Shopping for a Vibe

[NancyC]

I do a lot of hours of highway driving every year on a lot of two lane highways through mountains. I am currently driving a 200 hp Taurus which I love, but I hate the gas mileage. After looking around, I have decided that the Vibe has the options I want with the comfort I want at a price that looks good. The problem is that I can't decide which one to get. I have test driven the 5 speed Vibe and the 6 speed GT. I found the Vibe easy to drive and really comfortable, but when I was at highway speeds (120 kph), it did not accellerate as quickly as I would have liked. (have to be able to pass campers while going uphill) When I test drove the GT, I didn't like the transmission. I really had to finesse the clutch to shift smoothly and I could see why the clutches would burn out prematurely. I am wondering whether to get a Vibe with a GM supercharger, but it is really hard to get any answers about what to expect from that and whether the fuel economy drastically drops or even if you have to use premium fuel. The other question is whether I could just get better performance from a Vibe by using a K&N filter and new exhaust. Someone please help me - I want to go fast.

[futseal04]

I personally would go with the supercharged base. The deciding factor here is that you stated mountain passing. A supercharged engine will not be affected near as much at altitude as the GT. Plus, you have the option of an auto, and lower insurance. Fuel economy shouldn't be that much worse (maybe 2mpg), but that is dependant upon your driving style (which can make it much worse). A K&N and exhaust will help a base, but the safe money is on the SC base. I plan to put one on mine early next year, not to hot rod, but to have the peace of mind when merging or passing trucks on two lane roads.

[NancyC]

Is Canadian gas the same octane rating as American? I have looked through the Vibe brochure 3 times and do not see any mention of premium gas. However in the Matrix brochure, premium gas is recommended for the XRS. When I called the Goodwrench people, they said that they didn't think the supercharger needed premium gas. But they also didn't know about the supercharger until I asked.

[joatmon]

I imagine Octane is octane, guess the two countries could use a different way to calculate it, but probably not.in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=7624, there is a link to the supercharger installation intructions, and the last page is a list of possible problems and solutions. One of the problems is "Pings during acceleration" and the first recommended solution is "Use only premium fuel"There are a couple of threads about octane requirements for the GT, such as http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=2632 and http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=6520.

[ragingfish]

The GT and supercharger do both require premium because of the high compression ratios.The owner's manual states 87 octane or higher for the AWD and base model, if no superchrager. The GT or base with supercharger both require 91 or higher.Octanes are universal. American 91 and Canadian 91 are the same, if not better...

[vibeman1]

i also have a 04 taurus, after i drive the taurus for a couple of days and get into the vibe i feel like i went from a cadillac to v.w. yes the vibe gets a little better milage, but the comforts of thetaurus is worth the differance

[Jahntassa]

Quote, originally posted by vibeman1 »i also have a 04 taurus, after i drive the taurus for a couple of days and get into the vibe i feel like i went from a cadillac to v.w. yes the vibe gets a little better milage, but the comforts of thetaurus is worth the differanceCan you PLEASE stop trolling? He wants to know what he can do to improve the performance of the Vibe. NOT buy a decades old design that is primarily designed for those aged 50+. Not to mention a vehicle that Ford is phasing out..

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by NancyC »Is Canadian gas the same octane rating as American? I have looked through the Vibe brochure 3 times and do not see any mention of premium gas. However in the Matrix brochure, premium gas is recommended for the XRS. When I called the Goodwrench people, they said that they didn't think the supercharger needed premium gas. But they also didn't know about the supercharger until I asked.yes. you MUST put premium in the s/c or gt engines! i didn't know this either, but when i gassed up, it said on the sticker on the gas cap area. my first tank was just regular. oops. oh well.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by Jahntassa »Can you PLEASE stop trolling? He wants to know what he can do to improve the performance of the Vibe. NOT buy a decades old design that is primarily designed for those aged 50+. Not to mention a vehicle that Ford is phasing out..A boy named Sue. A boy named Nancy????Hey - I like my Vibe too, but when it comes to a long trip it's the Chrysler T&C hands down.

[Jahntassa]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »Hey - I like my Vibe too, but when it comes to a long trip it's the Chrysler T&C hands down.Nothin' against the T&C. Mother-in-law has one..drove it from Atlanta to Mobile... For carrying six people, it's definitely a nice ride! Got a surprising amount of power under that hood.. Personally, I love taking the Vibe from Atlanta to Jersey (and will do so in about a month), just because of the power reserves on the highway..and it is a pretty comfy ride..I've just never personally like Taurus's..