Which Vibe should I get?

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:28 am

Hi all,I'm new to the forum. I don't yet own a Vibe. I have done some howework and based on my needs I've decided to buy a used Vibe. My budget limits me to the 2003 to 2005 range. Most of the Vibes I'm finding in my price range have 100 to 140 thousand miles on them. Based on what I've read a well taken care Vibe in that range should still have plenty of life left in it but I'd like to hear other opinions. Gas mileage was a big factor in my decision as I drive a little over 20,000 miles per year. Are there any Vibes to avoid? I know the EPA numbers but how much worse are the manuals than the automatics? The GTs to the base model? Any specific or general advice would eb appreciated. I see there is a lot of info on this site but some pointers could save valuable hours and would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!

lovemyraffe · Post by **lovemyraffe** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:56 am

Welcome to GenVibe!The GTs & AWDs will get a bit worse gas mileage than a Base. Manual you will get a little better than an automatic. For the most part '03-'05 are the same.

journeyforce · Post by **journeyforce** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:27 am

All Vibes are a solid buy however the 5 speed manual trans in the 2003 is junk and you will have to replace it at some point. A lot of folks swap in the 6 speed manual trans as it is a direct swapCheers

rAERRK · Post by **rAERRK** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:05 am

if you do a lot of driving i would recommend an automatic base/awd. the first gen (2003-2008) are essentially the same mechanically AFAIK.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:29 am

Miles are miles. I would try to find one with the lowest miles. Unless you REALLY need AWD I'd stay away from that. Unless you really need more get up an go, I'd stick to the 1.8L. A manual 1.8L without the Power Package or moon roof would probably be the most bang for your buck.

northvibe · Post by **northvibe** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:51 am

whats your price range?!?My sister just found a 09 for 11,800 But the 04 she totaled, was worth 6500 supposedly. So you can get a good deal.

KITT222 · Post by **KITT222** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:37 am

Quote, originally posted by northvibe Â»whats your price range?!?My sister just found a 09 for 11,800 But the 04 she totaled, was worth 6500 supposedly. So you can get a good deal.Your sister totaled the Vibe?http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/Just look for little things that might hint at something bad. Such as faded cladding in one spot, or look out for bad paint or paint over the trim between the cladding and the body. It means it has been painted very badly. But Vibes are like any car, you get the bad ones, the outrageously priced ones, and the good ones. Look for deals in places like Craigslist. That's where I got mine.

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:16 pm

Thanks for all the info. I hadn't heard that the 2003 had issues with the 5-speed manual transmission. Is this common opinion? Are '04 & '05 better? I could try to look for a 6-speed manual but I don't see too many of them. My price range tops out around $7000 and that's only if I find a really nice one. I'm looking on craigslist and prefer to buy from a private owner. I've been looking mainly for a manual because of the mpg difference but if the automatics are more reliable then I guess I'll take the slight hit at the gas pump. If I can average over 30 between city and highway I'll be happy. I'm driving a 97 Grand Prix now and averaging around 21. At 80 miles a day it gets costly. The two things that matter most to me are mpg and reliability. I'd like to find the best combination of both.

nerka · Post by **nerka** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:23 pm

My 07 auto 1.8 gets 36mpg (thats 30 US) with the A/C on and I have a lead foot. You should average well over 30 seeing you are concerned about it.

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:25 pm

That's good to hear. Thanks!

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 2:58 am

Quote, originally posted by nerka Â»My 07 auto 1.8 gets 36mpg (thats 30 US) with the A/C on and I have a lead foot. You should average well over 30 seeing you are concerned about it.From my experience and what I read on this board averaging "well over 30 mpg" in mixed city/highway is not at all typical.

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:07 am

Quote, originally posted by journeyforce Â»All Vibes are a solid buy however the 5 speed manual trans in the 2003 is junk and you will have to replace it at some point. A lot of folks swap in the 6 speed manual trans as it is a direct swapCheersIf I find a 2004 or later are the 5-speed manual trasmissions okay? As I said I've been focusing on trying to find a manual because of the mpg difference but if the automatic is that much more reliable then I may change my mind. Mileage is very important to me but not at the cost of reliability. Please advise.

