GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I bought my Vibe as a practical and fuel efficient replacement for my 2003 Mustang GT convertible. The vibe is perfect for my short distance commuting to school and work and I plan on keeping it. But, I've got the itch for another drop-top and plan on getting a hardtop convertible someday after I'm done with school and back to working full-time. I've pretty much narrowed it down to one of the two following machines.http://www.autorivals.net/coup...s.htm

I'd go with the Lexus myself. They probably will be redesigning the BMW 3 series shortly. I think that style has been around since 07. Myself I like rag tops. Hard tops don't do anything for me.. plus most of hard top 'verts have huge rear ends to make room for it.. All in preference I guess. My friend has a '04 stang 'vert and I love hers. I had a '00 mustang coupe before the Vibe.

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »I'd go with the Lexus myself.Totally agree ! Make sure you keep the Vibe Though

I am 68. When I was in my mid-20's I had a used '64 and then a new '67 Cadillac Convertible. Needed something big as it was my only car. I almost bought a '67 T-Bird but the dealer was a pain. Sometime before I am too old to enjoy it I would kike to have another convertible. My bucket list I guess.

Growing up my father had a '63 Corvair convertible and a '67 Barracuda convertible. When I was in high school a buddy's father had a Fiat 124 Spider.I bought an old '80 Fiat Spider a couple years ago. It has its issues but it was inexpensive, and it is not my daily driver. My first rag top, I really like driving with the top down.

Of the two, get the Lexus. But for the $$$ you'd drop on a new one, why not hunt down a Solstice or Sky???

Maybe he wants more than two passengers, more than 2 cubic feet of truck space, and better resale value?

You are asking a question most of us Vibe owners can't even relate to....Should I spend $40,000 for a crappy Lexus or should I spend $50,000 on a BMW.This is not even a question in most of our homes for we spent $15,000 +/- on a Vibe and that was probably a financial stretch!!Good Luck with your decision. Maybe pass on both options, keep the Vibe (the best car value is the car you are currently driving) and put the money to something that retains value such as a house maybe?? Retirement fund??Dave

Quote, originally posted by Feelin’ The Vibe »Maybe he wants more than two passengers, more than 2 cubic feet of truck spaceThat's what the Vibe is for!!! If you're going to buy a fun to drive toy, why comprimise fun for the sake of an overpriced grocery getter! And reasle value??? A car is a product, nothing more. Just like a couch, refrigerator, or lawnmower... spend too much on an 'investment' like that and you'll be making payments even after you've sold it!

Thanks for the opinions. I'm simply intrigued by the idea of a hard-top convertible as I would liken it to owning two cars in one. The quiet and security of a nice coupe with the drop-top capability of a convertible. The Solstice/Sky is cute, and if a tiny two-seater was the direction I wanted to go, I'd probably get a Miata. One man's grocery getter is another man's autocross weapon. It's all relative and totally subjective. My philosophy regarding a bucket list revolves around the central idea that there's no better time to start on that list than today, just in case tomorrow never comes. The Lexus intrigues me most primarily due to the refinement and stellar reliability of Toyota products. I don't plan on buying it new and since it'll be a couple years from now, I should be able to pay cash to avoid interest and payments. Sure, there would be less expensive alternatives, but sometimes it's just important to get what you want. Sort of like when many of us spent a little more money to get a Vibe than a less expensive, less desirable alternative. I reiterate, it's all relative.

Ya know what Im gona say !

I vote for the Lexus.

Do you plan to keep it till it dies? If so, then resale value wouldnt matter anyhow.

Quote, originally posted by TONY TAT2 »Ya know what Im gona say !Not exactly, but if I were to take an educated guess, probably a Solstice GXP since you are such a Pontiac/Corvette fan. Am I right?Quote, originally posted by cptnsolo77 »Do you plan to keep it till it dies? If so, then resale value wouldnt matter anyhow.That's the plan and therefore the reason I want to get something I really want and something that will last forever. All signs point toward the Lexus. My wife has the same philosophy for her next vehicle. We plan on getting her a 2010 or newer RX350 when I graduate from nursing school and get my RN license. The convertible will come a few months later after I save up the cash.

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djkeev = killjoy!lolI'll be the odd man out then. I didn't agree with anything that autorivals.com said. I prefer everything about the BMW (except the reliability and cost). Doesn't BMW now cover every cost for the first 3 or so years? I suppose if these were my two choices and I was going to have the car past the time when BMW covered all maintenance, I'd go with the uber reliable Lexus. The high rear quarters of the Lexus have been growing on me of late, though I still think the BMW looks better.If it were me, my choice would be the ragtop Mustang - either the current one or the prior 2005-09 model. I think it looks great top up or down. Sits four in a pinch (literally!).

