GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Yep, I did it too,... got a cheep Vibe. The problem I'm having is its too quiet and I am having a hard time shifting and maintaining a constant speed. With so little engine noise it is really hard to launch the manual transmission smoothly. I have drove manuals all my life, but this thing is been hard to launch smoothly and the engine RPM's not dropping when you lift the accelerator is killing me. Its going to take awhile to love this striped down Vibe as much as I like my Wife's.

The dbw "rev hang" is annoying, I know... Absolutly no torque when letting off the clutch with no (or little) gas... Cutting out when holding the throttle steady at low speed... 4th is geared too high, they should've used only the E351 toyota tranny from the GT instead of sticking in the C151 for the 1.8L...I had to adapt quite a bit of my driving style. The wife won't let me put a louder muffler so I have to wait until I get a CAI.But even with these little annoyances, I've learned how to drive it properly... And it's MUCH better then driving a slushbox!!!

I wonder what the % of "slush boxes" is compared to manuals.

I'd guess 4-1 at least (4 slush for 1 man)

My last manual was a 1950 Ford.

That's going back a ways! 3 on the tree?

Here I thought I was the only one! The stick is so quiet I've been thinking about a new muffler AND the CAI.The muffler shop is recommending coming straight back and using a straight thru MagnaFlow and getting rid of the kinks that leave the muffler side to side behind the bumper.I'm also a bit concerned about adding both a less restrictive muffler and the CAI. Now, I know the engine is no WRX mill but Car and Driver did an exhaust system and the CAI on a WRX and the two combined to equal less HP than either one alone. The engine had to be chipped to fix that issue (and wowza did it make a difference!). But I don't want to drop my mpg any further in exchange for more power I don't need.

I'd just be happy getting rid of the rev hang! This is the only thing I've found for the Vibe 1.8 http://www.racinglab.com/sun-h....html But I'm not ready to drop $350US on something that may or may not get rid of it.

AHH, Good to know. I'm not the only one!

That's the main thing I hate about DBW cars, mechanical ones always feel better/more precise.

Quote, originally posted by wyatt89 »That's the main thing I hate about DBW cars, mechanical ones always feel better/more precise. This seems to be a universal complaint. Why did they change?

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »This seems to be a universal complaint. Why did they change?The DBW can (literally) drive itself and give itself the best fuel economy and least emissions it can while making it challenging (annoying) to drive. There's probably a student somewhere hooking up his laptop and gps to the car and devising a program to make the car your own personal limo...

I've noticed the rev hang, but you learn to work with this behaviour. I don't even think about it now and the shifts have gotten smooth. I believe the rev hang is a function for cleaner emissions. Very few people want to shift manually anymore. How else would someone be able to talk on the phone, eat meals, take care of the hair-do and even text your friends, if you had to deal that stupid manual shifter in rush hour traffic!!! I owned an automatic years ago. It was my first car in 1969. Since that time, all my cars have been manual. By the way, this rev hang thing has been a problem in cars and trucks since the 90s, as DBW continued to be perfected.

Apparently driving is seen as a major inconvenience when texting your friends...I think in 5 or so more years, the only stick shifts you'll find will be in sports cars, supercars and transport trucks... and even they're being phased out slowly.

Maybe even more quickly than that given the new CAFE standards. Hyper efficient automatics can squeeze a mile or two more per gallon than a stick shift - put in a tamper proof DBW that makes you drive like a granny and we're all saving some gas!

Wow, I didn't think the manual vibes had the processed DBW. I thought it would have been the mechanical. That is crazy. I have a hard time driving my car and its an automatic. I hate the fact that when I try to merge into traffic, it performs like I am trying to find a parking spot. I was wishing I got the manual, but not anymore. haha

We're still gonna have cars in 5 years?

Quote, originally posted by vibolista »We're still gonna have cars in 5 years? Yes we will, but the cars will be so computerized it will be like boarding the subway, any you'll have to buy your own ticket to be a passenger in your own car, too!

I'm still killing my engine. About once a day on the trip home. There just seems to be too little low end torque for a slow engine start-up. I drove my old 3cyl. Chevy Metro to work Saturday. What a joy to drive something that doesn't die when I start moving. Dont get me wrong, I love the new car,..., but its going to take some getting use to.

Quote, originally posted by Zig » I have drove manuals all my life, but this thing is been hard to launch smoothly It took me a month or two to be adept with my Vibe 5spd, after learning stick on a hand-me-down '92 Golf diesel. Before I got used to the Vibe I could drive my dad's and sister's late model TDIs fine, but last time I tried to I stalled it 3 times. My dad who's been driving dozens of manuals for 35 years stalled my car when he took it out one time. The first weekend I had the Vibe I got pulled over by a cop for doing an unintentional burnout on a rainy day at a stoplight on a steep hill...I had to explain to him that the car just had no torque below 2000RPMs.Long story short.: I hear you!

Took me about a month as well, but once you learn a feel for the gas & clutch it works pretty good.

I like a manual too, but with the track record of these transmission and clutches, I would of sprung for the auto.

Before I bought my vibe I talked with the owner of a Cottman transmission place that I'd worked with on a previous car. I asked him about whether I should get an auto or manual. He said that on most cars, the manual is the best option. However, he said that at around 60,000 miles he's getting some Vibe manuals in the shop, but he has never had to work on the Vibe auto...I know this is just one person's experience though.

2007 and newer 1.8L Vibes are using the c151 toyota manual tranny with 3.94 final drive ratio for 2007-8 and 4.31 for 2009-10. 2009-10 2.4L GT Vibes use the e351 toyota manual tranny. Has anyone Heard of any problems whith these transmissions/clutches on models this new? A clutch will last proportionately to how you use it. I have no doubt that an agressive city driver will burn out his/her clutch within 100000kms... same to the person who rides theirs constantly. Whereas the pure highway commuter will probably put 250000+kms before thinking about their clutch!

HiI just got a Brand New 2010 Vibe (1.8 L with 4 speed automatic) and guess what I have some "regrets" that I didn't got the Manual one !!! All my life I drove manual transmission and now I steel keep my hand on stick !!! (automatic stick). Also (like I did mention on other section of this forum) it is hard for me to see the engine RPM going over 2000... Otherwise, the car is excelent on many aspects, no matter what other may say !

Now, like I said and from a Manual Transmission person if you know to drive it (how and when to shift) a Toyota drive train sholud last with no problem 15,000 mile !!! I included the clutch too ! I never had problem with clutch on any of my cars ( 2 camry's and one Ford Explorer Sport)

Sorry 150,000 mile !!!! ouch...