2003 Pontiac Vibe GT 1.8 from North America

Summary:

One Great Buy, I'll have it for years!

Faults:

Some small vibrations in dash board during coldest month of the year, not noticeable at most rev ranges.

Light vehicle, front end slips on snow and ice when trying to get going from a stop due to the sensitive throttle.

General Comments:

I love this car, excellent handling, revvy, pulls nice, very comfortable, great fuel mileage (26mpg in the city during the winter, and 34mpg on the highway during the summer). Lots of room for cargo, good sound system, superior ergonomics... etc Nothing poorly designed about this Honey wagon!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th February, 2008

2003 Pontiac Vibe 1.8 from North America

Summary:

A great car I'd recommend to friends

Faults:

Dash rattles sometimes when its cold outside.

One front wheel bearing had to be replaced, total cost of repair $220.

Interior plastic pieces painted with metallic-looking paint scratch very easily.

Storage bin which flips out below the gear shift has a flimsy latch causing the bin to fall open by itself if something slightly heavy is in it.

Gas tank door hinge snapped off, had to replace the whole gas tank door assembly. Ever since I bought the car the hinge didn't open smoothly, but I'm not sure why this was.

General Comments:

Front seats are very comfortable & supportive, even on long trips sitting hours at a time. The seat cushions are relatively high off the floor which means your legs are less likely to be cramped up like in most cars, as they are resting at a more comfortable angle. I have minor back problems so I am very conscious and picky about which seats truly offer support and which ones don't.

Engine achieves fuel economy numbers as advertised but part of the tradeoff is there's not as much low-end grunt/torque as you would enjoy in most larger cars. My previous car was a Chevy Beretta 5-spd 6-cyl so you can imagine the difference!

The car is very easy to get in and out of even for people who are taller or wider than average.

Visibility around the car is excellent.

Handling is pretty good with the right tires (I found the Falken's to be great for non-winter driving) but with the car's high ride height, stability is understandably reduced which is noticeable when going around curves.

Trunk space is great when the seats are folded down. I'm amazed at the various pieces of furniture, carpet and other stuff I was able to fit in.

A/C and heating worked like a charm - We had a really hot summer this year and we've already had few very cold weeks even before winter officially begins here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Overall though if you're considering buying one, stop thinking about it too much and just get one - you won't regret it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th December, 2007

2003 Pontiac Vibe Base 1.8 from North America

Summary:

Vibe that gives off not so good vibes

Faults:

Not much at all, except the cheap speakers have blown, and the windows are a little loose.

General Comments:

The Vibe isn't very comfortable. I wouldn't mind the noisy 1.8 engine if it had some power to it. The seats are comfortable enough.

It's been reliable though, almost no problems. Great fuel mileage. This car is built by Toyota and shares its design with the Toyota matrix, and it shows. This car would have been better if built by GM.

Overall, the Vibe is an uncomfortable, noisy underpowered, station wagon. But it is reliable and gets good gas mileage.

I'd rather drive my old 1998 Altima with a bent front end. A far better car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th November, 2007

30th Nov 2007, 16:08

GM couldn't build a good car if their life depended on it! That's why they have every other manufacturer do it for them...Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Isuzu just to name a few. Infact they're just like the Borg on Star Trek, they incorporate other technology into their already failing technology!...LOL, no wonder they're doing so bad! LOL.