GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Or Domestic vs Japanese?I don't mean to start anything, it's just that I have a friend who thinks rather lowly of Pontiac cars or American cars in general and he said I should've gotten a "Japanese car" like Matrix or P5.Personally, the Vibe as a car... it's a Japanese car, IMO.What do you think ?

I always tell people it's a Pontiac with the heart of a Toyota...

I definately don't consider it a Pontiac. I consider it a "NUMMI" the same manufacturer of the Toyota Tacoma and some Corollas. The dividing line is a little hazy. I've never been drawn to American cars and have to admit a slight bias, justified or not, against them. Just never aquired a taste for their styling or ergonomics.Just Passin' Thru . . . . .

quote:I definately don't consider it a Pontiac. I consider it a "NUMMI" the same manufacturer of the Toyota Tacoma and some Corollas. The dividing line is a little hazy. I've never been drawn to American cars and have to admit a slight bias, justified or not, against them. Just never aquired a taste for their styling or ergonomics.Just Passin' Thru . . . . .I feel the same way about the foreign cars...not sure why, but don't want to even look at 'em...

PONTIAC was the way to go for me because of....three words: General Motors Discount! But it's NUMMI!

It's hard to say because supposedly there's a lot of Pontiac influence in the interior, but to me it's a Corolla "station wagon" wearing a Pontiac coat. I like the Pontiac coat better than the toyota coat though.

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I drive a Pontiac Vibe........but....."Whats in a name; that which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet." So...there you go...shakespeare said it. It doesnt matter if its got an american name on it, it is toyota quality never before seen in a pontiac, a melting pot of origins as far as parts and labor go, and a damn fine machine in the outcome.

"Ponti-yota". I think it's got the best of both companies.

Or Toyontiac maybe? A bit easier on the tongue...

quote:Or Toyontiac maybe? A bit easier on the tongue...That works as well. It is a bit easy to say.

quote:How about Pontoya?Sounds like a brand of tires...

Interesting... sounds like someone's last name though.

quote:Both.. Design of a Pontiac and the Engineering of a Toyota. That's exactly how I view it as. Toyota engineering (yay!) Pontiac styling (YAY!)... now only if it were German engineering, that would make me even happier ;D/bias towards German cars

pontiac for sure...

quote:hehe, you like those VW and Audi's dont ya? I hear the quality and dependability of the german cars isn't near what it used to be...

Oh yes....took the Audi allroad in for service yesterday and Audi gives a loaner car while its in. So we got a new '03 A4 (3.0V6) .....I took it out for a good two hours of blasting! AMAZING....didnt even want to get back in the vibe again! Traction was almost defying physics and it was pretty fast too! I gave it a real good racing....i love rental cars! It was jet black and real sharp! Cant wait for the next service on the Audi!! Maybe i'll get a TT

quote:Ehh.. Maybe... They are nice though. Definitely well designed on the outside...the Audi's are very sleek looking...

I doubt it...why would they leave them out in the open like that, for someone to just go yank the cover off and ruin their whole new model line?

quote: I hear the quality and dependability of the german cars isn't near what it used to be...Listen, these aren't problems with the German cars, they are "features."Get it right. Rob: VW (Air and Watercooled), Audi, BMW ... hell, I love the Peugot Rally car, a lot of the Euro Hatchbacks, ... ok, if it's a European car, I tend to think that their styling is leaps and bounds above anything that I have ever seen in America or Japan.Vibe excluded, of course

I consider my car a Toyota with the stylings of Pontiac. I chose the Vibe for a few reasons:1. It just looks better. No wierd looking lines and funny UFO body.2. Relationship. I have a great relationship with our local dealership. My family has bought 5 cars from the same salesman since 1995.3. Dealer incentives. You can't beat all the incentives! Even though the Matrix would have cost me less on the price tag, the special financing still made me come out on top by about $2K when it's all paid for.I consider it Toyota so much, that is the ONLY reason why I bought the Vibe. I knew it would be dependable unitl the wheels fell off (or until I take them off). I even got new plates that say RIZRKT and TRD stickers.

quote:RIZRKTAnd that means???

quote:RIZRKTAnd that means???sorry, Rice Rocket

I tell people its a pontiac, but I really know its a Toyota.

instead of dr jeckyl and mr hyde..its dr toyota and mr vibe......Its hard not to think of it as a pontiac as you see it comming down the street or sitting in your driveway,,but every time you look under the hood and see all the little toyota insignias on this that and the other.....well then...its a toyota.....shut the hood...its a pontiac....its very skitzo you know......

