The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela!

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:29 am

*puts on his suit of armor before he gets pelted with various fruited objects*Yea, you are reading right. I am no longer driving my Vibe around, and as of right now it's either going to be sold to a family friend or my little brother will be getting it once he gets his licence.After researching the hell out of cars just for fun, I decided to go test drive a Mazda3 and I basically fell in love. I don't wish to rag on the Vibe too much, but it was everything the Vibe was and more - and had both came out at the same time, it would've been a no-brainer choice for me. So, here I am now - happy owner of a '04 Mazda3 (Known as the "Axela" in Japan) and it's good stuff. Loaded: Leather interior, Xenon HID headlamps, airbags everywhere, Sportshift Automatic and 6CD/Moonroof as well. The color is a beautiful Orange and follow the links below to see the pics.I'm still hanging around here, so don't worry about that Got a great group of people and I would hate to just get up and leave, so I'm going to around - and provided my racing schedule doesn't change too much, I'll still be @ Michigan this summer. (Nick's my bodyguard )Here are the pic links:http://homepage.mac.com/geo_sa...r.jpgh ... .e.jpgWith all this being said, I have a few parts for sale!As of right now, I have an Unorthodox Racing STYLE (custom made by a guy on NewCelica.org) Underdrive Crank Pulley and Belt for the 1zz engine. It's red, made out of aluminum and it gives nice gains IMO. Interested? Get me on AIM: MajorGeoI also have for sale an IPT Motorsports Carbon Fiber engine cover for the 1zz engine as well. For pics head to http://www.iptmotorsports.com and look at the CelicaGT engine cover. Thing retails for over $200, so this would be a great opportunity to get it for a great price. Again: MajorGeoMy wheels *might* be up for sale, but we're not sure yet. I'll make sure to post in the for/sale wanted area as well for this stuff.So, that's about it. If you are looking for a vehicle beyond the Vibe, I'd highly suggest the 3, go take one for a test drive ... torque is a lovely thing!

MrRich · Post by **MrRich** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:39 am

Congrats Geo!I have the new car iching too.The Mazda3 is a great car.But i don't know what are you doing here?Go out and have fun with the new ride!

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:48 am

Got it on Friday ... already have put 300 miles on the car And it's monday, ain't nobody cruisin' tonight. heeheehee*goes back to the land of homework*

msmyer · Post by **msmyer** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:51 am

Congrats! *sniffles, sadly*

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:10 am

geo, i will not pelt you as long as i can test drive it! i will not test drive any vehicle here for fear i will want to buy it! and great color choice!

savedbyzero · Post by **savedbyzero** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:42 am

Nothing like goin' from the original to a rip-off...but hey, it's your money!Oh ya, and you just bought a Focus...I think that says it all...congrats, none the less! new cars are always fun!

Celtic_Curse · Post by **Celtic_Curse** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 12:19 pm

say it ain't so *sniffle* say it ain't so.....oh well I like the car too, however lookin at the mazda 6. That car is cool.

MrRich · Post by **MrRich** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 12:38 pm

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero Â»Nothing like goin' from the original to a rip-off...but hey, it's your money!Oh ya, and you just bought a Focus...I think that says it all...congrats, none the less! new cars are always fun!That was rude! And it is not a Focus,because Mazda owned by Ford(almost).

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 12:44 pm

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero Â»Nothing like goin' from the original to a rip-off...but hey, it's your money!Oh ya, and you just bought a Focus...I think that says it all...congrats, none the less! new cars are always fun!Do your homework, it's not the American focus we see here that shares the same chassis and parts, it's the Euro Focus - which is light-years ahead of the American version as far as ... well, everything goes. For those interested, check out this thread about the parts sharing between Ford, Volvo and Mazda for the development of the 3 http://www.msprotege.com/forum...56563On a side note, there's only so many ways one can make a hatchback, and by looking at the rear of the vehicle - it resembles a Golf more Anyways ... whee! Can't wait to get out driving again. mmm ... torque...

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 12:55 pm

The price seems right. The styling is a-o.k. I really like the 4 year 50,000 mile warranty. But my 15 month old Vibe just turned 9,000 miles so I'm not ready to change horses just yet. Maybe in another couple of years. Perhaps by then they will be making the hatchback with the smaller better mileage engine.

ArcsVibe · Post by **ArcsVibe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:12 pm

Mazda3 is a super car! I have always stated that if I didn't buy my Vibe I would be driving one. Great choice Geo, tell me more about this beauty!

