Prospective Vibe buyer here: Need your opinions on the car!!!

[blouisgod]

Hey guys,We are looking at getting a 07 Vibe Monotone AT. Id like to know what you think of the car, pros/ cons, what you really like, etc. We may be going to make a deal on one Monday. Thanks for all the help, brad

[lovemyraffe]

First off, WELCOME!!!

[Blanco_Diablo]

Love my vibe! Pluses for me:• Gas mileage• Storage/room to transport boxes, etc. (Just moved, held more than I thought it would.) Back and passenger seats flip down.• Smooth ride, good handling• Potential to modify• Sporty look compared to most other wagons on the market• Pretty good stock sound system (monsoon) with Moons and Tunes• Great community of people at genvibe.com

[lovemyraffe]

I love my Vibe. It is one of my favorites I've ever had.2005 Vibe*2004 VW Jetta*1999 Jeep Cherokee1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee1995 Subaru Legacy Wagon1990 Subaru Legacy Wagon1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass1970 Chevy Surburban*1970 K-5 Blazer*1969 Datsun 510*Just a few of those owned (* indicates still own). As far as daily drivers, the Vibe is definitely tops. Good gas mileage, enough cargo room to carry alot of stuff with you, looks good.I do feel the base model is a little under powered (130 hp), but for a 4-banger still fairly decent with more hp than my wife's Jetta. With the AWD version, the hp drops a little. The stock stereo system is a little blah, I would upgrade that if at all possible.Overall, I'm very impressed. Very comfortable interior, able to drive 8+ hours in 1 day and not be stiff. Oh yeah, it handles decent in all weather. I spend my weekends snowboarding and it gets me up the mountain most of the time. Only on crazy snow days I need 4wd.

[keithvibe]

Love the gas millage even with my AWD... summer months 26-32mpgWinter months 24-30MPGLove the amount of crud I can fit inside of it in one trip to the big box stores.Love the handling of it...Love the 110AC plugLove the Sun and sound package.Love the fold flat rear seats and front passenger seat.Hate the low armrestHate the lack of power with my AWD. the new 09' will have 158hp( I think) ... that will help A LOT!Hate the blind spot on the "d" pillerHate the lack of after market support^^^^those are just a few but the ones i can think of off the top of my head

[blouisgod]

wow guys - great responses! thanks for the warm welcome!

[VforVIBE]

Welcome to Genvibe fellow Floridan!

[AKLGT]

the vibe is a great little econo car. Has tons of room to haul stuff (you can fit an amazing amount of "stuff" in it), zippy/peppy for what it is however, I will add the AT version is lacking in that dept. the typical Toyota AT slushbox. if you are into modding your car, there isn't a ton of support on the newer models, however, there still are plenty of things that can be done to make it ever more "fun." i think everyone else has already chimed in on most of the highlights: good fuel economy, tons of room, etc. best of all, you get this great website for help and fun!

[ajconover]

I've had my Vibe (an automatic) for about 6 months and no serious complaints this far. It's a little noisier than I like on the highway and tends to ride a bit rough for my tastes (stiffer suspension than many other GM vehicles), but I do find that it has more of a "connected to the road" feel than any other car I've owned. I'm still getting used to the touchy gas pedal though. Though the car certainly does not have a lot of low end torque, mine seems to have a lot of the throttle at the very top of the pedal... making a bit touchy on slippery roads. (This seems to be common in Toyota engines, from my experience). I'd also agree that there is a bit of a blind spot in the rear, but I've just gotten used to having my outside mirrors adjusted a bit differently, which seems to solve the problem.However, I love the mileage (I get about 31-32 in my day-to-day driving, which is about 80% highway). The versatility is really great... I can carry bikes, camping gear, music gear, etc. with no problem. The thing that really sold me was mostly the driving position. It's very "upright". Some people hate that, but I love the elevated feeling and great front visibility, despite being a relatively small vehicle.

[jmpnjoe86]

Welcome to the site!I've had my '05 AWD for about 3 months now and it's been great. Plenty of room for the family and our stuff, 300 miles per tank commuting to work even with the smaller AWD tank (350 with highway driving). It's a little low on power compared to my last car ('01 Focus ZX3 5-spd) but it's adequate. I feel much more sure of myself driving in rain and snow/ice with the AWD and ABS.

[VivaVibe]

I researched for a good while before deciding on the Vibe. So, I knew pretty much what I was getting. I bought it used about a year ago, and I'm delighted with the choice. It's highly rated in it's class for reliability, safety, economy, and utility. All features I wanted and at a fair price.I wanted automatic and ABS brakes, and the car had both plus side airbags and an alarm.I am small so I like the way everything is in reach for me, and the driver seat is adjustable for height and angle. It's comfortable and roomy with plenty of space for passengers or cargo. I was down-sizing from a van, so the fold flat floor and hauling space was important for projects and my gear.I knew it wasn't a speedy car, so I'm not disappointed with the power. It is plenty quick for me and is fun to drive. In fact I have to be aware to keep from going faster than intended.It consistently gets 30 MPG on my commute, part city part highway. And, long trips average 35 to 40 MPG. I'm a conservative driver so if you have a heavy foot you may not do as well.The Moon-n-Tunes (Sun-n-Sound) stereo is plenty good for my tastes. I'm into jazz not the tump-thump stuff, so maybe that is why.The only two things I would change. The engine is a bit louder than I'm used to, but I understand it's typical for a four cylinder. I wish the taillights were bigger. But it seems they are making them smaller on cars these days.If you realize this is a small economy wagon, I think you'll love it.

