Want a Quality, Nice Looking, Fuel-Efficient Car with Cargo Space?

Update: 4/2008 We still love this car, and the gas mileage is a great feature with oil spiking to over $100 a barrel. We haven't had any problems, and the car is still like brand new. We keep it maintained regularly. We would buy another in a heart beat!

We purchased our 2003 Basic Vibe on July 26, 2002 (also available are the GT and AWD models). Our current mileage on the car is 24,023 kilometers (converted - 14,414 miles approximately). After 2 years of use, we have nothing bad to report, and think the Vibe is an absolutely wonderful car for many reasons!!! Let me share a few.

The Vibe was built through a joint venture of GM and Toyota and is manufactured in California. The engine is Toyota quality and many of the other features are also Toyotas contribution. I used to own a Toyota many years ago, and never had any problems, so I already had respect for Toyota quality. The Toyota engine quality was one of the first things that caught my attention when investigating the Vibe, before we purchased it. The second thing was how the car looked. Little did I know there would be many more features of this car that we would absolutely love. Keep reading!

Six Colors to Choose from:

When we bought our Vibe we were given six color choices and we selected Salsa Burgundy. The other colors available are:

•Frosty White
•Neptune Navy
•Lava Red
•Satellite (Light Grey)
•Abyss Black
•Shadow (Darker Grey)

If we ever buy another Vibe, we would like the Neptune Navy color which is a pretty car. We have a two car garage I believe they both would fit in just fine.

Things we liked initially about the car:

•the fact that the engine was built by Toyota, which from past experience, I knew it would be quality.
•Second, was the overall nice appearance of the car.
•Cargo area.
•Four doors.

Features we liked when we did a test drive before we purchased:

•driver side floor mat has locator hooks to keep it from sliding
•comfortable seats and roomy
•Automatic transmission
•Smooth ride and good pickup
•Steering was very responsive and comfortable to drive
•Basic stereo sound was excellent and came with a CD player
•The car is easy to get in and out of because it sits up a little higher than the average car
•Compartments all over for various items like: coins, sunglasses, cell phone, CDs, maps, cups, books, etc.
•Quietness with windows up (from outside noise)
•Luggage rack on top of the car (other accessories are also available)
•Roomy rear seats with shoulder harness seatbelts
•All seats fold down to allow more cargo room. Back seat can fold down on either side.
•A/C 115-volt electric outlet on dashboard (use to charge cell phone, cameras, power up a laptop, etc) Suggests you don’t use this for power tools and higher powered items.

Features we love after having driven the car for a while:

•Excellent gas mileage (we get 38 mpg)
•We use cruise control regularly on the highway
•A/C works well and you have 2 settings to use
•Power mirrors, windows, side mirror controls
•Rear windshield wiper and defroster
•Fog lights
•Lift back window opens separately from lift back door

Things we have used our cargo space for: (can fit an object 8 feet long)

We have made several purchases in the last two years, and we have been able to fit them in our cargo space of the car. For example:

•recumbent exercise bicycle in the box
•Five foot Weeping Mulberry Tree in bucket (folded down one side of rear seat and the passenger seat and it fit just fine)
•took lawnmower for servicing (opened separate lift back window for handle to hang out)
•Gas barbeque grill in box

There is room in this car for a ladder, bicycle, surfboard, snow skis, and many other items. You can also place any additional items on the luggage rack on top of the car for overflow room. The manufacturer makes additional accessories for use on the luggage rack (i.e. snow ski rack, and multiple bicycle racks, in addition to others).

Excellent Gas Mileage:

This is by far the best feature of the car, in my opinion. As you know, gas prices have skyrocketed lately. We have to smile when we go to the pumps, because our car is very fuel efficient, and we pay much less than our friends with their SUVs, Vans and Trucks which are gas guzzlers. As stated, we get 38 mpg, so only fill up approximately 3 times a month.

The gas tank holds 13.2 gallons (we are in Canada so that’s 50 liters). The current price at the tank is 94.9 cents per liter. This is $47 CAD for us with these outrageous prices. I can’t imagine what the gas guzzler car owners’ are paying!!

Yep! We are thankful for our fuel efficient, economical Vibe.

Safety:

The NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Association) has rated the Vibe a five-star rating for safety. This is the highest rating the NHSRA gives to cars. They rate several different aspects of the car, such as:

1)Frontal & Driver Side Five-Stars & Passenger Side Five-Stars

2)Side Impact & Driver side Five-Stars & Rear Occupant Four-Stars

3)Rollover Resistant Rating Four-Stars

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2189.html (see for yourself)

The driver and passenger both have front airbags (side airbags are also optional on some models of Vibes).

Child Safety:

The rear seats have LATCH (Lower Anchors and Top Tethers) for children. Also, the rear doors have the safety locks that can be engaged.

