My random thoughts after a year of owning a vibe for a year.

[Dairgo]

Story begins in July 2013, just moved up from Florida to St. Louis area with my job. At the time I owned a 2006 Monte Carlo with the 3.9L V6 and had 150,000 mile, 148,000 of those were mine, bought it barely used in '06. The Monte had ample amounts of power and room, but was never something I parallel parked (had the tail ala NASCAR and couldn't judge the rear end very well). For a year or two after having paid it off, the Monte had no issues, and ran great. After moving to St. Louis I started putting money into it, few hundred here, almost 1k there (one has to drop the subframe to replace a leaky oil gasket), so came the decision to get a newer vehicle. I was making monthly payments again, they were just now for repairs, not a vehicle, and they were more than I was paying when I was paying off the Monte.

A bit of research lead me to the vibe. 1st gens looked ok, 2nd gen GT's looked great.

[X] Vehicle gets good gas mileage (mind you, on the freeway, the MC could get 30mpg), not some gas guzzling V8.

[X] Vehicle has solid drivetrain (Toyota has proven reliable, family had years back a Camry hatch, only reason we go rid of it was that the floor rusted out).

[X] Vehicle is comfortable to sit and drive in and small blind spots (MC had a small blind spot, and having driven an HHR that had HUGE blind spots, didn't want a wagon).

So after a year, thoughts are that I've made a good choice. It has ample amounts of get up and go; but also gets good gas mileage. The vehicle ride is smooth, but daily commute is a pain with having to cross the same railroad 4 times to get to work. The steering is responsive, but at times I feel disconnected from the road with the electric assist.

I've got more than enough room to pack for 2 weeks’ vacation, filled everything behind the front seats, and had a little extra room. It seats 4 people easily, and no one has to crawl over a seat to get to the back seats. I do wish the gas tank held a few more gallons; the 370 mile trek home is just slightly out of range, have to fill up just over the state line, but still, 33mpg is good. Long treks are just as easy and comfortable in the smaller Vibe as they were in the large Monte Carlo. And it is slightly less affected by crosswinds than the larger Monte Carlo was.

The only real issue I've had was with one of the speed sensors. At some point during the winter one of the speed sensors became damaged, it was severely bent out of the hub. It took a week and a call two states over to get a new one. Also turns out the wire harness was damaged and that took another day to replace. Other than that, this vehicle has been carefree. I had a slight run in with a bent shield that is on the exhaust near the muffler, and that was simple enough to bend back. I also have a “noisy” fan; I think a bearing is going on the passenger cabin fan, I'm just too stubborn at the moment to do something other than turn the fan up so I don't hear it (fancy that, as it spins faster, the output is louder, and I can't hear the bearing).

Just like with the Monte, there is an active and viberant community of owners and enthusiasts. I'm glad to be a part of the community and don't plan on parting with my Vibe if I can help it. I may miss the Monte; but the Vibe is growing on me every day.

[runningslow]

Sounds about right. I've had my Vibe since last August.

I came from an aging Ford Ranger that had just blown a head gasket and left me and my (at the time) 6 month old daughter stranded on the side of a highway in rush hour traffic. The Ranger had been fairly reliable, but it was nearing 300K miles and I couldn't justify fixing the head gasket. So, I wanted something reliable and economical. We had bought my wife's car (05 Corolla) new and it has been rock solid for over 200K miles (yes, it did need the tranny replaced... at 200K). After our experience with the Corolla it seemed like a no brainer to consider another Toyota. The Vibe fit the bill perfectly and it was an excellent replacement for the Ranger. This thing can haul whatever I need it to and gets much better mpgs, not to mention its much more comfortable and seats 5.

[vibrologist]

It would be hard to argue with your description of the Vibe, Dairgo.

There is just one point that makes me wonder if the 2nd generation Vibe is different from the first. You said the ride is smooth. That is not something I would say about my '05 Vibe. In fact I call the '05 Vibe's ride harsh and uncomfortable on anything but the smoothest blacktop.
I know the seating position is better in the Gen2 Vibe because of the telescoping steering wheel. So I wonder if they softened the springs too?

[Nasmfell]

[quote="vibrologist"]It would hard to argue with your description of the Vibe, Dairgo.

There is just one point that makes me wonder if the 2nd generation Vibe is different from the first. You said the ride is smooth. That is not something I would say about my '05 Vibe. In fact I call the '05 Vibe's ride harsh and uncomfortable on anything but the smoothest blacktop.
I know the seating position is better in the Gen2 Vibe because of the telescoping steering wheel. So I wonder if they softened the springs too?[/quote


You're getting tired of your 2005?

