A review of the Saturn Vue

I asked Andy Richmond to weigh in on his new company car...after a few months, this is what he has to say:

Okay, well, my new car is black, but it is also very green. Late in 2008 it was determined that my company vehicle was not terribly practical (how many chests of drawer can you fit into a Chrysler 300 anyway?), so I began looking for my next vehicle. Amelia gave me only one instruction: keep the monthly payment at or below the current payment on the Chrysler. Initially I looked at Jeeps because my first company car at Garth’s was a Jeep and I liked it. Price was right, but I felt a need to shop around. Then I remembered how much I liked the Saturn sedan I drove years ago, so I went to the Saturn dealer and checked out the Vue, their small-to-mid-size SUV…and they even had a hybrid version. So I took a test drive and voila!, we sealed the deal.

I’ve been driving the Saturn for about 8 months (over 1,000 miles per month) and am loving it. I’m averaging 27.7 miles per gallon over the life of the car, which is pretty darn good for an SUV. It has this little light (green, of course) that says “ECO.” It comes on anytime you are driving at better than posted fuel efficiency. It’s become a game…how long can I keep the ECO light on. I’m getting pretty good, and it’s made me realize how heavy on the gas I use to be as a driver.

So, are we saving money? The monthly payment is less than the old company car, so we are there. And it’s cheaper to insure, so we are saving there, too. Sure, I spend less at the pump than I use to, but in reality, because the purchase price was higher than the standard, non-hybrid model, the gas savings are probably a wash. But let’s face it, saving money is not why folks, including me, choose hybrids. It’s a message. A statement that we care about the environment and want to reduce our carbon footprint. My wife and I are rabid recyclers, we grow our own produce (which we fertilize with compost from our own compost bin), and we heat our house with a stove that burns wood pellets (that are derived from building-related byproducts). We strive to live as green as possible.

We, at Garth’s, also strive to be green as well. We sell antiques—the ultimate recyclables. It’s a natural move for us, as a company, to ensure that other aspects of our business are friendly to the environment. From recycled and FSC-certified paper to working hard to maximize the efficiency of our transportation fleet, we want to be green because we feel it’s the right thing to do. My new Saturn Vue hybrid is a logical next step. It helps Garth’s reduce our carbon footprint, and, when I pull into a client’s driveway, it’s a statement that we are about more than just business.

Wow! The shocking new hybrid: GM's Volt

Click on the link above to read the Wall Street Journal report on the Chevy Volt. Wow! 230 mpg in the city...I'll certainly look forward to learning more!

Garth's Newest Hybrids

As you know, we believe in "walk-the-talk". So, when we needed to add a new car to the company fleet a few months ago, naturally Andy Richmond suggested a hybrid. The Saturn Vue has been a great solution: good-looking, economical, and gets the job done. Andy's review of the Saturn Vue will be coming shortly.

The word "hybrid" has been top of mind for all of us at Garth's lately (and not just because Andy's snazzy new car has it emblazoned across the side). Discussions and strategizing about the shifting art and antiques marketplace have brought to mind the possibility of a new auction hybrid: an economical, good-looking vehicle to bring quality objects to auction in an international marketplace. The result is our July auction. Objects that substantiate a catalogue presence, but may not make it economically feasible to print a full-color catalog. As my 5-year-old would say, "Wah-lah!": enter isuu.com.

We have looked for a well-done "flip-book" online publishing site for quite a while. Even watched while some folks tried out early versions. But, this one was worth the wait. No software to install, just point and click. Quickly searchable, with great zoom features. Customizable for individual viewing pleasure. Automatic notification for readers, when new materials are available. Ready for social media (yep, now you can add our catalog to your facebook account...or, maybe you'll worry about new bidding competition!). Archiving. Search-engine-optimized. And (drum roll, please): environmentally friendly (you should have guessed! This is the GREEN blog). Just click on the title of this pot to see it for yourself.

Not to worry, we recognize the value of a great printed catalog. We haven't worked this hard on photography, design and cataloguing to move away from it! Garth's catalogs will still be coming your way...keep your coffee tables and nightstands ready.