Test drove a black one today. Seats and overall interior is really nice. Wind noise with roof open was appreciable, with it flipped up it was pretty quiet. The sunroof goes into the car's roof, unlike other Pontiac products where it hangs on top. Back is easy to clean, but groceries will roll unless restrained. Lots of cubbys for wallets, phones, CDs etc.
Engine: quiet at rest, loud when you boot it. I was surprised at the loudness considering the insulation under the hood. Much more noisier than my wife's 02 CR-V. Seats are really comfortable even for big guys (6'3"). Back leg room very good even with front seat all the way back. I didn't find the wheel too close to the dash, nor were the gears hard to find. Some people have disliked both of these things, but I don't see any problems there. Diggest detracting point is noise, but perhaps young pups will like that. The engine lets you know its working hard.
Gave the salesman my card and told him to give me a call when GM gets real on GT price. Initially he tried to defend the price, but all his defenses were for the base car not the GT. I told him I was willing to wait until Dec. 31st if I was going to buy. He said they had lots of orders and of course wanted me to act quickly.
Magnetophone: One would never see Canadians do that - when the country was on the verge of busting up 10-12 years ago, it took federal gov't intervention to prod people to show their love for Quebec to keep them in. As far as I could tell, it was led by people on the federal grravy trail who didn't want to lose their perks. In the USA, it seems the recent patriotism was driven mainly by citizens. Also, wasn't the cause of the terrorism a bunch of disgruntled, wacko individuals who live(d) in repressive societies and harbored grudges against those free to make choices for themselves? That's my take on it.
So I finally order my Vibe Two days ago... They said that I wouldn't get it until mid-May... Are they good about dates, or am I going to be waiting until September or something for my Vibe... If anyone knows how good they are about dates let me know... I can't handle all this waiting for a matching paint job...
for orders so mid May is on target. I don't know how accurate their dates are. Down the road, the TMMC plant that makes the Matrix is pulling required overtime all the time trying to keep up and the workers who rejected the UAW drive last year are now having second thoughts. I wonder how the NUMMI plant is running? Full steam ahead, I assume.
Very nice! Door slam was very good. Seats supported my lower back. Didn't love the red guages, or the extra short steering column! Handles great (on 16's). Very quick and nimble on the highway. You definitely feel the road, like a sports car! If you want fun to drive, this is a great buy!! Noisy though, like there was a hole in the firewall! VERY roomy back seat (I'm well over six feet). Stereo stunk, as did the stereo pieces. Thought it was a great ride, just needed to quiet down and get a real system.....For $22k, an awesome car for family or personal use. Get the NAV!
Did I read somewhere that there were only going to be 700 or was it 7000 GT's produced this year? In any case...with now production numbers...there may not be too much in the way of price reductions.
And if the GT's don't sell in the numbers predicted (which I doubt will happen, but if...), there is the chance NUMMI would just build more Voltz which go to Japan to be sold as Toyotas.
Drove a "Lava" red base with auto today. My wife is luke warm to the vehicle at best, but I loved it. Vehicle definitely turns heads all over the place, very cool.
One thing I was disappointed with was the engine. I thought it was noisy on the highway and with heavy acceleration. The GM 2.2L Ecotec would definitely have been a better choice of engine for this car. Nothing special about the Toyota 1.8L. I also thought the steering was too close to the dash, but I can probably get used to that.
Over all I like it though and it's stays on the shopping list.
Thanks for the personalized take on the Quebec question in Canada, dating back to around 1774. Definitely analogous with Sept. 11 attacks. Keep up the solid analysis. I look forward to more of your insights.
I was just browsing through the comments when I came across: "Unfortunately I think the whole putting American flags on cars things is sort of a cheap feel-good attempt. Truly analyzing why were bombed is another story."
What kind of arrogant comment is that? Furthermore, what is it doing on the Pontiac Vibe discussion board? I'm here to see if I should buy this car.
