In a PERFECT world if my girlfriend didn't need to drive so much per year I would make AWD a requirement and she'd own a brand new A4 quattro, sipping fuel and enjoying the benefits of, what I believe to be, the best all wheel drive in the world (i've just about owned and drive them ALL by now lol), but for her needs it just isn't feasable, nothing beats that torsen center differential in an audi though!

So, FWD with snow tires will have to do for now and even THINKING about Audis makes me want to go buy some more mmm torsen.

Quote, originally posted by NibCrom »

If you want lots of power and decent highway fuel economy, a Corvette is probably unbeatable.

yeah if it didn't snow here she would WITHOUT A DOUBT be driving a 6spd AUTO C6 Corvette, absolutely no doubt in my mind, how awesome would that be?

millenium yellow, didn't keep it very long... hated it, kind of like a cavalier with a big engine, felt like the landlord of a trailerpark... C6's are muuuuuch nicer.

-- 2009 Vibe GT in Jet Black

I thought you were buying a Vibe.

see and that's where i'd completely disagree (new STI sucking).

I have the new 08 STI and with an intake and catless DP, I run 12.7's without even trying. But I wanted a hatch with a turbo and AWD so that made the Speed3 a no go. But wow! again, awesome little car and I really enjoyed driving it. My 08 STI is more refined vs the raw feel of our 07 STI, but again, needed the hatch for more hauling power and doesn't take much at all to get the car up to 300whp. It may feel less powerful, but I can say it is in no way less. I ran mine completely stock to 13.11 @ 102 mph. oh and btw, I get 20-22 mpg city. however, with the intake on the car, my mpg on hwy sucks. I only get 21-22 mpg, but without the intake I get just under 30!

I do agree that the 03/04 Vibes were great. And I enjoyed both my 03 VGT and our 04 base Vibe (both manuals though). We haven't test driven the 09's yet, but I was a bit disappointed to see they made the GT in name only. I can say that my 03 VGT was a fun little car.

what you need is a GTR! Now that car is awesome!!!!

Kev, I can see you in a Speed3... awesome little car!

the price tag is what threw me off on new STI's, the STI was a great car at 30-31k$ invoice +tax out the door, 35+ with BBS wheels that USED TO BE included is a joke, when I paid $38k for a brand new corvette that would WIPE THE FLOOR of any STI short of a forged block, 400+whp and a ton of suspension work, which in the end, you would have spent a buttload more on the subaru to make it contend or beat a stock vette, subaru's out of their mind charging what they charge for the once ecnomonical race car

GT-R's nice and all, but for the price tag, again I wouldn't buy it, the Corvette's a FULLY daily drivable car with excellent fuel economy/reliability to boot... no AWD worries either, I wouldn't drive a new ANYTHING in our salt filled crappy winter

I've watched the GTR run an 11.95 @ 121 mph completely stock. yes, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for. for a C5, you still have to mod it. and for a Z06, you're gonna spend a lot more than $38K. if not, I'd have bought one.

the STI's are spendy, but what you get for the price, there aren't any other vehicles in it's class other than the Mitsu X and even then, if you want some cargo space, it doesn't exist in the X. Corvette's are nice, but if I were to buy one, it'd have to be the Z06, no question. but up here, why buy a car I can only drive 4 mos of the year? $35K for LARGER and WIDER BBS rims, better braking/stopping power, larger intercooler, larger fuel pump, more cargo space, etc.... I don't see that being a huge bump over the $32K we paid a year ago on the 07 STI with no options what so ever. I have a lot more options and a lot more things on the 08 and yes, it was worth the $3K more I paid.

If I really wanted a fun little car and didn't need AWD, hands down, the Speed3 would have been in our garage long long ago!

I've not test driven the 09 Vibes yet, but am told I'd be very disappointed if I did.

I won't be scared of any GT-R's when I *DO* see one on the street, I have an 08' Corvette, *NOT* a 2005-2007 LS2 powered one... I was once of the opinion that if it's a C6, it HAS TO BE a Z06 or NOTHING! But, when the LS3 powered 08+'s came out and I saw them going 11.7@120 FACTORY BONE STOCK, I knew that I could live with a much much more affordable non-z06 coupe, plus the removable roof and 22cu/ft of storage space is nice.

