2 weeks with a 2009 GT (and comparisons to my old 2005)

[farles]

Well, I have had my 2009 GT for 2 weeks now, and loving it Thought I would throw out some comments and some neat little comparisons (differences) to my old 2005. First off, the ride is much different...it is smoother and more refined, especially on the highway. There is much less wind noise and surprisingly low tire noise considering the 18" rims and performance tires. When the car is pushed, it responds well...tightens up and can be whipped through the twisties with confidence. The steering feels weird at first, but this is because of the variably assisted steering. It gets comfortable with some use. Its hard to comment on the traction control and stability control, but there is almost no wheel spin/slippage in rainy conditions. I do wish the gearbox was tighter as well as the clutch, they feel too sedated Interesting little differences from the 2005 to this one. The glass in the hatch door is attached, it does not open separately. Frankly, I rarely opened just the glass in my 2005. The dash lights dim by turning the trip odometer knob...cool! The audio system is awesome for being stock. The car has a low tire pressure monitor. The steering column is tilting AND telescoping. The front cupholders are adjustable for those Big Slurpees. Better feeling switches and materials. The engine is very refined from the old one...plenty of low end torque and quiet highway running.Best of all (and no disrespect to the old Vibe styling, I still love it) the 2009 looks spectacular They really nailed the styling and got the proportions just right, but still keeping the Vibe look. I get tons of stares and comments about it Sorry for the long review, I know you like 'em short. Just wanted to get some first hand reviews out there to the group.

[jake75]

Is the gas tank still 15 gal? Or now 13?

[Sublimewind]

This is great... steping forward with a re-design, rather than back... now, you need some springs on that sucker, to get rid of that wheel gap...!!

[Kamikaze]

does the TPMS (tire pressure monitor) acutally tell you the pressure in the tires?

[ramenboy...]

hey farlesgreat writeup! same points are mentioned in a bunch of other threads... its good to kind of have them all in one post.was your o5 a gt also?

[NibCrom]

Thanks for the write-up!

[kowell]

My 2009 Vibe (2.4L but not GT) has a 50 liters tank wich means 13 US gallons and a few decimals.The tire pressure monitoring system does not give the individual pressure of each tires. It's only 1 warning light on the dash.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by kowell »My 2009 Vibe (2.4L but not GT) has a 50 liters tank wich means 13 US gallons and a few decimals.The tire pressure monitoring system does not give the individual pressure of each tires. It's only 1 warning light on the dash.So we lost 2 gals of fuel compared to prior Vibes - about 50-60 miles less range on a fill. Also a reduction in cargo area. Both a step backward.

[ClunkClunk]

Telescoping steering wheel is a big bonus in my book. I can't get comfortable in my girlfriend's Vibe at times. I must have longer legs, because if I move the seat back far enough for my legs to be comfortable, the wheel is a bit too far away.

[scooter]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »So we lost 2 gals of fuel compared to prior Vibes - about 50-60 miles less range on a fill. Also a reduction in cargo area. Both a step backward.Nope, Vibe tanks have been 13, except the AWD which was a bit smaller @ 12.Cargo:2008 - Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 54.1 and all seats in place (cu ft): 19.32009 - Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 49.4 and all seats in place (cu ft): 20.1A bit less with rear seats down, but about the same with the seats up. Difference is probably the roof slope, more aerodynamic design. My guess is since all the other dimensions are within an inch of the old model, the difference is VERTICAL, which would only come into play when trying to haul a larger taller object.

[AzFusionGT]

Great write-up! Thanks for sharing...that color is awesome. Did you get the manual? Do you miss lift?

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by scooter »Cargo:2008 - Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 54.1 and all seats in place (cu ft): 19.32009 - Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 49.4 and all seats in place (cu ft): 20.1A bit less with rear seats down, but about the same with the seats up. Difference is probably the roof slope, more aerodynamic design. My guess is since all the other dimensions are within an inch of the old model, the difference is VERTICAL, which would only come into play when trying to haul a larger taller object.So do you think the cargo mat from the 2003-2008's would fit the 2009?Wonder if the 1.8L engine is also less noisy in the '09.

[futureviber]

i hated the look of the 09 at first but I really like it now, dont know what it was. and I LOVE that color!! If I ever upgrade im definitely wanting that color, it is fantastical!