Awards the Vibe has Received:

•Best New Wagon/Multipurpose Vehicle 2003
•Most Fuel-Efficient Station Wagon 2004

Maintenance of Car:

The only maintenance we have had done so far are routine things such as: oil changes, tire rotation, and brake inspection. We had our first brake inspection 10/22/03, and the mechanic who did it said , “your brakes are performing very well and not as worn as some I see after this amount of time on the road”.

We haven’t experienced any problems whatsoever with our car, and really think we made an excellent choice when we purchased our Vibe.

Storage Compartments:

There are a lot of storage compartments in the car. The left front lower panel has a pullout compartment to put your sunglasses, and just above that is a change holder for toll booth money. You also have pockets in each front door, and on the back of each seat. There is also a pocket under the gear shift box for a cell phone, glasses, pens, etc. The glove compartment is also very roomy

The floor console has:

• Two cup holders (2 different sizes)
•a deep compartment for CDs, maps, books, etc.
•a separate top compartment for cell phone, wallet, etc.
•an armrest (doubles as this)
•a cell phone compartment

Accessories:

We got the dealer to throw in a cargo mat as part of the deal (a must for the rear compartment, as objects will slide around). This was worth about $100 CAD. (There are many other accessories available for the sportier GT model also).

Optional Packages we Purchased:

Automatic Transmission ($1,225 CAD)
Power Package (power windows, locks, cruise control, keyless entry, and rearview mirror has dual reading lamps) ($1,500 CAD)

Other Options Available: (there are several more also)

Navigation system
Upgrade on Stereo to a 6-CD type
Anti-Lock Brake System

Mechanical Parts:

Engine – 1.8 liter DOHC (has Variable Valve Timing intelligence) this provides an optimal combination of power and efficiency.
130 HP @ 6000 rpm (4 cylinder but you wouldn’t know it)
Torque 125 lb – ft @ 4200rpm
Toyota Made the Engine

Tires:

P205/55R16 All Season (standard)

There are some sportier options to choose from also.

GM Warranty:

5 years / 100,000 km power train warranty (no deductible)
6 years / 160,000 km corrosion
8 years / 130,000 km catalytic converters and power train control modules
3 years/ 60,000 kilometers bumper to bumper (incl.tires)
3 years/ 36,000 free roadside assistance

Other Accessories that are available:

1)Backpack hooks on the back of the passenger seat (for hikers gear)
2)Ski Carrier (top of car)
3)Workstation (portable station hooks on to the back of the folded down passenger seat, providing a work surface and handy storage compartments)
4)Bike Carrier (hooks on the top luggage rack)
5)Vent visors (for each outside window top which let fresh air in, while controlling airflow and also looks sharp)
6)Hood Protector (helps protect hood from bugs and road debris)
7)Cargo Mat (helps prevent cargo from shifting, and insulates sounds)

Work Station on back of front passenger seat:

I had a job recently where I had to work out of my car. Even though we didn’t purchase the portable workstation, we can still fold down the passenger seat and have a makeshift desk where we can place books and/or a laptop computer. The desk surface is lower than the edge to keep whatever you put on the surface from sliding around.

If you purchase the portable Workstation it will enhance this area even more, offering a variety of features to have a small desk in your car. The portable workstation hooks on to the back of the passenger seat, and has additional storage compartments.

Other Features:

Rear Window Defroster
Rear Seat floor has heat ducts
Tilt Steering Wheel
Trip Odometer A and B – to keep a record of mileage on 2 trips
Outside Temperature reading
Emergency Flasher Button over Radio in prominent place
Rear Defroster Button next to Flasher button

The Only Negative We Have Found:

The instrument panel lights up red, and the sunshine sometimes makes it hard to read. This isn’t a problem most of the time, but occasionally.

Summary:

In today’s high gas price market, we appreciate our Vibe even more. This is one of the most quality, fuel-efficient cars we have owned. After having had the car for over two years, we still love it like the first day we purchased it (or maybe even more). There are only 2 adults in our family and this car is perfect for us.

I would recommend the Vibe for: teenagers, older couples/single adults, and families with only 1 child. If your family is larger, you most likely will need more room, but don’t rule out having a Vibe as your second car due to its fuel-efficiency.

The three qualities that rate high on my list when I go to purchase a new vehicle are: general safety ratings of the car, engine quality, fuel-efficiency. The Vibe has all of these and much more.

I see that some other reviewers here have stated they have had some problems. I can honestly say, I don’t understand their complaints, because we haven’t had any problems whatsoever. We are very pleased with our Vibe’s performance, especially now with the high gas prices.

If you’re in the market for a good all around car, you must look at the Vibe. GM and Toyota did all of us a favor when they collaborated on this vehicle. Thank you Toyota and GM!!!!!