KITT222 · Post by **KITT222** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:20 am

EPA numbers are not what you will be getting in the real world. I average 32-33 mpg regularly in a hilly area and sub-urban driving, but then again I monitor my mpgs closely and try my best to be as efficient as possible. I'd try to find a manual, not just because I am biased to them (despite my automatic Vibe). By what journeyforce said, it sounds like just the 03 5-spd is junk. Even then it would be easy enough to replace it if it would go out.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:35 am

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 Â»EPA numbers are not what you will be getting in the real world. I average 32-33 mpg regularly in a hilly area and sub-urban driving, but then again I monitor my mpgs closely and try my best to be as efficient as possible. And the "real world" differs from one person to another. I think my relatively poor mileage has a lot to do with the fact that living where I do a lot of my trips are ultra short - maybe 1-2 miles to the grocery, to a restaurant, to church, to the post office etc. etc. . But the good news side of that is my total gasoline use is pretty low even if I only get 25-26 mpg overall.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:05 am

Quote, originally posted by jake75 Â»And the "real world" differs from one person to another. = Amen Brother Driving habits really make the difference. If you truly drive 55 at the posted highway speed, a 2009 Vibe GT will get you 37 mpg. (that's the 2.4l engine with 5-spd manual) I proved this last summer driving from Indy to Toledo. City driving though is around 24 avg. which BOTH are higher than EPA figures. Good luck on your purchase and let us know what you end up with

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:17 am

I just looked at a 2003 with 48000 miles. I found it on craigslist. It was super clean but the ad forgot to mention that it was an all-wheel-drive. Under the hood it said VVT-i. Is that the GT motor? I don't want anything that needs premium fuel. I don't know much about the AWD version. Are they as reliable as the FWD base? How much worse are they on gas? I know what the EPA numbers are but I'd like to hear from some people that have owned one.

rAERRK · Post by **rAERRK** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:52 am

Quote, originally posted by jdub_74 Â»I just looked at a 2003 with 48000 miles. I found it on craigslist. It was super clean but the ad forgot to mention that it was an all-wheel-drive. Under the hood it said VVT-i. Is that the GT motor? I don't want anything that needs premium fuel. I don't know much about the AWD version. Are they as reliable as the FWD base? How much worse are they on gas? I know what the EPA numbers are but I'd like to hear from some people that have owned one.no. the GT motor would say VVTL-i, and they didnt make awd GTs

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hapagan · Post by **hapagan** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:02 am

i get 31 mpg 50/50 on my 04 auto with the M+T package. i consider that pretty good for having a led foot u know.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:52 am

My bias has always been to avoid AWD both for potential repair issues and mpg but in being on this board for many years I have seen very few complaints about reliability and the small mpg disadvantage might be worth it in Michigan. Only 48,000 miles is a major plus.

djkeev · Post by **djkeev** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:06 am

Quote, originally posted by jake75 Â»Miles are miles. I would try to find one with the lowest miles. I must disagree with this statement, it is so far from real world truth I just want to shudder.Miles are indeed miles to maybe the odometer function but to the rest of the car there is a HUGE difference in those miles.A car driven daily in stop and go city traffic lives a far harder life than a car driven the same miles on an interstate highway in Kansas. A car driven by a 17 year old hot rodding high school student showing off to his buddies with hard starts, fast turns and screeching stops is far worse than a car gently driven to work by a 50 year old mother.No my friend miles are NOT just miles. It helps to know the history of the car, where it lived, why it has so many miles and who serviced it and how frequently.I'd much much much rather have a car with a 150,000 miles driven on a freeway everyday by a mid level executive who is (removed) about proper service than I would a car with 1/3 the miles but has been driven by a teen and beat into the ground by him / her.Shop wisely, shop informed. First thing you do is tape over the odometer without looking at the mileage and then evaluate the car. After you decide yes or no, remove the tape and see what mileage it has.If you shop only by miles, you may get a wonderful deal....or..........you may get a huge beat POS and regret the purchase.Dave

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:10 am

Quote, originally posted by hapagan Â»i get 31 mpg 50/50 on my 04 auto with the M+T package. i consider that pretty good for having a led foot u know. I'm assuming yours is an AWD? If I can average 31 mpg in an AWD I will put it back in the running.