Stang2Vibe · Post by **Stang2Vibe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:58 pm

I think the Mazda 3 is a great little car and honestly, if it was out at the time I was looking at buying the Vibe, it would have been a tough choice for me too. The RX-8 is more my thing though, and I think I'll hang on to the Vibe to get me through school before looking seriously at getting another car. I'd really like to get the Vibe paid off and then look at leasing something like the RX-8. Then I can tinker with the Vibe with aftermarket performance goodies AND have a truly sporty car. If I need to pick things up for around the house, go camping, grocery shopping, etc., I have a pretty sweet grocery getter in the Vibe. When enthusiastic driving calls to me, then I have another car to go out and play in that is more suited to it.Good choice with the 3, its a cool car and you really can't go wrong with it.(I'm bringing extra tomatoes to the meet now. Nice smelly rotten ones, too! I hope Nick ducks! ) j/k

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:07 pm

Whee!Well since I've been asked, I'll relate some of my feelings about the vehicle:The engine is /smooth/. I opted for the sport-shift automatic because I just don't care for the clutch part of it all, and city driving and I tend to be doing other stuff so I like to avoid the hassle That being said, in full automatic mode, the car shifts like butter, and the only way you can tell the car is actually shifting is by looking at the little Gear # in the instrument cluster go from 1 up to 4. It's fantastic to take around corners and the sport-shift is spot on. A TINY bit of lag between pushing the stick and shifting, but you can really hold revs if you want, and it is just so much fun to use around town. The car handles like a dream, Mazda really did something with this suspension that made it just a blast to whip around corners. Stock w/worse tires I am able to take corners faster and with more control over my modded Vibe. I am really looking forward to trying out auto-cross with this thing if I get the chance. For any car that anyone might be purchasingin the future, if there is a Xenon HID option, by all means GET IT. I am amazed at just how much you can see with them, and they totally kick (removed) as far as the looks go. I want them in every car I will ever own, lol!I am awaiting the Mazdaspeed parts for the Axela to arrive in the states, but for the time being I might do some importing from Japan. I'm really looking forward to the tuning market that should be availale, it seems that all companies that did stuff for the ProtegÃ© are also going to make products for the Axela, which is just fantastic. Stang - RX8 is fuggin' sweet!

Have you seen the Japanese A-spec? We're talking pure (removed) here: http://www.fast-autos.net/mazda/mazdaspeedrx8.html Jake - As far as that warrenty goes ... I give myself two years or mb 2.5 before I hit 50,000 miles with how I drive. As soon as that warrenty is gone ... in goes the turbo - no question about it! One thing I did notice right away ... the moonroof closes with just one hold-down of the button, it doesn't stop halfway.That alone almost sold me

Stang2Vibe · Post by **Stang2Vibe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:44 pm

The RX-8 in that link is sweeeet! You can't show me things like that cause it just makes me want them too badly. I wonder how I could get one here, but in the left-hand drive version.Quote, originally posted by Geo Â»One thing I did notice right away ... the moonroof closes with just one hold-down of the button, it doesn't stop halfway.This greatly annoys me too. I hope there's a switch in the track somewhere that triggers this feature so I can remove/disconnect it. I might peek around and see what I find up there.

savedbyzero · Post by **savedbyzero** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 4:40 pm

Bring on that torque! I've ate one and I'll eat another! J/K!Oh, and by the way, it's still a focus! No matter what country you're in!Once again, Just Kidding!hey, moderators, don't you think this should go in "The Others" category? Maybe we should change this forum to genvibezda3.com? Sounds like we would have quite a few subscribers!

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:04 pm

Geo, congrats on getting a new car. sorry to see the geovibe go though.Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero Â»Maybe we should change this forum to genvibezda3.com? Sounds like we would have quite a few subscribers! really. I know the car isn't perfect, and everyone wants something diffferent out of their automobile, but I still really like my Vibe.Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 Â»I have a feeling more than 1 person will be jumping ship on the Vibe soon.Sorry you do not like Vibes anymore. Maybe the site should change the slogan from "The Online Community of Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts" to "The Online Support Group for People who are Stuck with a Pontiac Vibe"

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:26 pm

I am not mad at you Geo, The maz3 is a delicious looking car... If there is one vehicle that would cause me to jump ship its certainly the one you got...

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:43 pm

Geo that is so sweet. Love the colour. Love the car. Saw one in a parking lot the other day - same colour, but the sedan style. I drooled over it. With the changes coming for the 2005 Vibe (restyled), I'm seriously thinkin Mazda 3 in 2006 when my lease is up.

