debating whether vibe is a keeper

[mailxd]

I'm debating which one to keep:
1) vibe09, 40k miles
pro: great space for moving stuff around (even a smaller sofa!)
con: when back seat is used, back seat space is limited, and cargo space is limited
2) accord07 lx, 60k miles
pro: big trunk (though cannot move sofa ..), spacious back row
con: sells at higher price than the vibe now (con for keeping it).

I'd like to get your input on this. In particular, for a small family (e.g., two + visitor + baby), which one is more versatile? Is the vibe good for carseats ?

Thanks.

[jake75]

As a grandparent I can say from experience that the Vibe is good for carseats.
The Accord is nice but I find sedans too limited in versatility (the sofa thing).
I have what I think us the best of both worlds- a 2009 Vibe and a 2007 Town & Country Short Wheel Base.
I have had the SWB minivans since 1996 - bought the 2007 as that was the last year they were available and since most want the longer version with stow-and-go seats I got steal on this one that sat on the lot for over 6 months.
If only one car, I'd keep the Vibe. My wife would pick the Accord. Either is a good choice.

[mailxd]

As a grandparent I can say from experience that the Vibe is good for carseats.
The Accord is nice but I find sedans too limited in versatility (the sofa thing).
I have what I think us the best of both worlds- a 2009 Vibe and a 2007 Town & Country Short Wheel Base.
I have had the SWB minivans since 1996 - bought the 2007 as that was the last year they were available and since most want the longer version with stow-and-go seats I got steal on this one that sat on the lot for over 6 months.
If only one car, I'd keep the Vibe. My wife would pick the Accord. Either is a good choice.

What's your wife's take on this? Maybe she just prefer the sedan form factor ?

[jake75]

As a grandparent I can say from experience that the Vibe is good for carseats.
The Accord is nice but I find sedans too limited in versatility (the sofa thing).
I have what I think us the best of both worlds- a 2009 Vibe and a 2007 Town & Country Short Wheel Base.
I have had the SWB minivans since 1996 - bought the 2007 as that was the last year they were available and since most want the longer version with stow-and-go seats I got steal on this one that sat on the lot for over 6 months.
If only one car, I'd keep the Vibe. My wife would pick the Accord. Either is a good choice.

What's your wife's take on this? Maybe she just prefer the sedan form factor ?

Whose wife you talking about? - mine lets me pick the cars - also is happy we have the T&C for longer trips. But if we could only have one car and it was between the Accord Sedan and the Vibe I think she would opt for the Accord sedan. But if we were to downsize to just have one car I would probably buy a new mid-size SUV like the CRV or Rav-4 etc. She likes the versatility and would prefer that to a 4 dr sedan. Main reason we have the Vibe is that both in 2003 and in 2009 the deal was too good to pass up. After all the discounts and rebates the 2009 bought in early Jan. 2009 (msrp $19,480) ended up being $12,000 plus tax. [Sold the 2003 privately for $9,500.] At "normal" pricing I think I'd pay the extra for a Rav-4 or CRV vs. the Matrix.

[mailxd]

As a grandparent I can say from experience that the Vibe is good for carseats.
The Accord is nice but I find sedans too limited in versatility (the sofa thing).
I have what I think us the best of both worlds- a 2009 Vibe and a 2007 Town & Country Short Wheel Base.
I have had the SWB minivans since 1996 - bought the 2007 as that was the last year they were available and since most want the longer version with stow-and-go seats I got steal on this one that sat on the lot for over 6 months.
If only one car, I'd keep the Vibe. My wife would pick the Accord. Either is a good choice.

What's your wife's take on this? Maybe she just prefer the sedan form factor ?

Whose wife you talking about? - mine lets me pick the cars - also is happy we have the T&C for longer trips. But if we could only have one car and it was between the Accord Sedan and the Vibe I think she would opt for the Accord sedan. But if we were to downsize to just have one car I would probably buy a new mid-size SUV like the CRV or Rav-4 etc. She likes the versatility and would prefer that to a 4 dr sedan. Main reason we have the Vibe is that both in 2003 and in 2009 the deal was too good to pass up. After all the discounts and rebates the 2009 bought in early Jan. 2009 (msrp $19,480) ended up being $12,000 plus tax. [Sold the 2003 privately for $9,500.] At "normal" pricing I think I'd pay the extra for a Rav-4 or CRV vs. the Matrix.

Thanks for sharing the insights!

[journeyforce]

Its a classic battle between Toyota and Honda here

It is a tough choice as both are great cars.

