Why no 17" with moon and tunes??

[Fformula88]

Maybe there is no "known" answer to this question. I haven't found a good reason anyway, but I figured I'd put the topic out there to see if any of the current of future members may have heard something.It just doesn't seem to make much sense to me not to offer the 17" wheel and tire package with the moon and tunes package on the GT. I have seen sunroof's packaged with other power accessories, but Pontiac couldn't have found two more unrelated components on a car.It just seems to me a lot of potential buyers of the GT would like to have both. Maybe Pontiac figures those who would want those tires/wheels would go aftermarket anyway? But for a few $$ bucks, why not offer them anyway?

[mlevine]

I sent a note to Pontiac about the 17" wheels and the auto tranny on the GT. Let's see what comes back to us...Gotta say though, I drive a stick and I love it also.- Mike

[mlevine]

OK, here is what's up with the 17" tires and the Moons and Tunes Package. With the addition of the sun roof and those larger tires the Vibe exceeds GM's standards for stability. GM is hoping to offer this combination in the 2004 model.As for the manual tranny. Well, Pontiac is seen as the performance brand in GM's line of cars and trucks. The 6-speed fits this image and will remain the only transmission option unless there is a lot of demand for an auto.- Mike

[Fformula88]

I was hoping for discussion and blown away by an actual request and answer by Pontiac! Although there reasoning sounds a little BS to me... I am no auto engineer either and any other reason would make less sense.As for the tranny... according to the reviews and opinions of Celica owners, the Yamaha engine doesn't match well with the auto anyway. It doesn't keep it in the sweet spot all that well to take advantage of the high RPM power. Thats not to say they couldn't sell them either. Maybe they figure they can move the base/auto about as well as a GT/auto, but it is a little funny not to offer it since the Matrix does offer it.

[SlammedNiss]

First off, I'm not a Vibe owner, but a Matrix XRS owner, so we share a commen thread. I was given this site addy from a thread at http://www.matrixvibe.net. You can also find me there (probably more often than here) under the same username. I too found it odd that neither the Vibe nor Matrix offered the sunroof and the 17's together. I opted for the sunroof over the 17's, mainly because of 2 reasons. 1. I really hate aftermarket sunroofs. They just don't seem to have the quality the factory unit does. Also, because if it's factory, the sunroof was made to be in the car. Not some $10/hr. worker cutting some big-*** hole in my car. All the while, climbing all over my brand new paint2. 17's? Please. I drove straight from the dealership to the wheel-shop to be measured for 19's. They should be on the car in about a month. Everybody can probably agree that factory upgrade rims just dont have the looks that you can find aftermarket. Besides, if you buy an aftermarket rim, you have so many choices to choose from, and not look like every other Vibe/Matrix owner driving down the street. Now, on to the auto vs. manual thread. I wanted the auto for awhile, because the car is going to be a daily driver. But then I heard horror stories on how slow the auto Celica GT-S was. So, I bought mine with the 6spd. manual and have been happy so far. The only thing that bothers me is that the power-band is so high.

[Fformula88]

You made the same choice I would. I 'd much rather have the factory roof and go wheel shopping simply for the better quality and engineering in it. The availability of aftermarket rims is also a very good point. I am sure, however, that not everyone who buys the car will want to go out and spend on aftermarket rims and new tires right away and would therefore gladly pay for the factory setup. On the other hand, maybe they figure most buyers who will want to plus size their wheels on a top of the line Vibe/Matrix will go aftermarket anyway.

[d_m_kolb]

Ok here is the real deal with why the Moon and tunes package doesn't come with the 17s. The performance tires that are used with the 17s had so much traction and grip when testing the car that when they made sharp hard turns the moon roofs were shatering, because of the body lean and body torque. I spoke with a GM about this on the phone. So if you have a moon roof and go to performance tires/wheels it's at your own risk. GM said it happened many time while testing so they did away with the option.I have asked about why the GT doesn't come with a auto trany. I never really got a stright answer. I have heard about the auto trany not performing well with the 180hp engine. I think this is BS because I test drove a Matrix XRS (auto) a few days ago. I can't really tell all that much difference other than with the stick you can launch at a higher RPM. The auto is smooth and down shifted well. It shifted when floored around 7600 to 7700.

