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Pontiac Vibe

squiredogssquiredogs Member Posts: 87
in Pontiac
I'm really excited about the Pontiac "Vibe" wagon that's being shown at the upcoming auto shows - I'm hoping for a tough AWD Outback- or PT Cruiser-type wagon with more "rugged" styling that Pontiac can deliver. I hope it comes out this year. It's supposed to be "affordable", and the picture on the pontiac website looks pretty good. I'd also be pretty happy with (wishlist):
1. above 22 MPG city
2. big wheels to go with the cool looking wells
3. a drop tailgate/liftgate sorta like the Aztek
4. configurable seating, like a flat-folding passenger seat, etc.
5. 185 HP or any good V6

Here's to hoping! I have a GM rebate, but no AWD wagons to choose from. Please get this right, Pontiac!

Dan
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Comments

  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I've seen some pretty unbelievable stuff done to rentals. It's sad that people figure they should abuse vehicles because they aren't their own.

    As for the Vibe GTs, if they or any other Vibe doesn't sell well, I'm sure you will see some incentives in a month or two. Hold tight, patience is a virtue.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Looks like the Vibe is out! Check out the LA Autoshow pictures. Looks like a pretty neat little car. Hope they produce it.
  • peterjpeterj Member Posts: 8
    What a pleasant surprise. I hadn't heard anything about this vehicle until looking at auto show coverage. I'd agree w/ Edmunds assessment that where they missed (badly) with the Aztec, they may have hit the mark with the Vibe. I HATE the name, but other than that, this looks like an excellent, utilitarian but sporty wagon. The styling incorporates just about everything I'd change about the Ford Focus Wagon, while keeping what appears to be a huge interior. Looking at the pics on Edmunds where a couple of people are standing next to it, this car looks like it might be even taller than a Focus. AWD and lots of features too...standard OnStar and I'm sure standard satelite radio too by the time it comes out. I'm very, very interested...the first Pontiac vehicle I've been interested in since, well, ever.
  • raychuang00raychuang00 Member Posts: 541
    The more I look at the Pontiac Vibe, the more I think the vehicle was heavily inspired by the Renault Scenic, a hot seller in Europe thanks to its roomy accommodations for its relatively small size.

    Anyone who's seen pictures of the current Renault Scenic will note that the Vibe takes a LOT of the ideas pioneered by the Scenic.

    Remember, the Vibe is built off a modified Toyota platform (in fact, it will be built at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA not far from where I live), so the car should be pretty reliable and frugal on gas.
  • squiredogssquiredogs Member Posts: 87
    I really like the looks. I was hoping for at least a liftglass so I could stick surfboards in, and the forward-folding passenger seat is perfect! So far, I'm pumped about the design. Now I hope I can get the 180HP engine with an automatic and AWD...
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I thoght it was built on a Subaru platform? Perhaps I'm thinking of another new GM car/truck?
  • greywolfgreywolf Member Posts: 51
    To hell with the automatic! It's about time GM installed a 6 speed manual in one of their lower end cars.

    DVD navigation, AWD, - it looks like a good design for a change!!
    No giant ribs! And < 20k!!!!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I read an article recently and the plastic"ribs" will be phased out of all Pontiacs over the next few years. The Grand Prix is really the only Pontiac free of these right now. Judging by the Vibe and the new Pontiac/Opel Speedster coming out, things are definitely looking up!
  • myfunsunmyfunsun Member Posts: 15
  • myfunsunmyfunsun Member Posts: 15
    Wow!! What a beautiful car/wagon!! Hopefully, the Vibe will be on sale by the time the lease runs out on my rattlebag gocart(aka sunfire)!! This car is going to sell like hotcakes if the price is competitive enough!! Way to go gm!!
  • peterjpeterj Member Posts: 8
    I'm geeked about the six speed manual too! After I posted here yesterday I stopped by the Pontiac site and read that they're going to pair the manual tranny w/ a 180 hp v6. Given the size of the car (power ratio) and the sixth cruising gear, you'd think it ought to be pretty easy on the gas and a blast to drive. Haven't seen what the curb wt. is.