[scooter]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »So do you think the cargo mat from the 2003-2008's would fit the 2009?Wonder if the 1.8L engine is also less noisy in the '09.Hard to say. I also read that they pushed the wheels out towards the corners a bit for handling reasons, so with that said, where the wheel well cut-outs on your old cargo mat might not line up.... I will say this, I will definitely invest in one of those (Cargo mat) if I do make the jump to the '09. My 2003 cargo area is a scratched up mess!

[3_D]

Got to agree with all Farles points. Coming from 2005 Matrix XR to 2009 Vibe GT. Ride and exterior noise greatly refined. Liking it better every day. Great Stereo also.

[BoostFrenzy]

we're going to replace the vibe with a 08 civic ex-l, i don't feel the car has evolved as a commuter like it should have.

[northvibe]

Quote, originally posted by BoostFrenzy »we're going to replace the vibe with a 08 civic ex-l, i don't feel the car has evolved as a commuter like it should have.well thats random, but whats the reasons for "not evolved" like it should have? not to hijack though :s

[agksimon]

Everything said in the original post, I concur with. My 2009 AWD with the chrome wheels does get a lot of looks and positive comments.I like the GT, but traded in my 2006 FWD after getting stuck in the snow this last winter. West Michigan had a lot of snow.

[redlava]

Nice to hear some comparisons. Now I just have to decide if I want to save money or buy a new Vibe!!

[kowell]

I test drove a 2008 and 2009 1.8L on the same evening. The 2009 1.8L is quieter.

[farles]

Thanks for all the great responses to my post. I agree with the comments about the colour, it really adds to the GT. I have been able to catch some other GT's around here, including white, grey, and black. I first saw the new Vibe at the Toronto Auto Show in February and they had a red one there. It looks great in any colour, but I am noticing that more people comment first about the colour than the car.Quote, originally posted by futureviber »i hated the look of the 09 at first but I really like it now, dont know what it was. and I LOVE that color!! If I ever upgrade im definitely wanting that color, it is fantastical!Without a doubt, the most interesting decription of the colour Quote, originally posted by jake75 »So do you think the cargo mat from the 2003-2008's would fit the 2009?I am quite sure that the old cargo mat would not fit the new one. I can check to be sure as my mother drives a 2007. I can take a picture of it, but the floor of the cargo area sits below the sill of the hatch door. It also has a different shape. I don't believe the wheels have been pushed further into the corners, it looks to be just the same as the old one (just my guess by seeing them side by side...we could check the actual stats). The stock subwoofer eats up most of the little storage bin on the passenger side of the hatch (a good trade off ). The cargo area has some neat features over the old one. The floor is ribbed in very sticky rubber that grabs almost anything. The floor over the spare tire folds open and reveals some small cubbies and handles for grocery bags and such. They have used the space wisely.Quote, originally posted by scooter »Cargo:2008 - Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 54.1 and all seats in place (cu ft): 19.32009 - Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 49.4 and all seats in place (cu ft): 20.1A bit less with rear seats down, but about the same with the seats up. Difference is probably the roof slope, more aerodynamic design. My guess is since all the other dimensions are within an inch of the old model, the difference is VERTICAL, which would only come into play when trying to haul a larger taller object.The cargo area doesn't SEEM to be smaller, but numbers dont lie. Could be a combination of the smaller rear windows and the subwoofer. Not sure what is in place of the subwoofer if you didnt have the Monsoon stereo.Quote, originally posted by AzFusionGT »Great write-up! Thanks for sharing...that color is awesome. Did you get the manual? Do you miss lift?My car is manual, but most other GT's around seem to be automatic, which is a 5 speed too. I prefer manual, it more fun to drive, better response and feel from the engine, better on gas , and cheaper to buy I assume by lift you mean the liftgate (glass). Haven't missed it yet, but I rarely used it on the 2005, maybe twice in 3 years.Thanks again everyone! Have a great long weekend (in Canada). Next weekend for our friends to the south

[northvibe]

Quote, originally posted by farles »My car is manual, but most other GT's around seem to be automatic, which is a 5 speed too. I prefer manual, it more fun to drive, better response and feel from the engine, better on gas , and cheaper to buy I assume by lift you mean the liftgate (glass). Haven't missed it yet, but I rarely used it on the 2005, maybe twice in 3 years.Thanks again everyone! Have a great long weekend (in Canada). Next weekend for our friends to the south he meant lift from you old GT, the old 2zz engine had "lift" which was like a extra boost that kicked in in the higher rpms.

