- #2912 of 2956
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Re: 05 Vibe or 04 Civic? [pilgrimjs]
by maxx4me
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May 27, 2009 (1:16 am)
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Replying to: pilgrimjs (May 26, 2009 6:40 pm)
Establishing a relationship with a local mechanic is always better than going to dealerships. Dealerships don't hire the best and brightest. You already know that from walking into a showroom and knowing more about the cars than the salesperson. Well, guess what types of people they hire in their mechanics bays?? Stick to a local mechanic who has a vested interest in staying in business.
As for the checkup, you are right on..........have your new mechanic do the tranny flush (BG machine). Replace the air filter and cabin filter yourself and change the oil yourself if you are so inclined. The cabin filters should be replaced twice a year if you live in a high pollen (lots of trees) area. The filter housing is behind the glove box (which you need to unhinge to get to the two plastic snaps that lower the cabin filter housing). I buy regular furnace filters at the hardware store and cut them to size; works great and saves you a ton of money.
Don't worry about the color of your radiator fluid. It started out Toyota pink, and if a flush was done every 24,000 miles as scheduled, green fluid may have been used which then mixes in with the pink, turning it all kinds of merky colors. Nevertheless, I would suggest a radiator fluid flush/drain at the time you are getting the tranny flushed.
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- #2913 of 2956
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Vibe resale value?
by pilgrimjs
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May 27, 2009 (11:08 am)
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Replying to: maxx4me (May 27, 2009 1:16 am)
One final vibe question. We're paying $7.7 for 05 Vibe that needs new tires and a little maintenance. Ordinarily, we drive our cars into the ground, but it is possible that we will only need this one for a year or two. Will we be able to sell it, given Pontiac's demise? I keep reading about plummeting Pontiac values but have yet to really see it. What do you think?
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- #2914 of 2956
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Re: Vibe resale value? [pilgrimjs]
by maxx4me
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May 27, 2009 (11:36 am)
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Replying to: pilgrimjs (May 27, 2009 11:08 am)
good lord no. You can NEVER buy a car thinking you are going to sell it. I don't care what the economy is doing, it is NEVER a good idea to throw away money on the worst "investment" you will ever make. You've done the homework; you know the car is a Corolla. If you don't think you will need it in a few years, I'd seriously rethink the purchase altogether. The value of these Pontiacs will be in the sewer very soon. I'm banking on it, so I can buy another 2009 or 2010 from people who are nervously selling off "a Toyota Corolla" simply because the Pontiac badge is gone and that GM is in bankrupcy. You are smart to say you drive the cars into the ground. I do the same. The car has to be in flames before I get rid of it. Don't go back on your word now. It merely amounts to throwing valuable money away. Either buy and keep, or rethink the entire purchase, unless of course you are Donald Trump and can affort such extravagances. $7,700 is a steal for a car that will go 200,000 miles.
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- #2915 of 2956
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Re: Vibe resale value? [maxx4me]
by pilgrimjs
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May 27, 2009 (12:42 pm)
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Replying to: maxx4me (May 27, 2009 11:36 am)
I mostly agree, but what do you do if you currently need two cars but may be moving back to the city where you only need one. Mind you, we don't know yet, and we won't be moving till next year at the earliest.
So how little will this car be worth in a year? Will I be able to get $5k for it?
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- #2916 of 2956
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Re: 05 Vibe or 04 Civic? [maxx4me]
by CapeCod
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May 27, 2009 (1:02 pm)
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Replying to: maxx4me (May 27, 2009 1:16 am)
In defense of the dealer mechanics I think 3 points need to be made. The cars and their electronics are often too sophisticated for your local mechanic. Without the pricey diagnostic equipment the local guy often becomes a part changer until he hits the right combo. Also, there are a number of recalls and service tech bulletins that the dealer has access to. Sometimes these can lead to a reduced price or even free repair, that your local mechanic would not have knowledge of. Plus the dealer repair leads to a 'reported' repair which can be important in finding patterns of part failures. After years of trusting my local mechanic I now use a 'chain' repair shop. They have about 10 service centers in my area and are a great compromise between the dealer shops and local mechanic. No more swearing, screaming, rude, and offensive locals for me. My turning point came when I was charged 3 times the retail price for an oxygen sensor... because it had to be delivered... about 1/2 mile ! 
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- #2917 of 2956
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Re: Vibe resale value? [pilgrimjs]
by maxx4me
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May 27, 2009 (1:19 pm)
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Replying to: pilgrimjs (May 27, 2009 12:42 pm)
Understood. As one from NYC, it is crazy to own a car at all. The car could be worth $5,000 in the future but I wouldn't bet on it. There are already over 600 Vibes posted on cars.com in the nationwide inventory. That's a lot of used 2009-2010 Vibes. It will only get worse as the next year or two go buy and people feel the deadline of their bumper to bumper warranty slowly ticking away. You are getting a great price for a great car. I'm not sure you will be able to do any better at this point in time. If you need to buy it today, I think you are finished shopping. Take the deal and worry about the small stuff later.
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- #2918 of 2956
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Got the Vibe!
by pilgrimjs
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May 30, 2009 (1:10 pm)
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Got the Vibe yesterday. Had to drive 70 miles to get it. Drives really nice. Nice car. Perfect size. Not that much smaller than the Forester actually. Nicer interior than the used Corollas we looked at, and much more functional.
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- #2919 of 2956
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Re: Got the Vibe! [pilgrimjs]
by maxx4me
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May 30, 2009 (1:47 pm)
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Replying to: pilgrimjs (May 30, 2009 1:10 pm)
congrats pilgrimjs. If you need technical advice don't forget the generation vibe website.
Enjoy your Corolla-Vibe. I think you made the right decision, and I know you got a great price to say the least; just go to cars.com and check your price in comparison to what's out there in the US.
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- #2920 of 2956
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Does my base Vibe have keyless entry?
by nicomp
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Jun 02, 2009 (7:19 am)
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- #2921 of 2956
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Does my base Vibe have keyless entry?
by nicomp
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Jun 02, 2009 (7:19 am)
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My 2007 Vibe does not have power locks; is it possible that it's still plumbed for keyless entry? How can I tell?
Thanks,
Bill
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