1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

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cigvibe
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:29 pm

1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by cigvibe »

For those of you that made the "upgrade" to the newer Vibe, what was your experience? My first Vibe, the guy sold it because he bought a 10/11 Vibe. I drove a 2010 Vibe once and it felt different. Still, I wonder what is like to own a newer vibe from the perspective of a previous generation owner.

Transmission feel?
Handling?
MPG?
Audio?



Pardon me if this was covered before.
Cali Vibe 238k Wave Blue

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zbyers
Posts: 1767
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Location: Sheffield, Pennsylvania

Re: 1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by zbyers »

Eh. Each has their +/-. I'd say first gen is obviously superior. Better availability of parts, more reliable drivetrain compared to the 2AZ, rear window opens separate from the hatch, level cargo area in the hatch, etc. But second gen, especially the 2.4 that I just dogged, does have better oomph when accelerating, they do have more standard safety features (side airbags, TPMS, etc).

All depends what you're after. Neither are bad buys, but most still prefer first gen. At this point though, the second gen would be a stronger consideration just due to the fact it is newer and will likely have less problems than a 2003.
'74 Thing, '79 El Camino, '83 VW DoKa '91 Vanagon, '03 Base, 04 GT
'06 CRV, '06 AWD, '07 Base, '12 Highlander Limited, '17 Frontier CCLB

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Caretaker

Re: 1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by Caretaker »

I see from your signature line that you have owned three of these already so I'm not sure if your question is a generic conversational question or if you are considering buying another Vibe? If the former, as an owner of a 2003 AWD and a 2009 FWD, I would unequivocally say that the second generation is an upgrade to the driver's position, seat comfort, engine response to throttle, radio performance, cabin noise level, steering and more. If the latter, I would certainly dissuade anyone from buying a Vibe in 2022. There are many better options that have been created by automotive groups Honda, Toyota and Hyundai since 2010 (the 2016-2017 Honda CRV is just one example). I always recommend anyone buy as new a car as possible with under 200,000 miles as most cars from the three manufacturers I listed will get you to 300,000 miles with regular maintenance. Buying a Vibe at this point in automotive history means settling for a dated ride, especially when it comes to engine, transmission and safety performance.
tpollauf
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Re: 1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by tpollauf »

Gt comparisons only, I'd take the first gen over the second gen. Second gen is purely cosmetic only ... no performance upgrades at all :o First gen is much more fun to drive and quicker than second gen.
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Bookworm
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Re: 1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by Bookworm »

As someone that just did a TON of car shopping over close to a year -

I did buy an '07 Matrix. Even with replacing a ton of parts, fluids, and about to get tires, it'll still be cheaper than the 09 Vibe I considered getting, with not that much more miles for the engine. (120k for the 09, 155k for the 07)

I will say that the 09 did seem much more comfortable, and the engine was in good shape (I didn't test drive, just ran the engine so I could do full diagnostics on the ODBII system). The loss of the rear glass being able to open is a downer, to me, as you can't just arbitrarily fill up the back and be able to get things out without dumping them on the street.

I was seriously considering a CR-V; the capacity upgrade would have been nice, as well as the height (I miss my old 98 Kia Sportage), but come down to it, I just needed a raw beater car for work, not a glitz and glamour vehicle for the family. In that regard, the Matrix is FAR easier to get parts for, with all of the 'sister' vehicles (Corolla, Vibe, Matrix) out there sold during the same time period.

I'll revisit the question once the chip production gets back to normal, but that could be as far away as 2026.
cigvibe
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:29 pm

Re: 1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by cigvibe »

These are good notes!

I actually enjoy the hatch glass, especially since I am using it as a mobile mechanic type of vehicle so I can reach in for my tools without raising the hatch.

So we agree the missing hatch glass is a minus. I recall thinking that the rear vibe glass seemed very small.

Like I said, I drove a 2009 vibe and I just didn't like it but it was a short drive 5 years ago. I may want to try it again to see how I feel. I love the old vibe for it's versatility, but I just am curious if this newer one is more fun to drive.

FWIW I picked up a 2006 Mazda3 hatchback touring for my "nice" car to drive and it is a BLAST. It has great handling, 17" alloys, and a 5 speed auto with manual shift. This is what made me wonder about the newer vibe (probably the gt).
Cali Vibe 238k Wave Blue

mods
2zz "brown" 320cc injectors - Full time E85 gas - K&N airbox insert - charcoal filter delete - 3" fresh air duct
pwyu1969
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:25 pm

Re: 1st gen vibe to 2nd gen vibe

Post by pwyu1969 »

Late to the show but here my 2c worth. I’ve had a 2003, two 2006s, a 2009, and a 2005 Camry (which will make sense in a minute). The vibes are manual and Camry auto. So the issue with going from ‘03-08 to 09-10 vibes for me is that they are two totally different cars. So self maintenance and parts swap is a no go because they are different platforms. Plus while there is a ton of parts and info for the 03-08 vibes, on this site and others, it’s hard to find same information on later model, even looking under matrix and Corolla. That said, my 2009 vibe 2.4L happens to have the same motor as my 2005 Camry which was a nice surprise when I got the Camry so I have some maintenance cross over. But as an earlier post said, in 2022, lots of other models out there to pick other than the 09 vibe.
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