[farles]

Thanks for clarifying, I didnt realize what was meant by lift. My old Vibe was not a GT, so I cannot directly compare them. My buddy has a Celica GTS (with that same engine) and so I can comment on that. What I found was that when the lift kicked in (was it 5000rpm?) it was quite a rush. The engine was very rev happy but did need the high rpm's to really come to life. His car is a blast to drive (also has the same 6 speed as the old Vibe GT). I truly do wish the 2009 GT had an engine more in line with the old GT, it would make it that much more fun to drive. Maybe they will offer up something in the coming years, say, the new 2.4 with lift to bring it over 200hp I suppose that Toyota and GM were aiming more for refining the car than thrills. I also understand that the old GT was not a big seller and was dropped in Canada over the last couple of years On a side note, in days gone by, I owned a 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo and an Eagle Talon AWD Turbo. The MR2 was the most fun car I have ever owned by far. Light and powerful with Toyota reliability. Having that Turbo sizzling 2 feet behind your head was amazing The Talon was a good compromise between performance, comfort, and year round drivability. Both Turbo's were gas guzzlers , and this is where the old GT engine excelled. It was just like having a regular 1.8 but with a steroid shot over 5000rpm

[lowincash]

nice review. i'm looking into getting a 09 vibe gt sometime in the next couple months. i've been doing my research and i originally wanted the 09 toyota matrix xrs but i'm just not feeling the look...thank goodness i found out there was the vibe lol basically almost the same just look better :Di have one question for you farlesdo you have a sunroof? and if you do, do they have the rubber housing thing that covers up the side openings? here's a pic of what i'm talking about...i notice the toyota matrix has that so i'm just wondering if the vibe has one too...thanks

[farles]

Hey lowincash...I do have a sunroof and there is the rubber housing that you speak of. Helps with keeping out rain and wind noise on the tilt feature. I can snap a pic sometime and post it here. Interesting that you mention the sunroof because there is an interesting 'feature' to it. It has 'auto open' and 'auto close' (you know, one touch opening and closing). When you use 'auto open' it opens up about 80% of the way and stops. You can then manually open it the rest of the way. But, if you do open it up to 100% then there is a very nasty wind vibration type noise that is tough on the ears, but only between 50-60 kph . After that is goes away. Toyota must have picked this up and set up the auto open feature to stop where it does to eliminate that vibration. (Maybe I am naive and all sunroofs that open into the roof do this, but this is my first sunroof). Also, with the sunroof, there is a flip down compartment along with the map light and switches. It must have been meant to be for sunglasses, but, oddly, it is too small for two pairs, and is not quite deep enough for one...I have to have them sit at just the right spot. A little more depth would have been ideal. Gotta say, loving the car lots An excellent evolution over the old Vibe, and I agree with lowincash...the new Matrix is not grabbing me with the look. I often have to check to be sure it is not a Corolla when I see one

[darcmater]

Quote, originally posted by farles » They really nailed the styling and got the proportions just right, but still keeping the Vibe look. I get tons of stares and comments about it I can't help but disagree, everytime I see the car I think its a matrix first, only after I see the badging or the front do I realize its a vibe.

[lowincash]

cool thanks for the info...would be cool if you can get a pic of it but probably i'm going to the pontiac dealer to check it out today. reason i asked about the sunroof rubber housing thing is i think it adds a bit of class to it lol. mercedes, lexus, bmw, and vw all has that for their sunroof and it just looks better not having those metal rails and stuff shown. interesting about the sunroof opening 80% i think it's a good thing. my current car (2002 maxima) has auto open/close sunroof and that switch has 4 clicks to it...i think it's kind of annoying especially when i'm driving and only want to open it 3 clicks so it won't have all that buffeting wind noise on the hwy. can't wait to get this car have you driven at night so far? i'm just wondering how the halogen light output is. this is going to be my first car with halogen so i'm just a bit curious.

[Jyik40]

The headlights on the 09 Vibe is actually very bright. The lowbeams have a very nice cutoff along with a wide dispersion pattern on the road. The highbeams are exceptionally bright. Due to the two bulb setup, the lowbeams stay on when you turn the highbeams on.Another thing you can do to make the headlamps brighter is to replace the bulbs with HIR bulbs made by Toshiba. They are brighter and almost a direct plugin. The foglamps on the GT model is very bright with a lot of light thrown out to the sides.