Looking for Vibe info and opinions

[ashift30]

I am looking for a new car and found the Vibe by accident. I am impressed by its mpg, safety features, and looks.The salesman really didn't like the car and didn't offer much info. He is trying to sell me anything else. I drive a Jetta TDI 37/44 (Deisel). I need a safe car for my two high school kids and it has to be able to carry a Tuba, full size band speakers,bass amps and cabs (just not all at once). I was very pleasantly surprised when I first saw it. I have not been able to drive it yet. The salesman was to busy for the Vibe, but I could drive a Pickup instead. It looks like it has a larger cargo area than it appears from the outside. The side airbag curtains are a must with my next car. The Vibe is amazingly affordable for what you get. Power is not required except for highway passing and on ramps.What I am wanting to ask owners is:1. Does it matter if I buy a vibe or a Matrix, are they the same car? 2. What is the real mpg for this car?3. The reviews all call it a slug on the road, your thoughts.4. Is it really as safe as it says it is?If you have a thought on any of my questions, I would appreciate your response. The vibe is looking like a winner the more I read about it. Thanks.

[Raven]

1. Vibe and Matrix are basically the same car, only the styling are different.2. I routinely get 38-40 mpg highway (Canadian gallon).3. It's no slug but no rocket either. It feels peppy and is perfectly adequate.4. From real world evidence they are extremely safe. My wife and daughter hit a granite embankment at 60 mph and rolled 3 times, stopping on the roof. My daughter had a bruised knee and my wife had bad bruises and was sore for a few weeks. No broken bones and no cuts. The car was destroyed but the cabin area remained intact. We bought another Vibe because of this. I have seen pictures and heard stories of many similar experiences.

[lovemyraffe]

Welcome1. The Vibe is a Toyota drivetrain with a Pontiac body-biggest difference is the styling and the Vibe will be a little less expensive2. With the FWD Base model I get 32-35 U.S. mpg3. It is a little sluggish, but not too bad. My wife drives a '04 Jetta GLS with a 2.0 L and the Vibe is quicker that that. Won't keep up with your TDI though.4. I don't have any real world experience with how safe it is. Hopefully I won't have to find out. I have been in love with the Vibe ever since I first saw it. It has been a great car, looks great, drives great, good gas mileage.

[prathman]

Here's my take on your questions (BTW, we have two '06 Vibes - one 5-spd, one auto):1. Basically the same car with different sheet metal but some minor differences (the radio and I think also the air conditioner are different). There are also some differences in how the options are combined on the different model levels.Due to the Toyota name the resale value is higher on the Matrix, so I'd recommend it if you tend to trade cars in frequently. OTOH, the Vibe is cheaper used - and frequently has good incentive deals offered when new.2. On trips in the 5-spd we've been averaging about 40 mpg (US gallons) and a couple less in the auto. Suburban/city driving varies quite a bit but has also been pretty good - usually above 30.3. No complaints from my standpoint, esp. with the 5-spd. A good test drive is probably the best way to tell for yourself since everyone's expectations will vary.4. Fortunately we haven't tested the crash strength, but I've been impressed by some of the pictures I've seen on this site where the owners have walked away in pretty good shape. Note that the new '09 model will have more standard safety features than the current ones.BTW, one of the reasons we got the first Vibe was because it's the smallest car we could find that holds our daughter's full-size harp - it's just the right size inside with the rear seats and the passenger front seat all folded down.

[redlava]

I would think that the Vibe would be perfect for your needs. You can fit a surprising amount of stuff in it with no problems. I was moving once and I got a coffee table, two end tables, two lamps, and a small book shelf plus a few boxes into the back. So what you need to carry sounds like no problem at all.The styling is up to you. The Vibe and Matrix are the same on the inside, same engine, same interior, just a different outside. Fuel economy can fluctuate anywhere between low 20's to low 30's for me. Now that I live in Omaha and my driving is mostly city and interstate I am averaging about 26 or 27 now, before I was around 32. So it isn't great for a small car but it is also a lot better than what you would get in a small truck, plus comfortable seating for 5.I have never been in an accident with my Vibe yet, but it does have a five star safety crash rating for the driver and a four star rating for the passenger. Pretty darn good for a small car if you ask me.Some people like a lot of power in their cars, I used to, but it really isn't necessary anymore. Your certainly not going to snap heads with the power and speed, but it will get you to where you need to go and it has more than enough power to accelerate onto a freeway and to pass. So if you are looking for more power, try looking for a GT, if you don't mind a manual transmission anyways. I traded a truck in for a Vibe and I have never once regretted my decision.Good luck.

