The wife of a good friend of mine is a decently 'big deal' at GM in Detroit (as I am told, at least). My friend called me yesterday and said that his wife told him to tell me about a new Vibe coming out because she knows how much I like them. Apparently, according to her, GM is going to haul out a new "Vibe-like" vehicle under the Buick line. She says it won't exactly be a Vibe because Pontiac is, of course, no more, but it will be based on the Vibe: a new crossover to fill the void that the Vibe left, that will be smaller than the current Chevy Equinox.
Just an fyi. I have no idea when this might be announced or when it may go into production. And I don't particularly like Buick, even though it too is a GM vehicle, but it's still nice to know that GM apparently realizes what a jewel it had in the Vibe.
Huh. I can see the similarity but I wouldn't really call that "Vibe-like". It looks a little... fancy for the niche that the Vibe previously filled. And, according to that article, it's going to be stickered at basically $30K - certainly not Vibe-like at all. I"ll stick with the used real Vibe.
It would have to be the Encore they were talking about, I would think... Doesn't make sense to have two overlapping products. A Buick "Vibe" would be only slightly larger than the Encore.
If they offered the similar Chevrolet Trax in the US, then they would have something closer.
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
Neptune/dying clearcoat/primer grey.
Agreed, the Trax is closer. I'm hoping that the Encore does decently so that it will encourage them to bring the Trax to the US for a slightly less pricey segment. In a handful of years I will hopefully be in the market for a slightly bigger hatch.
The local GM dealer here in town has a few Encores on the lot. I stopped and looked at one a few weeks back (when the dealer was closed of course!). They're not bad looking, but they just aren't sporty looking enough for my liking. Plus I can't stand the blue rings around the projectors in the headlights. They make the front end look so cheesy !
2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
Thanks for the info about this. Now if the Buick Encore boosted its MPGs by being a plug in all electric or diesel engine then I would take on a new car loan.
Blueridge9 2004 Base, 1.8L "The Vibe is a melding of muscular looks, ..utility & economy, sportiness & road-hugging tractability." -Road & Track Magazine Sept. 2008 Pictures: http://s278.photobucket.com/user/blueridge9/library/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I drove a Trax last month. Wasn't bad, but wasn't great. Was pretty well the same size as the vibe inside and out. As camogirl can tell you, the 1.4T responds well to a tune.
I'm not a big fan of cuv's though. The Trax could use a 2.5" drop...
mbavon2222 wrote:I think in the US the thing that comes closest to the Vibe is a Chevrolet Sonic.
Quite a bit smaller than the Vibe and it can't touch the Vibe's cargo capacity, but it's a perfectly suitable replacement for someone in the US who is OK with downsizing. Then there's the Encore, which is a gussied up SUV-like Sonic.
The auto parts stores around here that used to have Vibes switched to Sonic hatchbacks. Saw a NAPA one with a hat on top a while back.
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
Neptune/dying clearcoat/primer grey.
mbavon2222 wrote:I think in the US the thing that comes closest to the Vibe is a Chevrolet Sonic.
Mazda3 hatchback, which is a little smaller and not as tall. Then there's the Subaru Impreza, but that's a good deal smaller. My aunt has one, and it drives very similarly, but hauling a BMW fuel tank would certainly be out of the question.
"If you don't love me at my diddliest, you don't deserve me at my doodliest." - User ktluvscricket of reddit
Or how about a Matrix? The Subaru Forrester seems close - maybe a little bigger.
2009 Vibe 1.8L Carbon Gray AT Power Pkg 1/12/092003 Vibe 1.8L Neptune AT Mono Power Pkg 1/27/03 [sold 2/2/09]2007 T&C SWB 7/31/07 "Broke people stay broke by living like they're rich. Rich people stay rich by living like they're broke."
When we went out to buy a replacement for our totaled 04 Orange Vibe I saw an Orange Subaru XV CrossTrek. It looks sporty only in the orange but it does look GOOD! This would be my Vibe replacement. Has black trim all over it.
leemur wrote:When we went out to buy a replacement for our totaled 04 Orange Vibe I saw an Orange Subaru XV CrossTrek. It looks sporty only in the orange but it does look GOOD! This would be my Vibe replacement. Has black trim all over it.
The XV comes in a really nice looking Sand color as well.
Had a rental 2013 Subaru Forester last week, it was bigger in every dimension than the Vibe, and really comfortable. http://autos.msn.com/research/compare/e ... &v=t106850" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
*Sold* 06' Vibe Base - Mono Platinum - Manual
19' Toyota Camry SE Hybrid - Galactic Aqua Mica - eCVT
This Buick (another Opel sourced model) isn't bad, but it's not a Vibe for sure. No manual option (do they get that in Euro form?) and way too fancy in "Buick" quasi upscale trim to use as a hauler.
I finally got to drive the Ford Vibe... I mean Ford C-Max during a recent visit to Florida. This car would easily qualify as a Vibe, if it were offered as a regular gasoline engined car, as it is in Europe. They even get a 6 speed manual and 3 engine choices, 1.0L turbo, 1.6L turbo (and normally aspirated version) and 2.0L diesel. We only get the Hybrid and Energi plug in versions with a 2.0L engine and CVT. And the Hybrid $$$ price.
The dimensions and shape come right from Vibe. The ride comes directly from the new Focus, which is superb. The C-Max in Hybrid form is a really heavy baby, but that weight doesn't show up while driving. I mostly drove it around town with no passengers and on a two hour trip with 4 adults aboard to the Orlando area and back.
The only description I can come up with after driving this car is that it is excellent. Steering is as accurate as any sports car I have driven, just point and shoot. Doesn't matter if I was in town or on a secondary road in the country, or on an interstate, running at 75 to 80 mph (even at those speeds, I was trying not to impeded most of the traffic around me down there, they drive crazy fast) it's a great car to drive. Drive train performance is strong, surprisingly strong.
My two days driving this car yielded 44 mpg. That's with the A/C on all the time, since daytime temperatures were stepping over 90 degrees, and there was a fair amount of humidity as well.
In Hybrid and Hybrid Plug in form, this car is expensive. It's a Focus, but with a taller wagon like hatch body instead... just like the Corolla sedan turned into Matrix/Vibe formula. In non Hybrid form, it would be much less expensive, way lighter and would probably get decent MPGs. I would venture with the right turbo engine, six speed manual and experienced driver, it could beat the MPGs I get on my '08 Vibe and that runs 36-38... sometimes touching 40.
The interior is very nice. The dash is 2013 busy. I find most new cars striving to stick as many buttons and screens in your face as they can. Very entertaining, for sure, but I call it a modern Klingon angular look in this car. It's too busy for me. They do include soft touch material on top of dash and doors and that, I really liked.
The C-Max is quiet inside, at all speeds. It was very comfortable... seats and driving position very adjustable. That was nice, too. The ride is sporty firm, but not beat you up sporty firm. The structure was super tight. No rattles, no flexing. The odometer on this car indicated that it had already traveled almost 10,000 miles... 9,8xxx when I handed it over. Did I mention it's very quiet inside?
So GM doesn't really have a Vibe... Ford does. Now if we could just get Ford to sell the other C-Max models in the USA with the turbo/manual combinations. Price and weight would come way down... to reasonable levels.
I will try to get a picture of my Vibe next to one of these C-Max cars to see if they are really that close in overall exterior design.
'08 Manual, Sun&Sound, 17" Borbet Type CA wheels, 215/50 Summer Tires... 16" OE steel, 215/55 Snow Tires
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