Putting a flag on your car shows that you stand in support of your country. And I don't care how much you analyze WHY we (as in the United States) were bombed, it was WRONG!!!
Politics aside, the Vibe is a good car. Weak points are the Toyota 1.8L engine and the steering being a little to close to the dash. Otherwise it's a great car.
Just as an aside, financing was 4.9% for 48 months lease or buy. I thought that was more than fair since it is a new model.
Should get better later in the year...GM usually does their reduced interest (0%) in December. If Toyo hurts sales through lower price (on some models) then I think GM will respond aggressively on interest rates and/or price.
I couldn't make much of the stereo in the GT. The salesman had never been in the car, had no idea what stereo options existed etc... You definetly have to turn the tunes up, though, considering the engine noise.
Come on now, Maynard, you aren't one of theose people riding the fed gravy train are you???
Should get better later in the year...GM usually does their reduced interest (0%) in December. If Toyo hurts sales through lower price (on some models) then I think GM will respond aggressively on interest rates and/or price.
I couldn't make much of the stereo in the GT. The salesman had never been in the car, had no idea what stereo options existed etc... You definetly have to turn the tunes up, though, considering the engine noise.
Come on now, Maynard, you aren't one of those people riding the fed gravy train, are you???
I have a coupon from the auto show for 1% off so I could get it for 3.9%.
You are right, rates may drop in the summer/fall if sales aren't great. Not sure that will happen as supply is somewhat limited. Lady at the dealer told me they have only been allocated 16 cars for the year so far and 6 were sold.
toyotated, I guess some people aren't up to analysis.
What I said is completely true.. there are lots of people who put up their American flags without actually considering what it means. Some people do this with Christmas, too. My point is, we shouldn't have to put plastic items on our car to make us feel good about ourselves and America.
Thanks for the info. They already sold 6 of the 16...that's a good sign. I think in the coming months they will sell all of them. The Matrix is sold out at some of the dealers here. I guess the GT will be more limited than the base models since they will be producing only about 10% of the total target. I went to Kerr Oakville to see if I can test drive the GT's but they don't have any GT's available yet.
Yup, that's the common problem I hear about the 1.8L engine. I guess since it's targetted to a younger crowd, they think they/we would not mind the noise OR are expected to turn up the volume.
...test drove the Toyota Matrix XRS (auto) when it was first rolled out, for the 200 watt stereo system (Delco ?)..I think it needs more base...hmmm.
Sweet, now you're gonna post your insights twice. Double the pleasure. Answer to your question is no, although I don't see the connection. Are you a Day or Harper supporter?
I tested at Kerr. They only have one car available, a Lava red base.
The 1.8L is very loud, pretty much the loudest 4 banger I've driven since the 80's. Pretty unbelievable that Toyota makes it. You are right though, some people will really like it.
I was reading an article on the Vibe, in today’s paper, indicating that the monotone appearance package won’t be available until summer. Yet I seem to recall seeing something somewhere indicating that the package is available now, provided one chooses silver, black or white. Further, I’m pretty sure the Vibe I saw at an auto show was white with white cladding (although this may well have been a display model and not for sale). Can anyone clarify this for me?
Thanks in advance for your responses. Thanks also, everyone, for all the informative posts.
Can there be a difference in loudness between the MAtrix and the Vibe? I find the engine sounds a little throaty under acceleration but nothing too intrusive....more to give it the sporty character that perhaps appeals to their younger target audience. Maybe the noise is less apparent in the 5 speed where the driver determines what the shift points are and thus can shift at lower/quieter RPM's if desired. At highway speed I don't find the engine to be loud. People have actually commented on how quiet it is when driving at a steady speed.
They are about the same. When I tested a Matrix, I had just got out of a friend's V6 Accord so the 1.8L seemed noisy in comparison. After testing an 2.2L Alero back to back with a Vibe, I can now say the 1.8L is comparatively noisy, mainly under hard acceleration. Once up to speed it's fine, but there is no doubt the 1.8L could use some muffling.
