My new/used '03 Base

[Cara]

I've been looking at Vibes for years, and missed a REALLY NICE '05 with < 60K miles on it for $9K something a little while ago, in a nearby town. I currently drive a (gasp!) minivan (I have a dog, and I am the dog chauffeur). My husband has a Silverado but it sucks gas. He just bought himself a used Corvette, and was going to sell the Silverado to pay for the Corvette, but was going to need *some* kind of work vehicle. I spotted a Craigslist listing for an '03 Vibe (base) with a sunroof (my only requirement) -- but it had 135K miles. $4200. That was too many miles, for me, so I asked him if the Vibe would be a big enough work vehicle for him. "Sure!" he says -- "I'll go look at it right away!" Calls me from the car - "It's beautiful!" Rushes to the credit union to get the dough, because the seller's being a bit jerkish and saying the first one to show with cash-in-hand takes it, no matter who got there first. So, yeah, it was a rush purchase.

He gets it home -- it IS in nice shape. (Pics later.) High miles bug me, but it's nice: sunroof, auto, really clean, overly-fancy stereo added on...

The next day, though, he starts with the, "So, would you consider getting rid of the van and using this for YOUR car?" I didn't really want to -- I've never owned a car with more than 90K miles (though I always buy used), and I have dreams of starting to take some long road trips (though we don't, now). My brother's got a Vibe (bought used) with 95K miles on it, and it's doing fine, though, so I think that's where we're headed. This will be MY Vibe. I'm kind of in love with it already, and I've only driven it twice. VERY excited to start getting better MPGs.

The dog's a little put off -- he's used to having a couch and the entire back of a minivan to hang out in. Once we make it comfy for him, though, and he realizes that he has better access to the windows, I think he'll like it.

My only complaint so far -- the gawd-awful wind buffeting that happens when I keep front windows closed but open back windows for dog. I feel like my eardrums will explode.

Yours seemed the "club" to join, so here I am. Hoping to learn how to make my Vibe last until at least 200K.

Oh, yeah -- some will think $4200 was too much, maybe, for this 03 with 135K miles, but it's a pretty good price here in the south, it seems. They're hard to find and, when you do, you have to pounce -- very popular car.

[LarryKingsShoes]

Congrats on the new Vibe. You shouldn't have to worry too much about what the odometer says. These are reliable cars and, with proper maintenance, can last a long time. If the car is clean and trouble-free, $4200 might not be too bad. I paid $5400 for my '03 GT with 135k (side note: I had to double check my garage post to check the original mileage and was surprised to see it being so close to what your new Vibe has). It had a couple of dents and paint chips but the tires were brand new, it was running like a champ, and it was exactly what I was looking for (sports wagon with manual transmission and good fuel economy). Some may say that I overpaid but it has been incredibly reliable and unbelievably fun. I think that you'll also find that to be the case.

Welcome to the forum. If you ever come across anything you want help with, the search engine can usually guide you toward an answer. If you can't find one, there are plenty of regulars on here that really know their stuff. I'm sure they'd have no problems helping a fellow Vibe enthusiast out in a time of need.

[trb]

Welcome! 135K is nothing for these cars based on what people here have, and $4200 is not too bad of a price. I seldom see them cheaper, and when I do, they usually have more like 175K+ miles or have motor/trans problems or body damage.

I agree on the wind buffeting. My boys like to roll the windows down and I can't stand it. Our Explorer does the same thing so I wonder if it has to do with the cargo area behind the seat or something. Usually rolling the fronts down a bit helps. Maybe installing door window visors to limit the air entering the front windows would work so you won't be blown away.

[zyzyix]

Hi and welcome. Congratulations on your purchase. Like the other posters have said, as long as it has been maintained, the high miles should be no problem. Have fun with it.

[star_deceiver]

Welcome to GenVibe!!!

[KITT222]

Welcome to Genvibe! Don't worry at all about the mileage. To be honest, that's low for a Vibe. Not meaning low-mileage examples are rare, but that they last FOREVER. I rolled over 100,000 miles last month and am confident that this car can go at least another 180,000+ miles!

[Mariachi]

welcome!

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! Congratulations on your "new" Vibe! As others have said, don't let the mileage worry you. There are a bunch of members on here who have 200,000, 300,000, even 400,000+ miles on their Vibes without any major repair bills. I am definitely looking forward to seeing pictures of your Vibe!

[Cara]

Not sure how this forum handles attachments/photos, but I'm attempting to show off my "new" Vibe...

photo 1 (1).JPG (103.5 KiB) Viewed 2343 times

[trb]

That looks really nice! Most people post their pictures to a photo sharing website like photobucket and then post them as a link in the thread. Then they don't have to worry about resizing them or anything.

[vibenvy]

Very nice looking 1st gen! Love the color!