[Dairgo]

They may have played with the suspension on the 2nd Gen. Now mind you.. it's not smooth going over Railroads, and it was certainly not the smoothest on gravel roads in the backwoods in Canada, but those are extremes. But in normal driving on the roads around St. Louis, it rides smoothly, though admittedly, not as smooth as the highway cruiser that was the Monte. But those are two different classes of vehicle, one can't compare the ride of a small hatchback to the ride of a landyacht highway cruiser. But never the less, I wouldn't trade back for the Monte.

[vibrologist]

It would hard to argue with your description of the Vibe, Dairgo.

There is just one point that makes me wonder if the 2nd generation Vibe is different from the first. You said the ride is smooth. That is not something I would say about my '05 Vibe. In fact I call the '05 Vibe's ride harsh and uncomfortable on anything but the smoothest blacktop.
I know the seating position is better in the Gen2 Vibe because of the telescoping steering wheel. So I wonder if they softened the springs too?[/quote


You're getting tired of your 2005?

No, crashbandit is getting tired of his. I have made modifications that make it more agreeable. But there is still room for improvement.

[vibrologist]

They may have played with the suspension on the 2nd Gen. Now mind you.. it's not smooth going over Railroads, and it was certainly not the smoothest on gravel roads in the backwoods in Canada, but those are extremes. But in normal driving on the roads around St. Louis, it rides smoothly, though admittedly, not as smooth as the highway cruiser that was the Monte. But those are two different classes of vehicle, one can't compare the ride of a small hatchback to the ride of a landyacht highway cruiser. But never the less, I wouldn't trade back for the Monte.

Thanks, Dairgo!

I just looked for the parts numbers of 05 vs 09 on Monroe OESpectrum struts and those numbers differ. There are also minute differences in compressed height and extended height. Of course there is no information about spring rates and damper settings.

If it were not so expensive I would be experimenting. We have a 2000 Contour and it is just the opposite of a Vibe: near perfect ergonomics, a ride that is firm but not harsh and a built quality that gets a "so-so" rating on a good day. I wish I could put the Contour struts and springs in the Vibe.

Of course a car with a long wheel base will always be smoother compared to one with a short wheel base. But I think Toyota/Pontiac crossed the line to punishing. Back in the days the French built small cars with amazing comfort. We had 2 Renault 4 TL over a period of 12 years. So I know it can be done. Even the Fiat Uno had a nicer ride than the Vibe.

In a few weeks i will switch to 15" rims with winter tires. Hopefully that gets it a bit closer to my objectives.

[Dairgo]

The best way to say it is this....

It has a cushiony / floating ness to it, it takes the bumps and like my former landyacht, it rides them with the expected front to back wobble, and you continue on. It's not like say... the '95 cierra that rode like a rock.

[vibrologist]

Alright, Dairgo. They did soften it up a bit.

[tpollauf]

I do wish the gas tank held a few more gallons; the 370 mile trek home is just slightly out of range, have to fill up just over the state line, but still, 33mpg is good.

Nice update BUT I don't see the daring side of you My twin to your car (except a manual tranny) got 417 miles to a tank & I still had 1-1/2 gal in the tank when I went to fill up. It was one of my best MPG tanks ever. When I drove to Florida & back (a 2500 mile trip in five days) last year I almost always got upper 300's to lower 400's per tank. Pure highway driving you should easily reach your destination after 370 miles. Give it a shot once and see for yourself!

[Dairgo]

I had one gastank full where the stars aligned. On the trip to Canada, going through Indy, with a tail wind and flat terrain I managed 41mpg. Mind you though to ruin that experience a deer decided to play frogger on the highway, ended up it jumped at the last moment and only caught the area by the small triangle window. That shook me up for a good 10 mins.

With the K&N sri I see high 29 / low 30 all day long in my normal driving. Daily commute is 11 miles on surface roads. I'm still trying to figure how to get the most out of the 4 cylinder. Some days I drive good, other days I drive like I have the v6 with gobs of power, and get reminded otherwise quickly. In pure freeway speeds I see 33 maybe 34, so long as there isn't a horrible crosswind blowing 30 mph, north/south travel is very susceptible to that. I'm driving home today, I'll see how far I make it.

Similarly on the 1200 mile drive up from Florida, the Monte (driven by my dad, I got stuck driving the 16ft moving truck) managed 35mpg at least, mind you he was drafting me the whole way up.

[Mark]

I got 422 miles on a tank once, but when I filled up I put in 13.1 gallons. Was pretty scary, for the last 20 miles I was trying to coast on downhills and drafting trucks every chance I got. Didn't think I was going to make it.

On another trip I got 49mpg on a 250 mile leg, with a 40mph tail wind.

[vibenvy]

Glad to hear you're happy with your Vibe Dairgo! We've had both our 2009 Vibe GTs for 5 1/2 years now and couldn't be happier with them.

