By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National June 23, 2008Vehicle Overview
Saturn's large Outlook crossover seats seven or eight. Available in two trim levels - XE and XR with front- or all-wheel drive - the Outlook competes with the Ford Taurus X, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.
New for 2009
The 2009 Saturn Outlook gets an updated 3.6-liter V-6 and new cloth upholstery in XE models.
Exterior
Where Outlook XE models have a single exhaust outlet, the XR has twins with slick, squared-off exhaust tips. For 2009, those exhaust tips are downturned — eliminating the need for cutouts in the rear bumper. The Outlook is 201 inches long and 79 inches wide, wider than any of its competitors and longer than the Highlander and Pilot. The Taurus X is roughly the same length as the Outlook.
- Standard 18-inch wheels
- Optional 20-inch wheels
- Optional heated side mirrors with turn-signal repeaters
- Rear lip spoiler
Interior
Whether equipped with a bench or captain's chairs, the second row features what Saturn calls Smart Slide: For third-row access, a single lever slides the second-row chair (or 60/40-split row) forward. Passenger volume is 154 cubic feet. There's decent cargo volume behind the seats, roughly 20 cubic feet. Cargo volume with the seats down is 117 cubic feet. The Outlook's interior is larger than its competitors in both cargo and passenger capacity.
- Available leather upholstery in XE
- Optional dual sunroof
- Available 5.1 Bose surround-sound system
- DVD video and navigation system
- Standard XM Satellite Radio
- Optional Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity
- Image from available backup camera displays on screen mounted in rearview mirror in models without navigation system; otherwise displays on nav screen
Under the Hood
The Outlook's engine is upgraded with direct-injection technology, which provides added power and increased fuel efficiency. All-wheel-drive models feature an Active On Demand system that manages the torque split between the front and rear axles, putting more power to different axles as needed.
- In XE, 281-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 (253 pounds-feet of torque)
- In XR, 288-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 (270 pounds-feet of torque)
- Six-speed automatic transmission with clutch-to-clutch shift operation
- Available intelligent all-wheel-drive system
Safety
The Outlook includes many common safety features and a few rarities in this price range. Side curtain airbags are designed to pre-emptively engage if there's an imminent rollover threat and remain inflated to increase passenger containment during a rollover.
- Dual-stage front airbags
- Front-seat-mounted side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags
- Electronic stability control and traction control
- Antilock braking system
- Panic brake assist that helps drivers in emergency braking
- OnStar comes standard, including one free year of Safe and Sound service, which alerts authorities in the event of a collision and provides crash data
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | June 23, 2008 |
Affiliate Reviews
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | December 13, 2008 |
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