Should I or shouldn't I?

[VibeyWannaBe]

Hi:I plan to get a vehicle in the next few months. The lovable Vibe is one of the vehicles on my list to consider. Yet I am not pleased about the rattling in the dashboard and other rattle comments I hear. Also, is it true about the blindspots being that bad? Economically I can afford to get the AWD Vibe, yet I am wondering if it is a great vehicle to invest in. This is going to be the first car I have ever purchased and I so love the look of the Vibe yet I want to know if I have to be too muchspending time going to the dealership to fix the strange rattles.I would appreicate any feedback on my posting.

[Sputnik]

I don't think the blindspots are too bad. Use your mirrors and you should be fine. As for rattles, they can be fixed fairly easily either by you or by your dealer. I have a rattle right now in my A pillar, but I can live with it until I get my next oil change.

[rasermon]

quote:Yet I am not pleased about the rattling in the dashboard and other rattle comments I hear.I've had my Vibe for 7mo. now with no squeaks or rattle noise from the dashboard.Discussion and solution http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... =3032#2272 quote: I am wondering if it is a great vehicle to invest in.I thought so and 7mo. later I'm still very happy with my decision.

[snowbeast]

vibey, welcome to genvibe! you've certainly come to the right place to learn more about the great and the (few) not-so-great things about the vibe (no bias here)! my two-month old frosty vibe has fortunately not emitted any rattling noises in the dashboard or elsewhere in the car. as for the blindspot, an adjustment to the side mirrors took care of that.i love my car and smile every time i see it and other vibes on the roads! good luck!

[Flip-Side]

The rattle problem will supposedly be fixed in the newer models, but who knows when. Anyway, even if you do get the squeaks, like me, they are fairly easy to fix.Here are some usefull threads dealing with these issues, and the solutions to them. Try a search yourself. All the ones I have are already identified by someone else. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... =3014#3014 http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 1439#11439 http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 2228#12228

[NovaResource]

Get one, I love mine. Both the blind spot and rattles are not really that bad. We rant on the little annoyance problems more because the car is just so good that there are no real "major" problems to complain about.The AWD is good but unless you get alot of snow or do minor offroading, I don't think it's worth it. First, you can only get an automatic trans, second the AWD system saps power, third it has the worst fuel economy of all Vibe models (however, not that bad compared to other cars).The base FWD works fine in modest snow and you can order a 5-speed if needed/wanted. The GT is even more fun with an 8200-rpm redline and 6-speeds.My advice, skip the AWD and use the money to purchase other options like the NAV system or the Moon-and-Tunes package.

[cohocarl]

quote:Someone help me out here, does this make sense or no?Well.....no. Lets say both cars got the same M.P.G, the awd would require more frequent stops at the gas station because it holds less fuel. The awd gets slightly less fuel mileage because it has to carry around the hardware to power the rear wheels which weighs more, and the power it takes to turn the rear end.

[KSNeptune]

Tank size doesn't have any effect on MPG. MPG is simply the number of MILES a car will travel on one GALLON. If two cars got the same MPG, but one had a smaller tank, the one with the smaller tank would simply have less total RANGE. Silver, I think you are thinking about Miles Per Tank, in which case the AWD gets a lower number simply because it has a smaller tank.As someone else said, the AWD has a slightly different weight than the base or GT models. It also has more mechanical parts in the drive train. So it takes a bit more gas each mile to turn all those parts and move the heavier AWD forward. That leaves the AWD with TWO reasons it's MPG is worse than that of the BASE Vibe.

[snowbeast]

silver, not trying to complicate the thought exercise but this might help make things more clear: remember mathematically that MPG is miles/gallon. if, hypothetically, the AWD had a 13 gallon tank, we'd expect to travel a few more miles (compared to the distance traveled with an 11 gallon tank). to obtain the MPG overall, we'd do the division (miles over gallon), and find that the extra miles we got was offset by the larger tank size to put us back at.......what we started with-lower MPG for AWD. (i liked your explanation, KSNeptune-thanks!)

