New Vibe - First Thoughts

[newvibe]

I have just purchased a new base model 5 speed '04 Vibe and I am definitely happy with the purchase. After 1000+ km break-in plus 1000+ km of enjoyable driving, I think this is a great car. I didn't get much haggle room - the car seemed to be hard to find, especially as a no-options, silver base 5-speed. A standard GM rebate and low financing made the deal quite good, and when I looked at competing cars for the price, I just couldn't find anything that compared.Pro's:Good mileage, even before my engine is really broken in. I got 27+ mpg on my third tank with lots of A/C and higher revs.Lots of space and head-room. It feels really big on the inside, even for very tall people.Hatchback! Great fold-down area.Good standard features.Well-built. It feels solid and it drives well. Its Corolla heritage shows.Well-designed interior. It is very comfortable to drive.Looks. I think it looks quite a bit better than the Matrix. I also find that the lighter-colored two-toned Vibes look larger and have more visual impact.Peppy engine above 4000 RPM.View of the front road. The driver has a good height, the hood is not in the way, forward visibility is excellent.Unlike some reviews I read, I feel the driving position is great.5-year powertrain warranty (in Canada). At one point I heard about a 3-year warranty, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.Lots of compartments and storageCon's: (getting a bit picky at times):Anyone else noticed that in the rain, there isn't a good drip edge around the doors to keep you from getting wet when you get out? Water just drips off the edge when the door is open, and into the car.The Conti's are fine no expert in tire performance. They seem great on breaking, so-so on turns and not so hot on acceleration. I was a bit surprised in a couple of driving situations that they hydroplaned but that is very subjective and hard to compare to previous tiresThe blind spot is a bit larger than I am used to.Paint chips already, only on the side bumper guards.Road noise - fine until 60 mph or so.A bit of engine whine. No different than my old Tercel.Same transmission "feel" as my Tercel - forgiving on the clutch, but a little less forgiving in the shifter.The cargo area is great, but it sure is slippery. Going back to the dealer for a mat or a third-party liner is a bit of a nuisance.Why not make it easier to remove the cross-bars on the roof rack?The antenna is very close to the roof rack. Perhaps the antenna could have a joint or be embedded in the glass or frame.Sluggish below 3500 RPM. Even my old Tercel seemed to have more kick to it. Perhaps I'm just not used to the feel of variable-valve timing or am not using my revs the same way.The A/C is not aggressive. I understand this may be a configuration issue and will bring it up at my next service appt.The car doesn't seem to accelerate cleanly on the highway in third from 3500 through to 5000 RPM. This isn't a big deal and I will get it checked. There seem to be very subtle and brief drops in acceleration.It would be nice to get a plastic plug that can replace the cigarette lighter.All in all, I am a very happy buyer. I think this car is one of the great buys on the road.

[msmyer]

quote:Anyone else noticed that in the rain, there isn't a good drip edge around the doors to keep you from getting wet when you get out? Water just drips off the edge when the door is open, and into the car.I hate that too! I thought about deflectors http://www.ventshade.com/HTML/VV.html ....I also hate the over-powered windshield washer sprayers....Unless they "fixed" them on the '04's! Meathread333's... http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/v ... 419&page=2

[NovaResource]

quote:I also hate the over-powered windshield washer sprayersOver-powered?! They are great! The best non-wetarm washers I've seen.

[msmyer]

quote:I also hate the over-powered windshield washer sprayersOver-powered?! They are great! The best non-wetarm washers I've seen.I hate them, especially with the windows down! But in the winter they're great!

[Vibe Rater]

quote:The antenna is very close to the roof rack. Perhaps the antenna could have a joint or be embedded in the glass or frame.Almost all automakers have long since stopped using embedded antennas.The reception is terrible with those. A jointed antenna would have a much higher potential for problems and reliability, a major concern with all automakers. It would also increase the cost of the antenna substantially, another major concern.