Like I said, a lot of people like this so I don't think it's a big problem.
are selling in the USA? In Canada, the GT is priced so much higher (2000-3000) than its competition (Matrix 160HP and new Civic 160HP), I would be willing to bet that the ones going out the door are base models and not GTs. Also, the disproportionate number of base models being built suggests that they really don't expect to sell the high end ones.
Maynard: so I see you're a Toronto Star liberal, eh?
One of my dealers called and said he is now giving the GMS (employee) discount on the Vibes. I don't know how long it usually takes for GMS to kick-in on a new model, but this seemed fairly early. I know this dealership has had a couple of the same Vibes on the lot for sometime now.
My understanding from a dealer is that the GM discount is applicable right now only for cars on the lot. We have to wait a while before it applies to custom orders.
Has anyone tested a Vibe or Matrix FWD in snow yet?
The tires on the Matrix FWD (130hp) are Goodyear Eagle RSA's which are not the best in snow or rain. It's a difficult comparison for us though since besides our Matrix, the other vehicle we drive is a Subaru Forester S with Michelin Arctic Alpin ice radials. Comparing a AWD vehicle with winter tires to a FWD vehicle with All seasons is not a fair comparison. However, I would say the Vibe comes with slightly better tires (Continentals). Besides the tire issue, I would say that both are fairly typical for FWD vehicles in snow. Wider tires are typically less good in snow than narrower tires though.
Vibe pricing (US) is still way too high. There is a $2000 price difference between the Matrix XRS 6-speed vs a Vibe GT, and there was a $1200 price difference between the Matrix XR that I ordered and a similarly equipped Vibe
Problem is there is still no inventory, at least not up here. Local dealer has one for testing and that's it. They say they have pre-sold 6 but they have not been received.
When I was in the dealership Saturday I mentioned the Toyota Matrix price and the sales lady said they could likely match it. The Vibe actually has more equipment on it so that would be a good deal. the finance rates are also better at the Pontiac dealer.
I'd like to see one in blue, I'd like to hear what the premium speakers sound like, etc. but so far just one base Salsa red model with power package and alloy wheels is all I've seen on the lot, while I'm actually seeing a few Matrices on the road now. I really prefer the look of the Vibe to the Matrix so even without GM points I wouldn't have bought the Matrix. I know looks shouldn't be a big deal but you have to see it every day!
Actually, I think that in the US the Vibe pricing was decided on before the cost of the Matrix was known. Here in Canada the Vibe pricing came out very late and the Base Vibe is pretty much the same price as a Matrix XR when optioned out the same. I think the Vibe is about $200 more. The AWD and GT Vibes are may more expensive than the Matrix versions though.
Vibes seems plentiful here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I've seen easily a dozen at a few local dealerships. Just received an e-mail response for $600 over invoice to order a Vibe as I need it equipped. Does not seem unreasonable at this stage. Any ideas?
Took delivery of a Vibe FWD with a manual tranny last Saturday. Power, moon & tunes, alloys, side-impact airbags, security system, & 6 disc changer. $500 over invoice was as low as I could get them to go. Bought from a dealer in the Northern VA area.
Sounds good. $600 over invoice is fair given it's brand new. I think by mid summer you could probably get invoice, but who knows. Depends on demand I guess.
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hpulley : Same car my dealer has. Sales lady thought they might get a couple of more within the next 2 weeks. No supply = no sales.
Actually, I think that in the US the Vibe pricing was decided on before the cost of the Matrix was known. Here in Canada the Vibe pricing came out very late and the Base Vibe is pretty much the same price as a Matrix XR when optioned out the same. I think the Vibe is about $200 more. The AWD and GT Vibes are may more expensive than the Matrix versions though.
Looks like where these things are built has alot to do with what we're seeing at dealerships and on the roads. The Matix is built here in Canada at the Cambridge Ontario plant while the Vibe is put together at NUMMI in Freemont CA. The initial production units are likely filtering to dealerships in the home country first. I could be wrong though...anybody know if there is a good supply of Matrixes crossing the border?
