Prices paid and ownership experience.

[hqgreen]

Hi. Seriously considering a vibe, and I was curious if anyone here would like to comment. I found an 06 gt that's apparently mint, leather, sunroof, monsoon. OTD for 10,700. 73k miles. No real warranty. Is this a good deal?It's 2 hours away, so I haven't driven the car yet. I did drive an 08 with 38k, not the gt, but a 5 speed. It was okay. Are the cars (gt and non gt) much different? Should I be concerned about the mileage? How many miles can I expect out of the car?Thanks for all of your input!!!

[L5K]

I've had my 03 GT for about three months now. Paid 6,000 exactly for it at a local small town dealer. I can't speak 100% for the differences, but as far as I know the only differences from a GT to a base is the gauge cluster, engine, and drivetrain. So far I LOVE mine. I think in the later models, after 04, lift will kick in at like 6800 rpm, where as in 03/04 it kicks in at 6200... Also, the later models, I'm not sure what years they changed from a cable mechanism for the throttle to a DBW system. Mine's got a little over 80k miles on it and I trust it to go anywhere. Reliability wise, the whole car is built by Toyota and it seems to be few and far between that have reliability problems even with higher miles. If you don't mind shifting a little more then I'd definitely recommend the GT, but then again, I'm a younger male driver so take that as you will lol.Also though Pontiac/Toyota says to use only Premium fuel, 91 octane or more in the GT models with the 2ZZ engine. It says you can use as low as 87 without problems, but says to do so only if 91 is not available. Whether this is as important as they say is unknown to me, but I always put 91 in mine because that's what the engineers say. I'm sure they might know a thing or two about the engine.

[Zig]

How much car do you want for your money? I just bought a striped down 2009 for $11,200. 0 miles! New warranty 6 airbags, so far getting 36mpg.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by Zig »How much car do you want for your money? I just bought a stripped down 2009 for $11,200. 0 miles! New warranty 6 airbags, so far getting 36mpg. How stripped was that? Not even air conditioning? No GM Card points either?

[Esteban]

Using the expired " Cash for Clunkers " program, I traded in a $1000 clunker on a 2010 new Vibe, listing for $19,500. I paid $11,950, & that included sales tax, dealer fee, etc. I average 31-35mpg. Ladyfriend has the Toyota Matrix, same mechanically , has 95,000 miles & has never been back to the dealer.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by Esteban » Using the expired " Cash for Clunkers " program, I traded in a $1000 clunker on a 2010 new Vibe, listing for $19,500. I paid $11,950, & that included sales tax, dealer fee, etc. I average 31-35mpg. Ladyfriend has the Toyota Matrix, same mechanically , has 95,000 miles & has never been back to the dealer.Oh - maybe that's how ZIG got his for $11,200. The devil is always in the details and many omit the details which can mislead potential purchasers on here who ask for advice on a new or used purchase as to what they can reasonably expect.For example, one might tell youhe leased a new Vibe GT for $99 a month but neglected to tell you the lease term or that the upfront payment was $8,000.

[Zig]

Sorry, I did mislead. I got "End of the summer clearance sale" discount. Yes it has NO options. But on the other hand, it has a lot standard. Tilt steering, electric mirrors, rear window defrost, delayed windshield wiper, rear wiper, onstar, xm, trac control, AC inverter. No A/C, manual windows, no cruze or door locks. I also had to research scour the web, to find one like this and drive a couple hundred miles out of state to get the one that I wanted. I was basically looking for a Geo Metro replacement that I already had for five years of driving back and forth to work.My local Pontiac dealer (the one we bought my wife's Vibe from) refused to help me find a striped down Vibe. So I had to search the Pontiac website, changing my zip code along the way. We are now a two Vibe family.