[wynvibe]

My observations based on my 2006 Vibe.1. I bought the Vibe because the service at our local GM dealer is so much better than at our local Toyota dealer. (3 of my children each had an Echo, so we had some experience with the local Toyota dealer)2. I've tried my Vibe several times for gas mileage. With 4 people in the car, plus lugggage, summer time so running the A/C, with auto transmission, combined highway and city, mostly highway, running about 110 to 120 kms per hour. It always gives 37.5 to 38 mpg, Imperial gallons. I can see no difference when using cruise control. It even did the same on a test I did this winter (cold Canadian winter driving), which was a pleasant surprise.3. My other vehicle is a Chevy Tracker (same as Suzuki Vitara), 4x4, 2001, with a 2 litre 4cyl. Compared to it, the Vibe is a powerhouse. :-)4. Hopefully. Wayne

[mjbsb69]

Welcome.1. Yes Vibe/Trix are corp. twins. I think the Vibe is cuter...but that might cause an argument with some.2. I drive in the city mainly and get mid to high 20's in mpg.3. It's brisk enough to drive, I don't sweat getting on highways, but may not take the checkered flag.4. Check Consumer Reports crash test ratings (and Reliability ratings too for that matter).....pretty good.Has your Jetta been reliable....so many VW owners with dramatically different experiences?Maybe consider used Vibe, one year old or so.. it is Very affordable.

[wyatt89]

1. Does it matter if I buy a vibe or a Matrix, are they the same car?Well, honestly its what you feel looks better, the toyota holds its resale a bit better but they are just about the same inside, the sheet metal and colors are different thats it.2. What is the real mpg for this car? I had a GT model that makes about 170hp and when i was on trips with the whole car loaded to the point of the back end sagging (packed to the ceiling) i was getting 32mpg, but in the city when it was below freezing the worst ive ever got is about 24 and i drive with a serious leadfoot...3. The reviews all call it a slug on the road, your thoughts.Like i said i had a GT so i dont know what a base is like, but the gt was really fun to drive, it would whoop your tdi by a longshot...it only comes with a 6 speed so take that into consideration if you dont want your kids driving a manual...4. Is it really as safe as it says it is?Well, i was on a dirt road on day and i crested a hill and all of a sudden i found myself going off a small cliff, i probably flew about 15-20ft and went down about 4ft (i was going like 45mph) and had a pretty crappy landing on the front left wheel, needless to say nobody inside was hurt, the only thing wrong with the car was that i broke an exhaust hanger, that got fixed for pretty cheap.No joke though, the vibe can pack more crap into it than pretty much any car ive ever seen...its insane. i think a chevy trailblazer might compare...its a great car and everyone here will tell you so :Dgood luck on your choice though!!!

[ashift30]

Great info, the harp is definitely bigger than a tuba case!Thank you very much.

[ashift30]

Thank you very much for such a quick response. My wife and I really appreciated Raven's story and am thankful his family remained safe in the accident. We started at looking for a small truck and passed the Vibe. The pricing is actually cheaper than most of the small truck lines we visited. I am so frustrated that the auto makers won't make side impact bags standard on trucks. It is hard to buy a car for the family if it doesn't meet the norm for automotive safety standards.I went back to the dealership and found an unlocked Vibe. It sat very comfortable and I was able to read the owners manual. I live in Houston and the avearage 2008 sticker is running around 18,500 with options. Room to negotiate. I also learned my burb qualifies me for additional discounts, because of the Vibe forum. Bonus.As for the question on my 06 Jetta TDI, 15 months and 43,000 miles. It is the best handling and especially the best braking car I have ever driven. They fixed alot of the problems from the 04's. I have not a had a single problem other than replacing all 4 tires at 35K because they each had about 35 nails in it from the freeway. I drive high miles and the mileage is a godsend right now.I also read a post at the forum that there is about a 12% profit margin on options. That really helps out.I keep reading about the 09 model and I haven't seen an 08 listed, but my dealership only has 07 and 08's, so is the '08 really an '09? The last Pontiac I ever drove was my 1964 Pontiac Catalina in the 70's. I have always owned foreign cars except for the 02 burb. It has no acceptable trade in value and the engine is flawless. It is also paid for, so we are keeping it.Your posts have definetly swayed me into test driving and seriously thinking about buying one once we decide which model year is best for us. My wife said that after reading real world posts for your responses, that she feels this is the right car for our family's needs and budget.I will keep you informed. Thanks again. I will keep monitoring the thread.

