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New Vibe Owners - Give Us Your Report

75 messages,  Last post on May 02, 2011 at 5:11 PM

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What is this discussion about? Pontiac Vibe, Car Buying, Wagon

Messages Page 6 of 8

#46 of 75 2009 pontiac vibe awd by kasjun

Jun 29, 2008 (10:45 am)

we bought our new vibe in april of 08. so far the two things that are the most disappointing is the mpg and the chrome clad wheels. the wheels were a 650 dollar option and they started to chip and peel almost immediately. i turned in a claim to pontiac at 1500 miles hoping to swap them for some alum. rims or else go back to the standard rims. but pontiac would do nothing and were quite callous with their remarks.
 as far as the mileage goes it isn't far from the window sticker but the salesman seems to think it should get 30 mpg. it might if you could go downhill and with the wind on every trip but the govt. estimate of 20 city and 26 hwy is pretty close.
  as far as other things that pontiac needs to work on. here is my list.
1. five-speeds auto trans. for awd
2. better radio packages. not everyone wants to pay 13/mo. for xm.
3. make that worthless luggage rack an option on awd
4. have an option for other colors than black for interior.
5. have the option of some descent leather seats with heaters.
6. doesn't pontiac know that gps exists. no option for that.
7. if you want to charge 650 dollars for chrome rims-make sure they are chrome not just plastic wrappings that chip and peel.
   if it sounds like i'm a little disappointed with my vibe-well i guess i am. but if pontiac would have just gone to a little work with my wish list i would be quite happy with the vibe. it has a lot of good features to it too. we had some custom leather seats installed on ours and it really makes it much nicer on the interior. and come next winter i am sure we will enjoy the heated seats. but don't you think the mfg should offer these as options instead of the owner hunting down someone to put them in. isn't that what they are in business for -supplying what the customer wants-not what they will settle for.

#47 of 75 Re: 2009 pontiac vibe awd [kasjun] by mark1647

Jun 30, 2008 (10:33 am)

Replying to: kasjun (Jun 29, 2008 10:45 am)
I got my 2009 AWD Vibe in May. Love the car but agree with most of your wish list. Where did you get the Leather seats made and if you don't mind, how much did it cost? I didn't go for the tire upgrade because I heard the ride was rougher but the tires are more expensive. I have the upgraded radio and its very nice.

#48 of 75 Re: 2009 pontiac vibe awd [mark1647] by kasjun

Jul 01, 2008 (4:08 pm)

Replying to: mark1647 (Jun 30, 2008 10:33 am)
i took our vibe to omaha, nebraska to have the seats put in. they are installers for katzkin leather. cost was $1400 for the leather and heated seats. if you live any where near there the place that put them in was "Galvin glass "and they did an excellent job. very professional looking and they even do leather inserts in the door. i was reluctant to spend that much but it really improves the interior. we went with the stone color-which is a medium gray -and it matches real well with the other colors in the vibe. hope this helps. if interested i would google katzkin leathers and find an installer in your area if possible.

#49 of 75 Love my 03 Vibe by tstorm

Aug 06, 2008 (1:14 pm)

My Vibe was one of the first Vibe's built in 2003. I've got 110,000 miles on it and it runs like the day I bought it. New battery and a couple sets of tires and not even a tune up. The drivers side window did shatter but was replaced free of charge (before the re-call and after warranty expired) Other than the window the only problem I've had is just about every light on the car has burned out... turn signals, head lights, all three brake lights even the dome light. All in all it's the best car I've owned with the fewest problems and the best running engine I've ever had. The heat works great in the winter and the A/C is super cold in the summer. Fold the seats flat and get all kinds of stuff in back or load a family of four and take off for a short trip. I like our Safari for the long hauls though. Oh yeah one problem I forgot the rear wiper motor is frozen and dosen't work, gotta get that taken care of before winter. Still not bad for 6 years and 110,000 miles!

#50 of 75 Re: owners reports by macneil

Aug 31, 2008 (4:23 pm)