And hey don't forget about this! One of my friends just got a new Infiniti G25 sedan after she wrecked her Altima. Performance would probably different, but the inside was VERY nice, and drove good too!

Cough cough 1 Series vert cough coughhttp://www.bmw.com/com/en/newv....htmlcough cough 1M cough coughhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEvpnKRLDO4

for gigglesThis thread needs more M RoadsterAnd more Z06 ConvertibleAnd More Viper RT/10More 442!More S4/RS4And Finally (probably out of price range)MORE M6 CabrioAND my favorite convertible to date, the R8OK I'm done.

Whelan I think you covered everything except...NEEDS MORE COWBELL!

I like the volvo C70. The BMW 3 series is going to offer more tech and performance. Still, I really like this volvo.

Why not this awesome convertible?

Quote, originally posted by Kincaid »NEEDS MORE COWBELL!anything can be found on the internetz (see bottom of pic), and it's on a convertible (technically)!And I love the C70. Although I must say BMW makes a fine convertible.

No doubt there are many great choices out there. I remember shopping for a 'vert back in '06 and I ended up with a blue 2003 Mustang GT with a 5-speed manual. It was a fun car and I miss it occasionally, but my Vibe is way more practical and much safer.

id go with the BMW 335i. arent those twin turbo ?

I recently had the opportunity to drive a Lexus IS350C, a BMW 335i and a Volvo C70. Frankly, I preferred the C70. Still wouldn't rule out the Lexus since I'd like to drive a IS250C. Didn't really care too much for the BMW. It was fun to drive but a little too crude for me to have to live with for several years.Thanks vibedrivermatt for the heads up on the Volvo!Quote, originally posted by vibedrivermatt »I like the volvo C70. The BMW 3 series is going to offer more tech and performance. Still, I really like this volvo.

I am surprised nobody mentioned a Pontiac G6 convertable? They can be had for cheap price, seats 4 comfortably or 5 in less comfy fashion. Has a metal top and has good trunk space.

Quote, originally posted by journeyforce »I am surprised nobody mentioned a Pontiac G6 convertable? They can be had for cheap price, seats 4 comfortably or 5 in less comfy fashion. Has a metal top and has good trunk space.No doubt if "cheap" was the goal, the G6 would be a consideration.

UPDATE: My wife and I purchased her RX350 last April and as soon as we've paid ourselves back by this summer I'll probably be looking at an IS250/350C. I really like the looks of the BMW but can't bring myself to entertain the notion of copious repair bills as the German machine ages. Lexus all the way baby! We love the RX, here's a pic.

So did this Lexus put your wanted drop top purchase on the back burner?

Kincaid wrote:So did this Lexus put your wanted drop top purchase on the back burner?

No, as stated earlier in this thread, our plan all along was to get the RX350 first and then a convertible after we've paid ourselves back for the RX. I'm starting to look for a nice used 2011/2012 IS250C or IS350C. Although we have the cash now, I'd like to stick with the original plan of fully repaying our saving account the $29K we borrowed from ourselves for the RX. I need to get back to picking up an extra shift at work each week to get the job done sooner.

Your smart skipping the Euro luxury cars and going with the Lexus. In the end you will just have routine maintenance on it instead of 50 million repairs on a BMW or Benz.

I am sorry but if I shell out $50,000 on a BMW or Benz or any luxury car I expect it to be uber reliable or at least more reliable then a $20,000 Focus or Cruze. But instead these cars are so unreliable and depreciate like mad

Good luck on your choices. Does Lexus still offer a car with a stick?

Yes, I'm spoiled with the reliability of the Toyota products. No matter how nice the euro cars look or supposedly drive, I can't justify giving up rock solid reliability. The Lexus IS250C/IS350C looks nice and will motor along trouble free for many years.

Yes, to the best of my knowledge, the IS250 and IS250C are available with a 6-speed manual tranny.

Kinda diggin' this one for sale at a dealership in the Big D.

http://infinitidallas.sewell.com/web/ve ... s/1274882/

I think it looks great, except I don't understand why there is the wod look in the shifter area, it's the only place it is on the interior and sort of looks out of place for that reason. I may be in the minority but for some reason I love the orangey leather, and I think it works really well with the black.

