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New Vibe Owners - Give Us Your Report
Are you a new Vibe owner? Here the spot to tell us how much you love your new car!
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By comparison, your car is one year newer, has 6k fewer miles, has a worse color -- from a resale point of view; neutral colors are easier to sell -- a sunroof and an automatic transmission.
I'd say you did very well indeed and their story is straight. This stuff happens, be glad you found a quality dealership. The price is also not so unbelievably good to make me suspect frame damager or a salvage title or some such. In a normal color, it's about an $11,500-$12k auction car.
Next time, have the car checked out independently by somebody good -- for mechanicals and frame/body work. I ALWAYS do, ask me why.
Congratulations,
-Mathias
Other than that I do notice the problem of the steering wheel being too far away and also I notice the AC is not the coldest (other people have addressed these issues). The GT has no trouble starting anytime. I am very happy with its power/gas milage (27 mpg average). The mirror issue is a safety problem though.....
Patrick
It has had an oil & filter change every month ; & a K&N Air Filter at 20,000kms.
I put Molyslip Anti-Seize compound on the sparkplug threads. Mileage;36,000 kms in 7 months.
This 1.8l, 16 valve engine is excellent.
The biggest surprise was the variable timing V-tec. The revs only climb to 3300 to attain 145km/hr. I thought this car would be noisy from high revs on the highway, but its perfectly quiet at 120-130km/hr !
Complaints:
+ body sheetmetal too thin....caves in during waxing.
+ 'A' pillars far too wide, creating severe blindspots during intersection left turns. You have to make sure of crossing pedestrians by moving your head to each side of the left side of the windshield.
+ Noise levels from back cargo area too loud. Bought 2 mats to fix it.
+ Doors & hinges far too light duty.
+ Foam doorseals instead of rubber.
+Tilt steering doen't tilt: only adjusts heighth.
+ Can't easily replace fog lamps....have top dismantle shields. And the light is only held insecurely in a pressfit notch.
+ The engine doesn't start quickly after the 1st start. Once past warmup, it takes too much cranking.
+ NightVision not available as an option.
+ VERY HARD RIDE DUE TO LOUSY SIDEWALLS OF ONLY 55mm.
+ gaspedal too short.
+ Too much wind noise with rear windows down.
+ Green emerald paint color not available.
Commendations:
+ Good looks !
+ Amber rear safety signal lights!
+ Excellent drivers seat adjustable heighth !
+ Fog Lights !
+ Manual disconnect button for O/D !
+ Excellent transmission !
+ Excellent rear seatingroom !
+ Plug in adapter for household current !
Looking forward to the next Vibe 08-2010, or as soon as Green paint is available !
With any car dealer, your satisfaction with the service department will be proportional to how clearly and calmly you communicate with them.
thanks, Pat
I would not worry at all. The Vibe has the roomiest and most comfortable back seat of any car I've owned. In fact, I like it so much, that on long trips, I often surrender the driving to someone else in my family and hop in back.
In terms of kids, I took my 3 nieces and nephews and my mother on a road trip. My oldest niece sat in the front with me, and my mom sat in back with the two others. No problems at all.
I've taken road trips of more than 200 miles with 3 full-size adults in back and have heard no complaints. The Vibe's back seat is larger and more comfortable than cars twice its size. My dad has a Buick LeSabre. It's back seat is much more cramped.
Happy motoring!
I know the roominess is there for sure. By the way, I am looking to buy a 2006 Vibe with 23000 miles for $16000 plus $1800 for the 5yr/100,000 warranty from the Toyota dealer, whose lot it is sitting on...
:surprise:
$16000 sounds a little steep, even for a 2006, IMHO. Is the car fully loaded? I only paid about that for my brand new 2005, although it is a 5-speed, and doesn't have the Moon/Tunes option or ABS.
Just a thought. It seems a bit high for a used Vibe. Most of them go for between $12,000 and $14,000 or so. Think twice about your warranty also. I've never bought an extended warranty, and never had reason to use one - even on much less reliable vehicles. The Vibe is rated better than average by Consumer Reports, and its rare to hear of the type of serious repairs most of those extended warranties cover. Just my two cents worth, though - do what makes you happy, and be happy with a great car!
For the people who say "go with your gut and buy a matrix" psssh. They are the exact same car. I presonally think the vibe is styled better. From what I hear the next model vibe (08 I think) is supposed to be really good looking. Not quite as tall and a little wider. If they make it in a awd, it may be time to trade in ol silver.
