Test drove my first Vibe GT today....
Test drove my first Vibe GT today....
Well my brother has a '03 Vibe auto and I've wanted one before he even got his. However, I want some "pep" to mine. I"ve been looking in the papers and have seen a 2003 Vibe GT with 57,000 miles for $11,995. However, the one I test drove is a 2003 Vibe GT with a functional ram air hood, back spoilers, Optima batter and overall in great condition. For a 2003 it only has 11,000 miles on it and the price is $13,770 out the door. I actually put $100 down to hold it until the finances go through. I love everything about the Vibe but I have a few questions.My main question or concert is for all you Vibe GT owners. I have a 5 spd right now and a 6 speed is pretty cool however it seems that going into first or 2nd feels a bit 'unsmooth" compared to my 5 spd which is a POS imho. I don't know if it's because of reverse being there but it just doesn't quite have that "snick" you get in certain manual gearboxes. Just wanted to know if this is normal or if I should be concerned before I take out a loan on this beast.-Juelze
The gearbox is a bit of a PITA. I ended up getting the brass shifter bushings and got rid of the stock rubber ones because I was having problems getting the darn thing to go into gear.It..'sounds'..normal. I had bounced out of gear a few times before swapping out the bushings. http://www.speed-source.net/You want the 'Shifting Cable Bushing Kit', then the 'Toyota' version. I think it's $26. WELL..worth it.
2003 Vibe GT Lava"He inched his way up the corridor as if he would rather be yarding his way down it.""For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen." - Douglas Adams...we all miss you
Re: (trdvibe)
the base 5 speed is pretty peppy as is. with the GT, you need to be constantly be above 6k rpm to truly enjoy it.good luck with your decision.
Re: (mcgusto82)
Guess what? The GT is faster below 6k also. At the same speed and in the same gear, the 20% lower gear ratios means more power on tap.
Vibe GT, TRD springs, Progress bar, STB, Unichip, Borbet E 16x7.5, 225/50 Bridgestone RE750, beefed up grounds and battery bypass capacitors(had em laying around)
Re: (mcgusto82)
Quote, originally posted by mcgusto82 »the base 5 speed is pretty peppy as is. with the GT, you need to be constantly be above 6k rpm to truly enjoy it.good luck with your decision.That's not really true.. There's a lot of getup even under 6k, especially when passing. Downshifting is bliss. It is true that the kick gives you more of a thrill in lift, but I still have plenty of fun below lift.
2003 Vibe GT Lava"He inched his way up the corridor as if he would rather be yarding his way down it.""For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen." - Douglas Adams...we all miss you
Re: (goodvibe)
Quote, originally posted by goodvibe »Guess what? The GT is faster below 6k also. At the same speed and in the same gear, the 20% lower gear ratios means more power on tap.exactly! if given the choice again, i'd take the GT over the base 5 spd any day! ask phil, he'll tell you if he had been able to afford it at the time, he'd have gotten the GT over the base no question. sure i drove a lot at 6K rpms, but i had just as much fun at 3500-4000 rpms.
AKLGT1998 Subaru 2.5RS