The Pontiac dealers should now be receiving a print catalog of GM-sourced accessories for the Vibe. It can also be seen online at http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/accessories/modellistVib.html. There is a downloadable PDF file of the catalog also.
Currently, one can only use $1000 of earnings from the New GM Card when purchasing a Vibe. All of your earnings can be used with the original GM Card (blue or gold).
Unfortunately the GM card is being cut back in a similar manor up here also. C$1500 limit for new GM Visa on a Vibe. The Canadian cards are also being cut back to 3% unlimited starting Jan 1. I guess it was all too good to last.
Saw a Matrix on the road yesterday. Looked ok, but the Vibe still looks better to me in general. It was actually a 45 yr old woman driving it, not what I expected.
I too have noticed that the drivers of the two Matrixes I've seen were middle aged women. I wonder if this is a trend of utility and price being prioritized higher than style for this demographic. Granted of course I have yet to see any XRSs on the road...
After two test-drives, I choose a base model with all options on the list. I didn't try GT because my wife doesn't drive manual. And I buy this car for her. AWD system makes the car a little slow. But if you really want an AWD, you can go for it. Hard to notice the difference if you don’t pay much attention. 1.8L engine is a little weak but enough for local use. It sounds loud when you accelerate. But I like it. I think it sounds sporty. After add auto transmission-$1080, sport package (sunroof, 16” alloy wheel, 6 disk changer & 200w 6 speakers)-$1650, security package (ABS, side airbags)-$1080, power package (power window & lockers, keyless entry)-$1350, alarm system-$405, and some other fees, it ends up to about $25,620. Almost cost me 30K Canadian $ after tax. I have tried 3 dealers, none of them give any discount. I only get 2 years free oil change. Financial rate is 3.9% up to 48 months. May get a better deal if you can wait till end of the year. One dealer guy told me only 8,000 Vibe available in Canada for this year. In term of color, I only saw red, black and shadow gray. My wife chooses gray. Red doesn’t look good on gray cladding. Neither does black. Should go for monotone for those colors. Gray looks ok on cladding, but I get monotone color after I ordered those options. Generally, designer has put a lot of thought into it. It is a very good local use, multiple purpose vehicle. And this is exactly what we want because my wife and I already have a mid-size sedan---Intrepid. I will like it more only if it could gets a bigger engine, such as the 2.4L from camry? Or the one from Sunfire GT?
I believe you are the first actual owner in this discussion. I'm sure others will also be along soon. We look forward to hearing all about your Pontiac Vibe experience.... Happy motoring! ;-)
Still looking for someplace for my wife to drive a base Vibe. Could you please post the list of the few dealers with the dozen of Vibes. I have been watching Bayer in Dudley, MA but they have none.. Went to the St. Pats parade in Abington. Looked at dealers on the way. Damon in Abington had none, Miskinis in Bridgewater only had a GT, Mastria in Raynham only had 2-GTs, Cerrone in Attleboro only had a AWD, went over the line to Pawtucket but County only had a GT. Sister- in- Law went to parade in Scituate, and said that Joseph's in Norwell had none but Columbia in Hanover had 2 Bases. If there are closer dealers with much more, might be a better chance to find the right one to drive.
Loaded Aerio stick is $19K + $1K freight, loaded auto is $20K + $1K freight. Good rates too (fin. 0% 3yr, 1.9% 4yr, 2.9% 5yr; lease 2.2% to 4.4%). Engine is noisy and vibrates the driver through the controls; it gets poor mileage for a vehicle this size but is powerful. Interior is cheap and really shows it. Radio doesn't sound good, even the top-level one. Was selling well at the dealer I went to even before they started advertising them, and a tiny dealership on the corner of an intersection in the middle of nowhere (well, sort of near Paris Ontario) actually had 7 or 8 of them on the lot! I test drove a fastback, a hatchback, a stick, and an automatic. Take some pricing and manufacturing lessons, Pontiac! It just seems too cheap to me. It feels like a slightly larger 5-door Suzuki Swift with a power engine and... well, that's pretty much what it is. Getting back into my '95 Geo Metro (Swift clone) to go home after the test drive didn't really feel like much of a downgrade; the engine is less powerful but the engine was quieter and my jury-rigged stereo sounds better than that in the Aerio (I prefer needle instruments to the digital ones too).
