new to the forum

[Benny]

Hello forum Members, My name is Ben Ramler up here in Central Minnesota. I'm thinking in 2 or 3 months of buying a vibe. Maybe a 2005. What I was wondering is are there any owners up here in Minnesota or WI that gets snow during the winter time where snow fall is porminent, and how does it handle. Does the vibe heat well during the winter months when it is cold?thanks for reading,Ben

[Benny]

Hello Forum Members, Its nice to see a forum for the North Cenral Region of the U.S.. I just joined the forum because in about 2 or 3 months. What I would like to ask is this. How does the vibe handle during the winter time when there is ice, snow, and freezing rain on the roads. Is there anykind of a handling problem starting out from a dead stop or going down a hill. I'd be looking at the base model. Do most of them come with a moonroof or sunroof? thanks,Ben RamlerCentral Minnesota

[GormalVibe]

welcome to the board

[BlueCrush]

Hi Ben! Welcome to GenVibe! I have the AWD and last winter I was lowered 2" and had 18" wheels with all season Falken Ziex ZE-512 performance low pro tires and had no problems going thru 9" of snow. I was plowing it in some spots though and still made it thru fro ma dead stop.I know you are looking at the base model so I would try getting a set of snow tires for the winter on some cheap steelies. Then just switch them back to the oem wheels and tires with the change in seasons. You should have no problems with the Vibe in winter as long as you are driving within reason. Also look for a Vibe with ABS and traction control if you can for improved stopping and handling in winter. If there is Ice while going down a hill not much will help you unless your winter tires are studded.The Vibe is a fairly light weight car so a 70lb. sand tube from Menards will help to keep the rear from sliding out as well.I bought mine at Brookdale Pontiac in Brooklyn Park, MN. So, if you can't find what you are looking for in the St. Cloud area, then check down here in the cities for one.Good Luck with your search.

[AKLGT]

welcome! and what BlueCrush said.... base vibe does better in winter than the GT model. highly recommend good winter/snow radials.

[joatmon]

Hi Ben, weelcome to genvibeI can't really say how the basic FWD vibe handles in the snow. That's what I have, and I have had no problems with it in the snow that we have here in MD, but if I tried to compare the snow here in MD to what you see up there you'd just laugh, rightfully so. However, snow here might be more dangerous than up there because people totally freak out when it does snow, so the Vibe being a nimble car is useful. If you get a lot of snow, then consider getting a good set of snow tires. Don't know how cold it gets up there, but some people who live where it gets insanely cold have block heaters on the Vibe, supposed to be a relatively easy install, in that it is external, you don;t have to pop a freeze plug and drain coolant and stuff.There have been one or two people here who have had heater problems (such as Frosty Girl) but the vast majority have nice hot heaters. I like how the dash vents are adjustable, and on some cold days (especially after forgetting my gloves and having to scrape the windows) I can point the vents right at the my hands on the steering wheel.A car is a significant purchase, so you owe it to yourself to find out the most you can about it before you buy. That is why you need to go to the upcoming north central genvibe meet on 8/5. It's explained in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=23245 but there you will be able to have lots of direct conversations with real Vibe owners from your area, and meeting those people will either make you run away screaming or it will make you want to drop everything and go buy a Vibe It's really not that far to go to get the best info you can on such a significant purchase.

[Benny]

Thanks BlueCrush and trdvibe, So the vehicle does just fine then? have you noticed any shuttering with the brakes? so traction control and ABS? Don't the vibe come standard with ABS already?thanks Ben

[BlueCrush]

Yes it does fine in winter with good tires, ABS & traction control.ABS is only standard on the AWD & GT. It is an option on the base.Haven't had any shuddering

[northvibe]

My base vibe came with ABS and those eagle tires, I had no problem this last winter in Duluth getting around or driving to the cities. I would recommend winter tires too, I will be picking up 2 for the front on stealies for this winter. My ABS only went on a couple times but Traction Control could of really helped going up those hills from a stop. If you can find one with TC and ABS go for it!

[808 Vibes]

Sorry I can't help you with the snow question, for obvious reasons just wanted to say Welcome and Vibe...excellent choice!

