saturn, is its low cost — under $2,000 (the vehicle MSRP is $22,995). This is key to calculating the endlessly chewed-over hybrid premium equation, which is the additional cost of the system weighed against the potential fuel cost savings. According to Saturn, the Vue's two-grand system rewards drivers with a 20% improvement in fuel economy. (Not to be pedantic, but by my calculations, the 2.2-liter Vue has a combined EPA of 24.5 mpg, so the improvement is numerically 17%, not 20%.)

I looked at the Vue about 3 years ago, but ended up buying a Honda CRV which was bigger, got better mileage and cost less.