the green machine

Both of our cars are over a decade old, and we've kept them because both get relatively good gas mileage and because we are cheap. Lately though, we've been wondering what we'll do when one of them finally takes it's final bow.

So when parent bloggers offered a chance to test drive Saturn's new hybrid, I jumped at the chance. If there is any new car in our future, it has to be a hybrid. We can't stomach it otherwise, the knowledge that we could do our small part in this way is obvious.

And what a car it is. The Saturn Vue Greenline is awesome. It's a hybrid SUV, but on the smallish side, which in my opinion is a very good thing. It doesn't get the gas mileage of a Prius, but it does boast the best mileage of any SUV on the market - 32 miles to the gallon - which might be as good as a smaller car but if you require a larger vehicle to hold a few kids and a dog, you can still do your part for the planet while avoiding a minivan. It's a win-win.

Aside from the gas mileage, what I really liked about the car was how quiet it was. At stoplights the engine would shut off for a period of time (thus saving the planet) and it felt like we were in a library, it was that quiet. It was roomy, comfortable, and practically drove itself. And it's reasonably priced for this sort of car - $23K or so with all the fancy bits.

My family doesn't require a car this big, but if I did, I'd consider this over a gas sucking SUV any day of the week.