I actually didn't mind the looks of the Suzuki but much prefered the looks, interior, radio and instruments of the Vibe. The Vibe engine is said to be kind of loud but compared to the Suzuki's engine, the Vibe is very quiet. Too bad the Vibe seems comparitively expensive with bad rates and no incentives.
Mfan, Dealers with decent selection of Vibes are Alden in Fairhaven, Poirior's in Fall River, and Fiore in Warwick, RI and Barry's in Newport. Feel free to e-mail me directly with any questions about my local experiences.
Comments
Engine: quiet at rest, loud when you boot it. I was surprised at the loudness considering the insulation under the hood. Much more noisier than my wife's 02 CR-V. Seats are really comfortable even for big guys (6'3"). Back leg room very good even with front seat all the way back. I didn't find the wheel too close to the dash, nor were the gears hard to find. Some people have disliked both of these things, but I don't see any problems there.
Diggest detracting point is noise, but perhaps young pups will like that. The engine lets you know its working hard.
Gave the salesman my card and told him to give me a call when GM gets real on GT price. Initially he tried to defend the price, but all his defenses were for the base car not the GT. I told him I was willing to wait until Dec. 31st if I was going to buy. He said they had lots of orders and of course wanted me to act quickly.
Magnetophone: One would never see Canadians do that - when the country was on the verge of busting up 10-12 years ago, it took federal gov't intervention to prod people to show their love for Quebec to keep them in. As far as I could tell, it was led by people on the federal grravy trail who didn't want to lose their perks. In the USA, it seems the recent patriotism was driven mainly by citizens. Also, wasn't the cause of the terrorism a bunch of disgruntled, wacko individuals who live(d) in repressive societies and harbored grudges against those free to make choices for themselves? That's my take on it.
Dave
http://www.cars.com/carsapp/usatoday/? (SPACE)szc=90053&srv=review&act=search&mkid=40 (SPACE)&mdid=5850&yr=2003&x=19&y=16
To get to the link....(it's too long to fit here) Just take out the (space) or just go to www.cars.com and look up Pontiac Vibe.
nothing very insightful if you are a regular on this board, mostly discusses faults and what could be done to improve vehicle overall...
One thing I was disappointed with was the engine. I thought it was noisy on the highway and with heavy acceleration. The GM 2.2L Ecotec would definitely have been a better choice of engine for this car. Nothing special about the Toyota 1.8L. I also thought the steering was too close to the dash, but I can probably get used to that.
Over all I like it though and it's stays on the shopping list.
What kind of arrogant comment is that? Furthermore, what is it doing on the Pontiac Vibe discussion board? I'm here to see if I should buy this car.
Putting a flag on your car shows that you stand in support of your country. And I don't care how much you analyze WHY we (as in the United States) were bombed, it was WRONG!!!
Enough said. Now is the Vibe a good car?
Just as an aside, financing was 4.9% for 48 months lease or buy. I thought that was more than fair since it is a new model.
I couldn't make much of the stereo in the GT. The salesman had never been in the car, had no idea what stereo options existed etc... You definetly have to turn the tunes up, though, considering the engine noise.
Come on now, Maynard, you aren't one of theose people riding the fed gravy train are you???
I couldn't make much of the stereo in the GT. The salesman had never been in the car, had no idea what stereo options existed etc... You definetly have to turn the tunes up, though, considering the engine noise.
Come on now, Maynard, you aren't one of those people riding the fed gravy train, are you???
You are right, rates may drop in the summer/fall if sales aren't great. Not sure that will happen as supply is somewhat limited. Lady at the dealer told me they have only been allocated 16 cars for the year so far and 6 were sold.
