Cancelled the order for the Vibe GT

[soldierguy]

Well guys, I cancelled the order for the Vibe GT that I was supposed to pick up in July 05 when I leave Korea. Tough decision...I really like the Vibe and love the GT's engine, love the practicality...it would have been a great car.But I got to looking at my finances, where I'm at in life, what I want vs what I need, etc and decided to order something a little different. My truck is my practical vehicle...it's paid for and it does everything I want a truck to do, and I decided I wanted to get something with a little higher fun-factor to go along with my truck...Sooooooo....Today I dropped in on my salesman at the PX lot and ordered a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT Convertible. 2.4 liter turbocharged and intercooled 4 cylinder, 5 speed Getrag manual transmission, silver metallic with a black cloth power top, chrome 17 inch wheels, two-tone light pearl beige and dark taupe heated leather seats, a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, and the Infinity speakers. The only options I didn't order were the automatic transmission and the engine block heater. MSRP is $30,485 but right now my price is sitting at $27,772 with the rebates through the PX...the price will not go up, it might go down more (depending on rebates), and if I find another comparably equipped one within 30 days of delivery that's priced lower, I'll be refunded the difference.I initially shied away from the Cruiser convertible because I don't want a rattle-trap, and on the test drive I noticed a bit of shake in the rear-view mirror, but it otherwise felt pretty solid. But after doing some searching around on PT Cruiser sites, apparently the strut tower bars are very effective on Cruisers, so that's the first thing I'm adding to it. It suits me pretty well...it's not (removed)-dragging low, it looks nice, it can seat 4 people comfortably, has a decent sized trunk (for a convertible), the high output turbo models perform pretty well, and there's LOADS of aftermarket parts available for performance and appearance. Yeah, the gas mileage isn't great (21 mpg city / 27 mpg hwy ratings) the turning circle is HUGE (think full-size SUV and you're in the ballpark), and it will remain parked on bad weather days, but I decided that if I'm going to get a fun convertible as a second car, this is a good time in my life to do it...no bills, and I can easily afford it. So what the heck...it's time to live a little!Oh and in addition to the strut tower brace, I'm looking hard at the following aftermarket parts: MOPAR stage 1 kit (15 hp & 15 lb-ft of torque with no other mods, plus it gives back some of the boost that Chrysler cuts out in 1st gear to control wheelspin); cat-back exhasut paired with either a ported wastegate or the MOPAR blow-off valve (the porting & the BOV cut down on boost creep...a common issue when reducing backpressure on turbo engines); very likely I'll get a Quaife limited slip for the front end; I should be ok on fuel injectors...Chrysler upgraded to higher flow injectors on the 04 models because the 03's ran a little lean (from what I've read anyway); some sort of air intake; a gauge pod for boost, oil temp, and oil pressure; and a subwoofer for the trunk (I like the bazooka tubes...easy to install, they sound pretty good, and they don't take up much space).I'll still float around the forums here...you guys are great and I really enjoy reading the forums!

[joatmon]

The PT's are certainly more popular than Vibes where I live, and I doubt if there will ever be a Vibe convertible. You probably will have a lot more aftermarket options available for it.I just can't imagine, however, the PT Cruiser having as cool of a forum as we do, so good luck with that

[Vibe_dude]

all i can say is poor guy...u would pass on a toyota to get a Chrysler......well good luck with that ...ur going to need it.........

[damronjr]

That sucks that you canx the Vibe, but those PT conv do look good and I know there are a lot more aftermarket parts available just from the ones I have seen around here. Good luck with it and post pics!

[dev]

Well I can see your dilemma. I like the idea of the turbo. But in my case I went with less power but the best of both worlds.02 PT Cruiser Touring EditionActually the wife drive the VIBE more than me.

[ColonelPanic]

doh! No Vibe for you! But what's really important here is that you get whatever vehicle you want... It sounds like it will be quite the fun car for ya!Good luck to you!

[soldierguy]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »I just can't imagine, however, the PT Cruiser having as cool of a forum as we do, so good luck with that You sure got that right. There's several different forums out there, but none quite like this. There's one that looks good but I'd have to pay to post, and the best free one is "not accepting new members at this time." What the heck is up with that?!?!

[rasermon]

Soldierguy, your welcome to stay here as long as you want to. I hope you enjoy your PT next year.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by soldierguy »You sure got that right. There's several different forums out there, but none quite like this. There's one that looks good but I'd have to pay to post, and the best free one is "not accepting new members at this time." What the heck is up with that?!?!Which sites are these?

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by soldierguy »Well guys, I cancelled the order for the Vibe GT that I was supposed to pick up in July 05 when I leave Korea. Tough decision...I really like the Vibe and love the GT's engine, love the practicality...it would have been a great car.Today I dropped in on my salesman at the PX lot and ordered a 2005 MSRP is $30,485 but right now my price is sitting at $27,772 with the rebates through the PX...the price will not go up, it might go down more (depending on rebates), and if I find another comparably equipped one within 30 days of delivery that's priced lower, I'll be refunded the difference.I'll still float around the forums here...you guys are great and I really enjoy reading the forums! I've had a PT, and I have a Vibe. Both great vehicles for their usual price but at nearly $28,000 even for a convertible I think I could find a better alternative. Just my opinion.

