GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Wow.. I actually like it.. I think it looks a lot more "manly" I guess you could say then the current decades. I wouldn't mind driving one! Turbo of course!

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I think the VW exec kept using the word "Masculine" in describing it. They definitely want more men to buy it, instead of being a chick car. I like it. Not enough to buy one new, but in a few years if the right deal comes along, especially if it is a diesel....

Lower it a little more and give it a bigger wing and you have an old Porsche 911... well, without the cool factor....

There are some nice galleries of that car around the net. The two-tone interior with lots of aluminum looks sweet. I'd take a TDI one with the moonroof

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »Lower it a little more and give it a bigger wing and you have an old Porsche 911... well, without the cool factor....You're so right!It still looks cool though, although every time I see it, I hear "black betty" lol

well the 911 did come from the beetle when the owner of VW wanted a sporty car. so he squished the bug.

Now the line between the Beetle and Porsche has been blurred even more.

Every time I hear "Black Betty", I see John Travolta and Connie Nielsen in my head. I will always like Connie, whether in this life or the next!

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »Now the line between the Beetle and Porsche has been blurred even more. Well being made in Mexico and the engine from Poland is STILL a huge defined line in my book...

I like the looks! I'd even consider getting a convertible (have to get over my fear of VW reliability, though).About three years ago I was at the new car show and saw a beautiful blood red Beetle with a tan interior and top. I sat in it and fell in love. I was constantly in the market for a new car then (finally quenched in 2009 with purchse of the Vibe) but I was concerned about the "chick factor".The next Monday at work I asked the hippest girl in the office:"New Beetle convertible. Gay or not gay?""Totally gay", she said.Scratched that off the list - but the new one is looking much better.

After a quick google - I love the interior! Painted dash and door sills.I just may have convince the wife this is what she wants for her new car. Probably doable when it comes out in a convertible.I'd love to see it w/one of those old style sliding convertible roofs. I could maybe live with that over a full convertible.The body would actually make a cool wagon concept - put a Mini-style roof on it w/some surf boards on a rack.

Quote from Kincaid:The next Monday at work I asked the hippest girl in the office:"New Beetle convertible. Gay or not gay?""Totally gay", she said.Scratched that off the list - but the new one is looking much better.-------------------------------------------------------------------- Too funny! Not that there is anything wrong with that. Of course driving a Vibe does not usually do much for masculinity, or getting street cred from a younger demographic. We are driving an "inbetweener", slowly getting used to lower T! until the Beetle actually looks Porsche "Rebel without a Cause" like,..... and we all know how that ended up. For some reason I am now craving breakfast sausages.

Don't know what you mean - I always think I am the coolest thing on four wheels when I'm out in my car! lol

That statement Soooo reminds me of the old Queen song written by the drummer, Roger Taylor, I'm In Love With My Car.

Quote, originally posted by 10vibe1.8auto »Of course driving a Vibe does not usually do much for masculinity. Please, I doubt anyone here cares what another random guy down the street thinks of his Vibe... But his girlfriend absolutely loooves my car.....

I think it looks cool.....but now it looks more like a Audi TT than anything else to me LOL