[MA-VIBE-FAN]

Did GM explain why for the previous 9 months they had been stating that it was a stability/center-of-gravity issue and now have told you its a design issue?

[Bohan]

Recently I talked to a Toyota Salesman who told me about the Vibe/Matrix's 17" or Moon Roof issue. He stated that the roof of the car has two steel beems going across it (from left to right/vice verse). If you add the Moon Roof, w/ 16", the beems have to be taken out in order to place the Moon Roof, but with the 16", the testings of the car showed good stability, and it was up to par with Toyota's reliability stance. By adding the 17", w/ Moon Roof, it made it a safety issue. That's why you can only have one or the other.
[Modified by Bohan, 11:27 PM 5/25/2002]

[QWIKGTA]

Did anyone sign a waiver or get a warning about changing the tires and rims with their car. I did not, so does GM/Toyota want to set themselves up for a lawsuit. Im just not buying this, do they think that over the lifetime of every Vibe/Matrix, no owners are going to upgrade their cars with 17/18/19 inch tires. Hell, TRD offers a stock set of 18's to upgrade to. Is it just the "17's" that have the problem. BSRob

[d_m_kolb]

It's more so the tire. The softer the tire to better traction you will get. I wouldn't want to go with a super soft tire on a Vibe that has the moon roof. A harder tire wouldn't be as bad. The way you can tell if you have a hard or soft tire is normally just by looking at the mileage of a tire. If it's under 30 to 40,000 mile tire it's pretty soft. If it's a 70,000 or higher it's a harder tire.You can all ways call Pontiac Customer Service and talk to them about this. 1-800-762-2737

[NSimkins]

So, basically you are saying if you buy a Vibe with the factory 16" rims and upgrade to aftermarket 17"+, as long as you have harder tires you won't encounter the gripping issues causing the moonroof shattering as stated by the track tests?But obviously you can't say never, but as long as you prepare and research properly, I'm sure you shouldn't have a problem. Because, hey, how many people drive as hard as they drive the Vibe's on the test track?

[emptyset]

Personally i think its a better value to go out and buy quality 17+ rims aftermarket, where you can get them lighter and with better styling than the ugly pontiac rims. that plus a lowering kit can improve the vibes looks and performance dramatically. As for the debate of why no auto trany on the gt I think its completly savage to put and auto trany on almost any car. I dont even have the gt model and i much rather have a 5 speed than a slush box.

[mu_ohio]

I was thinking about the mixed stories from GM and I think they are saying the same thing but in 2 different ways. If you think about it, the stability cause by the 16" tires gives the body of the vehicle a little less tension since the taller sidewalls and harder rubber allow absorb and dispell the energy caused by turning. Therefore the structure of the body can be softer. The 17" tires however increase stability and therefore put more stress on the frame. The smaller sidewalls are like adding stiffer springs. When turning, even the roof can twist more and the vehicle accelerates quicker into it's body roll which can damage a glass roof. I can't say this as fact, but as anyone has noticed, when you ride in a car that is lowered and has stiffer suspension, the car tends to twist more.

[shadow]

OK. So would a good Strut Tower Brace and/or an Anti Roll Bar setup add the strength to the car that it needs to run with 17 or 18" rims?

[Moreorles]

It seems like I have this conversation once a week. My Matrix came with 17" wheels and a moonroof. The dealer never said a word about it. I didn't even know it was an issue until I saw it online. This was all factory, not aftermarket. I guess I lucked out.

[MA-VIBE-FAN]

quote:It seems like I have this conversation once a week. My Matrix came with 17" wheels and a moonroof. The dealer never said a word about it. I didn't even know it was an issue until I saw it online. This was all factory, not aftermarket. I guess I lucked out. http://www.toyota.com , select vehicles, select matirx, select options and it lists 17" and Sunroof as not be compatible. Ah, another mystery. (couldn't get a link to the correct page to work).