[ToolGuy]

Congrats!!! And from one PT person to another, the Turbo will not disappoint you! Lots of power and it will burn the tires off the car if you want it to. Punch it on the highway and feel it pull unlike a 4 cyl! I even put a full sized arcade pinball machine in the back of mine, once the seats were out of course and the legs off the machine. I know your is a Vert but had to say that. I love my car, never been to the dlr and for work reasons have to drive a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep. Being a huge GM guy, the PT was the only vehicle that somewhat excited me as the time of my lease. I had a Jeep before and no more SUVs for me. Also, the Turbo PT can run on 87 Oct gasoline as well as Premium for the most "kick in the pants". You will see a small decrease in performance using 87 but the engine has enough knock sensors in it to compensate for it.BTW, with my job I handle the DaimlerChrysler account working with DCX directly so if you have any issues let me know and I may be able to help.

[soldierguy]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »I've had a PT, and I have a Vibe. Both great vehicles for their usual price but at nearly $28,000 even for a convertible I think I could find a better alternative. Just my opinion.For me, the Cruiser convertible is the better alternative than the other convertibles available between $20-$30K. I won't get a car that is really low...my back is screwed up and low cars are literally a pain. And I wanted a usable back seat and a usable trunk. Those points alone eliminate a Mustang Convertible, a Miata, the VW Beetle Cabrio, and the Sebring Convertible. And the price...yeah it's not cheap at all. But every vehicle is a compromise between what a person wants & needs....I could go buy a similarly optioned VW Beetle Cabrio and save about $1500, but I'd give up 70 hp, 95 lb-ft of torque, leg and headroom in the back seat, and a considerable amount of trunk space...not to mention I'd give up every shred of masculinity. I could get a Sebring Convertible, pay a little more, but it's very low, less powerful, available only with an automatic, and I'd probably feel the need to move to Florida and join the AARP. Mustang Convertible prices aren't out there yet, but I priced out a GT Coupe and it came out more than the Cruiser Convertible (again, equipped like I'd want it), it's low, has a tiny back seat, but has a lot more power and torque. The only Miata I'd be interested in is the Mazdaspeed, so I'd save about $1000, butit's VERY low and I'd give up a back seat & trunk space in exchange for better handling and similar acceleration.So yeah, I know exactly where you're coming from...I've often wondered what other people had going through their heads when they bought a car...my thinking was always "oh there are SO many other better cars out there." But I've since realized that all cars are a compromise, and some compromises work better for people than others.

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by soldierguy »For me, the Cruiser convertible is the better alternative than the other convertibles available between $20-$30K. I won't get a car that is really low...my back is screwed up and low cars are literally a pain. And I wanted a usable back seat and a usable trunk. Those points alone eliminate a Mustang Convertible, a Miata, the VW Beetle Cabrio, and the Sebring Convertible. And the price...yeah it's not cheap at all. But every vehicle is a compromise between what a person wants & needs....I could go buy a similarly optioned VW Beetle Cabrio and save about $1500, but I'd give up 70 hp, 95 lb-ft of torque, leg and headroom in the back seat, and a considerable amount of trunk space...not to mention I'd give up every shred of masculinity. I could get a Sebring Convertible, pay a little more, but it's very low, less powerful, available only with an automatic, and I'd probably feel the need to move to Florida and join the AARP. Mustang Convertible prices aren't out there yet, but I priced out a GT Coupe and it came out more than the Cruiser Convertible (again, equipped like I'd want it), it's low, has a tiny back seat, but has a lot more power and torque. The only Miata I'd be interested in is the Mazdaspeed, so I'd save about $1000, butit's VERY low and I'd give up a back seat & trunk space in exchange for better handling and similar acceleration.So yeah, I know exactly where you're coming from...I've often wondered what other people had going through their heads when they bought a car...my thinking was always "oh there are SO many other better cars out there." But I've since realized that all cars are a compromise, and some compromises work better for people than others.Forgot the 7/70 Warranty you get too!

[soldierguy]

Quote, originally posted by MiVibe-ToolGuy »Congrats!!! And from one PT person to another, the Turbo will not disappoint you! Lots of power and it will burn the tires off the car if you want it to. Punch it on the highway and feel it pull unlike a 4 cyl! I even put a full sized arcade pinball machine in the back of mine, once the seats were out of course. I know your is a Vert but had to say that. I love my car and for work reasons have to drive a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep. Being a huge GM guy, the PT was the only vehicle that somewhat excited me as the time of my lease. I had a Jeep before and no more SUVs for me. Also, the Turbo PT can run on 87 Oct gasoline as well as Premium for the most "kick in the pants". You will see a small decrease in performance using 87 but the engine has enough knock sensors in it to compensate for it.BTW, with my job I handle the DaimlerChrysler account working with DCX directly so if you have any issues let me know and I may be able to help. Thanks for the offer of assistance! I'm not anticipating any real problems. Like I researched the Vibe, I've done a lot of reading on the net about problems with the cars, complaints, etc, so I'm going into this with my eyes open and at least some idea of things to look out for. Finding a good service department is critical...there were two really good Dodge service departments that I took my Dakota to when I was stationed in Tampa...wherever I end up going when I leave Korea, I'll have to find a Chrysler service department I can trust.And I'm glad you chimed in...I've seen your sig line with the PT GT in it...was hoping to get some feedback from you.

[soldierguy]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »Which sites are these?http://ptownersclub.com/ is the pay site, and http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/ is the one that's not accepting new members.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by soldierguy »http://ptownersclub.com/ is the pay site, and http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/ is the one that's not accepting new members.http://www.ptcruiserclub.org is one of the first sites and perhaps the best one. It has both a "free" side and a "member" side but I think there are more freeloaders like me than paying members.

[PhillyVibeGT]

Sorry to hear about your decision...good luck with your PT Crusier