What I said is completely true.. there are lots of people who put up their American flags without actually considering what it means. Some people do this with Christmas, too. My point is, we shouldn't have to put plastic items on our car to make us feel good about ourselves and America.
Thanks for the info. They already sold 6 of the 16...that's a good sign. I think in the coming months they will sell all of them. The Matrix is sold out at some of the dealers here. I guess the GT will be more limited than the base models since they will be producing only about 10% of the total target. I went to Kerr Oakville to see if I can test drive the GT's but they don't have any GT's available yet.
Yup, that's the common problem I hear about the 1.8L engine. I guess since it's targetted to a younger crowd, they think they/we would not mind the noise OR are expected to turn up the volume.
...test drove the Toyota Matrix XRS (auto) when it was first rolled out, for the 200 watt stereo system (Delco ?)..I think it needs more base...hmmm.
Double the pleasure.
Answer to your question is no, although I don't see the connection.
Are you a Day or Harper supporter?
The 1.8L is very loud, pretty much the loudest 4 banger I've driven since the 80's. Pretty unbelievable that Toyota makes it. You are right though, some people will really like it.
I was reading an article on the Vibe, in today’s paper, indicating that the monotone appearance package won’t be available until summer. Yet I seem to recall seeing something somewhere indicating that the package is available now, provided one chooses silver, black or white. Further, I’m pretty sure the Vibe I saw at an auto show was white with white cladding (although this may well have been a display model and not for sale). Can anyone clarify this for me?
Thanks in advance for your responses. Thanks also, everyone, for all the informative posts.
Like I said, a lot of people like this so I don't think it's a big problem.
Maynard: so I see you're a Toronto Star liberal, eh?
Here is a March 14, 2002 P-Vibe review from straight-six.com.
http://www.straight-six.com/the_crank/index.shtml
cheers everyone
Has anyone tested a Vibe or Matrix FWD in snow yet?
This could affect the pricing at the Pontiac dealerships.
When I was in the dealership Saturday I mentioned the Toyota Matrix price and the sales lady said they could likely match it. The Vibe actually has more equipment on it so that would be a good deal. the finance rates are also better at the Pontiac dealer.
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hpulley : Same car my dealer has. Sales lady thought they might get a couple of more within the next 2 weeks. No supply = no sales.
Saw a Matrix on the road yesterday. Looked ok, but the Vibe still looks better to me in general. It was actually a 45 yr old woman driving it, not what I expected.
After add auto transmission-$1080, sport package (sunroof, 16” alloy wheel, 6 disk changer & 200w 6 speakers)-$1650, security package (ABS, side airbags)-$1080, power package (power window & lockers, keyless entry)-$1350, alarm system-$405, and some other fees, it ends up to about $25,620. Almost cost me 30K Canadian $ after tax. I have tried 3 dealers, none of them give any discount. I only get 2 years free oil change. Financial rate is 3.9% up to 48 months. May get a better deal if you can wait till end of the year. One dealer guy told me only 8,000 Vibe available in Canada for this year.
In term of color, I only saw red, black and shadow gray. My wife chooses gray. Red doesn’t look good on gray cladding. Neither does black. Should go for monotone for those colors. Gray looks ok on cladding, but I get monotone color after I ordered those options.
Generally, designer has put a lot of thought into it. It is a very good local use, multiple purpose vehicle. And this is exactly what we want because my wife and I already have a mid-size sedan---Intrepid. I will like it more only if it could gets a bigger engine, such as the 2.4L from camry? Or the one from Sunfire GT?
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
I saw one of the new Suzuki wagons on the road yesterday. Man it that thing ugly. I guess it's cheap though so it will probably sell well.
I actually didn't mind the looks of the Suzuki but much prefered the looks, interior, radio and instruments of the Vibe. The Vibe engine is said to be kind of loud but compared to the Suzuki's engine, the Vibe is very quiet. Too bad the Vibe seems comparitively expensive with bad rates and no incentives.