My short review of my 2009 Vibe GT

[lowincash]

After having the car for a little over 3 weeks now, I just want to give my little input about this car.First off, a little background on my previous ride. I traded in a 2002 Maxima. I liked the power but hated the gas mileage. Hated the wind noise, road noise, sunroof rattle when it's open or in tilt position, hated leather seats (hot as hell but good thing a/c was icy cold), wide turning circle (40 friggin feet!), torsion beam (gives that car a very harsh ride), and the 4sp auto. I did like the stock xenon headlights, power memory seats, sunroof sliding switch, heated steering wheel, and the stock exhaust note.I'm very happy I chose the vibe GT. This car looks great, but I guess looks can be subjective lol. My neighbor think it looks like a minivan and some of my friends think it looks awsome. I think it looks good. This is my first 4cyl car and at first I was nervous about the car not having enough power getting on the fwy and stuff. To my surprise, this car feels quick. Getting on the fwy feels the same as in my maxima and going from a dead stop feels light and sprinty...a little to jumpy but I'm getting the hang of it. This engine is smooth and quiet and hwy passing is a breeze. I usually drive 65-70 max but the car is so quiet and smooth I get to 75-80 and not knowing it. I always have to keep my eye on the speedo now lolThe car's handling and ride is very nice. The ride is firm but not harsh, it takes bumps and uneven roads pretty well and on the fwy the ride is very smooth (depending on the road surface). At first I thought 18" rims will make the ride harsh but it was very smooth. It's actually fun to drive and I look forward to driving the car everyday. I look for reasons to go out for a drive now lolI love the sunroof...I like how they have that rubber thing on the side to cover up the metal arms and railings. When sunroof is on tilt it is very quiet even at speeds up to 80mph. Maybe it's that rubber thing that keeps wind noise out...on my maxima the sunroof doesn't have that and there's a lot of wind noise when the sunroof is on tilt position. Speaking of noise, the car is very quiet...not lexus quiet but a lot quieter than my maxima lol. There is very little wind noise but road noise can be loud on some road surfaces.Again, my main reason getting a vibe is getting better gas mileage. I know people will say to get the 1.8L if I want good gas mileage. But that car didn't do it for me. When I tested the 09 corolla LE highway manuvers and passing cars need some planning ahead of time. I'm happy with the 2.4L, it's smooth and quiet and gets good gas mileage. It's always good to have the extra power when you need it. So far my mpg range from 26-29 and I'm very happy with that compared to my 15-20 before...plus I don't have to use premium anymore The a/c on this car is good, but not as icy cold as my maxima. Maybe because I have a black car and it takes time for it to cool down. I will drive with the a/c on full blast and every few minutes or so I'll lower the fan speed a notch and eventually stay at 1-2. Tint helps a lot lol Also, I love how quiet it is with the a/c on. At fan speed 1-3 it's very quiet compared to my maxima. My maxima at speed 2-3 it sounds like 4 on the vibe hahaNow the rear visibility isn't too great but after driving for a few weeks I'm use to it and the blind spots don't bother me anymore. So far only have a few complaints. I have a couple of rattles but it comes and goes. I have a rattle in my driver door but it only rattles when it's cold and when it's hot or warm the car is rattle free. I had a rattle on my roof but it went away after I punched it lol. I'm going to the dealer tomorrow to have them check the door. Might be the window rattling, I don't know. When I have the window rolled down slightly the rattle goes away or is not as noticeable. While I'm at the dealer I'm going to tell them about my lost center cap lolI had a lot of things in my mind I wanted to write but I kinda forgot as I typed But all in all this is a great car. I guess this kind of review is better than those magazine ones since I'm an average driver. I don't have plans to race this car or get good times doing solomies(sp?) I got this car because it looks great, drives great, has great versatility, and gets good gas mileage. Anyways, thanks for reading...I look forward to driving this car for many years to come

[musicmanmu]

Thanks for the review...you may have to change your handle now that you're saving gas money!I'm with you on all fronts with this Vibe - I came from a GMC Envoy that drove like a big, bouncy, comfy couch (a couch that got 17-18 MPG). I liked having the height on the road, the cargo space and the comfy ride. And of course the power the engine put out.But, the Vibe GT IS very peppy and gets going quite quick. You can fit a lot of stuff in there - not as much as a midsized SUV, but I honestly never filled that thing up 80-90% of the time, so it really made me realize I didn't need all the room.The ride on the 18s is a bit stiff, compared to the Enovy anyway, but not uncomfortably stiff. To me, it feels like I can 'feel' the road better, and the ride is never jarring or harsh. The handling is crisp and tight - I love whipping through onramp curves with this car!Overal I too am satisfied with the 09 Vibe GT. I feel I made a smart choice overall and that this car has the best of all worlds (MPGs, space, comfort, style, reliability). What more could you ask for?

[lowincash]

oh yah forgot to add...another one of my dislikes were the horns lol i honked at a car that cut me off and it sounded like the cartoon roadrunner's meep meep. i laughed out loud when i heard it from inside the car...it was embarassing lol i changed it to an aftermarket horn the other day and it's much much better now =D

[Vibe2009]

I have the base model Vibe with 1SC package, which includes the 2.4L... Agree with you, the 2.4L is very smooth!I knew about the rear torsion beam suspension setup on my current car and would love to go to the GT model and get independent suspension, but it was out of my budget~ Oh well, I dont race anymore, especially with today's gas price!

[rAERRK]

new GT doesnt ask for premium?

[Vibe2009]

Nope! Regular gas!

[rAERRK]

huh why is that

[lowincash]

i think since the 09 GT's engine is the same as the camry/tc/xb and they all use regular gas so same goes for the vibe. i'm kind of glad they don't require premium...my maxima uses premium and i hated it...even tho it's only a few bucks difference when filling up i just want to save anything i can =P