Looking at buying, need advice...

[WENIS]

Hello everyone, I’m seriously looking into getting a new ’05 Vibe… I currently own a 2003 SRT-4 and a 2001 Neon ACR, I will be trading the ACR in on the Vibe but I have a few questions/concerns I’d like to throw out there for you current owners to comment on if you would please.First off the Vibe I’m looking at is a base 5 speed, Moon & tunes, and power everything. It does NOT have ABS though (none of the 5 speeds near me have it)… and living in PA we do have significant snow a few times over the winter. My Neon on the other hand has 4 wheel discs with ABS and a system similar to the Vibes stabilitrac system. The Neon also has traction control, yet another thing I wanted but could not find on any 5 speed vibes anywhere in my area… Safety is a big deal to me but I’ve had other cars w/out ABS and did fine with those, I think I’ll be ok in the Vibe too, but could anyone share there experiences in a non ABS Vibe in the snow? Another concern I have is the rear drums… again my current cars both have 4 wheel discs, however my previous car had rear drums and they would often make a sound I’d rather not comment on… Do the drums on the Vibe also make an ungodly screeching noise every so often or are they pretty quiet?And finally, my only other concern is the paint chipping problem I’ve heard so much about… The dealer offered a Simonize Teflon treatment to guard against fading and scratches but the chipping still worries me… my plan is to get the simonize and see how it holds up, but if I see abnormal chipping up front I’ll get the 3M clear bra put on (about $500 installed).There is nothing wrong with my Neon at all, it’s just not as practical with a wife, 2 kids, and a dog to haul around as well as a house to take car of. I think the Vibe will do fine in these areas, and be as reliable if not more than the neon (which I’ve had zero problems with in 42k miles). I’ve always owned a Dodge and really can’t complain about any of them, so it’s not easy for me to switch to a GM/Toyota car. These problems I’ve heard about aren’t making this any easier of a decision, and quite frankly have me little worried… What do you think? No paint problems, great brakes & safety features, very reliable, never had trouble starting in the winter… and I’m thinking of trading it for a Vibe, is this the right move? You guys know better than anyone can you please help me make up my mind? Sorry for the long post…

[russ257]

i have no problems with my rear drums making noise. Its great to see another lancaster vibe.

[jeffgtx]

i have rear drums, no noises out of them or the fronts.i opted not to get stabilitrak. i think ABS is more important.

[joatmon]

I have ABS on mine, and it only came in handy once in the winter so far, I went to slow down and the ABS kicked in, I didn;t think the roads were as slippery as they apparently were, it let me know I needed to slow down, but I haven't had any situations where ABS in a winter traffic emergency saved my (removed) I have had no noise problems with the rear drums. The stopping distance of the GT is shorter though, because of the rear discs. There have been some people with weak parking brake with the rear discs, the drum parking brake is quite effective. I have a few chips on my hood, but the paint on my Vibe is a lot better than the paint I had on my Caravan, that was some bad paint. By comparison, the vibe paint is ideal. There are a lot of people with paint probs though. I wonder if there is a geographical factor. Check out a high mileage used vibe in your area and see how the paint is holding up.

[northvibe]

I had ABS on my 96' sable and on my 98' windstar and it barely comes on in the winter, its mostly the traction control. I drive pretty cautious in the winter. the 2000+ taurus/sable switched to drums in the back instead of all disc in the 96-99 models, i wondered about it, because the vibe had drums in the back too, but the brakes worked great when i test drove it. Also with the Front wheel drive car the front brakes are the most important as they get used the most.

[WENIS]

Thanks everyone, you've all helped ease my mind I'll be picking up my Vibe tonight can't wait! I saw an older model Vibe in a parking lot last night and checked out the hood and didn't see anything other than a lot of bug guts so the paint thing must not be as big of a problem as I thought. Now I just need to put a few non-highway miles on it before heading down to the beach in it this weekend Thanks again!

[northvibe]

Id recommend the 3m front protection anyway if you drive a lot on the highway especially. I forsure will get the fog/headlight protection, as they are 150 about to replace.

[ToolGuy]

Rear drums should not make noise unless something is wrong. For the paint, get a bottle of touch up, invest in a bra cover or clear bra and put mud flaps on the car. My 03's paint is not bad at all, not getting worse and I cannot complain. I hand wash it only, wax it at least once a year and touch up any and all chips. ABS is nice and it has saved me lots of times but I know how to drive cars with or without it.