MWANDAW - 2006 Vibe GT

[mwandaw]

We have always wanted a compact sporty station wagon. Our idea has been that such a car would be fun to drive, comfortable and economical, but still be able to carry some cargo when needed. Unfortunately, most of the cars like this in the U.S. are European brands that are expensive to buy and maintain.We finally decided to buy a 2006 Pontiac Vibe. We bought the GT model, which is “loaded” and has four-wheel disc brakes, a six-speed transmission and a Yamaha-designed 1.8L engine that produces 164 HP at 8,200 RPM(!).It’s a blast! It drives like a sports car, but there’s room for three in the back seat and a decent cargo area behind that. It even has a roof rack!Despite the high performance specs, the engine is easy use. Shifting at 2,500 RPM works fine for cruising in city traffic, and it’s even OK to drive like you have a four-speed by using just 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th gears. Time will tell, but “real world” users report fuel economy in excess of 30 mpg on http://fueleconomy.gov/.Of course, for strictly scientific purposes, we have done a 0-60 run, and it was fun. The 7.9 sec times that are published are believable, and you only have to shift once, because 2nd will take you all the way to 60 mph. We have even heard a rumor that from freeway speeds 90 mph can be reached quickly in third gear.We feel that the Vibe is a great blend of sport and practicality. We have even ordered some Yakima racks so we can carry our tandem bike or even some 4x8 plywood on top!

[mjbsb69]

Welcome to GenVibe....I have an 06 Abyss colored Vibe. Love 'em. I didn't think Vibe GT's were around after 05?

[mwandaw]

I went to http://cars.com and searched for 2006-2008 Vibe GTs in the Los Angeles area. I found two 2006s, but nothing else. Sounds like I'm lucky to have found a nice one!

[waveresponder]

looks great ....wish i had a GT..but i rather drive auto..

[ajflan]

Welcome!

[tribalman]

awesome, another monotone frosty. welcome to gen-vibe!

[lovemyraffe]

Looks great! I too wish I had a GT, but for a daily driver want the auto.

[MRCN RCE]

hey mike, welcome to the familyQuote, originally posted by mjbsb69 »Welcome to GenVibe....I have an 06 Abyss colored Vibe. Love 'em. I didn't think Vibe GT's were around after 05?06 was the last year for emyeah you can hit 90+ pretty quick on the freeway. well, you know, that's what i've heard

[BlueCrush]

Welcome to Genvibe! Sounds like you made a smart purchase! The Vibe is a great all around vehicle. So to you do scientific testing often?

[mwandaw]

Unfortunately we live in the big city (Orange County, CA) so there aren't many chances for scientific testing, unless you want a souvenir from local law enforcement.

[MRCN RCE]

haha yeah i've received several keepsakes from the guys with the flashy lights on top of their cars

[mwandaw]

I believe that a couple of times each month a club has a course set up in the parking lot of Fontana Speedway. I had the feeling that it wasn't a formal autocross competition, but rather a "run what 'ya brung" fun event.I don't know the details, but it sounds like it would be fun, safe and legal! Plus, it's not too far from Palm Desert.

[MRCN RCE]

i might have to look into the fontana one, and see if any of my friends from out here wanna check it out. thanks for the heads up a corvette club and a viper club set one up at the fairgrounds out here a couple years ago. but i just bought the vibe and i wasn't done with the break-in period, so i had to pass and watch the other people have fun. it sucked that i couldn't go either, the lot they had the track set up on was BRAND SPANKIN NEW. the people in the autocross were the first ones to lay their tires on it one of the coolest things about the competition was that a celica gt had the fastest time. those vipers and vettes didn't know what hit em haha. 1zz for the win!!!

[WaveAction]

welcome to the forumslove the frosty vibesany plans on the mod bug??

[mwandaw]

My plans for mods are pretty tame...> Yakima racks - already received - photos above. I don't plan to leave them on. I'll just use them when needed.> Maybe a ScanGaugeII (http://www.scangauge.com/)> Maybe a rear anti-sway bar> Maybe I'll make a deal on some used 17" Vibe wheels. I'm dragging my feet because I'm not in love with the looks, and I don't want to increase road noise or suspension harshness.> Definitely tint> Definitely replacement speakersI'm waiting for my birthday on some of these

[MRCN RCE]

from some reviews i've read, hotchkis sway bars are the way to go. they're bigger than the factory ones, but lighter i've got the 17" wheels, and might be getting new wheels this summer. the ride on the 17's with the stock 50 series tire was really good. i've got 45's on em now, and the ride's still great if you're still interested, maybe we could work something out. i'll let em go for three thousand, how's that sound?? j/p

[asburydan]

A great looking Frosty. The items you mentioned for reasons for buying are some of the same I found for trading from a Ranger truck.

[mwandaw]

Funny - I moved from a Ford Escape - a vehicle with which I had a love-hate relationship. It was the right size inside, it handled very well for what it was, and the cargo rack was very flexible and useful. It had good fuel economy for what it was, but I wanted better. The worst part was the punishing freeway ride.The Vibe is almost as big inside, it handles almost like a sport car, it's much more comfortable, it gets much better fuel economy, and... it's fun!

[808 Vibes]

Welcome! Love your Frosty...looks familiar, LOL.

[06pvibe]

I LOVE your Frosty too. The montone just looks SeXy!!!Very nice, and I AM JEALOUS!!!

[Mariachi]

clean vibe!

[TONY TAT2]

Hi !