Vibe on steep slope...

[lemay.08]

It's my first winter with my Vibe '08. I have a summerhouse and to access it, we have to go on a steep slope. My Vibe has a lot of trouble getting up the slope even when there's only little snow. We got stuck and I had to use my traction aid which took me an hour to get my car up there. My parents has a Subaru Impreza and they don't have any trouble getting up the slope. I know that having an AWD is the best way to get up a slope but my previous car, a Mazda3, didn't had any trouble either. Btw, the winter tires on my vibe are the same as my Mazda3.Is it normal that my Vibe has trouble getting up the slope?

[beemerphile1]

My '09 does well in snow. The only times I have had trouble was because of the low ground clearance. If the snow is deep enough that it packs under the car it will create a slight lift and traction goes away.

[Bedlam]

tires make the biggest difference, but weight also plays a factor.Vibes have very light front ends and don't bite nearly as well as other FWD cars that are a bit older. My wife's elantra has a simple 2.0L iron block and it has better traction than my vibe with all season tires than i do with snows. For forward traction on snow, there is no substitute for weight over the tires.

[lemay.08]

Maybe the engine is not powerful enough to pull my car. I mean the Vibe has only 126hp vs the 156hp of my Mazda3... Do you know if the Vibe GT AWD does well in these condition?

[Bedlam]

Quote, originally posted by lemay.08 »Maybe the engine is not powerful enough to pull my car. I mean the Vibe has only 126hp vs the 156hp of my Mazda3... Do you know if the Vibe GT AWD does well in these condition?lol, not unless you are going up a wall or something silly. There is no Vibe GT awd either, it was FWD only. wheel spin is your biggest issue with the open front differential. for snow conditions, it is never a question of not having enough power to turn the wheels. It always comes down to them turning too much and giving up traction in places they shouldn't.

[KITT222]

Just get at it with enough speed. That's what my sister did with her Celica and summer tires these past two winters (it was only recently that my dad began believing in snow tires).

[star_deceiver]

If you don't or can't get enough speed, you could always just back up the hill.

[lemay.08]

Yeah I know that. I used to do it with my MR2. But there's a rough turn in the middle of the slope. So when I get to that turn with too much speed, the Vibe will skid.

[lemay.08]

oh.. is there an AWD Vibe?

[Bedlam]

Quote, originally posted by lemay.08 »oh.. is there an AWD Vibe? yup.

[beemerphile1]

If it seems like there isn't enough power, you may be experiencing the traction control. I'm not sure about earlier Vibes but mine has traction control. I think it works by some combination of reducing power to the wheels and operating the brake to reduce wheel spin. It can be turned off, look in your manual for more details.

[lemay.08]

Are you talking about the 0verDrive button?

[lemay.08]

Is the AWD on the Vibe reliable? Is it as good as Subaru?

[KITT222]

Overdrive isn't traction control, it just puts your car into 4th gear for better fuel economy. The AWD Vibe is just as reliable as the base, it just needs some extra care since it has a rear differential. It might not be as good as a Subaru because Subarus are full-time AWD. The Vibe only sends power to the rear wheels when it needs to. This thread kinda goes through the intricacies of the AWD system:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=45844

[lemay.08]

Well in that case...Since I bought the Vibe, I keep wondering if I should have chosen the Vibe AWD instead... And I didn't know if the AWD on the Vibe/Matrix was reliable and efficient.After my disappointment with Mazda, I wanted to have a reliable car that can get me going for a decade. I wanted to buy a Subaru Impreza for it's AWD and for it's car design. But the engine wasn't reliable at all. It also rust easily. The salt on the road during the winter is a killer for cars. So I chose my Vibe FWD. Except for the slope at my summerhouse during the winter, I am very satisfy with my Vibe. The mechanical is simple, smooth driving and it's like a SUV without it's excessive fuel consumption. Great car!

[mkowdley]

Quote, originally posted by lemay.08 »a summerhouse ... when there's only little snow. you crazy canadians

[lemay.08]

Quote, originally posted by mkowdley » you crazy canadians Yeah... And they let us be a country

[Serj22]

I drove my 03 approximately 400 miles, through the snow. Took 22 hours going about 20-30mph. We only had trouble when stopped on a slope, but after learning to just ease into the hill slowly and letting the clutch out more gentle, it didn't have a single issue. It also climbed the mountains of Orgeon with no problem, in the snow, and we never put on chains. I do not see why the newer vibe would have an issue with a simple slope. Perhaps you are pushing the gas too hard. Tires would also be a major factor.

[lemay.08]

My Vibe is the first gen. It's an '08 actually. It's also an automatic... which can be an issue when going up a slope. But my gf can't drive a manual so... Anyway, I bought another pair of traction aid. I hope it'll help.