Should I buy a 2003 Vibe?

[LittleMy]

I have chance to buy a 2003 Vibe Base with 48,000 miles, great Carfax record, for $8,900. Is this a good deal? And how does the Vibe handle winter weather, especially starting at 6am in Connecticut in January?! Should I be concerned that the Vibe is discontinued?Thanks!

[KITT222]

Welcome! That looks like a pretty good deal, but if it is the 5-spd manual, watch out, because (correct me if I'm wrong) the 03 manual is prone to failure. The Vibe is a pretty good winter car, and I was driving at 7AM in Minnesota. I had to park outside in -20F weather, and it started right up. With all-season tires its pretty good, although I did buy snow tires for this winter. There should be no concern now that it is discontinued because it is really a Matrix with Pontiac clothing, and the engine/transmission are right from the Toyota Corolla, so it'll run nice and long, and parts won't be a hassle to find. Plus Toyota's parts for it are cheaper than from GM, so you have that too.

[jake75]

All I can tell you is this -In Jan 2009 after thoroughly researching actual used car prices I asked $9.750 for my 2003 Vibe 1.8L AT Power Package Monotone cladding. It had only 33,000 miles. That was about $2,000 under what dealers were asking. Tires had been replaced under warranty at 18,500 miles so they were excellent. The person who bought it was willing to pay the $9,750 but I voluntarily reduced the price to $9,500 because I would have responded positively to an offer as low as $9,250 for a quick sale. While one would think that a 2003 with 48,000 miles in Nov. 2011 should be perhaps $6,500, used car prices are a lot stronger today than they were in Jan. 2009. Nevertheless, I think $7,900 would be a good offer. That is probably at least $1,500 more than the dealer has in it. The only reason I sold the 2003 was that I bought a new identical 2009 MSRP 19,480 that cost me a little more than $13,000 out the door after discounts, rebates and GM card rebate. I figured $3,500 difference to gain 4 model years and a 3 yr warranty was too good of an opportunity to pass up even though my 2003 only had 33,000 miles.

[CAMOGIRL]

I can never remember if the issue with the manual was trouble in 03 or 04... Sounds like a good deal, book last feb on my 03 with a few extras (moon & tunes, alloys) at 91k was $7250, so considering the hike that book value took on gas friendly cars, thats probably spot on. I wouldn't be afraid of the vibe. It's probably over of the most practical, fun cars you could buy. Plus it has an amazing track record for reliability.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by CAMOGIRL »I can never remember if the issue with the manual was trouble in 03 or 04... Sounds like a good deal, book last feb on my 03 with a few extras (moon & tunes, alloys) at 91k was $7250, so considering the hike that book value took on gas friendly cars, thats probably spot on. I wouldn't be afraid of the vibe. It's probably over of the most practical, fun cars you could buy. Plus it has an amazing track record for reliability. Have not looked at the "books" (edmonds, kbb, nada) but it is just hard for me to believe that a 2003 Vibe that might have had a msrp of about $18,500, now almost 9 model years old, would have a value of $8,900 even with only 48,000 miles. A wake-up call might be to ask your bank what the loan value is on that car.New car prices have firmed up in the past several months, but not too long ago Toyota dealers were offering new 2011 Martrix 1.8L AT Power Package units at about $16,700. New car finance rates are lower than used car finance rates - a consideration if not paying cash.

[journeyforce]

If it is an auto then run out and get it as the car will last you for years.If it is a manual you might want to skip it. The 03 and 04 5 spd manual trans were junkI buy most of my Vibe parts from Toyota. You just need to tell the Toyota folks you are looking for engine parts and brakes for a 2003 Matrix

[TONY TAT2]

Personally I would check underneath,road salt is very destructive.

[LittleMy]

Thanks for all the advice! It is an automatic, didn't know from the general reviews on the Web that the manual 2003 is a real problem. I'm still suspicious just because of the low mileage and decent price but I'm going back tomorrow to take another look. The major problem with the 2003 Vibe seemed to be window bolts. Anyone have that problem or other ones?

[journeyforce]