See, I drag raced and built subarus for years, still do, I came to the conclusion that if I so desired (and I did) a 120mph trapping car, first i'd be giving up a ton of low end power due to the compressor needed (even an FP green has a poor boost threshold IMO) and I *wouldn't* be able to do it on pump gas, so I gave up the whole going fast with a subaru thing, we've got my buddy's trapping 119 with a forged block and a FP RED, but my vette still pulls away on a highway roll bone stock on pump gas... so it just further enforces my point

speed3's a GREAT car if you don't have corvette money and/or need a winter drivable car, all in all corvette cargo area is HUGE for a purpose built "sports car" so it's really hard for me to consider spending 35 or more on a STI when twice the car exists for 38-40

and yes, I do drag race, autox and rallyx mine. 6400 miles on the clock yesterday and it's been to 8 autox events, 8 drag racing events (about about 100 runs down the 1320), and 1 rallyx event. I'm actually looking to do the AMR T50R turbo on my 08 this winter: $3K and will get me 11.5's @ 115+ on 93 oct (of course we only get 90 here, but I don't want to go any faster or I have to have a rollcage/rollbar).

I'd still want the Z06 though just something about having a Z06....

yeah i am...i currently have a 2002 maxima but i'm getting a 2009 vibe gt hopefully within the next couple months. should be a fun car compared to my maxima. the test drives felt fine but maybe that's because i'm sick of my maxima haha

-- 2009 Vibe GT in Jet Black

ahahahahaha,that I doubt,but it's your money.

wow, what a nice thing to say.

I'm full of nice surprises.

so i've seen, and i'm not impressed.

Wait, WHAT? You're going to get rid of a VQ35 V6 Maxima for a Vibe GT?! that's ridiculous dude, those are fun little (well big) cars, the vibe's going to be a slug in comparison!

I was going to buy a 6spd VQ35 Maxima for my winter beater had I not taken this 03 Vibe on, do some suspension & light bolt ons and keep it!

BTW your Maxima rates at 17-19mpg city with NEW EPA ratings, replace the tune up items (plugs/wires/o2 sensors) and you should negate ANY reason to give it up for a vibe, or maybe just chop the lead foot

honestly i drive like a granny...i do 60-65 mph on the fwy and hardly do i step on it all the way. i love the power on this car, it's just not a very comfortable ride. i have a lot rattles everywhere and the ride is not smooth =/ also has a lot of wind and road noise which drives me crazy. handling on the maxima isn't great either...has the torsion beam and i hate it lol my car has like 120k miles on it and it's time to change. since i don't really care much about performance i would just get the base 2.4 but i love the look of the GT so that's what i'm going to go with. from my test drive the vibe seems to be smoother than the maxima...a lot less wind/road noise too so i guess anything's an upgrade for me lol but i'm looking for an economy car and i've been looking at quite a lot and so far the vibe gt has almost everything i wanted. i just wished it had stock xenon lights lol

-- 2009 Vibe GT in Jet Black

Don't be sad you own an 09.

FYI,after edits are ghey.

well if a vibe OF ANY YEAR is quieter and more luxurious than your maxima, your maxima has a ton of worn out seals and needs some work, not that i consider ANY "luxury" japanese cars to hold HALF a candle to a german car, but still... last thing i think of in a jap econobox like the vibe is cabin quietness

you know, I usually frown upon previous generation owners bagging the new generation, but the vibe follows suit with the imprezas as truly being better 1 generation back, just like the prelude in 1997, this doesn't happen very often at all, usually the "next" generation cars make the last generation a piece of junk.

surely if we owned 09s though we'd be TRYING to justify the purchase and find things that hold it above a 03-08, once you've bought new and the depreciation & sales tax are gone, you're married to it for awhile... that's why i was so harsh on my gf about it because there was no going back if she did it

no worries, i'm not, i am however 'sad' that the members of a VIBE site are saying don't buy a VIBE, great way to treat your new members. i have to say i'm very happy with my vibe, it's my first new/nice car, so for me it's a step up. you are proud of your vibe, as i am with mine, please let me have that.

Quote, originally posted by kevera »

FYI,after edits are ghey.

a) the edit button is there for a reason
b) i edited it less then a minute after i posted

FYI acting like an @$$ won't get you very far. but whatever helps you sleep at night i guess.

damn sorry if i was going in circles...i had so many things to say in my head and got lost with what i was going to say lol plus this "quick reply" box is so damn small i can't see what i wrote above =/

-- 2009 Vibe GT in Jet Black