[esjones]

quote:Yup, it would still be the same... ... I was looking at it as miles per tank. That is usually noted as "range" in reviewers' specifications and notes. - ESJ

[VibeyWannaBe]

Hi:Thanks for your responses. I have more questions though.How does the Vibe handle steep Hill Climbing and is it roomy for people 6 ft tall? Can it handle being parked on a steep hill once in a while? How much road noise can you hear in it?It's hard enough finding a vehicle for my height since I come from a tall gene pool. Getting in and out of cars for shorter people have been a challenge to me.I really appreciate your input on here. I have the Honda CRV and Subaru Outback Sport (not too keen for tall people, but it's what I can afford) on my mind also but I so so love the Vibe.Respond please.

[millster]

Can't say much about the hills, but as for comfort for 6 footers, yes it's fine. I'm 6' 1" and have no trouble driving it at all. In fact, I don't even have the seat all the way back and it's far more comfortable than my Saturn was. The back would be a bit cramped for a tall person if the front seats are all the way back however.

[cohocarl]

I'd have to say the best thing I like about the Vibe is the useful interior room. It's very easy getting my 17 month old in and out of the back seat, holds 4 of us and all our gear fishing, and gets decent fuel mileage. I had very high expectations for the Vibe when I ordered it, and after receiving it I haven't been let down too much. I chose not to get the awd, although I wanted it. If it had a V6, or a larger 4 with some more torque, I probably would have spended the extra cash for awd. Another thing was the cost for the awd compared to the base which is quite a bit.

[Lorin]

"Invest" ? Since this is your first car purchase, I'll let you in on a little secret. A car purchase is not really an investment (something that is expected to produce a positive financial return). Its an expenditure (something you spend your money on and then its gone.) A rare exception to this would be a collectible like a Silver Ghost for example. You'll know this is true after 6 or 8 years when you are begging the Salesman to take your car in trade for more than a measly few grand.BUT, this is will be true of almost any new car you purchase. SO, the Vibe is a great choice, plus it has that Toyota reliability!

[shenandoah24]

Vibey---I can certainly tell you that the Vibe has plenty of room for tall folks!!!I am 6 feet tall and almost all legs--I wear 3 inch stacked heel boots almost every day. I have the seat all the way back, but there is still room behind me for an average adult to sit comfortably. The Vibe is a good purchase..Trust me. I took it to the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee last week and it did great. A lot of steep mountains there. I didn't smell the transmission on the way up or the brakes on the way down (which I have on every other vehicle that I have owned). It handled very well on the twisty roads. We have had an unusually rough winter this year and the Vibe has been great. I have a Base model--wouldn't trade it for anything else....Good luck on your purchase. And I agree with Lorin--not an investment, definitely an expenditure, but soooooo worth it!!!!

[NovaResource]

I'm 6'2" and that one of the reasons I bought it. It was a choice between a Hyundai Tiburon GT and the Vibe. I didn't fit in the Tiburon but there's plenty of room in the Vibe (front and rear).

[DopeVibeGT]

I have 5000 miles on my Vibe and had it for 4 months, and there are no rattles anywhere. And, for someone from PA, who has THE worse roads in the US (Voted by some truck magazine), thats saying something. LoLSidenote: Theres some tall people in here! Scott, you had trouble in a Tiberon? I tried one of these on and had no trouble. Being short does have advantaged when shopping Asian. My cousin is 6'2" and she owns an Eclipse Spyder. A Miata before that. LoL

[furrydogs]

I've had the rattles you've heard about. My Vibe has an early build date (01/02) so I assume they have worked these bugs out. I live in Colorado so I have dealt with steep hills and high altitude and the Vibe has done fine. I have a manual so it's pretty easy to down shift to 3 rd gear and get enough power to scoot up the hills. I've driven it over snow covered passes and it did ok. Just like any car you need to change your driving habits in the snow. I actually passed an Outback and 4Runner while climbing a snow covered pass. For a car this size I think road noise is minimal. It didn't sound much worse than my folks Accord. I also don't think the blind spots are bad. For what I paid I think this car is a good value.

[VibeyWannaBe]

Hi everyone:First of all , I must indeed correct my use of "invest". When I spend a high amount of money on something I tend to use "invest".So okay, I am going to spend some money on a vehicle. I think I better just stick to stocks or bonds when it comes to investing.It's great to see how many tall people have the Vibe!

