GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I took my wife to a Toyota dealership to take a look at the new Matrix. She loves the outside. They had a red S model on the floor. Then she gets inside and gives me . Then I sit in it and get the sam feeling. The quality of materials has taken a step back from previous generation. The HVAC controls stick out like a broken middle finger in a cast. The three big knobs look terrrible and out of place. They also feel like they require more effort to turn. So unfortunately we scratched the Vibe/Matrix off the list. I test drove the new Impreza and liked it a lot, except that it has a lot less cargo room than the Vibe/Matrix. I'm might look into the new Forester.

yeah i feel the same. kind of. i like the design of the o9 trix. and i like the o9 seats. but the dash and console...still not liking the oval they used to replace the two smaller cirular pods of the temp and gas indicators. what about an o8?

I don't like the gutless 1.8. I'm looking for some pep. Although the Impreza also feels slow due to auto trans. My wife wants an auto even though she know how to drive a manual.

I love the exterior of the new Trix & Vibe. I drove a new '09 GT for about 30 minutes and I really don't like the interior at all. The seats are not comfortable, and it just feels cheap in there.

I didn't test drive it. It was over once I saw the interior. I do love the exterior though.

Quote, originally posted by SinisterMind »I don't like the gutless 1.8. I'm looking for some pep. Although the Impreza also feels slow due to auto trans. My wife wants an auto even though she know how to drive a manual.It also feels slow, because of more drivetrain loss, due to the AWD... Get her a WRX mang.. WRX hatch..!!! (i'm a Subaru guy at heart, but love my Vibe..)

I thought they would have gone to electronic controls for the HVAC for '09 but it seems they're still mechanical... I didn't like the way the knobs feel when you turn them, needs too much effort, noisy, and don't operate smoothly. I don't care for the feel of the first gen either in that regard. Little things like that really get under my skin, don't ask me why. lol!That oval looks stupid too, but all in all I guess I could tolerate it. Would be a neat looking cluster if it weren't for that.I've read several reviews knocking the new Corolla in terms of interior materials, the new one seems to be worse than the old... so that applies to the Vibe/Matrix too, eh?I'd still like to drive a new one to see what they're like though... They have addressed a few of my gripes with the original and haven't added too much more stuff for me to complain about. lol!

i guess i'm one of the few that likes the new vibe's interior lol i actually thought it was a step up from the old ones. looks and feels more updated in a way. just didn't like that oval thing on the gauge but still not too bad. i especially like how they did the sunroof this time around. they have that rubber thing covering the metal bars and stuff. very nice touch. i've actually never liked the previous vibe/matrix/corolla interior or the car because it looked so cheap. i've never thought i want one of those until i saw the new ones lol

I checked out the new Corolla too. The quality went downhill for that car too. The previous gen was decent for the money, but the new one is . Just like the above posters say. The HVAC controls require more effort to operate. The seats are an improvement along with telescoping wheel. That freakin' Rav4 V6 Limited is looking even more like a bargain. Gets the same fuel economy as the Matrix AWD while being a lot faster and roomier. Decisions, decisions.

Quote, originally posted by SinisterMind »I don't like the gutless 1.8. I'm looking for some pep. Although the Impreza also feels slow due to auto trans...ha! if you think the impreza is slow... yeah these were never meant to be rockets, but a few of the guys have been able to eek out some real HP.

what 09 GT seats did it have? I've got leather/fabric and I find the seats really comfortable. There's a pump to adjust the hight. I found the quality very comparable to my old 2001 VW Turbo Beetle. And I like the black/graphite dash.

Hey all, the dollar doesn't buy as much quality (among other things) as it used to. All new imports and domestics are cutting corners in some way to keep prices down for us. The murican buck has really taken it in the shorts lately. I'm guessing the guy looking for more 'pep' will unknowingly help further the dollar's fall by having to export even more greenbacks for the extra gas he will have to use. Woof. It's a nasty cycle. I'll take my sluggish fuel stingy 1.8 any day, especially now at 4+ bucks a gallon. You need to look ahead a little. As much as I wish, I don't think fuel prices are likely to slip backwards very much... and if they did, it probably would only be a temporary thing at best. If you need extra pep, drink coffee.

only thing i like about the inside is the GT bucket seats...everything else just doesnt look right to me