The Pre-Vibe Jitters?

[ajconover]

Well... My Vibe has finally come in! It's an '06 Stealth (two tone), FWD auto with about 13,000 miles, and I'm finalizing the sale and picking it up next weekend. I have to admit that I'm rather apprehensive about the sale; not because I think I wont like the car, but because this will actually be the newest car I've ever owned, and the first one I've ever picked right off the lot (and hence, the most I've actually ever spent on a car). Anyway, I was just curious about what others thought about their "investment" over time? Obviously, most everyone here loves their car... Which is likely you're here in the first place. I guess a better way of putting it would be to ask -- in the first few months or so -- what were the things that you most loved about the car and also the things that you most hated (that you may or may not have gotten used to or fixed)? Any overwhelming regrets?I just thought this might an interesting topic of conversation. Sorry if it's a repeat.

[02csnow]

Well I have had my Vibe for about 10 months now. There really is not anything i really hate about the car. Some people say the seat can be uncomfortable at times, but i have had no problems with that. The only thing i really dont like is how low the armrest is, but you can get the older generation armrest to fix that. As far as liking it. I love the MPG, i get a consistent 30 MPG every tank full, and that is with city driving. i have taken one road trip and got 35 MPG. There is just so many things i love about the car that i would never trade it for anything unless it totally went dead, where i could never drive it again.

[Houston]

I've had my 2003 Base for going on five years and love the thing. For most of that time I also had a wonderful supercharged Grand Prix. The Grand Prix was superior in almost all respects. Then I decided to downsize to only one car. You know what? I sold the Grand Prix and kept the Vibe. It's better on mileage, cargo space, and is just plain more fun to drive. I've had no problems of any kind and am not disappointed with it in any way.You will be happy with your Vibe.

[ajflan]

My only problem with the Vibe is its lack of low end grunt. Other than the power, its a wonderful little car.

[jwalcik]

I haven't had any serious complaints. I've had mine for two and half years now and I still enjoy it every bit as much as I did when I first picked it up.

[808 Vibes]

CONGRATS! In august it will be a year for me. + a few months for Frosty. No problems, no complaints, no regrets with either '06. I don't find the seats uncomfortable either. I'm still hoping to put rims and the spoiler kit on it, but bills and mortgage payments come first.

[moongdss]

I know exactly what you're talking about!! When I got my 06 Vibe last august, I was SO ecited to get my very first NEW car, but I felt sick to my stomach when I realized how much I was signing on the dotted line for. I second guessed myself for weeks!!In the end, I am very glad I bought the Vibe and I love her to death now!

[scherry2]

Quote, originally posted by Houston »I've had my 2003 Base for going on five years and love the thing. You will be happy with your Vibe. I feel the same way. the only things I didn't like were:the ride height, and that real quiet intake and exhaust. enjoy the ride I know I do.

[ajconover]

So far it seem like nothing but positive responses... that's definitely reassuring!Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »The only things I didn't like were: the ride height, and that real quiet intake and exhaust. Well, I'm probably in a relative minority with liking my cars to be as silent as they can be... So -- for me -- quiet is good... I already know that I'll probably miss the quietness of my Lumina in the notoriously noisier Vibe. (Of course, nothing has ever compared to the serene silence of my old '84 Buick Park Avenue).Anyway... what was it about the ride hight you didn't like? In my test drive, I liked the "on top of the car" feeling from the Vibe. My girlfriend's Chevy Cavalier has a very low seating position for such a small car...which always makes me nervous. (I ride a motorcycle too, so I like the open "airy" feel). But... I am curious about what you don't/didn't like about the ride height.

[guilty]

I like the Vibe's "taller" ride height!

[prathman]

The ride height is definitely a YMMV type of thing. While there are many participants here who have lowered their cars, the higher feel of our daughter's Vibe was one of the things my wife liked most in comparison to her old Camry - and which led to our purchase of a second Vibe. I also like to be able to drive off the beaten path sometimes on camping and kayak trips and therefore appreciate having a bit more ground clearance.From my standpoint unexpected plusses included the many hidden storage spaces and somewhat better gas mileage than indicated by the EPA. About the only negative so far is that the feel of the clutch took longer than expected to become familiar. I'm also not thrilled with the slightly harsher ride (and higher tire cost) of the 16" wheels compared to the 13" and 14" ones on our older cars - but unfortunately that seems to be the current fashion trend.No regrets with either Vibe purchase, but I always reserve final judgement on cars until I've driven them for at least 10 years.