Thanks Scwmcan,

Although I hadn't really noticed prior to your comment, the wood trim on the console is a bit out of place. I did see that it is at least carried over to each door on the armrests. Yes, I really like the color combo with the black exterior and what they call "saddle" leather interior. I call it "baseball glove" colored seats. Looks pretty sharp, and masculine, IMO. My brother stopped by the dealer in Dallas and looked at the car for me. He said it was very nice save for a bit of curb rash on each of the front wheels. The sales professional told him they would repair the wheels prior to delivery. I'm gonna give 'em a call and see if we can make a deal.

PlatinumVibe08

I agree about that kind of seat color - love it. Just beware of wearing newer blue jeans because from experience it can really discolor the light leather seats.

I'm actually considering spending a bit more for this one. It's a fair bit closer to home and is a F-Sport Special Edition of which only 175 were made. While I like the Obsidian/Saddle color combo, I'm digging this one too.

Don't like the interior colour as much as the saddle, but like the rest, ( and the colour is still good). I do like that it seems not to have the "wood" trim on it.

The Black F Sport in Memphis was sold earlier the day I called. I then found a gorgeous White F Sport in Texas and had the deposit check written and ready to drop in the mail when I dug a little deeper and found out the car had been crashed and repaired. I had made an offer that was accepted based on the premise that the car had a clean history. When I realized it wasn't what I had anticipated, I bailed on the deal. Too bad though, man this car is beautiful!

PlatinumVibe08 wrote:Too bad though, man this car is beautiful!

I wish my paint looked like that...

Lexus calls it Starfire Pearl. It's absolutely gorgeous.

PlatinumVibe08 wrote:Lexus calls it Starfire Pearl.

Usually "pearl" white is just marketing talk but that actually has the sheen of a pearl. Impressive.

My original post was a bit over two years ago when I was still one year away from finishing nursing school and I was dreaming of buying my wife a Lexus RX350 and me a Lexus convertible. Here I am one year after graduation and working as a RN at the local hospital and through hard work and perseverance, the dream has met reality. Yesterday, my wife and I drove the RX350 to St. Louis to pick up my new Lexus SC430.

I'm really enjoying the SC430. It's a great car! I've installed LED daytime running lights and an aftermarket exhaust. I'm starting to think about some 19" wheels.

That wouldn't have been a car on my radar, but at the price they are going for and Toyota's reliability, looks like a good choice. How is the power and fuel economy?

Congrats on a long ago dream now realized!

Looks like you really enjoying this new ride of yours! That's awesome Beautiful fall scenery you used for the photo shoot! Also I don't see ANY of these in my neck of the woods. Just curious what the production runs were? How many were built? Either way you have a rare ride on your hands so enjoy it

Like most convertibles it sold better on the coasts.
Here are the production numbers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_SC43 ... production" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SeattleJeremy wrote:That wouldn't have been a car on my radar, but at the price they are going for and Toyota's reliability, looks like a good choice. How is the power and fuel economy?

I'm very happy with my choice. Glad I ended up with the SC vs. the IS250/350c. Sure, those are fine cars, but nothing replaces the torque and sound of a V-8. I made some runs at the local 1/8th mile drag strip and ran consistent 5.76-5.79 second 0-60 times. Besides, the styling of the SC430 is absolutely timeless and I saved $10K versus the cost of an IS. Regarding fuel economy, the SC was rated at 17city/23hwy, but does much better than that. I typically get 22-24 mpg in mixed driving, and 28-30 on highway road trips.

Kincaid wrote:Congrats on a long ago dream now realized!

Thank you Kincaid!

tpollauf wrote:Looks like you really enjoying this new ride of yours! That's awesome Beautiful fall scenery you used for the photo shoot! Also I don't see ANY of these in my neck of the woods. Just curious what the production runs were? How many were built? Either way you have a rare ride on your hands so enjoy it

Thanks tpollauf, you're right, you don't see these cars on every corner here in the Midwest. They were sold in somewhat limited numbers and that's compounded by the fact that many are garage queens and only get 4-5K miles put on them annually. Also, they were ridiculously expensive when new. The window sticker for my 2006 is in the glovebox and the MSRP was $67,084.

SeattleJeremy wrote:Like most convertibles it sold better on the coasts.
Here are the production numbers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_SC43 ... production

Thanks SeattleJeremy for finding this info. It's interesting how fewer and fewer were sold each year. The last year the SC430 was sold in the states was model year 2010, and Lexus only moved 720 units. Wow!

And the collection is complete. I loved the Vibe. Great car. It felt lonely as the only non-Lexus in my stable. I traded the old girl in today on a brand new 2013 Lexus CT200h.