[coldmm803]

i have a base 05 automatic2. i keep track of my mileage and over the 21k miles i've driven it i have an overall average of 28mpg. i've seen 40mpg once and 36 a few times on highway trips. i've had city mileage between 20-26. i'm doing a lot of city driving now commuting to school (college), its 5 miles each way and i have 14 traffic lights to deal with.3. slug? at times a little more power would be nice. it all depends on the driver, my mom wouldn't know the difference in power between this and her ford windstar which has 200hp. it also depends on how high you let the rpms go, the horsepower peaks at 4k rpms in the base vibe.4. safe? yeshttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=11448i think there was another post similar where the driver rolled it and they were fine too

[FLVibe]

New here and also a new Vibe owner as of yesterday. Bought the 2008 for less than 16000. after rebate and before tax and tag. The wife loves it (she has been driving our 06 Tundra V8) and she had to set the cruise on the interstate to keep her speed down. I drove it and was suprised at the power and ride it had. We have the auto trans. with power options and monotone package but no anti lock or side airbags (they had none around here with those options). As far as get up it should be all you need. I will post a pic asap of our new Stealth Vibe!

[lovemyraffe]

Welcome!

[lovemyraffe]

Quote, originally posted by ashift30 »As for the question on my 06 Jetta TDI, 15 months and 43,000 miles. It is the best handling and especially the best braking car I have ever driven. They fixed alot of the problems from the 04's. I have not a had a single problem other than replacing all 4 tires at 35K because they each had about 35 nails in it from the freeway. I drive high miles and the mileage is a godsend right now.If you like the way your Jetta handles, you will love how the Vibe drives. Not as quiet inside, but definitely much quicker and tighter suspension.Quote, originally posted by ashift30 »I keep reading about the 09 model and I haven't seen an 08 listed, but my dealership only has 07 and 08's, so is the '08 really an '09? The last Pontiac I ever drove was my 1964 Pontiac Catalina in the 70's. I have always owned foreign cars except for the 02 burb. It has no acceptable trade in value and the engine is flawless. It is also paid for, so we are keeping it.Your posts have definetly swayed me into test driving and seriously thinking about buying one once we decide which model year is best for us. My wife said that after reading real world posts for your responses, that she feels this is the right car for our family's needs and budget.I will keep you informed. Thanks again. I will keep monitoring the thread.The incentives on the '08 are incredible, but if you can, I would wait and buy the '09. More standard features and more power for similar costs.

[ashift30]

This response has been more than I could have ever imagined. Thanks again!

[mjbsb69]

Someone may have already said it, but the 08 is the last yr for the current body style you see on the lots now. In early 08 the 09 will come out redesigned.....pretty sharp.

[FLVibe]

Thanks Lovemyraffe. I have a pic now and of course had to have my Tundra in the background. I think they go good together

Attached files

[MRCN RCE]

welcome to the family ashift30 & flvibe my answers for ashift. mine will pretty much be the same as everybody else, but here ya go:1. the trix n vibe are the same under the hood, except for the a/c i think. there are a couple differences on the inside, like the radio, and the armrest on the trix has an extra lil storage compartment in the lid. it makes the armrest sit a lil higher. the lid can easily be swapped with the vibe one if that's what you wanna do.2) i don't have a base vibe, so i couldn't tell you first hand what my mpg's are, but there are quite a few people on here that can easily keep their US mpg's in the 30's.3) i've never driven a base vibe, i have a GT, and it's got about 50 more horses (give or take) than the base. from what i've read, the base models are good enough to get you onto the freeway without worries. if you get an auto trans, just turn off the o/d if you need to pass. i've read that the vibe can be kinda stubborn if you don't hit the o/d button. if you drive the base model but really want some more power, you can always look for a GT, but you'd have to get a used one.the GT and AWD models were discontinued after the 06 model year4) fortunately, i've only had close calls in mine, but there are a buncha posts from vibe owners that have been in accidents and been ok. some of the people even went right back into the vibe because of the way it took care of themthe pic that coldmm posted and this one are pics i always think of when someone brings up the safety of our cars: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=24197flvibe: nice pic. you should swap the rims with the ones on the tundra. yes i know they're 6 lug and i'm full of crap today

[jake75]

The '09 will have several safety features [4 wheel disk antilock brakes, stabiltrack, side air bags] as standard equip, yet the price is about $450 less. kbb.com or edmunds.com has pricing information; pontiac.com has specs on 08 and 09. There is usally about $350-$400 on the invoice for adv fees etc. that you won't see on kbb etc. as these vary by region. These are real costs that the dealer has to pay. The holdback is 3% of MSRP before freight. While that lowers the actual cost to the dealer, dealers are loathe to deal away holdback. An '09 with the three safety features standard and lower priice makes it about the same as a similarly equipped '08 with the 1,250 rebate and a 1,000 loyalty rebate. Roof rack is gone for the '09's. Cargo area with rear seats down appears to be 10% less - might have to do with a rear that looks more sloped. HP increase looks marginal.Expect city driving to be no more than 25 mpg, highway 33. Maybe at 55 mph one could get more. But who drive 55 mph.

[ToolGuy]

Like others have said, it is not a slug on the road. It is geared right and uses the power it has perfectly. You will not really find a car good on fuel and has neck snapping power. That said, the 1.8L is just fine for this car at 130 HorsePower for the base engine.