new Viber driver

[outclassed]

Hey all!Just bought me a Vibe this past weekend! Loving it but questions remain.03 Base FWD 5-speed MT, power package, 150,000 miles.Wait, wait before you lose it...the previous 'only owner' put an '06 corolla transmission (replacement) in it. Other perks - mostly highway miles, adult driver, garaged, pretty clean interior, only synthetic oil changes every 5,000 miles, Kenwood HU, 18" alloys, and it has spent it's entire life in the Phoenix area. The rest of it is stock. My new daily driver and it pwns my Expy on the gas mileage.Some questions:1. I paid $4,400 for it - did I get hosed?2. My mpg hovers just below 30mpg - what more can I do?3. Looking to buy the mat for the cargo area, any for sale? (yes I have checked ebay - looking for a deal)4. I am wondering if these 18's are overkill - do they make the ride better or worse etc? The tires are Kumho Ecsta ASX 225/40/r18. I am not in love with them - and right now I am thinking I need something better for winter - any ideas short of getting 16" steelies?5. My clutch pedal squeaks?Any other things I should keep in mind or must have mods? I love this car and super excited I found this forum. Thanks for any tips, tricks, and fellowship.

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[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! That's a beautiful Satellite Vibe you have there ! I like the wheels !

[star_deceiver]

Welcome to Genvibe!!! $4400 sounds about normal for the miles.Try some WD-40 on the clutch pedal linkage.

[TONY TAT2]

Hi !

[zaxellord]

Hi and welcome:}

[tpollauf]

Welcome. NO you did not get hosed. That price sounds reasonable, especially coming from a ONE owner car Nice wheels as Carrie pointed out Enjoy the new ride and visit us here often

[CAMOGIRL]

Agreed, you did NOT get hosed and the car is awesome, esp with the wheels. WELCOME!

[jake75]

IMO 18" wheels look good but leave too little tire to smooth out the bumps.If you got one of those Vibes that will go 250,000 miles you got a bargain. If only 160,000 miles then at least you didn't overpay. In today's used car market $4,400 doesn't buy much.

[Brandort3]

First off, Welcome and Congrats on the new Vibe!You definitely did not get hosed and for the mileage, that isn't bad at all. I've heard more than my share of 300,000 + miles on these Vibes we love so much. I ended up paying about $3900 for my '03 Vibe GT, so yours wasn't to far off. I think that the Corolla transmission could definitely benefit in the long run (especially if it was done right). I wouldn't think that the 18's are to much of an overkill for it, the GT's come stock with 17's and i average in mileage between 31-33 mpg. With the mileage, the best things i've heard to do are to make sure the air filters clean, good spark plugs, and keep your tires aired up!Welcome and hope to see you around more!

[joatmon]

Seems like a reasonable price, (although I wish it cost more, that would mean my 03 would also be worth more than it is)30 mpg may be ok depending on how you drive, where you drive, how crippled winter gas is where you live. Might be time for a tune up, (new plugs, clean the MAF, replace the air filter.)Some people just make their own mat from a piece of carpetThe 18's look nice but I prefer s smoother ride. How much snow will you have to deal with out there? WD40 stopped my clutch pedal from squeaking. Might want to check the cabin air filter. Some folks don't know there is one, and after 8 years they can get nasty. Seehttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=982 about an error in the user manual on accessing the filterIf you need one, you can download a PDF of the owner's manual from http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1010

[Bedlam]

great pic for the ride. the trans swap was the biggest thing to finish out the reliability of the car. ditch those wheels though. Vibes had 16's and 17's as options for 1 piece rims. Both used thinner tires which will lower the rolling resistance and help with mileage.used sets can be had for 200-300$ for the premium wheels with tires so you don't have to be stuck with steelies. As others have said, go through the basics for a tune up and it should last you a long time.

[journeyforce]

I got a Vibe carpet from a ebay seller(dealership) that was getting rid of old stock. It was only 25.00 shipped. I have a 2009 and the mat was for a 2003-2008 but for $25 it fit nice enough. Any mat from a 2003-2008 Vibe or Toyota Matrix will work. However the Vibe with the Moons and tunes or some other package with the subwoofer in the back will need the mat for the version with the speaker because of where it is.

[trb]

Welcome and your Vibe looks really nice! I like those wheels on it, wish we had them or similar wheels on my son's car. As for the ride, I don't think it is much worse with the larger wheels. I have 18s on my 2010 Vibe vs 16s on my son's 06 vibe, and there is not a lot of difference in the ride that I notice. I want to try some 17s on his car if I can find some wheels at a good price.And is that almost 30mpg mixed, city or highway? We get about 27-28 mixed and 33-35 hwy on my son's car, with an auto trans. If it is mixed or city, you are doing good on mileage. Good luck with it!