Bumps & Jolts

[Chiadog]

My 05 base Vibe may be the harshest riding car I have ever owned! And I understand the GT's are stiffer. Hopefully, someone here has an answer for you!

[tpollauf]

I've noticed in my '09 Vibe GT that I notice the bumps, and jolts a lot more than I did in my '06 Ford 500. Is it simply due to the fact that the Vibe is not as wide as the 500?

Wheelbase & width are part of the reason for the uncomfortable NOISY ride. The real reason is lack of thicker floor & door panel insulation & your hot looking 18" GT alloy wheels with low profile tires. I run 16" steelies on my 09 GT in the winter and it DOES improve the ride & sound issues a bit.

Any driving tips for these conditions, as well as for the snowy, rainy conditions we get up here? I'm also thinking ahead, because i may be moving to either Canada, New Mexico, Chicago, or Wisconsin and I just want to be sure the Vibe will be able to handle the conditions of these places,

Drive SLOWER on the roads that seem real bad & it wouldn't hurt to crank up the volume on the radio also Snow will NOT be a problem with your Vibe

[Toms09GT]

I have noticed that my '09 GT has a very stiff ride as well. With low profile tires and sport suspension it is to be expected. If there is no clunking in the suspension i would not worry.

[beemerphile1]

We are talking about a compact car with approximately 6" of ground clearance and short travel suspension. It will never ride as smooth as a mid-size sedan with more ground clearance and longer suspension travel. On the other hand it will handle twists and turns better.

[vibenvy]

As others have said, the Vibe just naturally rides stiff or rough. Especially the GT because of the 18" wheels with low profile tires and the sport suspension (IRS - Independent Rear Suspension). Not really much you can do about it. Downsizing to 16" wheels with more rubber would only make a slight difference. As tpollauf said, we have 16" wheels and tires that we use for winter on both our Vibes too and while the ride is a little better, it's still pretty stiff.

[trb]

Well, going from a 500 (Taurus) which is a full sized family car with a cushy suspension to a compact sporty car will result in QUITE a difference in the way it will feel. I've driven a Mustang for most of the past 26 years, so the Vibe was not much of a difference, but it is actually a better handling car. Maybe a bit softer even, but still more stiff than my wife's Equinox.