[Esteban]

I would have bought a Matrix, but Toyota didn't have as many incentives as GM. Anyway, I was needing another vehicle & couldn't pass the deal up. Mine does have a/c, PW,PDL, cruise, tilt, & other options such as " Onstar " & satellite radio for 3 months. Dealer tossed in a couple of other things including lifeting oil & filter changes. The " out the door " price of $11,900 included over $1000 in state taxes & dealer fees. A DEAL I couldn't pass !

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by Zig »Sorry, I did mislead. I got "End of the summer clearance sale" discount. Yes it has NO options. But on the other hand, it has a lot standard. Tilt steering, electric mirrors, rear window defrost, delayed windshield wiper, rear wiper, onstar, xm, trac control, AC inverter. No A/C, manual windows, no cruze or door locks. I also had to research scour the web, to find one like this and drive a couple hundred miles out of state to get the one that I wanted. I was basically looking for a Geo Metro replacement that I already had for five years of driving back and forth to work.My local Pontiac dealer (the one we bought my wife's Vibe from) refused to help me find a striped down Vibe. So I had to search the Pontiac website, changing my zip code along the way. We are now a two Vibe family. 1. If you got that price without GM points, cash for clunkers, or pictures of that the dealer messing around with his female employees (like Letterman) then you may be the all time low price winner.2. No a/c. Proves me wrong - I assumed that they never built a Vibe without a/c, that it was just a ruse to be able to advertise a lower price point.3. You're Amish aren't you.

[star_deceiver]

No A/C, Yes indeed they do make them!!!

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[Ridewest]

I bought a 2005 AWD with 10,000 miles for 14,500--I've had it for about 3 years and have about 90,000 miles on it now. I couldn't be happier--no mechanical problems--mileage between 30 to 36 mpg--a little loud and hard on tires(AWD)--but I knew going in it wasn't a Lexus--I feel I got a good bang for my buck

[gottabstick]

Sounds like not too bad of a deal... All I can say is if you go there to drive it, definately make sure you have the frame of mind that you do not NEED that particular car. Once you drive long distances to drive a car you are already semi- commited to the deal in your mind, with the time and money it took to check it out. I know I was. I was in the same situation, except for I drove 3 1/2 hours in a rental car to test drive my vibe. Made the rookie mistake of telling the dealer where I was from etc. Thinking back that kind of put me behind right of the bat in my bartering situation. I mean, he knew that I was very interested and that there werent that many low mile 03 gts for sale at that point in my area. I only managed to talk them out of some of the processing fees when it came to final price time, and I didn't get a particularly great deal. $11,000 2 years ago and the car had 59k miles on it.But ultimately I am happy with my purchase. Having some clutch issues again at the moment but that shouldnt be an issue for you with an 06. Car seems very sound, besides the weak clutches in the 03gts. We are very happy with fuel economy and how spacious it is. Maybe see if they have the service records which could give you peace of mind about the high miles. If basic maintenance has been kept up over its lifetime, the car still has a lot of life left in it. Ultimately you are looking at a toyota in pontiacs clothing , so 73k miles really shouldn't be an issue unless it was a hard hard 73k.Good luck

[kowell]

Cars without A/C are usually just shipped to Canada. Apparently some while ago manufacturers figured out that there could be more money made if they charged us $1,000 for the damn thing.

[j42.snyder]

Actually, to get it here we had to pay $3100 - because it was part of a lovely "take it or leave it" package. It included PW, PL, Keyless entry, cruise control, and A/C. Ridiculous!Because I plan on taking extended trips in the summer with my family, the A/C did seem like a nice thing to have again. Power locks are nice with the kids too. (Still trying to convince myself it was worth it) I'd love to get rid of the power windows - but I don't think that would be too easy. I just prefer to do some things manually.At least I get the GM employee discount (retired father-in-law), and I had almost $1000 in GM card points - but it still cost me a LOT more than what some of you have managed. Of course the base price of the car is higher here in Canada as well - and in Ontario we're paying 13% tax (plus A/C tax and fuel conservation tax). All together with whatever discounts I could get applied mine was still about $21,600 out the door. It's a 2009 1SB with 2.4 and automatic. About a month later it may have been $1000 less - but the deals were limited to what '09s were available - and I hadn't spotted too many others exactly how I wanted. I "found" mine the day it rolled off the truck - and decided to grab it.JohnP.S. - sorry that didn't really have much to do with the original post...For the GT in question - I'd mainly be concerned about the condition of the clutch. Regardless of how good/bad a design is, some people just don't know how to treat them properly. As long as it "feels" alright, it probably is. If it doesn't seem to grab until the pedal is almost all they way up, I would reconsider. Factor in the premium fuel as well. I've heard people try to run them on regular around here, and they knock quite heavily at low RPM. Not a healthy noise.

