GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hello,My first post here. I bought yesterday my new Vibe 2009 (red-metallic). I took the 1SB package with the 2.4L engine. Only other option I took was the block heater (mandatory here in the north). Here in Canada, the base 1.8L is $15,995 without air-conditioning. To get A/C, you have to take the 1SB package (for $3000), which is the $1070 "Preferred Package" for you in the USA. It costs $750 to get the 2.4L instead of the 1.8.I wanted to improve the radio to get it to play MP3 discs (for $290), but here we MUST add the XM radio option (for $260 with the 3-month trial). So, it would have cost me $550 to get a better radio system. I said no way, as I don't plan to subscribe to XM anyway. I'll go in a specialized audio store later and will get the same kind of player for around $200...As you can see, in Canada, we're pretty much screwed when we compare to the USA. Cars are always more expansive... And the "transport & preparation" fees are $1160 here, compared to about $500 or $600 in the USA. We also have a federal tax of 5% and a provincial one of 7.5%.The only thing that is better here is the financing. The rate for my 2009 Vibe is 5.4% for 60 months compared to 10.6% I guess in the USA.So, I went to a couple GM vendors here and the best price I got was $20,500 (+ taxes), minus $500 for my trade-in Pontiac Sunfire 1996 (which has 350,000km, but is still in very good condition). Also, I can use $1,000 from my GM Card savings. It sucks a bit that they changed the rules lately, as I was sure I could use $1,500...There was absolutely nothing available anywhere (there were only the base 1.8L models, or the GT ones), so my car got ordered from GM. I should get it in 4 to 6 weeks. These will be long weeks...I can't wait to drive my new Vibe!!

A/C is an option up there? I think it's standard here...

Welcome... good luck with the new Vibe

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »A/C is an option up there? I think it's standard here...A/C is an option here too. It sucks that it isn't standard anymore.p.s. welcome to the fam! we won't hassle you too much about pics until you actually get the car.

welcome to the forums and enjoy the staypost pics up once you get the vibe, we'd love to see it.also happy 400th birthday for your province!

welcome to the fam. i'll give you 4-6 weeks to post pics before i alert the angry pic loving mob

Welcome to GenVibe...I'm starting to feel kinda old with my 1st generation Vibe. You will be glad you did it.

Quote, originally posted by Eloi »Hello,Only other option I took was the block heater (mandatory here in the north). Nah, its not mandatory... I never used one on my Cavalier, Vibe or Rogue even though they all have one. Welcome to the site and post pics when you get it! Love the red colour for the new Vibes.

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »A/C is an option here too. It sucks that it isn't standard anymore.p.s. welcome to the fam! we won't hassle you too much about pics until you actually get the car.Yeh - that's a rip - just a way to advertise a low ball price. Where's NY Attorney General Spitzer when you need him. Oh! I guess I know where he is (or was). He was also being ripped off.

Welcome to the site!

Thanks to all who welcomed me. I'll make sure to post some pics of the car when I get it.Sputnik, I guess the Ottawa winters are not as hard as the Quebec City ones. Cause when it's -28 degC or -30 degC in the morning here, I really think that a block heater is mandatory...It helps the car to start better and it gets hot much faster.

welcome! if i didnt have a garage, id get one just so i could have a warm trip to work. cant wait to see pics!! the 09 vibe looks awesome.

Quote, originally posted by Eloi »Thanks to all who welcomed me. I'll make sure to post some pics of the car when I get it.Sputnik, I guess the Ottawa winters are not as hard as the Quebec City ones. Cause when it's -28 degC or -30 degC in the morning here, I really think that a block heater is mandatory...It helps the car to start better and it gets hot much faster.Oh we get our share of -30 weather around here too. Yeah it starts the car faster if you're using one, but so far *knock on wood* I haven't had a problem... this winter though its been all about the snow. I miss green stuff!! Did you get seat warmers on your new Vibe? I have those on my Rogue and they are very nice in the -30 degree weather too!

The vendor didn't even offer the seat warmers and I didn't think to ask for them. In any ways, I don't think I'd have taken them. It looks like the Vibe 2009 was released too soon and the vendors don't have all the documentation about it and don't even know about all the options....Winter is not that cold here too, all about the snow. This is the worst winter in history regarding snow accumulation in Quebec City. Average is about 350 cm of snow, the absolute record was 456 cm, and we're now at 466 cm. And we're going for 500 cm, as March usually brings his load of snow...I'm looking forward to seeing green stuff too...