The Accord is bigger and more comfy to passengers(especially in the back seat) the Accord will also have the higher resale value(nice to know that you can take a 300,000 mile Accord and use the trade in value for a big down payment on a new car) and there are plenty of parts for it. finding body panels will never be a problem for the Accord

The 2006 and 2007 Accord look good due to the refresh and the squaring of the rear end(that 2003-2005 Accord was to damn rounded for its own good(think 1996 Taurus)

The interior looks great with its radio/climate controls and by 2005 they finally fixed the transmission issues in the auto

Gas mileage is good for all Accord in 2007
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do? ... 0&id=23569
In fact according to Fueleconomy.gov, the 2.4l auto Accord gets better gas mileage then the 2.4 Vibe Auto and its a bigger car. Of course this is perhaps due to the fact that the Toyota 2.4l is not a very efficient engine mileage wise and also because Toyota is holding on to the notion that this is 1991 and 4 speed auto transmissions are cutting edge while the Honda is a 5sd auto trans


The Vibe is a great car and Toyota linage makes it a very car (despite the thirsty 2.4l) Gas mileage is not as great with the 2.4l as it should be. The 1.8l engine is very good on fuel but at 120hp that sucker is going to get bogged down with an auto 9especially with the car packed with things and people) Resale value is going to be worse then the Accord due to the Pontiac badging (just like the Geo/Chevy Prizm in the 1990's- early 2000's) Engine parts will be easy to find but body parts(fenders/lights etc) will be harder since that style of Vibe was only made for 2 years (09-10)

The Vibe does have the car seat hooks. There are 3 of them and they are in the cargo area directly behind the rear seatbacks. They are hidden under protective caps

On the one hand the Vibe is good for moving stuff but on the other hand to get a lot of the room you need to sacrifice sitting space for the kids. How many times are you going to be moving a sofa? How many trips or times are you going to be driving the family somewhere?

You cannot go wrong with a Vibe or an Accord. However if it is a choice between an Accord or Vibe, you might be better off with the Accord. Room, comfort and good gas mileage are a good combo

Good luck

[KITT222]

I'd just like the clarify a few points journeyforce made....

Toyota is holding on to the notion that this is 1991 and 4 speed auto transmissions are cutting edge while the Honda is a 5sd auto trans

The 2.4l Toyota does have a 5-spd auto (finally). Only the 1.8l still has the 4-spd from Jesus' mule.

1.8l engine is very good on fuel but at 120hp that sucker is going to get bogged down with an auto (especially with the car packed with things and people)

The 1.8 from 03-04 has 130hp, with the AWD claiming 12Xhp. 05-08 were detuned to 128, and 120. The new 1.8l 132hp, and the 2.4l has roughly 150hp. [/quote]


I'm biased toward the Vibe for obvious reasons, and also because I have a thing for hatchbacks and against sedans. Like journeyforce said, the Vibe does have carseat hooks already in the car, so it'll be a cinch to put a carseat in and out. Cargo access would also be easier with the Vibe, unless the Accord has a trunk release on the trunk itself, instead of only a latch on the inside. With a child you need to imagine yourself going to something, late, in the rain, with your kid, and trying to get their things out of the back. Imagine what you would miss if you sold the Accord, and if the Vibe could be made to fulfill the duty. Then, think of what you'd miss with the Vibe and how the accord could accommodate these things. For example, if my dad were to replace his truck with a Vibe or other car, he could get a trailer and hitch to help accommodate the cargo capacity loss from his truck. I know nothing about the Accord, but it is midsized, so it will have more space.

Good luck with your choice!

[mailxd]

Thanks all for all the input. I'm surely better equipped towards an informed decision : )

[vibenvy]

My vote goes for the Vibe. I love mine and can't imagine ever driving a Sedan again. As so many have already mentioned, the Vibe has tons of room, is comfortable on trips, gets good gas mileage, etc. The Accord is a great vehicle as well, but IMO the Vibe is a better all around vehicle for what your needs are.

[tpollauf]

My vote goes for the Vibe. I love mine and can't imagine ever driving a Sedan again. As so many have already mentioned, the Vibe has tons of room, is comfortable on trips, gets good gas mileage, etc. The Accord is a great vehicle as well, but IMO the Vibe is a better all around vehicle for what your needs are.

x2 This is a no-brainer. A bit biased towards the Vibe also as others had mentioned. And an 09 to boot! Nice choice

[jake75]

And you thought you'd get an objective unbiased opinion from our group?

[09vGT]

On a side note, your 09 will never age. FOREVER YOUNG!

[Kincaid]

We have a 2009 Vibe and a 2001 Accord.

I'd vote for the Vibe due to the utility and sheer style! My kids like the Vibe except when all three ride in the back, then it is just a bit more cramped in the hip/shoulder area.

Twice I got stuck at home depot driving the Accord and had to call a friend that had a mini-van because the trunk lift over in the Accord was high enough you could only get a single row of 4x4's thru the slot.

MPG is the only other thing - took the Accord to the beach the other day and used only 1/2 tank of gas. It gets over 40mpg on the highway and the 2.4L Vibe on its best day only gets 31.