[ou.grizzly]

Thought A/C was standard in 2003-2008 Vibes and an option on 2009+

[slmclarengt]

Hey everyone! I've read a few things here and there about the Vibe and assisted in purchasing one for my girlfriend back in July. White 2009 2.4L Manual Vibe with A/C, Anti-Theft, Power everything, etc... Out the door $16,500 accounting for ~$2K in California taxes, registration and licensing, along with the dealer having to get the car from over 2 hours away (and of course gas + detailing).Wonderful vehicle; got oil changed with Castrol 5w-30 Synthetic + Winter tires (Eastern WA winters can be quite a pain) recently and runs terrifically. Slm

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »Thought A/C was standard in 2003-2008 Vibes and an option on 2009+In 2008 a/c was standard - 1.8 base msrp was $16,810 + 585 dest..In 2009 a/c was an $950 option, base msrp was $15,310 + 585 dest.. But 4 wheel disc antilock brakes, side airbags, stabiltrack were made standard - those 3 would have added $1,665 to the 2008.So a comparably equipped 2009 was $2,215 less than an '08.By the end of the 2009 model year, base msrp had crept up by $790 to $16,100 reducing the 09 vs 08 advantage to $1,425. Of course the incentives were better later in the model year.

[jasony0423]

I bought my '06 base Vibe with auto, a/c, sunroof, all the power junk, etc., for right around $15,000. It was a leftover '06 I bought in November of '06, so it was a leftover. While being driven conservatively, and 95% on highways, I've had no issues or complaints about the car. It just rolled over to 190,000 miles. If the car has been cared for, I wouldn't worry about 70,000 miles on one you're looking at.

[ou.grizzly]

Quote, originally posted by jasony0423 »I bought my '06 base Vibe with auto, a/c, sunroof, all the power junk, etc., for right around $15,000. It was a leftover '06 I bought in November of '06, so it was a leftover. While being driven conservatively, and 95% on highways, I've had no issues or complaints about the car. It just rolled over to 190,000 miles. If the car has been cared for, I wouldn't worry about 70,000 miles on one you're looking at.You purchased your vehicle new while this specific vehicle is used. Not sure if the miles were easy or hard. Another factor is you know the maintenance of your vehicle, the other is in question. Get the vehicle inspected by a mechanic you trust.

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by j42.snyder »Actually, to get it here we had to pay $3100 - because it was part of a lovely "take it or leave it" package. It included PW, PL, Keyless entry, cruise control, and A/C. Ridiculous!Ya.... I left it!!! Final price after tax was $16'7XX.

[jasony0423]

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »You purchased your vehicle new while this specific vehicle is used. Not sure if the miles were easy or hard. Another factor is you know the maintenance of your vehicle, the other is in question. Get the vehicle inspected by a mechanic you trust. Right, which is why I said "if it's been cared for", implying that it should be thoroughly checked out, but testifying to the longevity of the car if it HAS been properly cared for.

[ou.grizzly]

Quote, originally posted by jasony0423 »Right, which is why I said "if it's been cared for", implying that it should be thoroughly checked out, but testifying to the longevity of the car if it HAS been properly cared for.Not necessarily, reading over the forum a member here by the name of C. Panic took care of his vehicle and had nothing but issues.