GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

every time i drive our 03 vibe AWD i die a little inside.. just putting around its fine, but if i need to pass anyone i require about a mile headstart to get around them and God forbid i run into any steep hills, it was fibe when it was my wifes car but i am driving it daily now for work and need to do somethign about this, im not new modding cars, im an LS1/LT1 fanatic with a stroked 97 z28 that has more non-stock parts than a summit catalog, so i understand that a cai, exhaust etc are the general first steps, however, a mere 3-5 whp wont cut it, are superchargers or turbos common mods on these things? i know celica guys have a wealth of aftermarket support, do any of thier goodies help us? ive seen some celicas scoot down the track pretty well for imports so i know theyre doing something, granted some of them have the better motor but what about the other motors? any help would be appreciated, thanks guys Jay

welcome to the forums. have you done a search on AWD supercharger? I know there have been a few AWD vibes and trixes that added a s/c even though they are not "made" for it. unfortunately, on the AWD models, there's not too much you can do to increase the power to the level you are probably used to. the auto in the awd is a true slushbox. I knew as soon as I took one out for a test drive, we didn't get down more than 3 blocks before I turned around and headed back. the salesman asked why and I said the thing was slow and sucked. So I bought the Vibe GT instead.

use the O/D button.Just before you want to pass Hit that button and you will drop down out of overdrive then hit the gas and pass.Its still nothing supper great, but at least its better than waiting for the car to do it by itself, which is why it takes a mile.

Quote, originally posted by zionzr2 »use the O/D button.Just before you want to pass Hit that button and you will drop down out of overdrive then hit the gas and pass.Its still nothing supper great, but at least its better than waiting for the car to do it by itself, which is why it takes a mile.+1 for the O/D. I use it if I'm under 80mph for passing. I would like to pull the dash off and replace the O/D off light and have it say "Pass" haha. The AWDs are slow but if I wanted fast I would have kept my 02 Civic Coupe 5spd and dropped a K20 in there. I made the switch for the AWD factor, still good mileage for an AWD, and the fact it can hold ungodly amounts of stuff. I'm happy with what I got, sure more power would be great, but it also kinda makes me be a better drive since I don't feel the need to fly around. But the thing cruises at 80mph very well.Another way to get some power is to drop a sticker or two, I put a NY sticker for my Yankees and got like 15hp. The S/C intake tube I picked up from BC is gonna net me close to 20 overall! Totally kidding btw.

I have a bored throttle body and CAI and it made a noticeable difference to its peppyness, id recommend that to any 03-04 vibe

thanks for the info guys, i was afraid i was up against the impossible, ill look into the SC for the awd, everything ive ran into says the awd's are out of luck in the forced induction dept, of course there are those guys who just find a way to do it, im sure somone has. LOL at the stickers for HP, man some of the honmdas running around here must be 9 secnd cars with all the ebay sticker kits they are running.. the hub caps taken off in the front appearently are worth big power.. i knew i should have passed on the alloys.. i guess i can just paint the front ones black

Unless you go supercharged (and even then, in my opinion) you will never have a fast car. I have exhaust, header, cai, and a unichip, and the car still has barely enough power to get out of its own way. Don't get me wrong, I still love it, but it will never be fast.

Quote, originally posted by ajflan »Unless you go supercharged (and even then, in my opinion) you will never have a fast car. I have exhaust, header, cai, and a unichip, and the car still has barely enough power to get out of its own way. Don't get me wrong, I still love it, but it will never be fast.unfortunately, I agree. been there, done that, moved on and now moving back to a hatch soon.something simple that will most certainly help would be a cold air intake, exhaust (though you may have to do a custom one) and a unichip. it's not HUGE, however, it will help with the low end and still be much cheaper than a supercharger. Keep in mind, the s/c isn't really that fast. even on the FWD base 5MT, it will help with the needed low end torque, but the power is only getting to the stock level of the GT. for the $2000 plus supporting mods and upkeep, it's cheaper to buy something different (unless it's paid off).

Quote, originally posted by awd03 » everything ive ran into says the awd's are out of luck in the forced induction depti don't see why, it's the exact same setup as a base (except for exhaust routing, which doesn't concern the SC). the install is no different.

welcome to the family. i think bluecrush is the guy to ask about what mods will help get the most bang for your buck. he's got an AWD and it seems like he's tried just about every bolt on mod available in the N/A dept. he's our resident AWD guinea pig

Quote, originally posted by awd03 »every time i drive our 03 vibe AWD i die a little inside..Hahahahah! Hilarious!Quote, originally posted by MRCN RCE »welcome to the family. i think bluecrush is the guy to ask about what mods will help get the most bang for your buck. he's got an AWD and it seems like he's tried just about every bolt on mod available in the N/A dept. he's our resident AWD guinea pig Oink! Oink! The AWD will never be fast....lol.The best mods for the AWD are here: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=24144