jazzvibe wrote:From one newcomer to another, nice to meet you. If you can get out of the car long enough, give us some info on your Vibe. How did you decide on this car? How are you liking it? I, too, love your handle.
I bought this car for work not play and I really had my heart set out on a 92-98 civic hatchback but no good deals were available...I then decided to look for a 5 door hatchback...
I usually go Toyota but the Mazda 3 hatch back was my first choice because it performed very well but the Matrix was much much more practical and offered, better milage at a 1.8 liter engine vs a 2.0 + liter engines, more space and overall toyota design and reliability...Ultimately I went with the Vibe because it's basically a rebadged Toyota Matrix and it had a 6 speed....in fact it was made in the same factory as my Tacoma.
I have a very performance oriented preference when it comes to cars...As a 24 year old (kid) would much rather feel very bump in the road then a soft cushy ride while tearing through turns with no body roll...but I did buy this car to be practical...
I find the first 5 gears extreemely close making (economical) street driving a little tedious but the 6th really makes 168hp an economical car for highway commuting...but the gearing does let you get up and go when you're in a rush
At the moment (103.xxx miles) I hate the suspension at higher speeds definitely not as nimble and agile as the mazda 3 but I will comment more when I find a nice suspension set up I like
I have a sneaking suspicious that the vibe has a drive by wire throttle system...I would much rather have a throttle cable
I loove all the little compartments that are EVERYWHERE...last night I found the one under the shifter
the glass hatch was also really nice for the many times I need to get back there
The braking is very adequate even for my taste haven't been in an ABS situation but I'm sure it will perform just fine
I'm pretty much indifferent about everything else but if you had any specific questions I would be more then happy to chime in but overall, (so far) I like the car OK