I was thinking of getting a German car but my aunt was telling me if i got a foreign car i'd never be allowed to park it in her driveway... I coulda got a sweet deal on a BMW or Audi. But, i bought the Vibe fully knowing it was mostly Toyota Toyota quality with the Pontiac name

Its a toyota in pontiac clothing. all of the main pieces of the car come from other toyota's ie suspension, brakes, engine, gearbox, and a few other things. Pontiac's influence was on the interior, to me that doens't make up for all of the cars mechanicals coming from Toyota. I do like the extrior styling and that is all Pontiac. That;s why I say Toyota in pontiac clothing

I like the phrase Toyota in a Pontiac coat. I too like the fact that the underneath is primarily Toyota and you get that reliability. You also get almost all the options for mods that the Matrix does and everyone knows that they make a hell of a lot more for a Toyota than they do a Pontiac. But I really like the Pontiac infulence on the exterior. If all that was made was the Matrix, I wouldn't have one. Not to down the Matrix at all, it's just I'm not a big fan of Toyota exterior design. Although, I have seen some pretty bad a$$ mods done to the Matrix that look awesome! But I still would have bought a GM because of all the rebates and GM discount.

I have NEVER liked Pontiac's. The engineering is really bad and the styling gaudy in the more recent models from the 70's on. So, to be honest, I would have NEVER bought this Vibe if it didn't have Toyota engineering and the sweet 2ZZ motor that spins to 8350rpm all day long.I used to have a Prelude VTEC and loved that high rpm kick, so when I saw that could get a Celica GT-S powertrain in a more utilitarian body for a little over $17k, it was a no brainer. When I tell people I bought a Pontiac Vibe, I feel inclined to immediately tell them about the Toyota internals, so they don't think I'm crazy for buying a Pontiac.

I like the "Pontoya"quote:When I tell people I bought a Pontiac Vibe, I feel inclined to immediately tell them about the Toyota internals, so they don't think I'm crazy for buying a Pontiac. me 2I had a 98 Chevy Blazer before and was very dissappointed in the quality. At 5 years old and 130,000 miles, I took it in for repairs. The repair bill exceeded the worth of the vehicle. I absolutely cringed at the thought of buying another GM product for fear of a repeat scenario. I asked the dealer about my trading options and he offered me a sweet trade in allowance and asked me what I would be interested in - I told him that the Vibe was the best looking thing he had. I walked out to it, opened the hood, saw that it was more Toyota than GM and bought it immediatly.Now I'm shickled titless!!

Yes, I think it is best to say, that it is a Pontiac, with the heart and guts of an Import....because that is what it is....

quote:It's hard to say because supposedly there's a lot of Pontiac influence in the interior, but to me it's a Corolla "station wagon" wearing a Pontiac coat. I like the Pontiac coat better than the toyota coat though.My thoughts exactly!

I consider the Vibe a Toyota in Pontiac clothing like slbpsi63 has put so well.I think that most of bought our Vibe's for the same reason. The matrix doesn't look near as good as the Vibe does IMHO. The Vibe is more agressive than the Matrix and I think that it appeals to a wider range of people.The Designers of the Vibe/Matrix couldn't have done a better job. They took a car that is great on gas, handing, comfort, apearance, etc from Toyota and made it better by giving it the look of the Vibe.Shadow Realm

quote:The matrix doesn't look near as good as the Vibe does IMHO. The Vibe is more agressive than the Matrix and I think that it appeals to a wider range of people.I think the engineers at Toyota even agree with this. Just look at the Voltz.

quote:hehe, you like those VW and Audi's dont ya? I hear the quality and dependability of the german cars isn't near what it used to be...This is true in whole, but I guess it also applies to MFR's worldwide

After reading the previous posts on this thread, I get the impression that just about everyone here prefers imports and only bought the Vibe because they knew it was made of mostly Toyota parts. QUIKAG even says that "when I tell people that I bought a Pontiac Vibe, I feel inclined to immeadiately tell them about the Toyota internals, so they don't think I'm crazy for buying a Pontiac"Well I guess my point of view won't be popular here but the only reason I bought my Vibe was because it doesn't have an import badge on it. Call me crazy or overly patriotic (the latter I take as a compliment) but when I started to look for a new car I only considered an American badged car. I know that most of the Vibe is Toyota made but I feel better driving around in a car with Pontiac emblems on it. I guess I'm the exact opposite of QUIKAG in this respect, I wouldn't want people to see me driving a "foreign" car. My other car also wears an American badge, and my motorcycle is from that great American company known 'round the world, Harley-Davidson. Different strokes for different folks, it's what makes the world go 'round.