Relay may not win minivan race, but it’s in the running

[91 s-10baja]

April 1, 2005

Saturn has a minivan to sell at last, and while it's little more than a warmed-over Chevrolet Venture, the Relay is an acceptable effort, and it's sold by dealers with one of the best reputations in the business for keeping customers happy.

The Relay falls short of the competition, though, in power, in cargo room and in the lack of a third seat that can disappear into the floor instead of having to be hauled out to create maximum room for gear.

The seven-passenger Saturn Relay is a cousin of the freshened Venture, which was renamed Uplander for '05, as well as variants sold by Pontiac and Buick as the Montana SV6 and Terraza, respectively.

The disappointment begins the first time one drives the vehicle and finds a vague steering system and a too-soft suspension, both discouraging any quick cornering. The 200-hp. V-6 engine is fine around town but runs out of breath in highway driving when a little more oomph is needed for passing or maintaining speed on long upgrades.

Sluggish handling and just-adequate power are common in minivans, although the Honda Odyssey discussed in this space Dec. 17 was a far more enjoyable vehicle to drive, with 255 hp. under its hood. The 240-hp. Nissan Quest discussed in this space Jan. 2 of last year also was a standout in handling, though it has to be noted that Consumer Reports recently reported the Quest as worse than average in mechanical reliability, based on the magazine's reader surveys.

A selling point for the Relay and its corporate cousins is the availability of all-wheel drive, something offered in few minivans. The need to leave room for all-wheel-drive gearing is the reason given by GM for the lack of a disappearing third seat, although Toyota manages to offer both all-wheel drive and a disappearing seat by eliminating the Sienna's spare tire and offering run-flats instead.

The AWD and SUV-like styling touches prompt GM to call these entries "family utility vehicles." The Relay can tow up to 3,500 pounds, Saturn says. Note, however, that this all-wheel-drive system is for going in snow, not for serious off-roading. For that, you still have to buy an SUV with a four-wheel-drive system that offers low range.

Unlike Saturn's Ion small car and its Vue SUV, the Relay has an all-steel unitized body. The Ion and Vue are constructed of space frames to which body panels, mostly polymer, are attached.

The Relay and its Chevrolet and Buick corporate cousins have an almost-perfect federal government safety rating for protection of occupants in front and side impacts. (The Montana scored less well, for reasons not clear, given its similarity.)

Chrysler Corp.'s Dodge and Chrysler minivans, by the way, turned in perfect scores, while the Sienna's and Odyssey's were almost perfect.

The Relay is available with seat-mounted side-impact air bags that Saturn says offer chest and head protection. Also available is stability control to help control sideways skids.

The Relay rides comfortably and is reasonably quiet - important attributes for a family vehicle likely to be taken on extended trips. The interior boasts the usual array of storage cubbies and cup holders one expects in a minivan, as well as a 115-volt power outlet in the cargo area.

Controls for lamps, heater, AC and stereo are simple and well-placed. Gauges are clearly readable by day or night.

When the third seat is folded, its back becomes part of a false floor that's 6 inches or so higher than the real floor. To take advantage of this van's full cargo height and length, one has to remove two storage boxes behind the third seat, remove the third seat itself and then flip-fold or remove the second-row seat. Even then, according to manufacturers' specifications, the Relay offers fewer cubic feet of storage space than Grand Caravan, Sienna, Odyssey and Quest.

Relays come in two basic equipment levels, 2 and 3. Prices begin at $24,485 with freight. That includes four-wheel disc brakes with antilock and a DVD player for rear-seaters, plus General Motors' OnStar, the highly desirable roadside assistance and travel concierge-system hardware.

All-wheel-drive models come only in level 3 and start at $30,570, again with freight.

I sampled a level 3 model with front-drive only, and it did just fine in the memorable March 8 ice-and-snow storm that turned metropolitan area highways into toboggan runs. Antilock brakes and traction control were there, just in case, but the tires were good enough so that I never needed the former and saw the latter activate just once on a 30-mile trip.

Options brought the tester's final price with freight to $29,295. The extras included a $995 power package you can easily do without that includes ultrasonic rear parking assist (it beeps if you're about to back into something or someone) and dual sliding doors. The traction control was packaged with side-impact air bags for $545. And another $175 added remote starting, another handy helper on cold winter (or hot summer) days that allows the driver to preheat or precool the car.

It's too soon to tell how the Relay will measure up in quality. Early Saturns were top-drawer. More recent ones have been spotty, based on Consumer Reports reader surveys.

2005 Saturn Relay

Vehicle tested:

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6, 200 hp.

Transmission: Four-speed

automatic, front-wheel drive.

Safety: Dual front and seat-mounted side-impact head and chest protection air bags, four-wheel disc brakes with antilock, three-point belts in all seven seating positions, ultrasonic

obstacle warning system.

Place of assembly: Doraville, Ga.

Weight: 4,344 pounds.

Cargo room: Second- and third-row seats in place/removed, cubic feet 26.9/136.5.

Fuel economy rating: 18 mpg city, 24 highway.

Price as driven: $29,295

including destination charge.
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