[MRCN RCE]

welcome to the family aj, and congrats on the new purchase.Quote, originally posted by ajconover »Anyway... what was it about the ride hight you didn't like? i'm pretty sure scherry was joking about the ride height, along with his quiet i/e. usually when we put a or , that means we're playing. i bought my vibe in february of 06, and i have loved everything about it. the seats are incredibly comfortable for a car in this price range. i go to vegas once a month or more to see my girlfriend, which is a 4 hour trip, and i don't have to stop to stretch my legs because my (removed) is numb. i am really happy with the mileage this car gets(when i stay outta lift)and yeah, the engine can be loud at times for some people, but remember, it's only a little 1.8 litre 4 cylinder moving a 2,700+ pound vehicle. just turn the radio up all the way, and you won't hear any sounds the engine makes, good or bad

[scherry2]

I was kidding about what I didn't like. I'm a big kid at heart and modded my vibe 4 months after I bought it in 2002. thats quite a step down in quietness going from a '84 Buick Park Avenue to a vibe. LOL

[ajconover]

Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »I was kidding about what I didn't like.That's cool... I have heard people complain about the Vibe being a bit noisy (and I've even heard some others complain about the headroom with the moon-roof)... so I just wasn't sure.Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »I'm a big kid at heart and modded my vibe 4 months after I bought it in 2002.I'll definitely stay stock for a while... probably until I get it paid off. Though, I saw one member here that added acoustic matting under the carpeting. I might try that at some point.Other than that, I'll likely add one of those AUX2CAR or GM12-AUX devices to get some RCA jacks into the sound system for my portable Sirius receiver. Members here seem to have had good luck with them. Anyone here know which is the easier one to install or if one works better that the other? (I just have the stock sound system, with speakers that were upgraded by the previous owner).Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »thats quite a step down in quietness going from a '84 Buick Park Avenue to a vibe. LOLYeah, that particular car was already about 10 years old when I bought it (right out of college) from a friend of the family. I drove it for about 5 more years with only minor mechanical problems. It was the last Park Avenue year (AFAIK) for the big boxy design, RWD, and the carbureted engine. Not great on gas, but you just seemed to float silently along the road... which was a bit of an issue in the snow, but that's a different story...

[slvrvibes]

My father-in-law is 6'2" and he has driven in the passenger side and has no complaints about head room. I do wish it had a little more leg room, mainly for the taller people who occasionally ride with me. I'm not that tall so it is a non issue for me.

[ToolGuy]

Welcome! No complaints here, almost 50,000 and on the original battery which says a lot for a 2003 since the batteries were alittle under powered.

[4X4CHICHI]

I've had mine since Nov. '03. Still love it every time I get in it and drive.

[sloth]

I've had mine sine April of '02. Vibe GT Besides a few rattles, no serious complaints. My clutch has held up good unlike so many others.As much room as I need most of the time. Golden Retriever in the back and my golf clubs laying across the back seat.

[northvibe]

Ive had my vibe 2 yrs and just recently it was in the shop for 2 weeks getting fixed from getting rear ended and I missed that car SO much. When I picked it up today I hugged it Great car.

[guilty]

I've only had mine for a couple weeks but I like it so far. It was a little hard for me driving something so small at first, coming from a full size Chevy...but using 1/3 the amount of gas of the truck sure is worth it!

[Sinister]

I too just recently got my '05, and I am loving it.. saving me a tonne on gas. I drive an hour each way to work every day and I only complain about the seats after a really long night. Besides that I am in love with my Vibe

[maxt]

My wife and I bought the vibe after careful research and lots of test drives. I wish the interior styling was a little less unconventional, but I dont drive the car 99% of the time so its not up to me. As a total package its really a winner.

[Moonstone06Vibe]

One year, 24000 miles, 30 mpg average - and no problems. Comfortable, handles well, fun to drive. Only thing that I dislike is that it is noisy inside at 80 mph - but some sound deadening material will cure that one of these days.

[ajconover]

I'd like to thank everyone who commended and helped ease my case "preemptive buyers remorse". Your comments were all appreciated.I picked up the Vibe on Saturday and a had a bunch of traveling to do across Pennsylvania on Sunday/Monday (about 500 miles in total)... One of the first things I did was to get the factory tires off and put on some Mastercraft Sensys 01's. The new tires really quieted it down, smoothed out the ride, and improved the handling. (I kept the better pair of the original tires that I'll be mentioning in the "for sale" area for probably about $20 each... they appear to have about 7/32" on them, but I need to get out and check with my tread gauge to be sure.)Anyway... aside from a few intermittent squeaks/rattles in some places, I'm pretty happy with it so far. (The squeaks seem to be coming from both front doors... perhaps the weather stripping. I'll try some silicone grease about the rubber to see if that helps. There is another intermittent rattle around the instrument cluster too. Any suggestions here? ) The automatic tranny shifts a bit harder than I'm used to on acceleration but that might smooth out with time. I'll probably replace the fluid sometime this summer, too. Aside from a few nit-picky things, all seems good.Finally, one of the plastic wheel covers evidentially got "curbed" at some point and is cracked. I cant imagine they are to hard to replace. Anyone have any left overs from a wheel upgrade. I suppose I might have to go to a dealer for this one. BTW... Does anyone know how to counteract that fake "new car smell" spray sent?!? Someone spayed the inside of the Vibe and the smell actually makes me a bit nauseous.I will post some pix soon...