New to Vibe with a question.

[kingreyna]

I've bought this vibe a few months ago for my wife. Its a 2003 Base Vibe with 93000. Its a great car. I love it but I have a concern with the ride comfort.It came with 2 different set of brand new tires but it feels like I'm riding on a skateboard. It is not smooth at I. i can feel every bump on the road.Is this how all Vibes ride? They are 16" wheels so it should ride smooth.

[keithvibe]

normal... if you think 16" tires and rims are bad you should try 18"s HAHAquestion would be... didn't you test drive the car first before buying it?? that should have told you how it rides

[ou.grizzly]

What kind of tires and what condition are they in?

[schroeder]

Likely needs new Struts both front and rear.They usually last about 50 to 60,000 miles.Anyone but me remember cars with shocks?You could pop em in for about 10 bucks each back in the day.

[Sublimewind]

Have you checkedthe pressure in the tires? If it's high, they could be like rocks.. And remember the VIbe is NOT a caddy.. lol..

[GenuineVibe]

If you think the vibe is rough, try driving the new honda civics.... not only do you feel every bump in the road, the wind noise is just aweful. I traded an 06 civic for the vibe, its like night and day when it comes to comfort.

[kingreyna]

Well I'm not necessary complaining that its a bad flaw or something just to know if its normal. The Tires look brand new and the struts feel firm. No boat like motions.

[altimar]

What are you comparing it to? Ride comfort is very subjective. I used to drive a Saturn coupe with 17" rims and when I got the Vibe, it felt soooo smooth, but now that I've gotten used to it, sometimes I think it feels pretty harsh.If the car rides straight and evenly and doesn't sway a lot when you turn, I'd guess the suspension is OK, but you should check the tire pressure. That will make the biggest difference. The recommended pressure is on the driver's door jamb. You can go lower than spec if you want a smoother ride, but I wouldn't go more than a couple PSI lower, because the spec is very often already tuned more for comfort than good mileage. Go too low and you're endangering the life of the tire and your own safety. Lots of people go quite a bit more than spec and report better mileage and better tire life (much harsher ride though).One thing I've noticed is that when you go test drive a car, the tire pressure is often lower than the door spec. I don't know if it's a tactic to make the car feel smoother than it really is or just nobody paying attention to keep the proper pressure in the cars. Anybody else notice this?

[ramenboy...]

i remember when i first got the vibe and was on the stock 16s. i thought it was a pretty plush ride!!!!definitely check your tire pressure and make sure the tires aren't over inflated. better mpg, worse ridewelcome to the family

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by kingreyna »Well I'm not necessary complaining that its a bad flaw or something just to know if its normal. The Tires look brand new and the struts feel firm. No boat like motions.Again, have you checked the pressure? 42psi will definitly feel different than 32psi..

[kingreyna]

Sorry for not answering the tire pressure. I always keep it at 35 psi. I'm not comparing it to a Cadillac or anything like that just that its not the least bit smooth on the road. Like I said before, it's like riding on a skateboard. If one rides in the back seat its even worse.Maybe that's what it's suppose to feel like but I doubt it.