Oh Saturn, where have you been all my life?

Remember back in middle school how one year all the boys were slightly awkward, not-quite-coordinated friends who transformed magically over the summer into tall, handsome football players whose name you suddenly drew all over your third period math notebook?

Well, friends, I'm kind of thinking the new breed of Saturns are a bit like that. And I'm not ashamed to say that I am suddenly crushing on a couple of these cars.

I had the chance to take a spin in any of 4 new cars featured at the Ride and Drive down at The Lobby at Atlantic Station and I have to say I will never think of Saturns the same way again. BlogHer arranged for the folks at GM/Saturn to provide an Outlook, Sky Roadster, Aura, and a sneak peak at the Vue 2-mode hybrid for Atlanta area bloggers to test drive.

I dragged Thomas along with me to check out the cars and we ditched the car seats (and the kiddos) for an evening out so we could chill with the BlogHer and GM/Saturn people and see what these "new" Saturns were all about.

And, just so you don't think my opinion was swayed simply by a clean car without goldfish crackers ground into the carpet I'm going to give you a play-by-play of my favorite Saturn features.


One of the reasons I decided to go to the event (besides the chance to mingle with Atlanta area bloggers at The Lobby and score some free food) was to take a spin in the Saturn Red Line. This stylish little (and I do mean little) roadster was the furthest thing from my big ol' minivan so it was really nice to speed around town in this car. It was quick, fun, and sporty and it was nice not to feel like a boring mommy of two (soon to be three) even if it was just for an 11 mile spin around the downtown area!

While it was definitely too small for me to contemplate bringing home anytime soon, it would be so completely perfect for a weekend car. That is, if we were the type of people who actually had "weekend cars." A convertible top, stylish exterior, and smooth and speedy ride made this something I so would have bought pre-kids.

(The Saturn Sky Roadster)

Next, I let Thomas take the wheel in the Outlook while I navigated from the front seat just so I could play with all the gadgets and features that were in the vehicle. There was an iPod jack in the front dash, heated seats, a sunroof, and so many features that I never expected to find inside. It was a nice roomy car that actually had a third row seat that was pretty easy to access as opposed to some other similarly sized SUVs. I could totally see moving to the Outlook after our kids get old enough to buckle themselves in their own seats. It was really stylish and felt surprisingly luxurious inside. But the most important thing I discovered is that I am absolutely obsessed with having built in XM radio accessible through the totally cool in-dash touch screen. Oh, how I LOVED this feature! That coupled with the availability of OnStar in all of these cars makes me think a Saturn would be an awesome option once we decide to make the move back to a two-car family.

By far my favorite vehicle, though, was the Vue 2-mode hybrid. This was a hybrid I could bring home. I actually got to drive this one with a Saturn rep hanging out in the backseat and telling me all the features the Vue had available.

(The Vue 2-mode Hybrid)

And, that friendly guy from Saturn was even super nice when I accidentally peeled out in front of another car and ended up squealing tires! I guess it was the perfect way to test it in "real" Atlanta driving conditions. The Vue (unlike any other hybrid) features a V-6 engine which meant it was super sporty and fun to drive. And, wow, was it quiet. I mean, there was no engine noise to speak of because, well, it's mostly electric but also those smart folks at Saturn made sure all those funky sounds that come along with electric cars were masked as well. Seriously, I could totally bring one of the Vue 2-mode hybrids home with me. And, since it has the built in XM radio (did I mention the a touch screen?!) it would make me both environmental and cool!

(My new obsession - is it wrong to lust after a touch screen?)

The night wasn't over after we took the cars for a spin, though, and one of the best parts of the night was hanging out with some fantastic Atlanta bloggy chicks and the cool, cool guys from GM/Saturn. Pretty much my dream night out. Except for the fact that being preggo at the bar with free drinks was a bit like torture, the evening couldn't have been more perfect. (Please BlogHer invite me to another one once I'm no longer growing a person inside me!)

It was actually just the thing I needed after a day home with my two crazy girls. Dressing up (I mean, showering), going to a cocktail party, driving some wicked cool cars, and letting Thomas be the arm candy for once was the perfect pick-me-up for this mommy blogger! Thanks GM/Saturn and BlogHer for the chance to spend the evening in style!

To see what the other mommy bloggers thought about their night at the Ride and Drive head over to the Saturn Atlanta Round-up page and check out their reviews!