Ive had two Vibe's... an '04 AWD and now my '03 GT....so I speak from experience. As you stated...they're basically Toyota's... and darn good one's at that! The clutch is the weak link in the GT but most hold up well....other than that ROCK solid (KNOCK ON WOOD! hahaha).
I LOVE my GT!!!! Its fast when you hit 6K rpms and handles well. Just a GREAT CAR all around and someday I'll probably buy YET ANOTHER Vibe.... a GT as once you own one you cant go back to base or AWD...at least not me!
I also loved my AWD... it was GREAT in the snow and never let me down...ever. Was a great car! But now that I own a GT I see what all the hubbub is about... these GT's are AWESOME!
I'd love to drive a 2nd Generation GT... I'm not sure but think they arent quite the performer the 1st Gen was. Maybe someone who has driven BOTH could chime in.
|Bottom Line - BUY ONE...you wont regret it! If you shop around there are GREAT DEALS to be had (depending on Location of course)... I bought my 03 with 110K miles in very good (not perfect though) condition for $3500 including tax and DMV ($3100 plus).
Here\s my '03 after painting the wheels and adding some stripes: