New Car Alternatives-Thoughts needed

[michiganguy]

For about 10 months I've been observing this site and learning about the Vibe. I am soon going to be in a position of "needing", not just "wanting " a new vehicle.Over that period I've looked at both new and used Vibes. I still love the idea of the Vibe, but am also getting more interested in a Mazda 3 5 door, the new Dodge Caliber, and to a little lesser degree, the Chevy HHR and (sigh), a Ford Focus.At this point re the Vibe...love the looks, the storage capacity, fuel economy, and the handling. What I'm increasingly negative about is the paint job discussed often here (observed some 2004's at dealars with fairly significant paint chipping), capability of local dealers to provide qualified service, and longevity of the VIbe model itself. (and also that they eliminated the Fusion color which has really grown on me!) Would love to hear your comments re the various alternatives I have mentioned. Any and all appreciated. Thanks.

[Mrizzle05]

Well glad to hear the input on our car...I enjoy the vibe... very much. handling and gas and space and style. (lots of ands)Yeah every car has its ups and downs, i guess its just what you wanna deal with.The paint isnt that great yes... my sills are chippin a bit from scuffing it once and awhile. but if you take care of your car you shouldnt have a problem. if you do, take it to the dealer and give them hell!!!I Love the Mazda3... ultimate car i would drive (within my budget) but i cant afford one yet. so i went with the vibe. i hear focus's dont last long and they look like an egg.just my $0.02

[PHXLavaVibe]

I looked into getting the Mazda 3 5-door myself before getting the Vibe. Infact I made it my comparison vehicle to judge all others. I really liked the Mazda and my wife especially liked the size of the glove box and that she could easily fit her biggest purse in it. I was very attracted to the "Winning Blue" color of the Mazda, but now I see that color everywhere.The performance was very good, and quite powerful. I believe they boast a V-6 engine...which in this day and age means the gas consumption sucks. If you are into modifying vehicles, they have a ton of possibilities. Not to mention they already look pretty sweet if you ask me. I would have bought the 2005 one I test drove except the service I got was crappy at best and I just wasn't quite ready to buy anything yet. I hope this insite helps you on your decision...by the way Vibes RULE!!!One last note...STAY THE @$%# AWAY FROM FORD!!!!! I have owned three different Fords in my lifetime and everyone of them broke down around 100,000 miles.

[JohnC]

You can usually get a pretty good discount on the msrp of the Vibe, mine was 13,999 for a base with auto trans. I haven't seen much budging from sticker price on Mazdas in general. We have been negotiating on a 06 MX5 Miata without too much sucsess.Good luck with whichever car you get, just remember the Vibe comes with this great website.

[Mavrik]

I've got nothing against Vibes since I own one. But if your looking for something simular to the Vibe I would recommend a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. They are about the same size as our Vibes but come with a turbo I don't know much about the caliber but I'm really starting to like them.

[AKLGT]

well, judging from his choices, it also seems that price is important. the WRX wagon is far more money than any of those choices. however, a base impreza wagon is close to the price with about 180 hp AWD proven engine! lots of mods for them too. as for the paint issue, most vehicles have paint issues regardless. it's true. even on the subie sites, people complain about the paint all the time. if you go to just about ANY car site, someone is always complaining about it. it's inevitable to have ANY car or vehicle have paint issues like chips or cracking at some point. i had an 03 vibe gt and for all the driving and abuse that poor thing went through, the paint wear and tear was to be expected for the driving conditions. now granted, some people did have some real issues, however, for the most part, unless you cover your entire car with 3M clearbra (and even that is penetrable) you can never have a chipless paint job on any vehicle!don't let that be a deterent on the vibe if that's your main concern. and as others have said, steer clear of the fords (imo). mazda is very nice looking too, but much smaller for capacity. i hear the new vibes will be housing the same engines as the scions. if i were you, i'd hold out for one of those! great engines, gas mileage and TONS of mods!!! (if you so choose)

[mcgusto82]

well, the vibe is still a great choice. i love my vibe. recently i've been driving a new town and country. whenever i get behind the driver's seat of my vibe.. i feel zoom zoomy.the mazda 3 would be the only other model i'd look at. i love their styling, plus they offer a v6. you can even get a nice nav system for under 22k. my vibe has NEVER had a paint problem. got mine new in 2004. which is the year most people have complaint about. i think it has one chip on the hood edge. the vibe ahs been extremely reliable. not one break down. this is even considering that i cut and chopped my hood myself.

