Getting inside Vue is easy, thanks to wide door openings and a low step-in height. Despite the Vue's high beltline, visibility is good, providing a panoramic view. Big mirrors afford good visibility rearward.

The switchgear is well designed and easy to operate. Heating and air conditioning controls are straightforward and easy to operate, but look like they came from a compact car. The window switches are located on the center console, making them harder to find quickly than if they were on the door. The Vue's interior is still not perfect. The flimsy lid for the center console is still here and we felt a rough edge on the inside door handles. But overall, the 2004 Saturn Vue has a nice interior.

The stereo is nicely designed and attractive. New audio options for 2004 include AM/FM/CD with MP3 ($150-$440), six-CD changer with MP3 ($650-$940), and CD/DVD with MP3. (Prices are higher on four-cylinder models.) Also available is XM Satellite Radio ($325, plus a monthly subscription of $9.99). It's a great option to have when traveling because the stations don't change as you drive across the country. Around town, XM Satellite Radio is nice to have for listening to the 24-hour news and sports broadcasts, or for staying tuned into your favorite types of music (classical, jazz, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s). You still get ads, but fewer and less obnoxious than what you hear on FM.

The rear seats recline slightly (7 degrees) for comfort by pulling on a latch behind the seat. There's lots of rear-seat headroom, though the seating position is low enough to make our knees ride a little high. A rear-seat DVD entertainment system ($995) is available on late-2004 models. Back-seat passengers can view a movie on a fold-down, 7-inch LCD screen. The system includes remote control and dual wireless headphones, so rear passengers can listen to CDs or watch a movie while front-seat passengers can either listen to the DVD program or to the car's regular audio system.

The Vue is a good vehicle for carrying cargo. The standard 70/30 split folding rear bench seat provides versatile stowage of longer items while carrying rear passengers. Even the front passenger seat folds flat, providing room for an eight-foot ladder or fly rod or lumber. The nearly flat load floor in the rear is a result of the compact all-wheel-drive system. Of particular note are the configurable cargo spaces: A cargo organizer folds out of the floor to corral smaller objects; it's important to fully snap it closed when put away, however, or it will make a small rattle that disturbs the Vue's otherwise quiet ride. There are hooks for grocery bags and two compartments sized specifically for gallon jugs, a welcome convenience on late-night food runs. Tie-downs provide for the safe transport of a wide variety of goods. Three power outlets provide opportunities to plug in toys or tools. The rear hatch is easy to open and close.

In the safety department, the Vue gets high marks. Laudable are its space-age frame and optional head-curtain airbags ($395) designed to provide head protection in a side impact or rollover. New for 2004 are front seat-belt pre-tensioners, and dual-stage air bags that inflate less forcefully in a less-severe crash, reducing the chance that the airbag itself will cause an injury. The Vue also comes with a rear-center shoulder belt, not found on many compact SUVs; and with child-seat tether anchors for all three seating positions.

GM's OnStar security and information service ($695) works well as a navigation system because there's nothing to program. Press the button and a human operator responds, to provide directions and other assistance. The operators vary a bit in the proficiency, of course, but most of them are friendly and knowledgeable, and it's sometimes fun to engage them in conversation on long trips. OnStar always knows the location of your vehicle, they can direct you to the nearest gas station or help find a good restaurant or motel. The OnStar staff will notify authorities of your location if your airbag goes off and you do not respond to their calls, or you can press the emergency button and they'll send out the troops. OnStar can unlock your doors if you lock the keys inside and, if your vehicle is stolen, they can pinpoint its location and direct the authorities to apprehend the bad guys and recover your vehicle.