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:23 am

Quote, originally posted by djkeev Â»I must disagree with this statement, it is so far from real world truth I just want to shudder.Miles are indeed miles to maybe the odometer function but to the rest of the car there is a HUGE difference in those miles....For the most part I'm with you on that. True highway miles are much easier on a car than city/stop & go. I'm a highway miles guy the car I'm looking to replace when I find the right Vibe is a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix with 240,000 miles. The engine still runs beautifully. I drive 80 miles each day and some of the driving is on rough dirt roads. Those roads have taken a big toll on my ride. My concern with high mileage is not really the engine but all the front end components and little things that can nickel-and-dime you to death. Because of all the wear and tear type stuff I can't just be completely blind to the odometer though you make a good point. I want to get a lot of years out of whatever I buy. For that reason I'm trying to find a nice one with 100,000 or less.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:05 am

Quote, originally posted by jdub_74 Â»For the most part I'm with you on that. True highway miles are much easier on a car than city/stop & go. I'm a highway miles guy the car I'm looking to replace when I find the right Vibe is a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix with 240,000 miles. The engine still runs beautifully. I drive 80 miles each day and some of the driving is on rough dirt roads. Those roads have taken a big toll on my ride. My concern with high mileage is not really the engine but all the front end components and little things that can nickel-and-dime you to death. Because of all the wear and tear type stuff I can't just be completely blind to the odometer though you make a good point. I want to get a lot of years out of whatever I buy. For that reason I'm trying to find a nice one with 100,000 or less.The problem is you have to go with what you know. You know the mileage. You probably don't know the rest - who drove it, how they drove it, and where they drove it. Reminds me of an experience years ago when I had a regular day job and was replacing a shared secretary. There was a younger cute thing, and another applicant. I really didn't care and let the other person decide which to hire - I did jokedly (is that a word) say "well, we don't really know how either one will work out so I'd go with the young cute thing - at least that is one thing we know." Well, the other applicant was hired and she was a terrible secretary.

djkeev · Post by **djkeev** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:52 am

Quote, originally posted by jake75 Â»The problem is you have to go with what you know. You know the mileage. You probably don't know the rest - who drove it, how they drove it, and where they drove it. Reminds me of an experience years ago when I had a regular day job and was replacing a shared secretary. There was a younger cute thing, and another applicant. I really didn't care and let the other person decide which to hire - I did jokedly (is that a word) say "well, we don't really know how either one will work out so I'd go with the young cute thing - at least that is one thing we know." Well, the other applicant was hired and she was a terrible secretary. I guess the "other applicant" had too many miles on her??

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 4:19 am

Yes - as many miles as on me!

ou.grizzly · Post by **ou.grizzly** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:53 am

Quote, originally posted by jdub_74 Â»I just looked at a 2003 with 48000 miles. I found it on craigslist. It was super clean but the ad forgot to mention that it was an all-wheel-drive. Under the hood it said VVT-i. Is that the GT motor? I don't want anything that needs premium fuel. I don't know much about the AWD version. Are they as reliable as the FWD base? How much worse are they on gas? I know what the EPA numbers are but I'd like to hear from some people that have owned one.I am free at night if you want me to meet up with you and take a look at it... Just post here or send me a PM

hapagan · Post by **hapagan** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:44 am

Quote, originally posted by jdub_74 Â»I'm assuming yours is an AWD? If I can average 31 mpg in an AWD I will put it back in the running.sorry it took so long to reply. no mines FWD but i have over 100 maybe 200 aditional pounds(not counting myself) on it constantly between sound system, school books, some car parts and clothes and i still get that much. and thats on a stock engine. now i have a CAI so it should be higher now.