[michiganguy]

Thank you all for your responses. Maybe the paint shouldn't be such a big issue, but when I looked at 2004's on the lot and saw significant chipping, then looked at my 2002 Taurus (Yikes...a Ford!!!) with almost 80,000 miles there was a significant difference. Very little chipping on the Taurus.Hard not to be a Ford loyalist since my dad spent 40 years at Ford and my wife worked there for 12 years. But the other day, I browsed the Ford lot, and honestly, I never saw one car that elicited that "man...I've gotta have that!" feeling.Its hard being in the Detroit area and not be affected by the constant news of American autoworkers losing their jobs, so that also impacts my decision.I felt the Vibe, even tho mainly Japanese heritage, was a reasonable compromise, and the Mazda, since part owned by Ford also seemed to fit the compromise feeling.I seem to have gotten a somewhat emotional attachment to the Vibe tho. Probably partially due to frequent reading of this forum. I have to say I have rarely seen such a friendly and supportive group! Kudos to all.

[ZubenElGenubi]

Love my Vibe, but I'll try to give you some objective considerations:When I was shopping, I test drove the Vibe (Base and GT), Matrix, Mazda3 and Focus ZX3. Since then I've test driven the Caliber SXT.The Focus was small and had significant road noise. The Mazda3 had great acceleration, but I found the interior to be cheap and not very cargo-friendly. Between the Matrix and Vibe, the decision boiled down to whether it was worth it to spend more on the Matrix in order to get a longer warranty (about $2K more for 60/60,000 warranty vs 36/36,000 for the Vibe). The kicker for me was an extra couple grand off the MSRP for the Vibe at one dealer.I've since driven the Caliber SXT and, while it is extremely similar to the Vibe in exterior dimensions, there is less passenger and cargo space. The rear seats have back-angle adjustment (good), but are cloth-backed (bad). The CVT2 transmission is smooth, but I don't think of it as a performance transmission..more for economy. Even so, its mileage ratings don't match the Vibe or Matrix.I don't know that the paint issue is any better with the Matrix (made in Canada) than the Vibe (made in California). You could always choose the Moonstone color to diminish the effect. I don't like the chipping, but it's not my biggest complaint.In addition to vehicle features and performance, you should consider manufacturer/dealer support, not only for the vehicle you end up buying, but also for the model itself. I personally think GM has made a mistake not supporting the Vibe more, and with the GT and AWD models leaving in '07, I don't know what the future holds. Dodge is definitely pushing the Caliber and the R/T and SRT-4 versions might be amazing (at least performance-wise).If you know where you might purchase a Vibe, see if you can speak to some of the service staff about their experience with it. Find out if the guys in the shop have even worked on them and what they think. (also, find out what kind of cookies they like...you might need that info later )Joking aside, the Vibe/Matrix is a very economical and versatile vehicle and I think either one will meet your needs. Good luck!

[goodvibrations]

I believe you are mistaken about the V6 in a Mazda 3. All my information indicates a Mazda 3 or Mazda 3 Hatchback come with either a 2.0 150hp 4cyl or a 2.3 160hp 4cyl. If you want a 6 cyl you need to step up to a Mazda 6, which you can get an optional 3.0 litre V 6 215 hp.None the less a Mazda 3 does have more get up and go than a base vibe. But I still like the vibe.

[Katscan]

Just for the record....the HHR....Sucks....major...poodoo.I test drove one when I was shopping for a new car. It looked alright, but it felt real cramped inside and all plasticy. The first thing I did not like was the dash....yea what moron designed that dash? They managed to cram the speedometer and the rev meter thing into a small (removed) display. The MPH readout goes from 0-120 and is crammed into a 60 degree angle so you best learn to gestimate how fast you are going. The one I test drove was the top of the line model for the HHR, which had the larger engine (172hp) in it. So I took it onto the highway and punched the gas....and waited.....and continue to wait for the darn thing to get up and go....but it would only chug along like it was towing a semi.....yea it was a horriable ride and I did not look back to the HHR.