Mavrik · Post by **Mavrik** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 8:01 pm

I like it! and sure dig the colour!Sweet ride, I to will not pelt you at the meet if I can have a ride.

savedbyzero · Post by **savedbyzero** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 8:45 pm

What! Now he's going to the meet with it?I'm feeling some lockage of a thread coming on! J/K!

noginsk · Post by **noginsk** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 8:53 pm

With the horsepower games all of the automakers are playing nowadays, I can imagine an increase with the vibe/matrix soon or the competition will beat us easily. The fucus got a gigger engine, the new 3 has a bigger engine, the suzuki aerio sx has a bigger engine, and so on. Imagine what the vibe/matrix could be if toyota and gm follow suite and install the 2.4 from the camry or maybe even the 2.2 ecotec (maybe on that one)! It would kick evryone elses (removed) out of the running! Hmmm, another look at the tC seems interesting. Mileage would probably go down though.

goodvibe · Post by **goodvibe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 9:11 pm

Congrats on getting the car you really want. I didn't fully understand the Mazda 3 is better than a Gt thing before but if you want a quick automatic and don't need the extra space, the 3 is the right ride. I can see why you like it more. 'Beyond the Vibe' is a bit much. Different and better for you is probably more correct. Fun color.

savedbyzero · Post by **savedbyzero** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 9:23 pm

Quote, originally posted by noginsk Â»With the horsepower games all of the automakers are playing nowadays, I can imagine an increase with the vibe/matrix soon or the competition will beat us easily. The fucus got a gigger engine, the new 3 has a bigger engine, the suzuki aerio sx has a bigger engine, and so on. Imagine what the vibe/matrix could be if toyota and gm follow suite and install the 2.4 from the camry or maybe even the 2.2 ecotec (maybe on that one)! It would kick evryone elses (removed) out of the running! Hmmm, another look at the tC seems interesting. Mileage would probably go down though.Uh, that's why there's the GT/XRS...none of those can touch it. Not even the SVT Focus.A turbo-charged Ecotec would be fun, though!

spideymike1 · Post by **spideymike1** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:03 pm

great color - i love the car, looks nice. Good luck with it!

kostby · Post by **kostby** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:41 pm

Nice pics!

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:14 pm

Jon, sweet ride you have now. Once a genviber always a genviber. Your still welcome to the Mi. meet and look forward seeing your 3.

Fformula88 · Post by **Fformula88** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:17 pm

Congrats on your new Mazda 3! They did a nice job with that car. Mazda is finallygetting their act together and putting out some nice vehicles. I am sure you will enjoy it!

redlava · Post by **redlava** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 12:33 am

Quote, originally posted by cibomatto Â»I am not mad at you Geo, The maz3 is a delicious looking car... If there is one vehicle that would cause me to jump ship its certainly the one you got... Ditto here. It is hard to see a Vibe get traded in. At this point in time I couldn't dream of selling my car. Maybe in a few years, but not now. Congrats on the car dude. Hope you enjoy it.

cibomatto · Post by **cibomatto** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:12 am

Ya see, so far no fruit.. you made a good choice....

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:14 am

geo, did you have the base, awd, or gt? i thot you had a base vibe, not a gt?

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:03 am

Yep! I had a Base Vibe ... did I ever say anything that said otherwise? ?_?As far as not being able to touch the Matrix/GT, Saved, so far the car magazines are putting the 3 in a faster catagory from what I have seen. I've seen timeslips for a stock MZ3 coming in @ 15.57 on the 1/4mile ... fastest GT i've seen yet was 15.2 and that was with intake and exhaust ... anyone know 1/4 mile times on stock GTs? I know from threads over at matrixowners.com that stock XRS stick runs low 16s, high 15s in the 1/4 mile with no mods...

Mr. Poopypants · Post by **Mr. Poopypants** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:08 am

Make a choice, apples or oranges.

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:11 am

Quote, originally posted by Mr. Poopypants Â»Make a choice, apples or oranges.mmmm Orange The car is faster than the base Vibe, so I couldn't be happier. I'll leave all further discussion unsaid about this so as not to start a war, lol Saved:

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:15 am

the mazda 3 is certainly a nice car, but i personally would have gone for the 6s. i love the styling! but if i were to get that, then i would find another car about a year down the road and want that too. being that i seem to switch cars out every yr or two, i would really like to actually OWN a car w/o paying for it still. but, as long as i can take it for a test drive, i'm all for it!

Triton · Post by **Triton** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:26 am

Nice car Geo. The color is nice too. Have fun with it!

savedbyzero · Post by **savedbyzero** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 6:41 am

no offense taken. just walked on one pretty good. he wasn't happy. must have read the same article!

shibaman · Post by **shibaman** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 9:46 am

I really like the styling on the 3 but I can see that I would not be able to put a dog crate behind the rear seat. Damn being practicle!

kgenthe · Post by **kgenthe** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:00 am

I got to Autocross the 3 and the 6 at Mazda Rev It Up (Chicago) and I was very impressed with the 3. Sadly, they were all automatics. The cool thing about the 3's "manumatic" is that it stays in the gear you put it in, no matter what. So if you are in first, you can bounce off the rev limiter all you want, and it won't shift, and if you let off the gas, it will slow down dramatically (engine braking) just like a manual.Things I didn't like about the 3: slow. It was the 160 hp model and it felt slower than my Sunfire GT. I would imagine this is because of the automatic tranny.The cars all had Falkin tires, and they gripped real nice. Great handling cars (the 3 is a much better handler than the 6). The ABS and Discs brakes all the way around were the best brakes I had ever used.Also, the race-prepped 3's with exhaust, eibech (sic) springs, and Falkin tires were absolutly amazing!!Nice car, but the Vibe still has a WAY better interior

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 11:48 am

Cars be like ladies, there is a whole lot of 'em I could like! But I'm smart enuf to stick with the one I got!