    These are great times if you're a fan of compact cars isn't it? PT Cruiser, Jetta Wagon, Mazda Protege Sport Wagon and MP3, new Impreza WRX, upcoming Focus sport variants...seems the list goes on and on. Like 'em or hate 'em, I really appreciate the styling and utility innovations that are being made in this segment and the choices in equipment we're getting.
  • greywolfgreywolf Member Posts: 51
    Luckily my future wife is also a manual shift enthusiast. We will be in the market for a smallish utliity car in a few years to suppliment my Grand Prix GTP.

    I am glad GM is making some sense for a change and coming out with some truly competitive small cars. Anything is better than Sunfire/Cavalier - but this at least is aiming for the the top.

    The small car market is exploding again because some people are coming to their senses - you don't need a huge truck to get groceries.
  • peterjpeterj Member Posts: 8
    Couldn't agree with you more greywolf...this vehicle looks like a winner and I'm sure the Toyota variant will as well.

    Fortunately my wife is also insists on rowing her own gears. Unfortunately, she's so anti-Pontiac that I probably wouldn't get a crack at this car until two or three years from now when it's time to replace my ride. We'll probably be looking at Passat wagons this summer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing...I just think this Vibe is likely to have a ton of capability at a lesser price, though I haven't seen anything about MSRP.

    At any rate, you gotta love a woman who loves the stick, no? :)
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix?

    Ill take the Matrix thank you very much :)

    P.S. They are the same platform, with the same engines... 130hp from the Corolla, and the 180hp v4 from the Celica GT-S
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Strange that the Pontiac Vibe will be made in California and the Matrix will be made in Cambrige Ontario. I figured they would be made side by side??

    Matrix looks a bit too over styled. Perhaps the one at the show was top end model, but the Vibe looks better.
  • peterjpeterj Member Posts: 8
    I never thought I'd be writing this but I also agree that the Matrix (a Toyota!) is overstyled in comparison to the Vibe (a Pontiac!). My biggest problem w/ the Matrix, at least the top end model, is the gap in the lower, front facia which looks odd to me. It seems from a styling standpoint that Pontiac finally found a design where the back 3/4 of the vehicle blends with typical baudacious Pontiac front end.

    As far as quasi-futuristic names go, I'll take "Matrix" over "Vibe" anytime. If I ever own this car, I'll probably be about 36 years old by the time I purchase it...I can just imagine at that age saying "yeah...I bought a Vibe, man..." People will think I'm going through mid-life crisis about 10 years too early.
  • rebelcoolrebelcool Member Posts: 3
    I can't help but notice how much the vibe's front end looks like the sunfire. The grill, headlights and and the nose of it are all Sunfire. The engine looks like the evolution of the sunfire GT's 150 hp engine, and the target market of the vibe is the same as the sunfire's. Coupled with the rumor I heard that sunfire is going away (probably true, given how ugly the current versions are..i own a much better looking 98 GT) I would have to say this makes a nice replacement, if not a bold one since it's a hatchback which still isnt quite the norm for america yet. Good luck with it pontiac, maybe i'll replace my sunfire with it when it comes out ;)
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    The Vibe's engine has nothing to do with the Sunfire... Go read the reviews some more and see for yourself.

    I think the Pontiac is too much like an Aztek, while the Matrix looks like a small M-Class (Thats a really good thing!) with some sports compact styling thrown in... Dont forget guys, these are not the Final versions either.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    rebelcool : I agree, the 2000 Sunfire makeover ruined a nice looking car. 99 or older models are very cool.

    kostamojen: Nothing about Matrix (or Vibe) says M-class to me.

    peterj : Hopefully all Matrix models don't look like to show model. I agree though, I probably won't buy one because at 32, I will look like I am trying to be 22.
  • hilltop33hilltop33 Member Posts: 15
    Does anyone know when the Vibe goes on sale? Is it this spring or next?
  • raychuang00raychuang00 Member Posts: 541
    Folks,

    I just saw pictures of the Toyota Matrix on the auto show section of Edmund's site.

    Whoever said that the Matrix is overstyled is correct--it reminds me too much of a Ford Focus five-door hatchback sized up and "Toyota styled." :-/

    At least the Vibe looks way better, though.