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:07 pm

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly Â»I am free at night if you want me to meet up with you and take a look at it... Just post here or send me a PMVery kind offer. Thank you. I may take you up on that. I've decided against the AWD though. There are a couple on craigslist I'm thinking about looking at but nothing that I'm too excited about. I did look at one a month ago that's still for sale. It has 140,000 miles which is a little higher than I like but the car was clean and seemed very solid other than a slight pull to the left which is probably just alignment and a check engine light. The light is the only thing that concerned me. It could be as simple as an Oxygen sensor or it could be something serious. It's a 2003 base automatic with the sun and sound package. I'm confident that I could get it for $4500 or less. Since you live in the area please let me know if you see a nice one for sale.

journeyforce · Post by **journeyforce** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:05 am

Keep in mind one thing, the car may say Pontiac but it really is a Toyota underneath the cladding. The engine in it is known for longevity and easy repairs. The 1.8 and 2.4 are in several Toyota products such as the Corolla. It is not a stretch to say that during the time that the Vibe was made(2003-2010) it was the most reliable GM vehicle sold.The 2003-2004 Vibe's with the 5spd had manual trans issues but 2005- 2010 had no issues. The GT had a 6spd offered and those are very very reliable.I have a 2009 Vibe Base 1.8 with the manual trans. I commute 70 miles a day 4 days a week on 495 which is very very congested and yet the worst gas MPG I have gotten the past month is 32MPG. I have gotten 38MPG one time but most times it is 34-35MPGI spend about $30-$36 at the pump every week or so. This is an improvement from the $65-$75 I spent every week with my Sonata. I save about $30 a week. I could get better MPG's if I drove it more gently and drove the speed limit on 495 but saving $3 or $4 more each fill up is not worth endangering my life by driving slowly on 495 with those drivers.

Bedlam · Post by **Bedlam** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:36 pm

i'll agree with the others on the base 5spd for 03-04. I've lived it, they are junk.Get an 05+ manual or a auto from any year and you'll be in great shape. Skip the GT and AWD models.

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:47 am

After much searching I put a deposit on a 2004 Vibe base automatic last night. It has just under 24,000 miles and is a one owner vehicle until now. It was in one accident. It was hit in the front end but the damage didn't go beyond the radiator. The hood, front fenders and bumper cover were replaced. I'm not a big fan of accident vehicles but they did a good job on the repairs and for $7,000 I couldn't pass this one up. I took it for two long test drives and had it inspected at a dealership I trust. The mechanic agreed that the repairs were well done and gave me the thumbs up to buy it. I appreciate the input from everyone here on the forum. I'm sure I'll be back in the forums looking for tips & tricks to get the most of my Vibe experience. Thanks to you all!

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KITT222 · Post by **KITT222** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:56 am

It looks great! And that is an awesome deal.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:10 am

Given today's used car market that is a good deal. Must have been from private owner.

trb · Post by **trb** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:15 am

That looks very nice! And I agree, for that mileage and condition, that is a pretty good deal. I almost got an 06 with 40K miles for $8,500 and I thought that was a good deal, but so did the person that bought it before I decided to.Good luck with it!

jdub_74 · Post by **jdub_74** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:25 am

Quote, originally posted by jake75 Â»Given today's used car market that is a good deal. Must have been from private owner.Actually it's from a dealer. They just opened up a few months ago. I don't typically buy from dealers but this one I couldn't pass on. You can never know everything about a used car but it passed the CARFAX report and my independent mechanic's inspection. It's got the moon & tunes package, power package, cargo mat and ABS besides all the standard stuff. It has a few small door dings but the interior looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. I can't wait to pick it up. I should have it by Wednesday.

Which Vibe should I get?

Which Vibe should I get?

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Re: Which Vibe should I get? (nerka)

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Re: Which Vibe should I get? (journeyforce)

Re: Which Vibe should I get? (jdub_74)

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Re: Which Vibe should I get? (djkeev)

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Re: Which Vibe should I get? (jake75)

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