[Dairgo]

Just and update to tpollauf after both long drives. Managed to eek out 31 mpg on both trips (had some nasty crosswinds both days). One thing I do notice now that I paid more attention... I think the passenger compartment needs some sound dampening material put along the floor, but it's winter here, so that will have to wait till spring or summer. Also, not sure where I would start with taking apart the interior to do such.

[vibrologist]

I think the passenger compartment needs some sound dampening material put along the floor, but it's winter here, so that will have to wait till spring or summer. Also, not sure where I would start with taking apart the interior to do such.

Dairgo: I started here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=35813" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing I had trouble with was removing the bezel around the shifter. I learned (after finishing the job, of course) that you need to pull the dials of the climate control to gain access to a hidden screw.
I also watched a video on how to remove the door panels.

I would say bring your project up before you start in spring.

[Dairgo]

Will look this over and wander the site and interwebs to see if there is a how to for the second gen's. Right now it's just a dream, but we'll see if I can't do it myself.

[tpollauf]

One thing I do notice now that I paid more attention... I think the passenger compartment needs some sound dampening material put along the floor, but it's winter here, so that will have to wait till spring or summer. Also, not sure where I would start with taking apart the interior to do such.

Well how's this for a start Get your Vibe down to this much exposed interior sheet metal and let the sound deadening process begin

[Dairgo]

My goodness. just how / why did you take the dash apart? And I will probably need help on this little project, remembering where every little screw, nut and bolt goes. Thank you.

[tpollauf]

That pic is from my son's Vibe shortly after he purchased it. It was used and had 35k miles on it and the prior owners did absolutely nothing to it. Thus we stripped the interior out to powerwash/clean everything. They had little kids and spilled everything imaginable. It was a total mess to say the least. Probably one of the reasons we go it for a good price ( $13,100 42 months ago!) While it was gutted I added heating kits to the seats so he now has heated seats AND he added some electronics where we needed to run wiring back to the amp. It was a weekend project and was fun! As long as you have a garage, some benches to stow parts/fasteners, and a lot of TIME ... then go for it!

[Dairgo]

I've got containers and time.... no indoor place to do this though, currently renting an apartment. I'll have to bother a friend and see if they'll help or find another way to get it done.

[vibrologist]

I've got containers and time.... no indoor place to do this though, currently renting an apartment. I'll have to bother a friend and see if they'll help or find another way to get it done.

You could rent a mini storage unit for a weekend.

[Dairgo]

Have to make a quick update.

Over the past few weeks I've had new struts, new rotors and pads and new tires installed, and this has changed the ride and feel greatly.

A) New struts, knew they were on the outs when purchased, car had 80k on the odometer, and pre-purchase inspection showed they were just starting to leak. My goodness has the ride feel become stiffer, it is good and bad (ie a little cushiony was ok, but full stiffness is good)

B) pads and rotors. Pads had reached their time, and the rotors were wearing down. She brakes like a champ now, really firm, real quick.

C) tires.... Again pre-puchase inspection showed there was wear issues with two tires (ie lack of rotation) and two were ok. Dealer agreed to put two kmoho's on. 25k miles later the original two that weren't replace had reached wear marker, other two had tread to go. But I knew the tires I wanted, continental DWS extreme contact, best 3 season and light snow tire, I haven't the storage space nor money to have dedicated snow tires, and St. Louis doesn't get THAT much snow.

Now that I have basically new ride from tires up, it is great. Ride is stiff but smooth, buttery smooth. Brakes and sticks good. Steering still feels a little disconnected, but it turns with even less effort with the new tires. But she is very responsive, I feel I could take corners faster and she would stick to the pavement like glue, but I won't cus I know the center of gravity is a little higher than the low slung, wide bodied Monte Carlo I had. But I am in love with my Vibe, my Scarlett again.

[vibrologist]

Thanks for the update, Dairgo.
Which brand struts did you use?

btw: my mechanic said that the Monroe Quick Struts use slightly softer springs. One of my struts leaks and I will probably replace all 4 with Monroe quick struts sometime this year.

[Dairgo]

I got the quick struts... had to wait a week(ish) for monroe to put em together, they just don't have '09 Vibe GT struts laying around. Had to wait on the tires as well, go figure they didn't have the ones I wanted in inventory, but they were able to get them pretty quick.

I say a stiffer ride, but again, that's coming from struts that use to be leaky, so who knows, maybe they use softer springs, but the leaky struts had lots of travel when you went over bumps or in my case, a railroad track, 4 times a day, just to get to work... ugh, I need a better route, but the fuel I'd burn at highway speeds just isn't worth it...

anyhow got off topic there...

Yeah, The monroe struts are nice, smooth, stiff, but not too stiff that it feels like I've got rocks for struts. having replaced all the running gear has helped as well.

[vibenvy]

Glad to hear you're still enjoying your Vibe and it sounds like even more so after replacing all those parts. We're coming up on 6 years of owning our 2009 GTs and still couldn't be happier with them!