    By the way, I think Pontiac ought to seriously consider having Toyota increase the engine displacement for the L-4 engine on the Vibe to 2.2 liters so the car will have more HP and/or torque in the base versions.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I thought they were being built side-by-side at the NUUMI plant in CA. That's where they used to build the Corolla/Prism twins.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    That's what I thought, but Toyota announced Monday that it was to be built at an expanded Cambrige Ontario plant. Perhaps the California will just keep building Corollas? A co-worker's husband works as an engineer at the Cambrige plant and confirmed the story.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    interesting.

    I wonder what else they'll be building at NUUMI then since just Corolla production would be at far less then full capacity.
  • cfilkinscfilkins Member Posts: 39
    I took mine in last week to get the compartment under the shifter fixed, and they said that (after 2 hours of me waiting) they were going to have to order a part and would call me when it came in. Ugh! I keep my sunglasses in there, so I'm bummed that it won't open right anymore.

    They checked the alignment - apparently okay. Perhaps since it's been so windy up here it was tossing the car around more than I thought...
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Don't know. It's strange cause I keep reading about how the two cars are twins.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Is an excellent vehicle. The Matrix? Nice but it has too many Ford Focus design clues in it...don't care for it. Besides, you'll pay more for the Toyota version...well because it is a Toyota. The Pontiac Vibe looks much better from any angle (Classic if you will) and you can get a reliable Toyota 4 banger powertrain, Toyota quality at a Pontiac Price!

    I called Pontiac new product info hotline and I was told that the vehicle 'tentatively' will be released to the market in about a year from now....around Feb or March 2002. The car is a 2003 model. The Matrix will be introduced a bit later during 2002.

    Nice car....can't wait!
  • taratara Member Posts: 30
    Hello! I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Tara and I've just started working for Edmunds.com. I'll be your new host for Station Wagons:)
  • hsthsthsthsthsthst Member Posts: 2
    Configuration: Five passenger, five-door, front-wheel drive

    Engine: 1.8-litre DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder

    Horsepower: 130 hp @ 6000 rpm

    Torque: 125 lbs.ft @ 4200 rpm

    Transmission: 4-speed automatic

    Wheelbase: 2600 mm (102.4 in.)

    Overall length: 4365 mm (171.8 in.)

    Overall width: 1775 mm (69.9 in.)

    Overall height: 1600 mm (63.0 in.)

    This car is definitely going to be hot next year.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    It seems that Toyota will continue to do what it does with the Corolla - using two of its plants in CA and Canada to build exactly the same model.
    Actually the Canadian Corolla scores higher in its initial quality than the Californian one.
    Since the Vibe/Matrix is based on the same next-gen Corolla platform, Toyota will have no problems building them alongside. Also both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive models will be offered, so Toyota and GM may decide to build those versions at different locations.
    BTW the sales are expected to begin early next year.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    The NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA is a joint venture program between Toyota and GM.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Just a small add on... Matrix will be made exclusively in Cambridge Ontario. I'm unsure what Toyota will be building in California next year along side the Vibe.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    Either the Corolla or the Vibe's twin.(please notice, I don't call it the Matrix).
    Unless GM and Toyota come up with yet another vehicle based in the Corolla platform.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Perhaps Toyota is planning another vehicle.. who knows.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Saw the Vibe at the Toronto Auto show this past weekend. VERY nice. Comments I over heard were all positive also. The Matrix they had was the over done model which was just not nearly as attractive. I think Toyota is trying to hard to make the Matrix appeal to younger people. They should just remove all the cladding. There is something I thought I would be saying about the Pontiac. ;-)
  • wavgeekwavgeek Member Posts: 1
    I am real excited about these cars from a practicality point of view.

    But I gotta disgree with the prevailing opinion.
    I think the Matrix looks way better than the Vibe.

    The Matrix's nose may be a bit much, but the Vibe looks like.... well... a Pontiac.
    The rear quarter glass on the Matrix is also cleaner looking.

    As for the names and styling being for young people... I'm not embarrased at all. I'm 44 and past caring whether people think I'm trying to be 22! I just want a car that gets good gas mileage and can haul my stuff!
  • orangelebaronorangelebaron Member Posts: 435
    A cool American car.
    Something different with nice clean lines.
    I like different... but the PT Cruiser...doesn't do it for me.
    I guess I like the Vibe because it has a
    late 60's sleek Pontiac or Mopar look.

