2002 Pontiac Vibe GT 1.8 from North America

Summary:

Excellent

Faults:

Lighter had to be replaced.

General Comments:

I miss this car. I drove it like I stole it, and it never failed. Only complaints - required premium fuel, and excessive road noise on the highway.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th January, 2010

2002 Pontiac Vibe Base 1.8 liter from North America

Summary:

You get more than you expect

Faults:

Fortunately nothing. (Knock on wood)

General Comments:

I am very pleased with the car.

The styling is very appealing and the car gets a lot of admiring looks from people. I prefer the more sophisticated look of the Vibe to its sister car, the Toyota Matrix.

I have been very happy with the good gas mileage the car is getting. I had a chance to drive the GT version with the 6-speed and I think the 5-speed in my base model is actually better. The base engine allows for decent performance when pushed, but I do think the manual transmission is the way to go to get any respectable performance. However, the engine seems to idle high at start, about 1,500 rpm, but settles to about 600 rpm. The initial high-revving at startup may alarm some so I wanted to mention it.

The interior is very classy and the power outlet has come in handy. I was able to plug my laptop in and work from the front seat during a photo-shoot. The car is surprisingly roomy and the seats are VERY comfortable. It is a pleasure on long trips. The only issue I have is a small gripe about the cup-holders. They are positioned next to the parking brake handle and it is awkward working the handle when drinks are in the cup-holders. Then again, with my previous Pontiac, a Sunfire, and my boyfriend's Pontiac Grand Am, the cup-holder execution has been poorly handled. So I guess I should have expected this very minor disappointment.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Pontiac Vibe.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 7th April, 2003

26th Aug 2007, 01:42

An 1500~2000 RPM cold start idle is perfectly normal depending on the temperature outside. The colder the temp, the higher the idle speed.

2002 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L DOHC from North America

Summary:

The best car I have ever owned!

Faults:

I haven't had a problem with this wonderful Pontiac yet, and I hope it will stay this way. I had heard that this car was really reliable, one of the main reasons why I purchased this.

General Comments:

Hello, I have recently purchased a 2003 Pontiac Vibe (base model) and I am completely satisfied with the good service and great car. I love its versatility.

The purchase price of this car, was 24 145$ CDN which included the power and safety packages, an automatic transmission and 16" aluminum wheels. Withought these packages and the automatic transmission, the cost would have been 20 835$ CDN. I also got a small bargain from the dealership.

The Vibe is like a smaller version of a cargo van with its 60/40 folding back seats. I was able to fit a mountain bike in it!

As far as the motor goes, the base Vibe is powered by a 1.8L DOHC VVT-I 4 cylinder engine, which produces 130 horses. If that isn't enough for you, you can get the GT model, which offers 180 horses. Not bad for a small car. I would also like to add that this car is really fuel-efficient; one tank could last up to 2 weeks.

The car is well equipped with its standard features, like a CD player, an outside temperature display gage and a two prong household power outlet etc. Unfortunately, this car does not include power windows and locks. If you want these features, you've got to purchase the power package which has a few extra goodies like cruise control and remote keyless entry etc. There are many other optional packages available to suite everybody's luxury needs, like sport package for example.

The interior is very nice. I like the chrome look. The seats are overall really comfortable. Even a tall guy like me (6 feet) can sit in this car without crouching even in the back seat.

I recommend this car to everyone who wants one. I hope to see a lot more Vibes on the street.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th April, 2003

29th Jun 2007, 23:35

I'd just like to comment on the aluminum wheels.

They look great and as part of a dress-up package they're more than reasonably priced.

But if you live in a cold climate where they toss a lot of salt on the roads, you'll find the finish will corrode, usually starting around the valve stem hole.

I'd suggest that northern climate drivers either specify the standard wheel discs at purchase, or be prepared to swap their aluminums for a set of steel wheels and snow tires when winter comes around. (You don't want to go out skating in Vibe OEM tires anyway.)

Hope this helps someone.

14th Aug 2007, 00:39

Just to let you guys know... the reason this car is so reliable is because it is pretty much a re-badged Toyota Matrix, which is a Corolla engine...

2002 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L from North America

Summary:

I really like this car and I recommend it to all people who want to get a bargain!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong yet.

General Comments:

This car has won a lot of awards and I understand why!

It is very spacious and has a lot of head room.

The seats are very comfortable and soft.

The cabin is very sport like and looks very rich.

This car is very fuel efficient! I save money every refill.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th March, 2003