newbie got a question about drag - 2006 Vibe

[goat455]

Drag as in when on the freeway doing about 70 mph and then letting go of the gas the car slows down noticably unlike my previous car, a 2000 Dodge Stratsu 1.4 cyl that kept rolling and wouldn't slow down that quick. The gear ratio on my 2006 Vibe is 2.96. These gears seem rather low for peak gas mileage. Oh, glad I found this site.. seems like a pretty cool forum.

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[ColonelPanic]

I noticed the same thing as well when I first bought mine, I came from a V6 Malibu that would roll forever once you let off the gas... This thing, nope! It slows way down... I don't know if that is simply because the engine isn't very powerful so they had to make the best with what they had or what... On the flipside, I guess I have to say it helps slow the thing down when coming down hills. The brakes got heavy use on the other car, not so much this one... Welcome aboard though, cool color by the way.

[NascarXprt]

hey nice choice in color . and i did notice the same sudden slow on the freeway aswell. also welcome the family of vibes.

[NSimkins]

You're comparing the drag on a sedan and the Vibe, two somewhat different profiles. The Vibe is going to have more wind resistance than a sedan which would possibly give you this feeling on the highway.

[goodvibe]

It could just be how the tranny works. Engine braking on the Vibe and almost non on the Malibu with the tranny declutching on deceloration. I bet the frontal areas aren't all that different. Since you have to be on the gas to maintain speed, mileage wont be effected much by a tranny that allows some engine braking.

[Digger]

Well on the other side of the fence I came from an merc. Mountaineer and I was pleased at how much better the roll was on my vibe than my SUV. By the way, the stat of Ohio BMV says the vibe is a small SUV ( crossover) rather than a wagon or even a car.

[Mavrik]

also has to do with tires... my winter tires slow me down quicker then my summer tires.

[goat455]

Thanks all for the welcome. OK....so I'm not the only one that has noticed the drag when letting go of the gas. Just can't see how it could get 34MPG on my AT w/o it rolling freely thus saving gas. Oh well.

[Petrucci914]

Because it's a foreign engine, that's why.

[AKLGT]

i had a GT. mine didn't seem to be that bad, however i was coming out of a tundra... i'm sure it has everything to do with wind drag and the fact the vibe isn't as aerodynamic as a sedan. plus, you're talking a small 4 cyl engine known for great fuel economy to a V6.

[engineertwin2]

Well, you have pressure drag off of the back end of the vehicle (because it isn't shaped to allow the air to gradually return to its place, a vacuum is formed behind the car, pulling it back - the more tapered the rear, the lower the vacuum) that is slowing it down pretty heavily, similar to all SUVs and wagons. But it always seems to me to be the gearing in the drivetrain. With my GT, I stick it in neutral and the "slow down" is pretty comparable to my other vehicles.With the gearing in the Vibe, the fuel economy is better, but its kinda geared for that urban city driving. For the GT, the drivetrain is exceptionally smooth when the revs are below 3000. In 6th gear, this is below 60-65 or so. When it is down in this range, the engine is braking less and the car doesn't seem to be dragged down.Long story short, I think it is a fuel economy thing...just like all the others above me.

[ballrub]

Check your tire pressure! If you're running less than 34-lbs in the tires (especially the fronts) that might have something to do with it as well!My Vibe coasts a lot better than my Suburban did, and I run about 40-lbs in the front, and 39-lbs in the rear. It's a little rough and bumpy, but it also helps with steering ease, and gas mileage too.Oh yeah...welcome to our little community! Lots of nice people here with lots of advice! Enjoy!

[ToolGuy]

Welcome to the site! I say coasting has more to do with the trans... I used to Valet at a country club and Mercedes trans were strange. Once off the gas it felt as if you had a parachute launch out the back of the car, almost like whiplash!

[Lancer]

Don't forget about weight being a factor when comapairing the vibe to a sedan, truck, suv. The vibe only weighs 2800lbs. All the other mentioned vehicles weigh at least twice as much.