[dzknmd1]

I currently own an '03 base Vibe that my son drives and an '07 base Vibe that replaced my wife's "02 Envoy. I have nothing but praise for the Vibe. You can't beat the utility and the economy with anything else that I know of. If I retire soon and surrender my company car I will probably buy another vibe.We consistently get 30+mpg. We had planned to use two cars to take my son back to school last fall but he loaded everything into the Vibe, including a 9' X 15' roll of carpet and a 9' X 15' pad. Forget the hybrids. This is the car to get.You might want to wait and take a look at the '09 Vibe. They have added 4 wheel disc brakes, 6 airbags and onstar as standard equipment and reduced the base price by $1500. It will be available in early 2008.

[dzknmd1]

I forgot, also stabilitrac traction control is standard on the '09 available in February '08. Won't have the incentives they are probably offering you on the '07 and it will be well later than February when you can find one.

[18stars]

I liked it so much that I replaced my 2004 Vibe with a 2007 Vibe.

[joholste]

also the vibe is a very very safe vehicle as has been noted in many many accidents.

[Merzbow]

I love her and wouldn't trade her for anything likes: -Looks great. Looks even better when you modify it.-Interior is wonderful, attractive, and very comfortable.-Good in the snow (lightweight and front wheel drive) If you lose control in a spin on ice it's not hard to regain control in my opinion at least.-As others have stated, stock sound system is great. I have an after market stereo in mine worth over $2000 and I still use the stock door speakers and head unit!!!-Not as fast as it could be, but pretty quick for what it is! I can hold my own against a lot of 4 cylinders and SOME V6's-The engine sounds GREAT when you buy exhaust and other engine modifications for it.Dis-likes:-The stock tires were trash when I got mine in 2002 (tread wore down quickly)...I think they changed that now though.-Some body roll while cornering unless you install lowering springs.-Can't think of anything else.

[dmsween]

I have an '03 GT so mine is a little different from what your looking at. I did test drive 1 base and 1 base w/ awd. They were both automatics and sluggish, but I usually drive a stick so thats what I'm used to. I bought the vibe and then moved the week after that so I loved the hauling capacity it had. I love having the power that I have and the 6 speed. I also like the 110v power outlet on the dash. It's also nice having a new car not having to worry about maintenance. (Got rid of '92 Acura w/ 173k.)The only thing I would like would be a bigger tank because mine doesn't get as good mileage but I can still go 300+ miles on a tank with the GT.

[djb383]

Our '05 has been a great car. Had it 27 mos. now, never been back to the dealer. 1st car we've owned I can say that about.

[Sharpeye]

My warranty runs out on my 04 this month. The only problem it has ever had was a blown tweeter.I'll get another Vibe when this one wears out.

[futureviber]

I've had mine since October 24. It's an '04. I love it. I'm moving soon so I'm hoping to get everything in two trips - and I think that is possible. I love the great gas mileage. I kind of have a lead foot but on a recent trip I got around 32mpg (much better than my past cars got... 20ish mpg)Hauled a ton of boxes for work and everything was easy to get to. I love that I dont have to bend over and lift heavy things over a trunk.OOh, 9 storage compartments.What else... I like mine and will probably get another when mine wears down... but its only get 35k miles on it so... that might be a while. (when I bought it there were only 31.5k - its comfortable on long drives I've been the car for 10 hours in one day and didnt have any problems.Welcome to the forums!!

[joatmon]

If you are moving from a sedan, then the reduced visibility out the back may take some getting used to.Seems like many people find the power inadequate, so be sure to take a realistic test driveQuote, originally posted by blouisgod » We may be going to make a deal on one Monday. Did you do it?If so, then http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5216

[jake75]

One would think that the imminent arrival of a 2009, with more safety features for $1,500 less, might put a lot of downward pressure on the prices of the left over 2007's and the 2008s. On the other hand, I wonder what % of new car buyers do the research to discover these facts. I was tempted to get a 2007 but the deal wasn't attractive enough. I am glad I didn't. The way the economy is heading I figure that the 2009's will be available at fire sales prices by spring.

[Merzbow]

Yeah, Joatmon has a good point. I didn't think of that. Out of the VERRRRRY few people that I have let drive my car have mentioned the fact that there is less visibility than in a non-wagon/SUV. Nothing so drastic as to alter your opinion on purchase but it is something to pay attention to I did have a blown engine this year. Cost me $3500 for a new-used one with 35,000 miles on it...the best part is no one knows why it blew. They said it didn't have a drop of oil in it, it wasn't leaking oil, nor was it burning oil so that theory is physically impossible because if it had no oil, the engine would have seized after 10-15 minutes of driving it and I drove it to 2 mechanics and to the dealer!!!Just one of those freak things I guess that happens every once in a while!

[bull77]

We love our '06 Vibe, no problems except a blown fan resistor.We'll definitely purchase another Vibe down the road - maybe a '09

[wyatt89]

I have a GT version thats really fun to drive with really awesome neutral handling. On Saturday I moved from Wyoming to Texas with the vibe totally packed full of crap (you will be utterly amazed at the amount of stuff you can fit in this thing) and I still managed to get 31mpg, thats saying something since it was really cold (snow the entire way) and the fact that it was packed to the point that the back end was sagging... umm overall its a good car, mine has HORRIBLE paint but i really dont care...I added new speakers and a sub since the stock system really sucked...I have no idea about the base model engine but i assume its pretty slow having like 130hp...but it will do the job and get you awesome gas mileage!My vibe has had no problems yet and im about to hit 40kHope you like your choice be it a vibe or whatever else