[AKLGT]

wow. lotsa MN vibers all of a sudden! lol. depending on what model you are looking to get, obviously the AWD is the best, however the base vibes do fair better in snow and ice than the GT's. welcome!

[Benny]

Dose most of the vibes come with a sunroof or moonroof or is that an option. My wife keeps saying that before I go ahead sign off on this deal i have to be able to sit in one, and I told her believe you me I will be test driving. So far I ran into only vibe that has ABS on it, and If I remember right only one that traction control.

[NaNC3]

A lot of Vibes have the "sun and sound" package that includes the sunroof. Most Vibes (Base FWD) DO NOT have ABS, but that may be less true in the snowier areas. None have traction control. Stabilitrak is a very rare option. Since a new model year is starting, you may be able to order what you want. But you won't have any trouble finding one with a sunroof to sit in.

[Benny]

thanks NanC3, I guess when I get ready to buy one I will have to ask for the vehicle to come with ABS. maybe i won't be so worried about traction control. How do the feel interms of driving? Are they pretty comfortable to sit for long periods of time?thanks,Ben

[Benny]

what is the Difference between the baseand the GT? is there any difference?thanks,Ben

[Katscan]

Youd probably want to wait to hear from a GT owner but the basic gist of the GT is that it has a more powerfull engine, better tuned suspension and overall more of a sports Vibe. GT's come with all wheel disc brakes and a 6 speed manual tranny.

[Benny]

Hi Blue crush, I thought I would direct this question towards you. My question being about Bras & Bug Deflecters. So I'd like to start by asking this Would bug deflecters be just as a good as a bra as far keeping bugs off? Also the clear bra is way to much. So If I went with black one is there a risk of paint fading and if so how do you fix that problem?thanks,Benny

[BlueCrush]

I had a bra on my '88 Cavalier and the edge where the bra ended on the hood got all scratched on the paint over time. There is not much you can do about paint fading with a regular black bra. I will only go with clear bra's from now on. The Clear bra is expensive but worth it in my opinion. Bug deflectors seem to work well for those that have them.Here is a bug Deflector from Ebay for $75 shipped: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWD1V

[NaNC3]

Benny, I just saw this today (7/12)....I don't have enough experience with my Vibe yet to have any opinions on comfort or how it handles in bad weather. I've had mine since May. I wanted ABS because it is well proven to be effective, and I think it should be standard on all cars. Also, I have teenagers, one of whom has never driven in snow. We don't get much in my area, but it doesn't take much snow on the road to lose control when braking. I would have liked to have gotten Stabilitrak and side air bags, but availability and price were problems for me.NaNC3

[Katscan]

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »I had a bra on my '88 Cavalier and the edge where the bra ended on the hood got all scratched on the paint over time. There is not much you can do about paint fading with a regular black bra. I will only go with clear bra's from now on. The Clear bra is expensive but worth it in my opinion. Bug deflectors seem to work well for those that have them.Here is a bug Deflector from Ebay for $75 shipped: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWD1VI doubt I would ever get a fabric car bra for any of my vehicles ever. I know they are designed to protect the front end of your car but whats the point when you have to keep it on for the entirety of your car? When that wears out you pretty much have to get a new one *shrug* this is all my personall opinion. If I had the money I would get a clear bra for it is not just a cloth covering that can get crap underneath it.

[Benny]

so what are you using right now then Katscan. Also, I want to ask those people up here how well bug deflecters work on a vibe?

[Katscan]

Right now I do not have anything on the front end. I cant afford the clear bra just yet, though I am considering getting one in the future. Not sure if I want to get a bug deflector as I stated above that I will eventually get a clear bra.Lol I wonder how Rhino lining the front end would look

[Benny]

Hello Everyone, Wow! what a vehicle, and I do mean what a vehicle! That is nothing short than amazing. talk about a nice smooth ride! Even my wife likes it. So what I did asked the dealer to start looking for either an 04 or an 05. And then look closely at the milage. I told the sales person to that the list I gave him was just some of things I was looking for, but wasn't a complete list! he understood completely what I was saying. So other than that now we play something I call the waiting game!

[Katscan]

Benny, Are you comming to the Vibe meet on the 5th of August? I would highly encourage you to come and meet with the rest of us and see what others had done to their Vibes and to just meet and have a good time