irunan wrote:Thanks for all the warm welcomes! I wish every car had a community like this one!
I am definitely interested in doing the intake and stuff...will any of that affect the gas mileage?
Unfortunately, I won't be changing much in the near future as I am in between jobs currently. I would like to get the windows tinted first, as I travel with my dog often and I would prefer if people couldn't easily see him inside, plus to help keep the sun out a bit! Lowering is the one thing that is absolutely out of the question simply because I do travel a lot and I do find myself on grass/dirt/gravel roads often...plus, the Pontiac Firebird I had was so low that the front end would scrape the ground on hills...and wasn't good to park in grass!
The one thing I can't get over is...this car gets attention from people--especially hatchback enthusiasts. I thought that would die when I got rid of my Firebird! Hoping it won't be such a cop magnet though.
GenVibe is definitely
the best vehicle enthusiast website on the internet as far as I'm (and I'm sure many others are) concerned! We have a great group of members here. Everyone is really helpful, friendly and positive. I have yet to see any negativity of any sort in the 5 1/2 years I've been a member here. Drastically different from other vehicle enthusiast websites I've been a member of.
Both mine and my mom's Vibes have the K&N intake installed and we have seen a consistent 1-2 MPG increase in our gas mileage. Since I had the Magnaflow catback installed on my Vibe back in July, I have easily seen another 1-2 MPG increase. I have been averaging around 28-29 MPG with 50% city / 50% highway. As long as you take it easy on the gas pedal (which is admittedly hard to do when you first install the intake and / or exhaust
), you should have no problem increasing your gas mileage with either (or both) installed.
Tinted windows are a must IMO! Not only does it make the Vibe look great (even more so) from the exterior, it also helps keep the interior (and your pooch) cooler and protected from the sun. We have 35% all around on both our Vibes and IMO it's the perfect %. It's dark enough to look good and serve its purposes, but not too dark that it hinders you vision or attracts unwanted attention from authorities.
I drove 2 different lowered Pontiac Sunfires (a Coupe and than a Sedan) before I got my Vibe and what a difference with the Vibe. It rides stiff and sporty like I always wanted my Sunfires too, but you still have a decent amount of ground clearance. Lowered 2nd gen GTs looks absolutely killer, but I wouldn't want to the sacrifice ground clearance, especially since we drive our Vibes in winter.
As long as you don't drive like a crazy person, I wouldn't worry about cops. I had the windows tinted on my Vibe before it was legal to have the front windows tinted in IL and the cops never even looked twice at me. Neither of our Vibes has had a front license plate (which is required in IL) since 2010 and again, cops don't even look twice. I used to get pulled over in my Sunfire Coupe because I had an aftermarket Magnaflow exhaust on it and it was really loud (header back dual outlet exhaust). No worries with the Magnaflow catback on the Vibe. It's barely louder than stock.