My first 1000 miles....

[VibeinPA]

I purchased a base Vibe (Satellite color) in June. It is equipped with the Moons and Tunes package, Power, polished wheels, and it's manual transmission. I bought it for 3% above invoice and got a decent trade-in on my '99 Cougar. So far I absolutely love this car; if I had to rate it, I'd give it an A-. What I like: Despite its height, it handles like a "sporty" car. It corners as well as my Cougar did. It has decent acceleration for what it is. But to get the acceleration, you have to be willing to rev the engine. It takes bumps a lot better than my Cougar. It looks very sleek and sporty on the outside and inside, yet it's very practical. The seats are incredibly comfortable and roomy. I love all the storage compartments. And I love the ability to fold the back seats into a flat floor. Also, the factory stereo system sounds clear and fairly powerful.What I dislike: The brakes are inferior to what I was used to with my Cougar. The Vibe/Matrix base models should be equipped with 4 wheel disc brakes. Maybe ABS should be standard also. The steering wheel should be more adjustable. I don't have a problem since I am fairly tall, but I could see shorter people having difficulty finding the right seat height/distance to steering wheel combination. And speaking of steering, I think there's a slight lack of road definition when the steering wheel is centered. But that may not be a problem for most people, because I was used to the very tight precise steering with my Cougar. And finally, I think if the base model had another 10 - 20 horsepower, it would be perfect. I just ordered the cargo net system to keep things from sliding around on the plastic floor in the back. I also purchsed cheap rubber mats to prevent the plastic floor from being scratched by certain items. I just keep the mats in the storage compartment when I'm not using them.Like I said, overall I am quite happy with the Vibe. I needed something much more practical than my Cougar (for a future family), but still somewhat sporty and fun to drive.

[Chazb]

I traded In a 99 saturn sc2 3door coupe for my monotone satellite vibe.I had to get the automatic because the wife said she wanted to drive it once in a while.I have the same option's as you.The vibe is one of the most fun vehicle's I have had in a long time and practical also now that is a hard combination to beat.