Vibe vs Ion

[21Rouge]

Dear Group,This is my first visit to genvibe.com. Thanks in advance for your advice.Our family is planning to replace our 13 year old Eagle Summit Wagon.Due to family connections we are trying our best to select a GM product.With this in mind we have narrowed our selections to this year's Pontiac VIBE or the ION 2. The 'winner' will have a manual transmission. When both vehicles are configured very similarly the ION 2 is much less expensive.We like Vibe's connection to Toyota as our first car was a Corolla which was with us for 14 years.We have no experience with the Saturn division of GM but we hope it really is different i.e. special.So far we have test driven only a Vibe automatic. I thought the space and layout of the interior were incredible but the engine noise, at least in the lower gears of the automatic, was significant. Any comments or suggestions?

[Vibe_dude]

if price is no thought then i would go with out a doubt with the vibe...much more useful of a car....and if money is a thought then i would not get the ion at all but the same car as a cobalt.much nicer to look at and so refined....they say it is even better than a civic or a corolla.just my 2 cents

[joatmon]

welcome to genvibethe ION is a sedan? You need to decide how important the space/versatility of the Vibe is compared to the ION. Also, you have to go drive the ION. I have never noticed one or been in one, so I can't compare the two, but you should test drive both. You also need to drive a Vibe with a manual tranny, if that is what you are going to buy.Saturn was marketed as being a brand new kind of car company when they started, but I don't know how different they are from others anymore.

[ragingfish]

Check your discounts closely...a lot of them aren't valid with Saturn. That being said, both are nice cars IMHO. Saturn has taken a lot of heat for their "daring" designs, such as the center mounted cluster. If you like that, or at least can look beyond those, I think the ION is a great car and good for a family.I love my Vibe too -- but both are really different cars. Wagon vs. sedan (or coupe, not sure which the ION 2 is). One is Toyota, one is GM...ION will have more power under the hood, unless you go for the vibe GT which will put you above the ION's price ranges...As for Saturn being different, the one constant factor every critic has said about Saturn is that one thing stands out above the rest -- the buying experience. It's been said time and time again, Saturn DID recreate the buying experience...

[kostby]

Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Vibe!The Vibe engine noise is a relative thing. If you demand silence, you're probably going to be disappointed in ANY 4-cylinder vehicle, and most vehicles with a sticker price under $30,000. I remember that one of the criticisms of early Saturn vehicles was the noise and coarseness of the engines.I think of my Vibe (Toyota) engine noise as a 'sporty growl', rather than undesirable 'noise'. I LIKE to hear it wind out.Many GenVibers have ADDED significantly to the 'sporty growl' with aftermarket Cold Air Induction systems and catalytic-converter-back exhaust systems, both of which increase the noise you hear (and the horsepower).As far as the dealer experience goes... It depends upon what you're enjoy and what you are used to. If you enjoy negotiating the best deal, (I do!) then you probably won't appreciate the 'no haggle' policy of Saturn. It's my understanding that the sticker price IS ALWAYS the 'no-haggle' selling price on Saturns, but I don't know anything about GM employee discounts.With most other GM makes & models, the price is highly negotiable. GM employee discounts might help you save hundreds more dollars.Good luck in your buying decision!

[B18B]

Those are two really different vehicles that you have selected as your "finalists." But have you considered an Optra5? Its a nice in between of the two cars...not quite a wagon, not quite a sedan. It makes decent power, has a nicely finished interior and has more cargo versatility than Ion, but not more than Vibe.Anyhow, discounting the Optra5, It seems to me that you like to keep your vehicles for extended periods of times, so you also might want to factor the long term durability of each car as well.

[BlueCrush]

Since you are living in Toronto, you would probably be best suited to getting the Vibe AWD. The All Wheel Drive will come in quite handy up there. I looked at both before I bought my Vibe and liked the storage space of the Vibe. If you're driving normally the engine noise is not very significant it gets loud when you floor it, as expected with any car.After a while you won't even notice it. If you can, get the underbody coating. It helped quiet the road noise, a lot. Good Luck!

[Atomb]

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »Since you are living in Toronto, you would probably be best suited to getting the Vibe AWD. The All Wheel Drive will come in quite handy up there. Brooklyn Park, MN: 45.09106 Deg NorthToronto, ON: 43.65306 Deg NorthI think it should be 'down there'!! I love my vibe. My cousin recently bought an Ion and personally I can't compare them. The vibe is much more versatile and the Ion's engine seemed 'rougher' to be than the high winding Toyota engine....I'm still amazed that I can run 4500rpm in the Vibe and it's relatively smooth! In my old VW Golf, anything close to 3000 rpm and it felt like the engine was going to jump out of the car!

[21Rouge]

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »Since you are living in Toronto, you would probably be best suited to getting the Vibe AWD. The All Wheel Drive will come in quite handy up there.That's true. But we want to minimize the cost of this 2nd vehicle for our family, and so our choice of the manual transmission.Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »If you can, get the underbody coating. It helped quiet the road noise, a lot. Good Luck!I hadnt heard this. When you say 'underbody coating' you mean the spray on oil right? Do you do this yearly or every two years or...?

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by Boxgrover »That's true. But we want to minimize the cost of this 2nd vehicle for our family, and so our choice of the manual transmission.are you considering a used car, or only a new one? I'm not all that worried about resale value because I will keep this car till it dies, but if you buy a used one, it should have a couple hundred thousand miles left in it, and the previous owner will have taken the depreciation hit, so you should be able to get a very reliable car in great shape for a good price.

[Vibe_dude]

i bought mine used it had 69,000 kms on when i got it in july...have not regretted gettin used at all.........saved about 10,000$ by going used.

[04BlkVibe]

yep..the vibe is definately a nice car. but if you're considering other GM product, then, if not the Vibe, my other picks would be a Saab 92X (a little pricey compared to the Impreza) or the Saturn Vue V6 w/ 250hp.