The only complaint I ever had with my car is the wimpy tires it comes with, and I took care of that by swapping with a more aggressive tire. I have Fuzion tires on it now. They were noisy during break in period, but hold up in the rain really nicely.
I agree with you. I test drove the Matrix and found the interior a bit cheap plus the overall dimensions were tiny bit smaller. The Vibe is a bit roomier. I test drove two different Vibes automatic and standard transmission. I prefer the standard. I owned a Ford Ranger before so I did have to get use to sitting lower. The adjustable seat and the tilt steering wheel was a big plus. I am small and my husband is almost 6 feet. The only complaint he has is the pedals are too close, however, that is perfect for me since I am petite. The gas mileage is great 36 – 40 mpg. With any new vehicle, you can run into problems as I did with my Ford Ranger. My 06 Vibe is almost year old with absolutely no problems. On long trips, the ride is very comfortable. This car is so great that four other family members bought one.
That's what I know. But the extremely funny thing is that JD Power shows 2006 Matrix reliability at 4.5 stars (out of 5), while 2006 Vibe is listed at 3 stars. Are the Toyota owners thinking of exactly the same car a bit too highly?
BTW, Stabilitrak is not available on Matrix, is it? And on Matrix you can't get ABS without getting 17 inch wheels too, can you?
Patrick
As far as the customer sat goes it is most likely due to the ability of the service dept. Pontiac dealer is not as proficient at servicing a Toyota vehicle as the Toyota dealer is. There are also many paint issues with the Vibe which do not exist with the Matrix most likely due to the different manufacturing locations. I don't think it has anything to do with the Toyota owners thinking too highly of their ride.
Also Matrix/Vibe twins have Toyota Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) as an option. GM has chosen to drop the Toyota VSC name and use their own StabilTrac name. So in reality, yes you can get a Matrix with StabilTrac. And you can get ABS without 17" wheels on a Matrix.
A reporter is hoping to talk with current Pontiac owners who never before owned a Pontiac. Please reply to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Thursday, May 10, 2007 with your daytime contact info and a few words about your experience.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Negatives: seat uncomfortable in hour 2+ of driving; 2 spots on radio get burning hot after 1 hour of nighttime driving; alignment seems to be really off (pulls to left) (they told me to wait for 1500 miles as "it's set really tight"); basic radio has poor sound quality; hard to use a/c vents (very little variety in driection/flow); hate that I can't get power locks; cargo cover doesn't come and is CHEAP and almost useless; ridiculous roofrack without crossbars. Last two items I am looking for solutions--maybe other drviers will give away their crossbars or cargo cover (comes with Matrix) to use til I come up with something better. Also would like hatch to stay in locked position after opening.
Color is black with the rear spoiler and ground effects package.
My advice would be to follow the service recommendations to avoid future problems.
My car has over 50,000 miles on it now.
dkoopman
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
I am concluding a snowy drive across Oregon, Utah and Wyoming...it is puzzling that it handles so lousy with brand new all season radials.
I really like my Vibe and hope this is not a precursor of things to come.
The Best: Great engine and mileage .. getting 32.5 typical 70% highway / 30% city.
Comfortable and nimble to drive. Plenty of space for a smaller car. A great value @ 16,500.00 + tax. 100K warranty is a bonus that instills the concept of quality.
The Worst: Goodyear Eagle RS A tires are simply and totally uncontrollable on ice. I've had five very close calls and don't appreciate Pontiac trying to save 25.00 while risking my _ _ _ . Do NOT buy this vehicle with these tires. Go to Tire Rack and check their poor performance reviews. These are nearly suicidal tires on ice and snow.
Had the car to the dealership as when it's 0-10F out the car takes 15-20 minutes to get fully warm. They find nothing wrong. It seems that Pontiac uses a cool 182F thermostat as tolerances are close on this fine engine. This is my assumption at least. I don't know if I would have bought this car (or would again) if I lived in a cold climate. It is certainly warm and capable at 25F+ but it is neither at 0-10F.
Poor cup and storage use. I am always messing with trying to find something or store something. Needs storage redesign.
I'm in the paint business and the paint is too thin and too brittle. Have a plethora of stone chips and missing paint on the nose metal after only two months. Further, dry spray on the lower plastic that would be described as severe orange peel. GM wouldn't accept this quality from a supplier (which I am) but has no hesitation to pump out poor quality to their customers.
Automatic door locks do not activate horn. You must look for a light flash and there is no programming that allows horn to sound. Odd and unnecessary...
Front plastic wheel wells are NOISY. More sound deadening is clearly needed and another area where GM took shortcuts with this car.
