New member here

[Vibeman GT]

Hello to you all.I'll be joining the Vibe/Matrix culture in the spring or early summer of 2006. (I'm not crazy enough to drive my FIRST new car in the winter that is full of road salt and calcium! Yuck! I'll have to give it my special treatment ) Currently I drive a 1999 automatic Sunfire coupe with 85 000km. It has a short ram intake and a Magnaflow muffler. Even though the car has no major problem (except for the rattles ), moving large things (such as a 17" computer monitor in its box) is a real pain the (removed)... That why I'm leaning towards a Vibe for my next car. However, and here's my dilemma, I've heard that the base Vibe with the 4spd auto is sluggish and the engine has to work hard to get up to speed. If I buy the manual, my parents won't be happy (after all, they're buying it for me) but I'll be happy because I'm a little bit of a performance freak So , uh any comments? I THINK that I'll have to try both trannies before I make any decisions.

[ToolGuy]

Welcome or soon to be! I have an 03 auto trans Vibe. It is geared right despite the horsepower of the car. All have electronic overdrive with a button on the shifter. Press it in and it drops down a gear giving you more revs. We do not have an issue with ours although I wish the standard engine had at least 150 HP and torque. Of course you can put a CAI on it and pick up a few more ponies. Just remember unlike your Sunfire, that car is geared with lower torque like most American car engines and trans. The Vibe is foreign and has a higher rev band and to see the power must be reved up. Go for a good test drive before buying...

[Vibeman GT]

Yeah, I've noticed that My Sunfire has 135lbs*ft@3600 RPM and the Vibe has 125lbs*ft@4200RPM. This should be a problem for me at least because I'm kind of person who likes to rev (Not all the time otherwise my gas bill will be enormous! ) and that's why I went from US to Japanese-based engine My parents wants quietness so they're looking for a GM V6 Btw, I've ridden with my cousin in his 2005 auto Vibe. It has a loud but cool engine note. Can't hardly wait to test drive one and hear the DOHC engine roaring!

[joatmon]

welcome to genvibe.Yes, you really need to test drive the various options, and a good test drive in realistic conditions knowing what your priorities and criteria are ahead of time. Also, it seems like all the car makers are coming out with a Vibe/Matrix clone of some sort, I am not sure which ones will be out by the timme you want to buy, and I am not sying you should buy one instead of a Vibe, just that you need to look at all of your options. I really like my Vibe, and recommend them as great cars, but consider the source, I might have bias.

[Mr. Poopypants]

Welcome!!! Yep, the Vibe is excellent for hauling, last week, I had to help my dad pour a concrete pad for a new A/C unit. I hauled 14 bags of Quickcrete in the back and a 2x12x8ft and a 2x4x8ft on the roof rack.

[Vibeman GT]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »I am not sure which ones will be out by the timme you want to buy, and I am not sying you should buy one instead of a Vibe, just that you need to look at all of your options.I'm certain that I'll buy a Vibe because a friend of my father works at a Pontiac dealership. They have been buddies for 30 years (!!!) If I'm lucky, I can get a hefty discount on my next vehicule

[mcgusto82]

glad to hear you are interested in our mavelous car.the vibe is a great little peppy car.i would recommendt the 5 speed though.if your parents have a issue with you driving all crazy with the stickshift.. take them with you on a road test and drive it normally, tell them how the 5 speed has a much better fuel economy, how it's about 1k cheaper than the auto. you know.. things like that.

[fredfreedom]

Hi Vibeman GT!It's great to welcome another french canadian on Gen Vibe! As mcgusto82 said, use theses arguments to convince your parents!For myself, I chose the automatic transmission when I bought my Vibe because I was frustrated to drive a manual transmission during Montreal's rush hours But you live in Trois-Rivières so rush hours shouldn't be a big issue in your area!So welcome in and I hope you'll had your new Vibe soon!P.S.: Don't forget to visit our Montreal and Quebec regional section and stay alert for our meets!

[Vibeman GT]

Btw, is the engine 130HP or 126HP for the base model and 170HP or 164HP for the GT ??

[rAERRK]

Quote, originally posted by Vibeman GT »Btw, is the engine 130HP or 126HP for the base model and 170HP or 164HP for the GT ??130/170 I believe

[BOZACK]

Actually the Horse power is the same but the rating is different. The industry has changed the way it reads horse power so it seems like the horse power is less for '06. But it is the same. There was a thread about it on the site. Use the search feature to find it.

[binary]

I drove both an 05 auto and manual - I liked them very much. However, I don't mind shifting and do 98% highway driving so I got the manual for the few extra MsPG.Argument for the parents -1. Everyone needs to learn to drive a stick. (even if you know how, it's a good argument)2. It gets better gas milage3. Its still just a 4cyl engine4. In a wagon.5. Use the $1,000 they save on the manual for your insurance. That should land them. Then mod the heck out of it and make it scream.