Toasted7 · Post by **Toasted7** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:12 pm

I'm actually thinking of jumping ship in a year or so (when my lease is up)... to nearly the exact same car you have now Geo. Mainly thinking of going this way, becuase of the new "revamp" of the '05 Vibe, which I don't like so far. Going to test drive a M3 tomorrow and check it out up close. So far it looks like a winner though.

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:15 pm

Quote, originally posted by jake75 Â»Cars be like ladies, there is a whole lot of 'em I could like! But I'm smart enuf to stick with the one I got!On the same token, don't stick with one unless she's exactly what you want! Toasted: Kick (removed), let me know what you think about it!

savedbyzero · Post by **savedbyzero** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:15 pm

M3 or Mazda 3? I'd jump ship for an M3 any day!

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:20 pm

*cough*For all practical purposes, M3 = MZ3 = Mazda 3 while speaking in this thread

Dave_ca · Post by **Dave_ca** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 12:43 am

The Mazda 3 is a great car, and I almost traded my Vibe in for one. The one thing that stopped me was my test drive of the SRT-4. Im sorry but after running that thing on the highway its so hard to go back to sub 200hp cars.... The mazda handles like a champ though, no comparison at all! Just my needs are a fast car that can pass on the highway, as opposed to a sweet handeling ride that can corner like a charm. The MZ3 is a nice choice as far as I am concerned

CaCathy13 · Post by **CaCathy13** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 8:41 am

Nice choice on the car! Sad to see your Vibe go, but you gotta please yourself, not this forum. I personally think the Mazda looks a little too wagon-y, but it is a good car. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!BTW, don't go so much by 1/4 times until you do it yourself...a car may be fast but it can still get crappy times.

JustinVGT · Post by **JustinVGT** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 11:27 pm

Nice car Geo . If the 3 were out when I bought my Vibe I would have checked it out. It looks nice on the outside for sure. I've heard mixed things about the interior. Is there less space and how about the rear cargo area? I still love my Vibe, especially now lowered and with my 18s .Later,

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 11:38 pm

Quote, originally posted by Toasted7 Â»I'm actually thinking of jumping ship in a year or soI hear ya man...I my Vibe, but I love the G6 more!As soon as it hits the market, I"ll be testing the G6 waters...

aggie_vibe · Post by **aggie_vibe** » Wed May 05, 2004 2:25 pm

Good discussion so far and I am interested as my Vibe was recently stolen. I am concerned about less cargo space in the 3. The specs (with seats down) are 53 cu ft for the Vibe and 31 for the 3. Can that be right? Overall EPA volume is 111 for the Vibe and 112 for the 3 - darn close. I have driven all - Vibe base, GT, and 3 (manual). The 3 is quickest and handles best, but the lack of engine noise or power peaks can make it deceptive. Fuel economy is equal between the GT and 3, 25/32. It is rare to see 2 cars so close to each other. I don't think it is fair to call the 3 a copy, since the Protege5 has been around longer. Mazda is publically crediting Peugeot and Fiat I think, which are conveniently not sold here.

Geo · Post by **Geo** » Wed May 05, 2004 3:11 pm

Aggie - it is true, there is less cargo room, but you just have to decide how much you need. For what I do, there's plenty of room and I have had no problems thus far.Basically you have to decide what's more important, cargo room or a sportier engine/handling. The Vibe is also taller than the 3, so that's where I would assume some of the cargo space goes as well, but as far as actual FLOOR space, it is a little less wide, but almost as long. Not bad at all in my opinion.

jake75 · Post by **jake75** » Wed May 05, 2004 11:57 pm

Quote, originally posted by Geo Â»Basically you have to decide what's more important, cargo room or a sportier engine/handling. What about COST? Also, from a service standpoint, there are many more Pontiac dealers than Mazda dealers.

The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela!

The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela!

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (MrRich)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (msmyer)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (silverawd26)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (savedbyzero)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (savedbyzero)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: (Geo)

Re: (Stang2Vibe)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Sputnik)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Mavrik)

Re: (noginsk)

Re: (noginsk)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (kostby)

Re: (cibomatto)

Re: (redlava)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Mr. Poopypants)

Re: (Geo)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Sputnik)

Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Triton)

Re: (Geo)

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Re: (jake75)

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Re: The Vibe is retired - welcome the Axela! (Geo)

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