Is it have power windows or manual windows? If it is manual windows then you are safe because it only was a issue on the power windowsIt seems to affect the toyota Corolla and matrix of those yearshttp://blogs.cars.com/kickingt....htmlhttp://blogs.cars.com/kickingt....htmlIt looks like it is a recall too so your should have been taken care of but if not simply take it to the closest GM dealer and see about the recallYes the 5 spd manual trans were junk in 2003-2004 due to a bearing issueThe low mileage for that old of a car should not be a turn off, it could have been owned by an older driver that did not drive it much. I obtained my Grandmother's old 1992 GMC Jimmy in 2005 with 37684 miles on it. It was 13 years old at the time I got it. That means under 3000 miles a year on the truck. It really was a old lady drive to church/store thing. My grandmother and grandfather walked to the store if the weather was nice since it was close and if they needed to go into town (this is a term a lot of older folks in Shillington PA used to refer to Reading PA) they took the bus since it was right next doorWhen I got rid of it to a friend in need of a vehicle in 2009 It had 80,583 miles on it. I put more miles on it in 4 year then they did in 13 yearsSo your future Vibe might be a not so daily driver owned by an older person or perhaps as a second car. I have a 2009 Vibe with 38,506 miles as of today. It has had those same miles since October 31st 2011 because I bought a Lesabre as a second car and have driven that since the day it was bought while the Vibe sits. The LeSabre lets less mpg then the Vibe but is more comfortable in the trafficSo if the carfax checks out and your service tech checks it out then buy it with peace of mine

[star_deceiver]

$5000... and not a penny more!

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »$5000... and not a penny more!$5,000 is probably unrealistically low; $8,900 probably unrealistically high. My guess is that the mid-point of $6,950 is in the ballpark. But the ballpark is a big place so I still think $7,900 is not unreasonable. Above that I personally would not be a buyer, bit it might turn out to be a good deal even at that price. That's the uncertainty of buying cars - especially used cars. again, if you need some objective evidence to support a lower offer, a bank loan value might be useful.

[Capt.Vibe]

I agree, $5000 is a bit low. I also agree $8900 for a 2003 is outrageous. Somewhere around $6 -$7000 is fair. I picked up my base 2010 stripper new for $16,250 which includes 15% worth of taxes. The local market here has some 2003's for $5000 but you'll get one with double the mileage. The biggest factor affecting used car prices is supply and demand. Not sure how big of a city Milford is but if you really want a Vibe I'd take shop around in the largest city closes to you where there is ample supply. Also don't forget to look at the Matrix for sale in your area.http://www.autohebdo.net/a/pv/...=True&

[zaxellord]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »Have not looked at the "books" (edmonds, kbb, nada) but it is just hard for me to believe that a 2003 Vibe that might have had a msrp of about $18,500, now almost 9 model years old, would have a value of $8,900 even with only 48,000 miles. A wake-up call might be to ask your bank what the loan value is on that car.New car prices have firmed up in the past several months, but not too long ago Toyota dealers were offering new 2011 Martrix 1.8L AT Power Package units at about $16,700. New car finance rates are lower than used car finance rates - a consideration if not paying cash.Not really hard to believe. Both the make and model have been discontinued which tends to cause the resale value of the car to take a big hit. The seller wants to "get rid" of this car, before it becomes a hard sale. This could be a boon to the OP, if the car checks out, since they could bargain on the price.

[Salsa Guy]

I think it's a little steep for an 8-9 y/o car. Is it a one owner?

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by zaxellord »Not really hard to believe. Both the make and model have been discontinued which tends to cause the resale value of the car to take a big hit. The seller wants to "get rid" of this car, before it becomes a hard sale. This could be a boon to the OP, if the car checks out, since they could bargain on the price.Again - get the bank loan value. That's a real number, not our conjecture based on this or that.

[LittleMy]

Thanks for all of the advise everyone, especially about the resale value for a discontinued model. I didn't know that but then I'm a first-time car buyer so there is a lot I don't know! The car is a one-owner. I'll see if I can talk the price down a bit.Thanks-

[Bedlam]

Quote, originally posted by LittleMy »Thanks for all of the advise everyone, especially about the resale value for a discontinued model. I didn't know that but then I'm a first-time car buyer so there is a lot I don't know! The car is a one-owner. I'll see if I can talk the price down a bit.Thanks-I grew up in Milford so i know how the car market is there. There are dozens of dealers stretching the length of the post road and unfortunately, they know their market well. It is not a place to get an aggressively priced car. They usually get their higher prices because of the area and although worth negotiating down, i think you are really better off looking online and traveling a bit for a better deal. It's got nothing to do with selection with every major brand being sold locally, it just comes down to the cost of doing business in southern CT and the prices are usually always better elseware.you are doing the right thing though and getting online first and researching the ride. Read up on the different years and options and you'll start to find an acceptable price point for them. The Vibe is a great car, just make sure that you do NOT buy a manual transmission car from 03/04. They handle fine in winter with the right tires. Milford gets more icy conditions than anything else so any vehicle will have trouble on those days without the right tires. Take your time and make them earn your money. They are not doing you a favor by allowing you to buy their car, do some more research and be willing to travel.Personally, i have bought my last 3 cars out of Virginia due to the 20-30% difference at minimum in costs. If you are going to travel though, be extremely sure what you are getting into before you head out or put down a deposit.

[lovemyraffe]

$8,900 seems a bit steep for an '03. It does have low mileage but not low enough for that price tag.