I love the Vibe but my husband doesn't ...

[iwannavibe]

How do I convince him it's a good car? He hasn't driven one yet & whenever I mention it he doesn't want to try it.Any ideas?Also, has anyone gotten a supercharger yet? Are they available yet?Thanks!-K-

[Frosty]

Welcome to the forum!Hmmm. Need more to go on. What are his objections? What vehicles has he driven? What are your needs?Is he usually this contrary? No superchargers have been delivered or tested that I know of. Still waiting.

[millster]

Well, I suppose for a start you could point him over here. We'll set him straight. Honestly I'm not too sure how you could. I'll tell you, it's a wonderful car. You already seem to know that though. So far the supercharger is not available. Seems like a lot of people here will get it when it is out though. Everyone is anxiously awaiting.Best of luck on convincing your husband. He doesn't know what he's missing.

[NovaResource]

Leave him. I'm sure there are plenty of young, single, male, Vibe owners here who would let you drive their Vibe.LOL! Seriously, what about the Vibe doesn't he like?

[meathead333]

just tell him that just because mine gets mistaken for a mini van once in a while it is still manly car. he he he. actually despite the couple van comments i got, i have had alot more guys say they like it and said they wanted one. its kinda sporty and even more pratical.

[Stang2Vibe]

You can point out the safety data available. Some models come standard with ABS, and it is available on all models. Side Impact Airbags for the front passengers are available on all models as well. I have them on my Vibe GT. They are attached to the seatback of the front seats so they are always in proper position no matter how far forward or rearward the seats are positioned. Side airbags in the doors do not provide this protection. Some members on here have found and posted pictures of crashed Vibes/Matrixes and they have held up remarkably well. Front and side impacts look like the passenger compartment is left completely intact with no intrusion that would cause severe injury to the occupants. That all makes for a good start.You can mention the fuel economy. Even though all Vibes are 4 cylinders so far, none of them is seriously lacking in power for everyday use. For those who are more performance oriented with vehicle purchases (like me) the GT model is available. It offeres 180 horsepower from an engine that is an absolute blast to drive. The only issue with the GT models is that they are only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. Base models offer a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. The All Wheel Drive models are only available with the 4-speed automatic. Base models have 130 horsepower and AWD models have 123 (7 HP less than the base model because of how the exhaust had to be routed around the AWD components, but same engine as the base model). These are good power numbers when compared to other small cars/CUV's (such as the Mazda Protege 5, for example). The fuel economies are very good as well. With my GT, I am averaging about 23-25 MPG around the hills of Western PA. The base and AWD models will do a little better on gas. And the supercharger you mentioned will be available only for the base model Vibes. It should be out within about 2 months according to GM.Reliability. I don't know how your husband feels about buying Japanese cars. If he likes them or is indifferent to them, he should be happy to hear that the Vibe is made in a joint venture between Pontiac and Toyota. The Vibe is based on the Toyota Corolla platform. All Vibes are made in California and have Toyota engines and transmissions. The engine for the base and AWD models is the same as in the new Toyota Corolla and the engine for the Vibe GT comes from the Toyota Celica. Corollas are notorious for being affordable, user friendly, and very long lasting. The Celica engine should prove to be reliable over its lifetime as well. The Vibe is the perfect marriage between the two automakers because it features Pontiac's aggressive and sporty styling while gaining Toyota's reliabilty and high standards for build quality.Options choices. The options list for the Vibe is generous and pretty flexible. There is too much to go into on this topic here, but I encourage you and your husband to check this out for yourselves on Pontiac's website at www.pontiac.com .Versatility. You will not find this level of versatility from any other car in the market in this price range. You get the roof rack standard with all Vibe models. There are all sorts of accessories you can purchase for the roof rack that will allow you to carry bikes, skis/snowboards, etc. if you have a need for those things. The interior has plenty of room and can accomidate a very wide range of objects both large and small. Both rear seats fold foreward completely flat with the floor of the cargo area and are covered with the same stain and scratch resistant hard plastic. There is even a pair of slots built into the floor and seatbacks so that anchors can be slid into the slots to provide an easy way to strap down cargo so it doesn't slide everywhere. Two straps are provided, and if you purchased a few bungee cords, you could easily strap down just about anything back there. There are also 8 chrome loops permanently attached to the sides of the rear cargo area that you can hook straps to so that items can be secured. I have the optional cargo nets that hook onto these loops that can hold a good bit of smaller loose cargo so it doesn't all fly around back there while I'm driving. Even the front passenger seat can fold completely flat to add additional space for longer items. Pontiac is advertising that with all the seats folded down, the Vibe can easily carry an 8 foot ladder and still be able to close all the doors and windows. There is no other car on the market in this price range that can do that, to the best of my knowledge. I will tell you that I like to play ice hockey. Hockey bags are big and bulky and the sticks are generally pretty long. I can carry myself and two of my friends to play hockey in my Vibe and fit all our equipment easily inside with plenty of room left for both of them and me to ride in complete comfort. I just fold down the larger of the two rear seats, we put the sticks in lying flat first, then put in the 3 big hockey bags. Then we just have to hop in and drive away! Taking the Vibe on vacation would be great. Stowing luggage for 2-3 people would be great for a week's vacation. A fourth person could easily come along too if the roof rack is used to store some of the luggage. The usefulness of this car is endless.So there you have it. There is so much to enjoy about the Vibe, I hope you get the chance to own one and enjoy it as much as we all do on this site. While I can't possibly think of every good reason to own a Vibe, the reasons I gave should provide you with some ammuntion to fire at your husbands defenses. I would also like to add that the Vibe has a good bit of appeal across a wide age category. I'm a 25 year old college student who works part time and enjoys many activities and several hobbies. The car even has appeal to those even younger than me. My mom is now considering replacing her 1999 Oldsmobile Alero (much the same car as the Pontiac Grand Am) with an AWD Vibe because she likes mine so much. My stepdad is a lifelong American car buyer and even he really likes my Vibe. I have seen several senior citizens around my city driving Vibes as well. The roominess and ease of entry/exit from the Vibe seem to have a strong appeal to them. There is something about the Vibe for everyone to like! I truly wish the best of luck to you and hope you get to go out and buy a Vibe soon!P.S.---I am not a paid endorser of the Vibe in any way, I am just a Vibe enthusiast like most people on this site. If you do decide to look into purchasing a Vibe, I STRONGLY suggest using the internet to obtain price quotes. You can do this right through Pontiac's website. It will allow you to create a preformatted email to send to the dealers in your area of your choosing that participate in internet price quotes. I was able to save about $2000 off the sticker price before I even began negotiations by using this system. Again, best of luck to you!

