GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Could someone highlight the changes in the Vibe (Matrix) from years 2005 to 06 to 07 to 08 ?Thanks.

2005 went drive by wire from drive by cable. I believe DBW is still current. appearance changed in 2005 a bit but didn't change again until 2008(?)The AWD option and GT 6spd were done away with. Is it me or is the estimated HP keep dropping every year?

the 05-06 didnt have the awesome wave blue color aswell

2006 was the last year for first gen AWD and GTDrive by wire was not ever on the 06 AWD (not sure on the GT)no GT or AWD in 2007 or 20082nd gen 2009 marks the return of the AWD and GT

The 2005 had a new grill, and lost the dual-layer lid for the center console.

2006 added the flared rocker panels on mono and two-tones standard...

Thanks. What is "drive by wire", "drive by cable"?

Also what is "XRS"?

Quote, originally posted by stock »Thanks. What is "drive by wire", "drive by cable"?Drive by cable is when there is a physical connection from the accelerator pedal to the throttle body (usually connected by a steel braided cable). In this system, a idle air control valve is used to regulate the amount of air leaking by the throttle plate to regulate idle speed. It is an older style of throttle control.Drive by wire is the newer system that does not have a physical connection from the accelerator pedal to the throttle body. The accelerator pedal is actually an electronic switch that sends a signal to the ECM to "tell" the ECM how much power the driver is asking for. The ECM then manipulates the pedal signal and then "tells" the electronic throttle body (servo motor controlled) how much to open. There are some advantages to this system, such as:-idle air control valve, no longer needed. -Cruise control is built in to the system, without the need for a vacuum actuated servo and cable-HC emissions can be controlled more readily by limiting the short burst of over-throttle usually created by the operator when accelerating from stand still-less clutter in the engine compartment-ECM has better control of the throttle when traction control is activated-etc... Jason

Let's don't forget the center console 12V outlet was left out of the '05, giving some of us a chance to become do-it-yourselfers with the great help on this site.

At some point ('05 or '06 maybe?), the roof rack crossrails were dropped as standard equipment.In '07 the nylon cargo cover was dropped.In another thread, two readers said the '08 floor mats don't have the vibe logo.This kind of thread is exactly what a wiki would be good for. Why doesn't anybody use the one here? Is it not fully set up?

A lot of the horsepower changes over the years on the same model engine was due to Toyota recalculating horsepower based on new 2005 SAE standards (applied to 2006 model year Vibes). The engine was the same, simply the method used for calculation of horsepower changed.Similar logic applies to MPG ratings when the EPA revised how they test for mileage in 2007 (applying to 2008 model year cars).

The wiki seems to work fine, so I started an article with all the input above. Feel free to go edit the page. You do have to create a user and sign in before you can edit. http://www.genvibe.com/wiki/in...anges

actually the nylon cargo cover wasnt dropped..i got one in my vibe and it's an 07

Quote, originally posted by WaveAction »actually the nylon cargo cover wasnt dropped..i got one in my vibe and it's an 07I guess you got lucky. I didn't get one, a friend of mine didn't either and I found an online review that said they were made optional.

ah well i guess thats what i get for working at a gm dealership..got the cover and those straps aswell..wish i got the cargo net or the carpet though

Quote, originally posted by altimar »This kind of thread is exactly what a wiki would be good for. Why doesn't anybody use the one here? Is it not fully set up?Not sure, but the main wiki page has additional/same info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Vibe

Quote, originally posted by stock »Also what is "XRS"?The Toyota Matrix XRS is the equivalent (drive train-wise) of the Pontiac Vibe GT.

Any issues with the ECM failing? Volvo has some trouble with these.

2007 was the first year for the 100,000 mile gm powertrain warranty

Quote, originally posted by WaveAction »got the cover and those straps aswell..wish i got the cargo net or the carpet thoughPerhaps they tossed extra covers in the first '07s. Tire tie-down straps? Check! I got those. Cargo net was always extra option AFAIK. Carpet? You mean the carpet cargo area mat? You should have gotten that. I wonder how many people are not getting one.Has anybody else had to go back to the dealer to get a radio antenna, too? I wish I had a checklist to make sure my car's not missing anything else, there aren't supposed to be like back seats or anything huh?

Quote, originally posted by bull77 »Not sure, but the main wiki page has additional/same info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_VibeYeah, it has good info, but the point of this thread was to highlight model years differences in all the little details. Info that would be great for someone interested in purchasing a used Vibe to determine which year(s) to look for. The wikipedia article doesn't mention more than the front-end redesign in '05 and dropping the AWD & GT models for '07.

wikipedia is probably the most commonly used wiki on the internet, but wiki's are independent, I wouldn't call the one at wikipedia the "main" one. There is a wiki here, which I asked about a litle while ago ( http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=31559 ) and the answer from the folks that run the site was that they wanted people to hold off until some things could be sorted out. haven't heard any more on it since then. The full list of changes between model years would be a good thing for it if they let us know to go for it.

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »The full list of changes between model years would be a good thing for it if they let us know to go for it.Uh, well, the wiki seemed to work, so I already started a page. http://www.genvibe.com/wiki/in...angesThe thread you linked to looked like it got a bit heated. Should I dare resurrect it to offer my assistance?