NCTD: 2008 Saturn Outlook

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Walk Around

Saturn calls the Outlook a mid-size SUV, but it's bigger than most mid-size SUVs and just slightly shorter than a Chevy Tahoe full-size SUV.

The Outlook looks sleek and modern, certainly by SUV standards, though it doesn't have the boldness of the Ford Edge.

The grille with a wide chrome bar and Saturn logo proudly announces itself, and stands out against a black background. The black air dam at the bottom slices a rigid horizontal line across the chin, and its contrast against the body color makes the fascia look like the edge of a cliff. Large trapezoidal openings for the foglamps look like wicked eyes a cartoonist might draw, and above them the similar-shaped headlamps fill the corners of the car; foglamps are unavailable on the XE, leaving big black holes there. A character groove down the center of the hood finishes it all off. In short, the Outlook presents a good-looking face.

From the side, the nose is conspicuously short and rounded. The styling invites the eye rearward, as the roof sweeps straight back and appears as a thin sliver at its trailing edge. The dark rear glass takes over, wrapping around about 40 percent of the vehicle, finally stopped by a wide sloping C-pillar. The fender flares are fat, and the six-spoke alloy wheels are clean and unpretentious, with six beefy lugs in the hub.

At the rear, the Outlook loses some of its style. The black dam matches the front, making the SUV look like it has super high ground clearance. The taillights are ordinary, and the chrome over the license plate doesn't add anything. We find the look of the XE with its body-colored trim cleaner than the XR with its chromed door handles and roof rails.