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Comments
Yuck - now that's a messy link! :-)
I understand your point about fuel economy and because of my circumstances, I would most likely go with a 1.8, even though I do like the idea of more power and the 5-speed auto. I wish the 5-speed auto was available with the 1.8.
Fuel economy is my first consideration in a vehicle because I commute about 70 miles each day. It's the main reason I bought my 2005 Vibe - my previous car was a V-6 that required premium. It returned around 30mpg too, but I wanted to get more than 30 and not have to pay premium prices.
I would have though I would have received information immediately upon signing up and then at frequent intervals thereafter.
Maybe one of us could apply to run their website so they could get proper promotional value from the net.
Is the 2009 out yet? Not according to their web or any information I have asked for.
I'm impressed with the Honda Fit also. It will definitely be on my list. It's comfy and has a great interior. The exterior doesn't excite me quite as much as the Vibe.
Based on the quick time I had in an '09, I actually like the interior of the '08 and prior model Vibes better. I especially don't like how tiny the rear side-windows are now, and the cargo area has also shrunk. The back seat isn't nearly as roomy either, in my opinion. If I were in the market for a Vibe right now, I'd probably go for the 2008. Of course, AWD is also on my short list due to the crappy winter we've had this year.
Couldn't agree with you more about Ford. Have you seen the "new" Focus? Talk about UGLY. I hate the silver thing they slapped on between the front doors and fender. The back end is ugly as all get out too. Not to mention the "new" car is really the old one with slightly different sheet metal and some interior upgrades. I see Ford is already offering rebates on them. When will they get their act together? I saw the Focus "concept" in Detroit - based on the European version. Now that was a nice, small car. Ford is doomed if they don't start making smarter decisions and giving the consumer what they want. Heck, build a Focus based on the Mazda 3 - now that's a nice car!
My choices are narrowed to the Honda Fit Sport, also waiting for the '09 details, and the Vibe. The Focus ZX5 would be a strong candidate if *^%#*^#%^Ford hadn't dropped it. I'll be staying tuned to this forum, plus Edmunds new car pages plus looking for email from GM.
One feels eager and wound up - ready to go. The other is pure mush and smoothed out until its soul is as bland as oatmeal. I test drove a Matrix and a Yaris with automatic and manual recently and it's literally four different cars it's such a huge difference.
As a side note, they may still be tweaking the site. I discovered options that I'm told would be available for select trim levels are missing under the 'Build & Price' section, for example. I'll cut 'em some slack for a couple of days given that most of the information seems intact. :shades:
Since they have few to sell, and the car is a brand new model, there isn't much discounting.
There is a big difference in the gearing between the 1.8L 4 speed automatic and the 2.4L 5 speed automatic.
The 2.4L turns approximately 2250RPM at 70 MPH and 2500 RPM at 75 MPH.
The 1.8L is spinning 2950 RPM at 70 MPH and 3050 RPM at 75 MPH.
Overall fit and finish is good. The paint seems much improved over previous Vibes. Prior Vibes had very thin paint and were extremely easy to scratch and ding. Mystic Blue is ugly, it has much more green than blue and should be called Pea Green.
Interior is nice. Seats are quality material. Dash has a nice layout. Rear seats fold almost entirely flat, there is around a 10 degree incline when they are folded down. The radio has good sound and nice layout, the Monsoon 7 speaker system will please all audiophiles.
The 17 inch tires produce much more road noise at highway speeds and are noticeably rougher on a bumpy road. The 16 inch tires have a much better ride and have no road noise on the highway.
I guess the short gearing should make the performance peppier than a Corolla though.
It really needs an extra gear or two.
How did you find the ride with the 1.8L Auto? Was it too noisy?
One advantage of the Vibe vs the Matrix is that you can get the 2.4 with the Base model, so it will be less expensive and you don't need to get the super low-profile noisy and stiff-riding sport tires.
