'09 Vibe options

[dzknmd1]

I have two Vibes in my family ('03, '07) and I am a potential buyer for a third one except for one thing. Am I the only one who would like the option of XM radio, Monsoon speakers and the steering wheel radio controls without being forced to take the 2.4L engine as part of the deal?I buy the Vibe for the utility and economy, which are both excellent. Why do I have to sacrifice at least 4 mpg to get a few creature comforts? I don't understand Pontiac's thinking on this at all.

[ou.grizzly]

Try looking at a matrix; not sure what options they offer.

[goochsmooch]

I found the exact same problem when buying my 09 Vibe. Many great options that I was willing to pay for were packaged with the bigger engine. In the end I sacrificed the stereo upgrade and went with aftermarket stuff. I now have a much better sounding system than the Monsoon and I got it for much cheaper. Plus I bought a car starter that was better than the dealerships option.Pontiac got greedy on this one. By having such ridiculous packaging of options, they turned away hundreds of my dollars and gave it to aftermarket companies.If you think the Vibe is the car for you, stick to your guns and get the 1.8L. The aftermarket supplies much better options for stereos and you will probably even save a few bucks. Of course you'll have to sacrifice the steering wheel controls.Also, if you do get the 1.8L Vibe, I'd recommend getting the manual tranny. When the Vibe is full, the 1.8L engine is a little underpowered for the weight, so the manual tranny's extra power makes a welcomed difference. Plus it'll save you another grand to sink into premium aftermarket upgrades. Check the Matrix forums. Matrix owners do a lot more mods than Vibe owners - you can get some great ideas.

[dzknmd1]

Thanks guys, I was wondering if it was just me. I will go and have a look at the Matrix although I like the Pontiac styling better. The steering wheel controls are also important to me as I have gotten used to them on some of my other cars.

[vhoward1122]

There are aftermarket stereo's that have steering wheel controls available.

[shemp]

I can't speak for the Vibe as I didn't work on that vehicle. What I can say is the OEM's marketing departments establish various option combinations and packages long before the vehicle is built. They base their option packages on what they think consumers will want, and obviously to maximize profits. Before gas prices shot up in the last year or so, most consumers probably didn't have as much emphasis on MPG, so they probably did not anticipate consumers wanting the small engine, but high options content. One of the most common complaints I read about in the 1st gen Vibe in the car rags was the anemic powerplant.Given the shift in consumer priorities they may make a mid-year option package change, or change it for 2010.

[ParknVibe]

I would like if someone can tell me that if one installs an aftermarket radio system in the 2009 Vibe,...Will or can OnStar still work with it? As you may know, OnStar must use the radio and it's display.

[Silversn95]

There should have been an order option so that you could get all the 1SC upgrades but keep the 1.8L. I would have spend the extra for that but I wanted the 1.8L to optimize fuel economy.

[dzknmd1]

I checked out the Matrix on line and it seems to be exactly the same deal. I won't be doing anything until next May as this will be a graduation present. Maybe Pontiac will wake up and smell the coffee by then. How hard can it be to make some upgrade options available with the base engine? Also, I like to keep everything bone stock. That's just me. I can't even imagine aftermarket steering wheel controls. The cost would probably be prohibitive. I'm as tight as the nuts on a new bridge.

[shemp]

Quote, originally posted by dzknmd1 »How hard can it be to make some upgrade options available with the base engine? It's probably not that hard per se, but does take time. They have to exhaust the supply on hand (if required), verify supplier capacity, check component compatability, print new literature, update the assembly plant systems etc. They also don't make changes like this on the fly. In order to keep changes to a minimum and make it easier to keep track of what cars have what content, they usually only make changes on the model years, and sometimes at mid-year if needed.

[dzknmd1]

Thanks Shemp. I appreciate your input here. You obviously have some experience with this.

[shemp]

Quote, originally posted by dzknmd1 »...You obviously have some experience with this. I don't, actually.... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. sorry, that was dumb.

[GT_4]

"If you think the Vibe is the car for you, stick to your guns and get the 1.8L. The aftermarket supplies much better options for stereos and you will probably even save a few bucks. Of course you'll have to sacrifice the steering wheel controls."X 2100% Right Ciao

[DownTheShore]

But the 2.4L does have more pep than the 1.8L. I'm glad I got it.

[musicmanmu]

+1 on the 2.4L engine. For me, it was a deciding factor in purchasing the 09 Vibe. If you do a lot of highway driving and/or carry a lot of stuff (I do both), the 2.4 is the way to go.My friend has an 06 Vibe, and I test drove it. Didn't like its sluggishness on the highway, but loved the handling and just about everything else.It does suck that they don't offer such combinations, but as everyone said, an aftermarket stereo can give you XM, at least.