Hi everyone,
Nice to meet you all! I'm new to the forums and to the concept of Vibe ownership. The more I've learned about Vibes, the more I've become interested in owning one. I'm an outdoorsy person with an active lifestyle, and I love the practicality of these cars. So I'm thinking I've come to the right place.
I'm looking to get a first-gen Vibe sometime in the next year to replace my tired 2001 Camry. I've found a few Vibes on the used market in my general area, but most of them are older (03-04). Before I pull the trigger on a purchase, I'd love some advice from you Vibe enthusiasts! Can you help me out?
(1) I'm aware of the cosmetic differences between 03-04 and 05+ Vibes (I read the big thread about that). However, aside from the looks, are there any well-known reliability reasons to purchase a 2005-2008 Vibe, as opposed to an 03 or 04? For example, I saw here (https://www.carcomplaints.com/Pontiac/Vibe/) that the later 1st-gen Vibes have a lower rate of reported problems than the earlier ones. Can any of you confirm that?
I'm asking because I recently found a 2004 Vibe with just under 100K miles on it. Two previous owners, super-clean Carfax, and detailed maintenance records. 4K asking price. Would you folks recommend I get this vehicle, or wait a while or so and try to find a similarly-nice 2007-08 Vibe?
(2) Maybe this is just because of my geographic area, but I've found that there are much fewer 07-08 Vibes on the used market than the earlier models. Were much fewer Vibes sold in those years than in 03-04?
Thanks in advance for your help! I'm hoping the advice I receive can steer me towards a great Vibe purchase.