You guys crack me up! Seriously though, the Vibe with an SRT-4 type option would of been a sackful of confidence, or at least a hand full of fun! As it stands, the Vibe is really more about functionality and aesthetic than performance, which is not a bad thing. I dig those rims on Star Deceiver's Vibe, and the lines are quite attractive. A platform for real performance and excitement it is not. But that is not why any of us buys a car like the Vibe. It is all about fuel efficiency and haul ratio, with a bit of reliability thrown in for good measure for the right price. Functional, efficient, reliable, affordable, and a little fun to boot. I am not sure how the new Beetle falls into that matrix....sorry set of parameters. With a Diesel, it should be somewhat efficient. With a turbo it could be fun. Digging into the numbers might not bare that out. A little expensive and not quite fuel efficient enough. In fact somewhat of a let down. The only way to justify it is if it is a pocket rocket. Might be sprightly, as Consumer Reports might say, but even the Turbo version will probably not knock your socks off.http://content.usatoday.com/co...er-/1..."The engine lineup: * Base: 2.5-liter, five-cylinder gasoline vs. 1.8-liter four in last model. The engine is rated 170 hp, 177 lbs.-ft of torque. Expected mpg ratings: 22 city, 31 highway (manual transmission) 22/29 (automatic). * Optional: 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, rated 200 hp, 207 lbs.-ft. Expected mpg ratings: 30 highway, others to be announced. * Coming later as option: 2-liter turbo-diesel, 140 hp, 236 lbs.-ft. Mpg: 29/40/33."...http://autocarsprices.com/2011...tures/ ..."2012 Volkswagen New Beetle starting price MSRP is $19,440 – $28,140."...http://www.caranddriver.com/ne...showsThey are cheapening out some of the components, like in the new Jetta. Only the 2.0TSI will have a multi-link rear suspension. Base engine is the iron block 2.5 five cylinder gas guzzler with a torsion beam rear suspension.

Wonder how the turbo engine would compare to my 2009 Vibe 2.4L? It does have more horsepower (200hp v. 158 hp) and more torque (207 ft. lbs v. 162 ft. lbs).I'd of course like the diesel with it's better mpg and 236 ft lbs of torque!The pricing is not bad, although 6 cyl Mustang convertible can apparently be had cheaper. Doubt I can talk my wife into that however.

Quote, originally posted by 10vibe1.8auto »You guys crack me up! Seriously though, the Vibe with an SRT-4 type option would of been a sackful of confidence, or at least a hand full of fun! As it stands, the Vibe is really more about functionality and aesthetic than performance, which is not a bad thing. I dig those rims on Star Deceiver's Vibe, and the lines are quite attractive. A platform for real performance and excitement it is not. But that is not why any of us buys a car like the Vibe. It is all about fuel efficiency and haul ratio, with a bit of reliability thrown in for good measure for the right price. Functional, efficient, reliable, affordable, and a little fun to boot. Yup thats why i have a vibe GT and a nsrt-4. the vibe for the functionality and the neon for the fun to drive factor!but back on topic. I think it looks pretty nice and very porsche-esque as many has stated. The previous generation beetles have just been too small and feminine looking. I think if really beef it up and up the dimensions of the car, it could sway some buyers, but probably not me.

When I bought the Vibe, one of the used cars I almost bought instead was a 04 or 05? srt-4. When it comes to Mustang's, for the first time a v-6 could be acceptable. That 3.7l is pretty nice. If that neon srt-4 would of been orange blast pearlcoat instead of red, I probably would of snapped. The question between the side airbags or wanting the Recaro/Viper like seats had me perplexed too. Dealers did not seem to want to budge much on price, so I ended up getting a new Vibe for cheaper than I would of paid for an srt-4. The one thing I really was iffy about on the neon srt-4 was an iron block and aluminum head. I had already been in the head gasket from hades situation with a previous Mopar and promised myself never to have an engine like that again. It either has to be all aluminum or all iron! Three head gaskets in 15 years and needing another one was the last straw. That would of been a total of 5 head gaskets on that 2.2 liter Horizon. If it would of been a glhs Omni I might not of been as upset. The Caliber srt-4's engine was all aluminum and had more horsepower, but real world performance was better with the Neon version. Sadly when it was time to buy a new car, none could be found. Nor would I been able to get one at the price I paid for the Vibe. Decisions, decisions.Back to Beetle, the diesel would be the one to get. I would love to see a diesel hybrid one of these days. But I am not in the market for any new car, probably ever again. Temporary insanity took over to take this kind of depreciation hit to begin with. For now on somebody else can take the hit for the first 3-5 years.....maybe...I am so weak and like shiny new things.

Looks a LOT more German than the previous model, that's for sure