New Vibe Owner to-be, and a couple quick questions

[Cougar]

Hey everyoneI'm just about ready to order a Vibe, stumbled across your awesome board, and thought I'd throw a couple questions at you that have been bugging me.I'm considering getting the side airbags. Since they're seat-mounted, I'm not sure if they'll affect the firmness or not. I test drove one without side airbags, and the seats felt great, much better than my parents' more "luxurious" '01 Grand Prix. Anyway, I just wondered if I would be giving up anything in the seats by getting them.Second question. I'm undecided on the rear bumper guards. I've seen one monotone Vibe with them, and one without. The one without them looked a lot better IMO, but I'm worried about someone using the unprotected bumper as a step. I like the idea of these things, but I don't want the back end of my Vibe to look like an SUV. Oh, and if anyone is wondering, I'm going with AWD/Salsa/Slate/Monotone/M&T/Power Pkg/Alum. Wheels.Any help is appreciated!Mike

[Triton]

Welcome!I also have the side air bags, and the seats are just as comfortable as ones without. I ordered mine with them for the safety aspect.As far as the rear bumper protector, I ordered mine with that also and I have a monotone Neptune. I think it really looks nice, although the blue is a little darker color than Salsa. I think it would look great.I am really glad I ordered mine with the slate interior also. I don't know if you have seen it or not, but it really looks nice. All the Vibes on the dealer's lot I bought mine from had the graphite interior. So mine was the first Vibe I had seen with the lighter interior.Good luck with your order! Take some pics and post them when you get your new Vibe.

[bellwilliam]

just a reminder, go to upromise.com and register. you can get free $150 towards a 529 account. you have to be a member for at least 30 days till you pick up your car.

[Frosty]

quote:I have side air-bag and I can't complain.... the seating is greatDitto. 18,000 km no issues. Spent many 8 hours days in the seats.I'm really not sure where the side air bag pops out....Hope I don't find out by accident.Welcome to the board there Cougar! How did you choose your handle?

[Herb]

I never tried a Vibe without the side air bag so I can't compare how it might feel. I've got a GT and the side bags are standard equipment. I can't complain on the comfort.As for the bumper protector, if you don't think that you'll end up dragging anything over the bumper while loading and unloading, then I would go without it. Personally from my perspective, the bumper protector looks better than scratched up paint.

[red]

i have a awd vibe with side airbags and have driven a matrix that didnt have them, and compared to my vibe seats...i cant tell the difference! as far as the bumper rubstrip, if i could get one i would...maybe you can get it painted salsa red? thats cheap insurance against scratches and the $$$ amount to refinish the top of the bumper....i my frosty 2-tone awd...it moves out faster than what the #' indicate, at least it feels that way! and it will haul (removed) on ice too!! get some mudflaps too....rocks and other stuff can road rash the side moulding quickly!!

[Kurt V]

I don't think side airbags are standard on the GT. I have a GT and if I wanted the side bags, they were an option. As to the seats I think they are waayyyyyy too soft.

[sassysalsa]

Hi! I am a New Vibe Owner as of last night. I love it!! We went looking on Saturday and ended up buying one. It is a 2003 base model Package Salsa Power PackageFactory Security SystemMoon and Tunes16" Aluminum Alloy RimsWe are going to look into tinting the windows soon. What kind of mud flaps should I get?

[drb22]

I found that the passenger seats' sides are much firmer than than drivers due to the addition of extra side support. I personally wish the drivers seat's sides were firm as I see them becoming more "flat" as time goes on.... BTW, no side airbags here.

[NSimkins]

quote:What kind of mud flaps should I get?Definately get the "made for the Vibe" mudflaps. Use the part numbers silverawd26 gave in his post above.I just saw a Vibe today with the generic "Pontiac" mudflaps in a parking lot today. The front flaps looked ok but the rear ones were really crooked. I looked a little closer and noticed that is the way they are designed and how they fit on the Vibe. The Vibe Mudflaps fit the contour of the Vibe alot better than the generic ones. No offense to the Pontiac Mudflap owners... I took some 'decent' pics of the mudflaps on my Vibe here in this thread:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 56Congrats on the Vibe purchase as well.

[Big_Red]

Although I thought about it, I decided not to get either of the two items you mentioned. The Vibe has a 5 Star rating, so that is pretty safe for me.

[Stang2Vibe]