Replying to: tstorm (Aug 06, 2008 1:14 pm)
I have been looking for a new car to replace my 1995 Honda Accord 2.2 LX.
It has almost 200K on it. New battery 3X. New Struts 180K. New Timing Belt 136K
New Ignitor (recall) but didn't need it until 140K. I only change the synthetic oil 3 times a year. Airfilter and PVC last year. Never changed any other fluids, though I have to now top up the brake fluid every 2 months. New Plugs and Wires only once.
 She (Shirley) prefers to drive at 140km an hour on the Highway and pass everything in sight, Well when I can. My car goes like stink. It's only 130horse but drives better than the 2008 Mazda 3 sport I tested. Her windows have trouble at -30C
There is rust on the wheel wells and gas cap area and truck lid. Not much but getting worse. Never tuned up and I drive it like it's a 4x4, country roads, back roads, off roads, she's been there done that. I drive the hell out of her and she looks forward to it. But it's time to buy new and after reading these posts, I'm scared. I would drive Shirley into the deepest jungle and know I'd drive out.
But with all the talk about lights out, oil leaks, bad tires, etc. I'm scared.
My engine is high and dry and the lights, all the lights work. I don't know how to change a fuse. The radio is awsome too.
I like the room in the Vibe but if it cuts out I'll be so mad I'll be scary.
I liked the 2008 Mazda 3 but you have to hold the gas down and count to 3 to get it into high gear. My Honda just goes when you tell her to and she's 13 years old. Mmm.
The Vibe felt ify with bad torque steer around corners, and that was FWD I'm ify about the AWD being too irrational and taking me off the road in the winter rather than keeping me on it. The Honda's don't have the cargo room I'm looking for unless it's the Element, yuck.. and suicide doors? mm
I'm stuck on 3 cars now. Mazda 3sport, Vibe, and the closer to Honda, Subaru Legacy for it's cheap insurance rates and comfort and room.
I know cars will have trouble, but some of the things I've read about cars only 3 and 4 years old is absolutely apaulling and frightening for new shoppers who like to drive their cars into the ground. To bad Honda didn't make the Vibe and the Honda FIT is OK but no power just reliability. That sucks.
Confused but still needing a car.
My favorite drive was the Subaru Imprezza, but can't find a 2008 anywhere. Maybe I'll buy a 2009. A new Accord is too expensive but maybe not in the long run. mmm
I still want the cargo space. Honda doesn't supply that which is just not fare.
I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much, maybe I'm too informed, maybe I'm too loyal to Shirley. Maybe I'm just going to take my bike.

#51 of 75 by richardhgregg

Sep 02, 2008 (2:04 pm)

Best of luck in your vehicle search. I would suggest that you visit www.OCCUZONE.com while you are in this search. We have posted fast and straightforward seat comfort reviews for vehicles we have had in our lab.
 
We are a group of professional biomechanical engineers with expertise in seat design and analysis. Our reviews correlate very well to small, medium, and large drivers' opinions during real life ride-n-drive studies.
 
Basically, you may learn in two minutes what would normally require several visits to dealers. The reviews are FREE while the site is up the next couple of weeks. If you have any feedback I would GREATLY appreciate it.
 
Rich

#52 of 75 09 Pontiac Vibe AWD by vibeguy37

Oct 06, 2008 (8:52 am)

I'm really concerned after reading some posts with regards to the 09 Pontaic Vibe AWD. I barely got 240 miles to a tank and was absolutely shocked to see that I'm averaging about the same consumption as my old Chev Equinox. I know I'm still in the break-in period so I'm not sure how much this is going to improve. I'm by far not an aggressive driver. I'm very conscientious about starting slowly from a stand still while waiting at traffic lights. In fact, about half of my drivng was on the highway at about a 56-57 mph average. If this continues, then I will definitely be dumping this little pig in about a year or so. Anybody else experiencing poor mileage with the 09 Pontiac Vibe AWD? By the way, I live in Canada so you really don't have much of a choice but to go with an AWD system if you want to make it through winter in one piece.

#53 of 75 Press Request by Karen@Edmunds HOST

Oct 07, 2008 (10:04 am)

A reporter from a national newspaper would like to speak to consumers who recently purchased a new small or mid-sized car and either got great financing or cash back/incentives offered to them . If this is you, please respond to ctalatiedmunds.com with your daytime phone number by Wednesday, October 8, 2008.

#54 of 75 Re: 09 Pontiac Vibe AWD [vibeguy37] by maxx4me

Oct 11, 2008 (5:47 am)

Replying to: vibeguy37 (Oct 06, 2008 8:52 am)
sorry for your troubles vibeguy37. I now own two vibes. My '03 is an AWD, and I would NOT get another AWD. While it is true what you say about AWD and Canadian living, people in the lower 48 truely don't need it. I went with the base "Corolla-Vibe" due to the dramatic improvement in gas mileage over the "Camry-Vibe". The power in the modified 1.8 is very good. I agree with you that getting 20mpg in a Vibe is disgraceful. I encourage everyone to rethink getting the 2.4 liter engine. It is too bad the GT didn't have that option (nor the AWD for that matter.) We have 105,000 miles on the '03 Vibe. The build quality was crap, as was the paint. But despite all the now ugly imperfections, plus the fact that it burns oil like crazy, the car continues to run. Underneath there somewhere is a Corolla that refuses to quit. My '09 is a fabulous car. Build quality is 10 times better than the previous version and comes with a lot of safety features, all while being cheaper in price. I only wish my base model had some additional creature comforts such as the radio controls on the wheel, sunglasses holder, and one more inch of legroom for the driver.

#55 of 75 Re: 09 Pontiac Vibe AWD [vibeguy37] by gmloyal60

Nov 18, 2008 (11:28 am)

I have 2,000 miles on my new 2009 AWD Vibe and I'm getting the EPA estimates of 20 and 26. I also own a 2006 FWD Vibe and get great mileage on it. I was hoping my conservative driving habits might yield somewhat better mpg on the '09AWD but I guess I was forewarned. My son has a 2003 AWD Vibe and still loves it. I drove it the other day and quickly noticed how much more "free wheeling" the older AWD model was. I don't know why there is this difference but my '09 has a lot more drag on it. It even will slow down on a level surface or a slight downgrade with my foot off of the accelerator! Is this the experience of others? I'd be interested in knowing.

Messages Page 6 of 8

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