For safety, the biggest concern in the Vibe is the smallness in a side impact. there's just not much there to stop an SUV from the side. But that concern is purely physics of all small cars.Thanks again for all the replies.

Thanks for all the replies. I really like the the car, the only concern is the small size. I may look for the 05 since it has the Advanced Airbag system with multi-stage deployment and occupant sensors. My daughter is small, under 5', under 100lb. Maybe the 05 has abetter chance of the ABS and side ...

Looking at the Matrix/Vibe automatic for a new teen driver. Are the2003 first year cars more problematic in any way than the 2004-2005models? Anything to look out for in the 03-05 models?Any factory features or options that are must-have?How "safe" do they feel? Has anyone crash-tested one...