I'm really disappointed in the rated mpg of the 2.4 though. You can get a V6 with the same mileage in other vehicles.
Even the 1.8 mileage isn't all the great.
It is a blast to drive! I don't feel like I am driving an economy car with this one. Anyone out there thinking of buying a 1.8 because of mileage, please try out the 2.4 and see if the savings is worth giving up the fun and the ability to safely pass other people.
I should mention that I live in the foothills of the Las Vegas valley so I do climb long hills everyday. With my 2003 1.8 I really had to downshift a lot and really had to work the engine hard especially in 105+ degree heat. With this Camry 2.4 engine its a breeze.
Also, concerning pricing, I ordered the 2009 Vibe the first week of January and paid $500 over invoice. I did have to wait for it about 5 weeks.
For all you that are looking for big rebates on this car, forget it. I watched for rebates and deals all the time from 2002-2008, because I had friends who liked my car, so I tried to help them find a good deal on a new one. The biggest rebate I found was $500 cash back. Out here in the west Vibe inventory is pretty limited.
Now with the price of gas going through the roof, and the build quality of this car, your best bet is to negotiate hard with the dealer, and talk down the sticker price. There is not a lot of cushion in the sticker either.
Good Luck!!
Fuel regular unleaded with 10% ethanol. We can't buy real gas here. I would probably get 2-3 more miles per gallon if I didn't have to use ethanol. Ethanol is junk, it's just a filler that decreases gas mileage and performance and is causing the price of everthing we eat to increase. Ethanol is simply a useless government mandate.
These should have a six speed with Overdrive. I have no idea what Pontiac is thinking... mileage would bump up 1-3 MPG.
:P
I just bought an '08 Moonstone (charcoal grey) which looks good with the grey body molding.
Good luck!
I was going to post this message to the Vibe Price Paid & Buying Experience board but didn't see that many topics about the price of 2009 models there.
I guess they (dealers) have the upper hand right now. With the tax rebate checks being mailed out this month and the price of gasoline creeping up to $4, any small car with good gas mileage is going to be hot and wanted. Thats probably why they are not budging on the prices.
Well, they better get as much as they can now because they will be marking them down to invoice or less when October/November rolls around. I just wish I could wait until then.
- Solicit quotes from dealers using Edmunds.com
- Don't act like you really want the Vibe. Tell them you are thinking about the Mazda 3, Nissan Versa, etc.
- Start preliminary negotiations during the last 10 days of the month. Get into serious negotiating during the last 3 days of the month.
FYI, GM lost 2 billion dollars in the first quarter of this year. They lost 32 billion dollars in 2007. They have 2 parts factories currently on strike. They need your business. You are in the drivers seat when buying a GM car.
Best to you.
Ditto what the other poster said, go with the invoice price in hand, and tell them you know about the $579 dealer hold-back (hidden profit), and ask for quotes from multiple dealers (this is probably the most important). Some dealers refuse to back down from their close-to-sticker price, while some will make a deal as long as they make a little profit.
If you're in the Bay Area shoot me a msg and I'll refer you to my dealer.
Thanks!
I am still negotiating with a couple of dealers down here...but I am nowhere close to your deal.
BTW, how do you like the ride of the GT compared to the base model? Do you find the 18" wheels to be noisy?
Yeah the 18" tires are on the noisy side, however they really give the car a much sportier look (and handling). The price you pay for vanity I guess.
ragu123 the price was before any kind of rebates/incentives. I made sure to negotiate pre-rebate/incentive price because some dealers are tricky and quote 'after rebate' prices, thus comparing apples and oranges. If the quotes are that high you may want to check dealers in neighboring states and see if they can send the car to you. One dealer mentioned selling a car online to a buyer in Oregon and shipped it for ~$600.
Personally we also got $2900 in rebates ($500 'Conquest' and $2400 GM credit card) so our final out the door cost was $19,682. Not bad! Your mileage will probably vary.