[Chris]

I'm only 5'10" but I have tall friends (!) and my wife and I can be comfy in the front whilst my 6'1 friend and his 6' girlfriend sit happly in the back seats with neither their heads nor their knees rubbing... er, don't know what they're doing back there but their knees and heads are not rubbing the car!Great li'll car, loads of room, peppy, wouldn't have any other.

[Lee]

My Dad is 6'4" and almost 80-has NO trouble getting in or out-front or back. Love my Vibe!

[HIGHREV]

I'm one who has a rattle in the pillar, but I only mentioned it because we were on the subject. Overall I am very happy with the car. Today I drove home in a foot of fresh snow, no problem. As with any stick car, keep the rpm's down and you can maintain good control. I would have liked to have an AWD today just to see the difference. If you get a GT, don't expect good MPG if you like to drive fast. I am averaging about 26 at this point, but I like to fool around in the 180hp range. That little bit of extra lift sure draws alot of fuel. [IMG][/IMG]

[Faultline]

The car engine is quiet when you are cruisin, but you can hear the motor on acceleration,...oh yeah.. i have the 5 speed...3rd gear goes to 85mph if you like, and has enough power for climbing any hill.legg room is great, and back seat leg room is phenominal, better than a lot of cars..............

[Mr. Poopypants]

Vibey, First of all, welcome. I would highly recommend the Vibe. Yes, there have been a few discussions about a few minor problems but I have noticed that the complaints have gone down exponentially. It seems as though all the new Vibe's are being "touched up" by the dealer before they are sold. It is a very fun car to drive and own, and with a resource like GENVIBE, you are never left in the dark about your car, pretty much every question you would have is answered or can be answered by almost anyone on this site. Hopefully, you get the Vibe and will stay an active member of this site. Again, Welcome!!!

[Triton]

Welcome Vibey! The Vibe has been a great car for me also. I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they are already interested in it. The minor problems are to be expected. The Vibe has only been produced for just over a year, so a few minor things are expected to be wrong. I have had a few rattles here and there, but it seems that most of them are due to the cold weather. As soon as it gets above 30 degrees, the seem to go away. I am going to have my minor issues fixed when I take it in for my first oil change next month. It is a very fun car to drive that is very spacious and comfortable. And if you have any questions about the car or just want to talk to fellow Vibe owners, this is the best site on the web!

[jayemright]

Hi,I just bought a Vibe. I am 6'5" and my son is 6'7" and we both fit in it just fine-Both front and back. It is very comfortable as well. A great car for tall people. It works a bit going up hills, but you just have to shift. I have been keeping the revs down during the break in. A little more road noise, just because it is a wagon. Not bad. Great car overall.

[FrostedFlake]

I got my vibe AWD about a month ago. I am already approaching the 2000 mile mark and I have had no problems whatsoever. I would highly recommend the AWD if you get snow in the winter. We've had several snow storms and my Vibe has handled very well in these storms. The AWD does cost more, but it has a few more options that come standard, such as an automatic transmission and antilock brakes. If you were going to get those options anyway, then the price difference is only about $2000. Well worth it if it snows a good amount where you live.As for the rattles in the dash, I haven't heard any yet. But, if you do get any, as others have said there is a fix that your dealer can install. And, the engine can be a bit noisy when accelerating, but to me it seems normal for a four cylinder.I don't know if you asked about this, but I am getting about 28 mpg with mostly highway driving (mostly interstate at speeds above 65 mph)

[red]

I agree with the opinions that if you live in an inclement climate that you should go with the awd....i've only owned my awd for 1 1/2 months now (1000mi)...i have no rattles...no issues....the heater is great at -20* below...traction is pretty good with stock tires on the ice...i can honestly say i have more confidence driving this vehicle on icy roads than i do my suburban or my former S-10 Blazer.....acceleration is relative, i mean can you ace alot of others on ice, YES!. i dont know what you mean by steep hills, but i just pop mine out of overdrive and away i go...is it a 9 sec car, NO....but it will keep you in the flow and handles great over 65mph...abs is great too! a little noisy coming up from the floors, YES...but the exhaust sounds sweet!