[Triton]

I have a good example for you.My wife wanted an Aztek. Myself like a lot of others don't particullary care for the way the car looks. I have to say that it has grown on me. It is a very good car. But I told my wife that we weren't going to buy one until they painted that gray plastic that went halfway up the side of the car. They did, so we got one.My point is that although I didn't really like the car at the time, it was my wife's car. I let her make her choice since she was going to be driving it. Just like she let me make my choice on the Vibe.I think if your husband rides in it and looks closer at the reliabilty of the Vibe, he might be swayed. Good luck!

[canadavibegt]

quote:How do I convince him it's a good car? He hasn't driven one yet & whenever I mention it he doesn't want to try it.Any ideas?Also, has anyone gotten a supercharger yet? Are they available yet?Thanks!-K-Well I have the oposite problem.... I love my Vibe (i bought one even thought she didn't like it) I say screw him and go buy one....... Once he drives it he will fall in love with it....... As anyone here will tell you and him...... It is a great car. People here have had/have numerous different cars and all of us love the Vibe. And if that don't work again there are lots of single guys here that would be happy to let you dirve their Vibe............

[red]

my husband doesn't like my vibe due to the fact that it is not a "truck"...but i bought the car 'cause i'm the one that drives it, pays for it and transports my kid in it and i wanted something that was safe, fuel thrifty and DIDNT look like a truck....so my advice is to buy WHAT YOU WANT!!! 'cause IF MOMMA AINT HAPPY...NO ONE'S HAPPY !!!!!! he can always get what he wants...chances are the vibe will grow on him and he will convert from "the dark side"..

[iwannavibe]

Thanks for all your replies! I guess I need to clarify things a bit. My hubby & I are both self-employed and we can only afford ONE new car at the moment. Since my current car is almost dead, and I'm the one who drives the 2 kids around 90% of the time, we decided I would get the new car. Plus, he had leased a new car last time (a Pontiac Bonneville) and so it was only fair that it would be my turn to have a new car. My last "brand new" car was in 1989!!!!Anyway, this will be the family car when we go places together, since his car currently is a small 1992 Chevy Cavalier. That's why I want him to be happy with the car as well as me. I will be driving it most of the time, but he'll drive it also. As I said, his last car was a Bonneville with the super powerful engine, so his major complaint about the Vibe is the engine. He is not happy with the 130 horses (or actually the 123 since I am looking at the AWD model). I would LOVE to get a GT but being a self-employed (with cell phone) mother with 2 active boys - there's no way I can be fiddling around with 6 gears while shuffling cell phone, coffee and keeping the kids from killing each other in the back seat! PONTIAC, ARE YOU LISTENING?????So, like I said, that's his biggest complaint. He likes the Subaru Outback or Forester better, but I'm not into paying 5000 more for almost the same car. Sure, the subaru has more horses, but only 165, so I don't think it is a big deal. Besides, the subaru doesn't have an available moonroof unless you get the higher-end and much more expensive models.I told him last night that he needs to drive the Vibe. He hasn't test-driven it yet. I have and I think the car is peppy enough for my needs. He wants a Bonneville engine in a vibe. But I'm more interested in the gas mileage, especially with gas prices hitting 1.80 per gallon in my area.Thanks for all your input! I'll keep you posted!-K-

[iwannavibe]

Thanks for your response! I am going to print it out & give it to my hubby. I posted a general response under my main thread if you want more info!-K-

[Vibegrrrl]

quote:Leave him. I'm sure there are plenty of young, single, male, Vibe owners here who would let you drive their Vibe.LOL! LOL...cute NovaResource