All in all.... great mileage and value and I am sure, dependable. Do NOT buy this car if you live in a cold climate IMHO. Lack of heating takes away from the other fine attributes and as mentioned, the tires are deadly.
Picked up my 2008 Stealth Gray vibe last October. Still only has 2000km on it. It's my 21st new vehicle in 52 years. Maybe family life limited my choice of vehicles to practical cars. Now that I can pick what suits me, I think I chose right. Makes me want to drive like a born-again driver. Forget all those pre-conceived ideas about elderly drivers: I'll take on Schumi. (In a Vibe, of course.)
It is my first new car and I love it! Except for where some one backed into it while it was parked(which will cost me 355 to repair in August).
I think it will hold up better than the new 2009 model bbecause the 2008 is a proven design as there are no real changes between 2005-2008.I think this car will last a good 200,000 miles for me.I drive very light and it is 1 month old and I have put 650 miles on it.
as far as the mileage goes it isn't far from the window sticker but the salesman seems to think it should get 30 mpg. it might if you could go downhill and with the wind on every trip but the govt. estimate of 20 city and 26 hwy is pretty close.
as far as other things that pontiac needs to work on. here is my list.
1. five-speeds auto trans. for awd
2. better radio packages. not everyone wants to pay 13/mo. for xm.
3. make that worthless luggage rack an option on awd
4. have an option for other colors than black for interior.
5. have the option of some descent leather seats with heaters.
6. doesn't pontiac know that gps exists. no option for that.
7. if you want to charge 650 dollars for chrome rims-make sure they are chrome not just plastic wrappings that chip and peel.
if it sounds like i'm a little disappointed with my vibe-well i guess i am. but if pontiac would have just gone to a little work with my wish list i would be quite happy with the vibe. it has a lot of good features to it too. we had some custom leather seats installed on ours and it really makes it much nicer on the interior. and come next winter i am sure we will enjoy the heated seats. but don't you think the mfg should offer these as options instead of the owner hunting down someone to put them in. isn't that what they are in business for -supplying what the customer wants-not what they will settle for.
It has almost 200K on it. New battery 3X. New Struts 180K. New Timing Belt 136K
New Ignitor (recall) but didn't need it until 140K. I only change the synthetic oil 3 times a year. Airfilter and PVC last year. Never changed any other fluids, though I have to now top up the brake fluid every 2 months. New Plugs and Wires only once.
She (Shirley) prefers to drive at 140km an hour on the Highway and pass everything in sight, Well when I can. My car goes like stink. It's only 130horse but drives better than the 2008 Mazda 3 sport I tested. Her windows have trouble at -30C
There is rust on the wheel wells and gas cap area and truck lid. Not much but getting worse. Never tuned up and I drive it like it's a 4x4, country roads, back roads, off roads, she's been there done that. I drive the hell out of her and she looks forward to it. But it's time to buy new and after reading these posts, I'm scared. I would drive Shirley into the deepest jungle and know I'd drive out.
But with all the talk about lights out, oil leaks, bad tires, etc. I'm scared.
My engine is high and dry and the lights, all the lights work. I don't know how to change a fuse. The radio is awsome too.
I like the room in the Vibe but if it cuts out I'll be so mad I'll be scary.
I liked the 2008 Mazda 3 but you have to hold the gas down and count to 3 to get it into high gear. My Honda just goes when you tell her to and she's 13 years old. Mmm.
The Vibe felt ify with bad torque steer around corners, and that was FWD I'm ify about the AWD being too irrational and taking me off the road in the winter rather than keeping me on it. The Honda's don't have the cargo room I'm looking for unless it's the Element, yuck.. and suicide doors? mm
I'm stuck on 3 cars now. Mazda 3sport, Vibe, and the closer to Honda, Subaru Legacy for it's cheap insurance rates and comfort and room.
I know cars will have trouble, but some of the things I've read about cars only 3 and 4 years old is absolutely apaulling and frightening for new shoppers who like to drive their cars into the ground. To bad Honda didn't make the Vibe and the Honda FIT is OK but no power just reliability. That sucks.
Confused but still needing a car.
My favorite drive was the Subaru Imprezza, but can't find a 2008 anywhere. Maybe I'll buy a 2009. A new Accord is too expensive but maybe not in the long run. mmm
I still want the cargo space. Honda doesn't supply that which is just not fare.
I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much, maybe I'm too informed, maybe I'm too loyal to Shirley. Maybe I'm just going to take my bike.
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Rich