Hey- im also looking into getting one here in Canada...my first new car..I've been driving the same dodge neon since high school (a used 96..side door doesnt even open anymore)...I'M surprised though at the cost - did the dealer not budge on the cost at all?Are you going with a Manual or Automatic? I get the sense that alot of owners go with manual, but i live and work in Toronto- city traffic is a killer- so its a hassle to drive stick,.Agreed on the XFM radio thing...way to pricey--- my feeling is that GM should be throwing that in for free..4-6 weeks- I'm surprised...i wonder if they are making them in Ontario or MI?Best of luckSims

welcome to the forums simsimo manual is better in city traffic, it's better on gas actually then it is auto, should research it all between the vibe u want in auto, and the vibe u want in manual, the manuals are also about 1500 cheaper then autos, better performance and better on gas over all

oh and did they throw in a sun roof-debating about that one- not sure if i would ever use it

I had a sunroof on my Vibe and rarely used it. But I thought I would, so I paid extra for the package with the sunroof. I also now have a sunroof on my Rogue, but that came in a package that I wanted with a bunch of other stuff, so I don't mind so much paying for it. I don't think the Vibe is part of the GM "free sunroof" promotion thing I've seen them advertise on TV, which means you'd have to pay for it.

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »I don't think the Vibe is part of the GM "free sunroof" promotion thing I've seen them advertise on TV, which means you'd have to pay for it.Correct. Wave SE, G5, G6 (certain builds), and Torrent (certain builds).As for the block heater, I can't believe you didn't plug your vibe in. I've had a few cars that I left without the block heater here, but the vibe is possibly the worst winter-starting car I've had. anything past -10/15 and it gets plugged in. Almost had a no-start after a night shift at work in -15 and was quite surprised.@Eloi : Congrats on the new ride!

Quote, originally posted by kunkstyle »As for the block heater, I can't believe you didn't plug your vibe in. I've had a few cars that I left without the block heater here, but the vibe is possibly the worst winter-starting car I've had. anything past -10/15 and it gets plugged in. Almost had a no-start after a night shift at work in -15 and was quite surprised.I swear I didn't, and that was with the stock 310CCA (320? 330? I've seen all written here) battery.

Hahaha - sorry, didn't mean I literally didn't believe you. It just suprised me

Welcome to GenVibe....makes me want a new one now.

Quote, originally posted by Eloi »There was absolutely nothing available anywhere (there were only the base 1.8L models, or the GT ones), so my car got ordered from GM. I should get it in 4 to 6 weeks. These will be long weeks...I can't wait to drive my new Vibe!!Congrats!Can you see if there are any rebates available? We used the rebate in addition to the GM card savings. 4-6 weeks is nothing...I waited 3 months LOL. You'll be driving your new baby very very soon! We need pics!!

@HawaiiPontiacLover: looks like there is no rebate availabale in the province of Quebec, Canada actually. I guess that they think that a brand new version of a popular car will sell a bit by itself...You waited 3 months?? Now it's long and I'd have a hard time to wait that long...@Sims: No sunroof for me. The sunroof package comes with the 7-speaker improved audio system (which I'd have loved to get) but I don't feel like spending $1130 for a sunroof. I'd have taken the sunroof if I didn't pick A/C. @Sims: I bought a manual. I don't like automatic, which is $1485 more expansive too. I got the very best deal I could get in my area. I got more cash for my old 351,000 km Sunfire 1996 ($500, which was reduced from the car price before adding the 14 % tax, so it saved me like another $140 or so) and got $645 less than the price I got using the "Build Your Vibe" thing. I went to another dealer and the guy congratulated me on the price I got at the first vendor and told me to buy it there, that he could never give me that price. The vendor where I bought the car actually showed me the "invoice" price vs. the price they sell and they could have made a $1,800 profit on my car. With the price he sold it to me, the profit is reduced to less than $1,200, which is not that much (around 6%) for a $20,000 car IMO.

When I was looking for Vibes, the dealers didn't have them. Frosty was either on or headed to Maui, and the dealer did a 'trade' with them to get it here. Nobody had Neptune, so I had to order it. I think after being in Fremont, it was put on a train or trailer or something to the shipping harbor in CA, where it waited to be put on the barge to come here.Now I think dealers know better to have a decent selection of Vibe on the lot!This island now has *3* Pontiac dealers LOL

another nextgenviberwelcome to the family!