I have a Neptune Monotone GT with the side airbags. They are an option on all models (not standard). My seats feel fine, although I would like a little more lateral support for hard turns. I went with the side airbags because the car I wanted had them on it and because they pop out of the side of the seats from toward the back. Many cars with "side airbags" acutally have side curtain airbags. They are relatively thin airbags that pop out downward from the roof of the car and cover over the windows like a curtain in a crash. This will give you protection from shattering glass, but the ones that come out of the door or from the side of the seat (at about elbow height) help protect occupants from the door should it deform from the force of a side impact crash and protrude inward. Being mounted on the seat is the best kind of side airbag because it is always in proper position relative to the occupant. When you move the seat, the airbag moves with you, so you are always protected no matter what your seat position is.I also bought the mudflaps from the dealer and am very glad that I did. The front ones were very easy to put on and only took about 5 minutes. To install the rear ones, the rear wheels must be removed to have enough clearance to work back there. The rear ones require some drilling, too. Nothing particularly difficult, just need a few more tools and more time. Definately worth it and fit very well.I chose not to get the rear bumper guard because I don't like the look of it either. I am meticulous about my cars and very careful about loading and unloading things in the back. Being of adult size, I would find it very tough to use the rear bumper as a step to get into the back and would never have to reach that far from the back into the Vibe because I can always walk around to the rear side doors. I also have to do some body work as part of my job, and could easily fix minor scratches, should they occur.To our new Vibe owner, congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the forum! To the potential Vibe owner, I of course encourage you to go with the Vibe because I don't think you will regret it. And I also welcome you to our wonderful forum as well! Oh, also check with your insurance company to see if they offer an extra discount for the side airbags, I belive mine does. It might be an added incentive to get them in addition to the extra safety protection they offer.

[esjones]

quote:Definately get the "made for the Vibe" mudflaps. Use the part numbers silverawd26 gave in his post above.I thought silverawd26 was a woman. (RETRACTION 2/26/03 - I was stupid... thought I saw a reference to silverawd26's husband. Sorry, all.)

[NSimkins]

quote:I thought silverawd26 was a woman. Anyone have pictures to prove it?Huh?? If you click his username you will see his name is Rob. Sound male to me.

[MA-VIBE-FAN]

quote:I have a Neptune Monotone GT with the side airbags. They are an option on all models (not standard). My seats feel fine, although I would like a little more lateral support for hard turns. I went with the side airbags because the car I wanted had them on it and because they pop out of the side of the seats from toward the back. Many cars with "side airbags" acutally have side curtain airbags. They are relatively thin airbags that pop out downward from the roof of the car and cover over the windows like a curtain in a crash. This will give you protection from shattering glass, but the ones that come out of the door or from the side of the seat (at about elbow height) help protect occupants from the door should it deform from the force of a side impact crash and protrude inward. Being mounted on the seat is the best kind of side airbag because it is always in proper position relative to the occupant. When you move the seat, the airbag moves with you, so you are always protected no matter what your seat position is.The head of the US NHTSA spoke about side impact injuries and air bags somewhere in January (may have been the big auto shows). The real danger is side impact is head injuries. That is where the fatalities come from. Curtain Air Bags are the ones that are best at protection for head injuries. They also have a secondary benefit to help keep unbelted occupants from being ejected from a roll over. The US government will be establishing standards for the curtain bags and requiring more installation in the future. Seat mounted air bags will provided an increase in safety for side impacts, and for a clean sheet of paper build my car are a good investment.(Sorry for no links, will google later)

[MA-VIBE-FAN]

quote:just a reminder, go to upromise.com and register. you can get free $150 towards a 529 account. you have to be a member for at least 30 days till you pick up your car.Great idea! And it will not help someone about to order, but qualified Upromise member get $450 between February 1st and March 31st, 2003. Lot easier to build it this way then doing it at the grocery store (in Massachusetts we do not get the milk credits at Upromise).

[bellwilliam]

I didn't know the $450 Upromise rebate, that is great!!! I just bought my vibe late January

[bellwilliam]

here it is from upromise web site:From 2/5/03 through 3/31/03, you can triple your college savings from GM to $450 when you buy or lease an eligible new Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, or Pontiac. That's on top of other great purchase offers.* Some restrictions apply. This special offer is good for anyone who has been a member of Upromise for at least 30 days. Here's how easy it is to get $450 for college from GM: Visit your local GM dealer and negotiate your best deal. You don't even have to mention Upromise to your dealer.Take delivery of your new GM vehicle between 2/5/03 and 3/31/03 to be eligible for triple college savings.Register your VIN with Upromise within 6 months of taking delivery to save triple. Please note: you must register your VIN to get your college savings from GM.Receive $450 in your Upromise account from GM. Find more great deals on GM's full lineup of vehicles.

[Cougar]

Wow, thanks for the welcome and all the info. I've decided to stick with the Vibe. Now I just need to get my lazy (removed) over to the dealer and take care of the paperwork. I'll be getting the side airbags after all, and the mudflaps too, since this dealer always puts the normal Pontiac ones on (I definately do want mudflaps). I'm still unsure about the bumper guards. There's a pretty good chance I'll be hauling a mountain bike around in the future, and the thought of a pedal dragging across the bumper makes me cringe. I'll probably get them and try to paint them body color.Thanks again Mike

[Frosty]

quote:Wow, thanks for the welcome and all the info. I've decided to stick with the Vibe....You're welcome. Smart move Enjoy your Vibe.

[Cougar]

quote:How did you choose your handle?Oops! Must have missed this the first time through.My Dad used to race at the local drag strip with his buddies. There was a guy there who always used to say "you'll never catch the Cougar." to his opponents (drove a '69 Cougar XR7). Anyhow, he ended up being a pretty close family friend, and later died in a racing accident.Also, I was also wondering how hard Neptune is to keep clean. I've pretty much decided on Salsa, but I really like Neptune too (all the colors look excellent IMO).Mike