GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

My 05 base Vibe may be the harshest riding car I have ever owned! And I understand the GT's are stiffer. Hopefully, someone here has an answer for you!

LiteraryVibe wrote:I've noticed in my '09 Vibe GT that I notice the bumps, and jolts a lot more than I did in my '06 Ford 500. Is it simply due to the fact that the Vibe is not as wide as the 500?

Wheelbase & width are part of the reason for the uncomfortable NOISY ride. The real reason is lack of thicker floor & door panel insulation & your hot looking 18" GT alloy wheels with low profile tires. I run 16" steelies on my 09 GT in the winter and it DOES improve the ride & sound issues a bit.

LiteraryVibe wrote: Any driving tips for these conditions, as well as for the snowy, rainy conditions we get up here? I'm also thinking ahead, because i may be moving to either Canada, New Mexico, Chicago, or Wisconsin and I just want to be sure the Vibe will be able to handle the conditions of these places,

Drive SLOWER on the roads that seem real bad & it wouldn't hurt to crank up the volume on the radio also Snow will NOT be a problem with your Vibe

I have noticed that my '09 GT has a very stiff ride as well. With low profile tires and sport suspension it is to be expected. If there is no clunking in the suspension i would not worry.

We are talking about a compact car with approximately 6" of ground clearance and short travel suspension. It will never ride as smooth as a mid-size sedan with more ground clearance and longer suspension travel. On the other hand it will handle twists and turns better.

As others have said, the Vibe just naturally rides stiff or rough. Especially the GT because of the 18" wheels with low profile tires and the sport suspension (IRS - Independent Rear Suspension). Not really much you can do about it. Downsizing to 16" wheels with more rubber would only make a slight difference. As tpollauf said, we have 16" wheels and tires that we use for winter on both our Vibes too and while the ride is a little better, it's still pretty stiff.

Well, going from a 500 (Taurus) which is a full sized family car with a cushy suspension to a compact sporty car will result in QUITE a difference in the way it will feel. I've driven a Mustang for most of the past 26 years, so the Vibe was not much of a difference, but it is actually a better handling car. Maybe a bit softer even, but still more stiff than my wife's Equinox.