GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Still looking for a vibe. Prefer the old style 2003-20008 but would consider 2009 and 2010. One question. Having lived with a crappy sound system in my car for about 10 years I was wondering if there is a big difference between the standard audio sound system in the vibe and the premium sound system? Thanks.

IMO the standard radio has pretty good sound quality, but the noise level of economy cars like the Vibe from the engine and road is such that I don't see how you would get your money's worth in an upgrade. Having owned both a 2003 and a 2009 my subjective opinion is that the 2009 is somewhat quieter.

I have an '09 GT. Highly recommend if you want style. I actually think my premium radio sounds decent, though I have compared it to a stock Vibe. Be prepared for the plastic's to rattle about. My BASS is 3/4 of the way up, and if the volume is too loud its very annoying from all the vibrations

On my 04 Vibe the sound quality was decent, but I don't have much to compare it to. I upgraded my HU and speakers and it sounds GREAT! It could use some more bass, but I don't have a subwoofer or amp in mine though. But the thing with the Vibe is that there is little to no sound dampening at all. There is plenty of road noise, but many have taken out the carpet and door panels and put sound insulation in. I would like to do that too, personally, but currently I just turn the music up. Look at it this way, the factory speakers were so good that it took me nearly four months to discover my driver side speaker was blown, and even during that time music could be clearly heard from outside the car at moderate levels. I had the semi-premium speaker package at the time, the 6-speaker sound system.

Welcome, and good luck on your search. As for the stereo, the base unit in in our 06 Vibe is pretty decent for a stock stereo. They don't have an audio in plug which is a drawback. I know my son plans to replace it when he graduates and has his car back full time so he can plug his ipod in.Now the Monsoon unit in my 2010 Vibe is another story. I was very impressed with it compared to all of the other units I've had over the years. It rivals or may even be better than our upgraded Ford Audiophile system in our Explorer IMO. I found out in my research it is a 320w system. I do like the ability to mix all the presets between AM, FM and XM so you can scan all your favorites easily without changing bands like on the older ones. Don't know the specs on the older Monsoon systems though. I wouldn't let a stereo be a major part of a purchase decision since a new system is pretty cheap, but just take the Monsoon setup as a bonus if you get a car with one.

Hi !

Quote, originally posted by trb »Now the Monsoon unit in my 2010 Vibe is another story. x2 I totally agree. As an owner of an 09 GT the stock radio setup is better than what I expected. But then again, some people say I'm going DEAF and need the radio volume set a bit higher That's OK by me Good luck on whatever you get and keep us here @ GenVibe posted

Welcome to GenVibe! You've definitely come to the right place to research the Vibe !As a couple other members said, I am very satisfied with the factory sound system in my 2009 GT. I am not much into audio, but it sounds pretty darn good to me.

Welcome to the GenVibe family!I own an '03 (built mid-2002) with the 'Moon & Tunes' system (slightly enhanced sound system bundled with moonroof). High mounted front tweeters are the only noticable difference from the standard system. The sound is adequate for me (male, 55+, with minor hearing loss from all those 1970's outdoor rock concerts) listening to AM sports, occasional FM and lots of CD's, but the 30 seconds of white noise from the amplifier after you turn off the ignition takes a bit of getting used to.All the factory speakers were rated 2-ohm, in my opinion, so that the amplifier underneath the passenger seat could be termed '200-watts' (rather than 100-watt for 4 ohm speakers or 50 watts for 8 ohm speakers).The 05-08 (with the 'smoother' nose with flush-mounted grille openings) upgraded systems included a woofer (8"?) in the rear passenger-side hatch area.As jake75 and others have noted, the interior noise level of the '03-'08s when underway (road rumble through the suspension, buzzes from interior panels, and a nice buzzy engine above 3000 rpm) means the only time you'll truly enjoy the full fidelity of your factory sound system is sitting in your driveway with ignition off.But we're not talking about an upmarket vehicle, this was a $13,000-17.000 econobox when new.

Thanks for all your opinions. I won't let the premium sound system make or break the deal. It'll just be a bonus if I get one. I'll be back when I get the Vibe. This seems like a good place to find answers about the car.

Quote, originally posted by max1057 »This seems like a good place to find answers about the car.This is the best place to find answers about the car [Vibe] !

Quote, originally posted by kostby »Welcome to the GenVibe family!I own an '03 (built mid-2002) with the 'Moon & Tunes' system (slightly enhanced sound system bundled with moonroof). High mounted front tweeters are the only noticable difference from the standard system. The sound is adequate for me (male, 55+, with minor hearing loss from all those 1970's outdoor rock concerts) listening to AM sports, occasional FM and lots of CD's, but the 30 seconds of white noise from the amplifier after you turn off the ignition takes a bit of getting used to.All the factory speakers were rated 2-ohm, in my opinion, so that the amplifier underneath the passenger seat could be termed '200-watts' (rather than 100-watt for 4 ohm speakers or 50 watts for 8 ohm speakers).The 05-08 (with the 'smoother' nose with flush-mounted grille openings) upgraded systems included a woofer (8"?) in the rear passenger-side hatch area.As jake75 and others have noted, the interior noise level of the '03-'08s when underway (road rumble through the suspension, buzzes from interior panels, and a nice buzzy engine above 3000 rpm) means the only time you'll truly enjoy the full fidelity of your factory sound system is sitting in your driveway with ignition off.But we're not talking about an upmarket vehicle, this was a $13,000-17.000 econobox when new.Where were the Vibes that started at $13,000?

Quote, originally posted by zaxellord »Where were the Vibes that started at $13,000?A base manual without power package in 2003 had a msrp of $16,335. Destination added $560 for a total of $16,925. $1,000 dealer discount gets it to $15,925. A $2,000 rebate in early 2003 reduced that to $13,925. If you were lucky like me you had a GM Card rebate offer that GM upped to $2,003. I bought a new 2003 with AT, Power package and monotone package MSRP $18,690 for $13,700 plus tax. At the time I wasn't even in the market for a car but could not pass up that deal. My first thought was to get a a small GMC/Chevy S10 pickup that would have cost me about $11,000 but thankfully my wife talked me out of that. I don't think we are going to see those deals again anytime soon though I still use my GM Card a little bit - the hope is to have a rebate balance of about $1,250 that GM will up to $3,000 to get you to buy something - like they did when I bought my 2009.