    I just hope Pontiac does NOT put their UGLY CHEAP two tone grey plasticky dashboard controls in it!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Actually the Vibe interior looked pretty good. From pictures I have seen and what I could see at the auto show, its a big departure from the Grand Am.

    wavgeek: They may have a down scale Matrix that looks better, but the Vibe at the auto show looked way better than the Matrix at the same show. Much cleaner exterior and less cluttered.
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    with that 180HP 4-banger from Toyota though. If it weighs anymore than the Celica GT-S, going to really have to flog it to get it to move.

    -beanboy
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    As many of you know, the Pontiac Vibe is the twin of the Toyota Matrix. For that reason, I'd like you to be aware of the new Toyota Matrix discussion on the Hatchbacks Message Board.

    Also, I eventually hope to link this discussion to the Hatchbacks message board, and that discussion over here..., since these vehicles fall into both categories. In the meantime, please note: I'm going to link the Toyota Matrix discussion into the Additional Resources Box on the left side for the page. Hope this is helpful. ;-)

    Pocahontas
    Host
    Hatchbacks/Station Wagons Message Boards
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,262
    Autoweek says they will sell all of these they can make. For such a guaranteed success, there isn't much information/discussion out there (here or other sites). I remember it was the same way with the PT Cruiser... ;)
  • thor9thor9 Member Posts: 26
    Am I the only one who thinks that Pontiac's Vibe web site is USELESS?

    'My Art', 'My Music' & 'My Stuff' ????? MY GOD!

    Were they on drugs when they laid out the site contents?

    Just try to get any real, useful information by digging through the slow-loading B.S. and music, and GIF's of pierced tongues and skateboarders!

    I understand they are targeting a young, trendy, 'Hip' demographic, but hey, this IS still a car, not an ad for baggy-crotch jeans!

    I notice that Toyota has done a much more credible job with the pre-release publicity on the Matrix.

    Sorry for the rant, but it is VERY frustrating trying to find solid info on the Vibe on that site.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,933
    I agree with ya on the site. Once I saw it I just figured that the car MUST not have been designed for me and I should look elsewhere.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    It could be that Ford finally fired the guy/girl that "created" the '00 Focus brochure and he/she now works in the GM marketing dept.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The argument continues: is this "clone" of a Vibe a wagon or a SUV?

    Chicago Tribune Automotive Notebook Column

    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • lbthedoglbthedog Member Posts: 198
    Saw a Vibe today, can't say where, I know I'll get some grief from a few friends but I'm planning on getting one of these. Four wheel discs, 17 / 50 Z rated tires, just the right size for me. Was planning on a 02 Alero just to placate my cheap side but the Vibe with a 6 speed can make me a whole lot happier.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    6-speed? Maybe in the Vibe GT accompanied by the 180-hp engine. You'll be paying extra for that trim.
    I just got one of their flyers.
    It says that Vibe arrives early in '02 as a '03 model. They included some close-ups of the dash.
    The radio and control console are extremely cheap looking: typical Pontiac (especially the sound system with those ugly grey buttons!!!). The tail lights look just horrible . IMHO
    On the other hand its roominess is amazing. The cargo area is huge!! And it gets the 110-volt AC power outlet in the instrument panel.
    Also the DVD-based navigation system as an option! Not bad. How much will they charge for it?
  • elehtoelehto Member Posts: 4
    Pontiac finally updated their website....it still sucks, but I managed to find the specs for the Vibe: http://www.pontiac.com/vibe/iepopper_specs.html


    I'm pissed. The Vibe AWD is a completely different option package than the base and GT versions. It only comes with the 130 hp engine and a 4 speed auto!


    Looks like I'm scratching the vibe off my list. I would have sprung for an AWD GT in a second....6 speed, 180 hp, AWD....ahhhhhh. Woulda been heaven. Oh well, such is life I guess. With any luck the 2004 model will give me what I want, that's when I was planning on buying anyway.

  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    No 180hp and AWD? Whats the point!
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Maybe the Matrix get's that configuration? (fingers-crossed)
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