Motor Trend rates Matrix XRS/Vibe GT better over HHR and CALIBER!

[josholiver1]

Motor Trend Review:1st place-Mazda 3 Hatchback-were willing to give up a few liters of interior spave in return for this cars dynamics exelence. By far the most fun to drive!2nd place-Matrix XRS/Pontiac Vibe GT-The styling is a bit long in the tooth, but its got the best combination of performance and utility, with lots of neat touches to make life easier. 3rd place- Chevy HHR-It has a large inviting interior, one of the friendlyest faces on the road, easy to drive, but only if the pace is sedate.(ha ha to slow! ) LOL4th place- Dodge Caliber-A well-packaged compact car that looks MORE rugged THAN it is! Muscular lines promise an equally stout platform, but it winps out over rough roads.Looks like the matrix still has some tricks up its sleave...suprized that HHR wasnt 4th..thats how i would have rated it..although it has very nice optional rims! Source: MOTOR TREND MAY 06- its a realy great issue with 09' Camaro VS Mustang and Challenger. Esscalade 07' Vs Range Rover..Etc great issue

[northvibe]

Oh i have this issue...or should be getting it soon. I want to go test drive a caliber and see what its all about. from features it looks like it took the vibe and made it better. I wonder how that CVT is holding up.....

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by northvibe »Oh i have this issue...or should be getting it soon. I want to go test drive a caliber and see what its all about. from features it looks like it took the vibe and made it better. I wonder how that CVT is holding up.....A lot of readiing I'm doing leads me to believe that the caliber is sorely underpowered for its weight.

[ColonelPanic]

Sorry, MotorTrend - but if I had to choose between a Vibe GT, HHR, or Caliber, it sure wouldn't be the GT. I can't and won't own a manual equipped car, (and many are in the same boat!) And forget about one that's so needy for high revs to get the most out of the engine. If I have to drive something slow so I don't have to shift it myself, so be it. That's fine with me. Of course, I guess even if they had a base/automatic Vibe on the list, you bet I'd still pick something other than the Vibe but that's beside the point.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic » I can't and won't own a manual equipped car, (and many are in the same boat!) When I first got my 5-speed vibe, it had been a while since I had owned a manual tranny car, and shifting was something that I focused on. Now, I don't even think about it, it happens, I must be doing it, it has become such a routine part of driving. Driving an automatic, I can really feel the loss of direct coupling between the engine tranny, like being in the boat that you referenced, and a couple of times I hit the brakes really hard going for the non-existent clutch.but to each his own, I guess that's why they make so many different kinds of vehicles.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Sorry, MotorTrend - but if I had to choose between a Vibe GT, HHR, or Caliber, it sure wouldn't be the GT. I can't and won't own a manual equipped car, (and many are in the same boat!)That was at least part of my reasoning for going with a G6 GT and not a GTP (in addition to horrendous fuel economy from the 3.9, no factory remote start, and an even higher price tag).As much as I enjoyed trashing AtWork's clutch at the Ohio meet that one year, I don't think on a regular basis I can deal with that.

[Katscan]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic » I can't and won't own a manual equipped car, (and many are in the same boat!)Well, before my Vibe I owned a Ford Escort ZX2 with a manual tranny and I rather enjoyed it, it was fun to drive. But all things considered I feel that manual tranny is good for a sports car where it can best be enjoyed. An every day to day car, I decided to go with an automatic because I didnt want to worry so much about shifting or missing a gear and its sooooo much nicer to have an automatic when stuck in traffic and in the snow.