New to forum (and Vibe) with questions.

[SparksLP]

Hello everyone!

I am new to the forum, and I am looking into a 2004 Vibe GT, and I have questions. I already went throught the sticky with basic info, so I'll get to the technical questions. First, the Vibe in question:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... ex=1&Log=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ok, so the GT has a more powerful engine. I have never owned a manual vehicle, is the GT fairly easy to drive/learn on?

How do the GT's do on hilly/curvy roads? I'm looking at about an hour drive on backroads every day.

How do they do in snow, and would the 16" steel wheels work with it for snow tires?

Aside from the driver window issues, are there any common issues I should know about?

Does the price seem fair for what the car is, or should I be prepared to fight over little things with the dealer?

Thank you for any help you can offer, I always appreciate experienced insight.
SparksLP

[joatmon]

I don't know if the price is fair or not. Decently low mileage for a 9 year old car, and it is in super cool Fusion Orange color, which is really sweet.

A couple of things you need to know about a GT. (this doesn't apply to the 09 or 10 GTs)

What gives the GT more power than the base is that at high RPMs (> 6000 RPM), a special cam action kicks in and gives the engine a 50% HP boost. This is referred to as "lift" You really have run up the RPMs to get the extra power. Doesn't really come in for typical driving, but nice when you really need it, and supposed to be quite a thrill when lift kicks in. If you tend to be an agressive driver, you would appreciate it. If you drive for maximum fuel economy, you may never hit lift.

Also, a condition of that extra power capability is that you have to give it higher octane gasoline. I think it needs at least 89, instead of the default 87 the base needs. This will make it more expensive to feed. Sounds like you have a non-trivial daily commute, so that may well be a factor for you. Do not buy a GT unless you are willing to give it the 89.

In general, the GT should be ok to drive. No idea what your manual transmission aptitude is, so it is really hard to say how well you will learn to drive it well. I jsut swapped cars to go from a base manual tranny to a base auto tranny, and honestly, I can't really feel any significant difference in effective power between the two. Also, the auto tranny in Vibes has been quite reliable, as has the 6 speed in GTs, the difference is that the clutch in the GT will eventually wear out and will need to be replaced. (especially if it takes you a long time to learn to drive stick )

The cars seem to handle pretty well. If you need to drive in snow a lot, you would want to get snow tires


So I really can';t say if that is a good eal or a a good car for you, but I can say that I think you would be happy with a Vibe (most of us here are) and welcome to genvibe. Please keep us updated on what you decide to do.

[tpollauf]

Welcome to GenVibe. Once you learn to drive "stick" you'll never want to drive an automatic again They are a blast to drive I take it you're on the EAST side of Cleveland ? The WEST side is relative flat. The Price, I feel is a bit high BUT that rare Orange Fuysion color is to die for A spare set of snows for winter driving (many of us here do just this exact thing) would be a must ESPECIALLY if you are on the east side in the snow belt. Gotta love Lake Erie. Work on that price and GET IT !!!!!!!

[ColonelPanic]

Joatmon hit the nail right on the head, good job. That's pretty much all you need to know about the GT.

That looks like a very nice, well taken care of car! If the history is clean that's probably going to be a great car for you. A little expensive for an almost 10 year old car but it does have low mileage and seems to be in good shape.

This one has the optional 17" wheels which were originally equipped with summer-only rubber. You may want to check what type of tire they put on there if you aren't planning on snows.

If you take it home, get an overlay for the Pontiac arrowhead on the hatch that's faded to pink. Readily available at grafxwerks in many colors.

[SparksLP]

Thanks for the responses!
@Joatmon
I did not know about the power "lift", nor the premium gas requirement. I suppose that I should have mentioned that my current car is a 1993 Bonneville. It's in good shape (only 100,000 miles), but there's no way it will be able to survive this new drive for very long. Plus, sub-20 MPG would kill my wallet! I'm ok with premium, as long as I don't end up spending just as much on gas. I'll have to dig through the forums and see what people are reporting for average MPG in the GT.

As for manual experience, I have next to none, that's why I wondered how easy they are to drive. I've always had an automatic tranny in my cars. I've always wanted a sporty car with a manual, and the color, styling, and practicality of this Vibe are why I'm looking at it. But the most important thing is reliability. Also, I guess I need to find out how much a new clutch will cost, I'm sure I'll kill the first one!

@tpollauf
I'm actually from the Canton/Akron area, but I'm willing to drive a bit to find a good deal on a car!

@ ColonelPanic
Thanks for the heads up about the logo!

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! That's a very sharp looking Vibe GT you're considering! Let us know whether you end up getting it or not !