NEWBIE LOOKING FOR A VIBE/MATRIX

[Whitestang01]

So im going to trade my Mustang GT for a used matrix/vibe. Is there anything that I should look for when looking at them? I test drove a basic 06 vibe, I liked it, good pick-up for a 4banger and the price was 11,500 with 34k. Why didnt I buy it? Well the body of the vehicle was beat up every door behind the door handles had scratches, the doors were dinged and scratched and the interior was dirty. The dealer promised to fix it but if the body looks like than I can imagine how the powertrain/drivetrain was taken care of. I'm going to look for more this weekend but it seams everyone i look at online has over 50k and they are only 3 years old. Any suggestions in models i should look for?

[ramenboy...]

hey dude,welcome from a fellow chicagoan!if you're looking used...then if you find a vibe gt, it'll be more fun. pontiac stopped production of the gt and awd in o7 i think, so if you find one, snatch it up. its got 40 more hp than the 130 base. there may be an issue with clutches wearing prematurely, but the guys on the forum who own one can tell you more about that.i've got an o4 base with a weapon-r short ram, and it serves its purpose. fun to drive, pretty good pickup, and handles well due to the tein s-techs.good luck in the search.and welcome to the family

[jwalcik]

Welcome aboard!My '05 is about 2 1/2 years old and has nearly 35,000 miles on it. Some folks have had early trouble with the GT clutch, but as a general rule, Vibes seem to take their lumps pretty well.

[zionzr2]

WELCOME!!

[slvrvibes]

Welcome!

[coldmm803]

like ramenboy said, check out a gt since they have a few more hp and still get great gas mileage...as long as your not on the gas all the time. fyi, in case your mustang was an automatic, the gt only comes in a manual trannygood luck with the search and welcome to the board

[VivaVibe]

Depends somewhat on your needs/wants. If you want more performance and go-go, and she can drive stick, then the GT. Still it will be nowhere near what is possible with the Mustang. Keep in mind the GT requires premium so fuel cost will be higher. But, if you are looking for economy then the Base automatic has proven the best choice. An AWD (not availabe in new models) will provide less power and less fuel economy.For safety get ABS brakes, stabilitrac (on newer models only), side airbags and curtains (on newer models). With these items Vibe rates tops in class in crash tests.Some issues that have been mentioned here at GV are early cat failure, excess wear on manual clutch, OEM tires wear out quickly, window rattle due to loose connections, adjustment of emergency brake. There may be others, but the list is short.For this type of car it is hard to beat for style, comfort, economy, versatility, reliability and price. In it's class I believe it is rated tops in MPG, dependability (least repairs), most interior space, safety. If you want these, there isn't a better choice.