2003 Pontiac Vibe Base 4-door Base 4 cylinder

Summary:

Nice job Pontiac!

Faults:

Buckle on one of the rear seat belts had to be replaced.

General Comments:

This car is surprisingly comfortable, very practical, good looking, reliable and economical.

Hauls people and/or "stuff" very well.

Gets about 32-34 mpg on a trip and will cruise comfortably at 80 mph all day.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd September, 2006

18th Oct 2006, 16:54

Nice job "Pontiac"??? You mean Toyota of course...

29th Oct 2006, 12:44

I was going to add the same exact comment. All Pontiac did was glue and upside down arrow on the hood and brag about how good it is. Good luck getting any work done at the Pontiac dealer.

4th Feb 2007, 21:20

Mr. Goodwrench hasn't botched anything on my 2003 Vibe yet -- how can you screw up an oil change -- but when I went to get a rear wiper blade the rude, pimply kid in the parts window wanted $27.

Mr. Toyotawrench being right across the street, I went over and checked out the same part for the Matrix: 4 bucks.

The very helpful and elegantly uniformed Service Manager came out and showed me how to replace the rubber part while re-using the metal part. And he knew I wasn't even a Toyota owner.

And that is why Mr. Goodwrench will soon be Mr. Bankruptwrench.

In reply to 4th Feb 2007, 21:20

5th Feb 2007, 10:28

Yup, called up my local Chevy dealer to ask them how much an oil change was for my new Aveo. They said $50 plus disposal fee. GM and its dealers want to extort as much money as possible from their customers before they all go down in flames.

In reply to 5th Feb 2007, 10:28

20th May 2008, 22:18

Who goes to the dealer for an oil change?

2003 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L 130 hp

Summary:

A practical family machine

Faults:

Original tires were shot when we bought it at 18000 miles. This is just pathetic when it comes to tire life. Replaced with Goodyear tires, and immediately noticed the car rode smoother and quieter.

Plastic was scratched inside when we bought it.

Some of the exterior trim has come loose.

Raspy noise on throttle application during acceleration. Not sure what this is, have not had it checked out yet.

General Comments:

You get lots for the money. Paid $14k and car came with moonroof, 6 CD changer, nice alloys, and all the cargo space you could ever need.

Car handles very well and the auto tranny performs better than any auto I have ever driven. Shifts right when I want it to. The steering feel is excellent.

Much more solid and quiet than our other vehicle ('01 Civic).

Leg room is limited for taller drivers. My wife is 5'-7" and she has the seat all the way back! I'm 6'-4", so imagine how it feels for me.

Cargo space and practicality is unreal. This car has bailed us out on more than one occasion when it comes to hauling stuff.

Fuel economy is so-so. Does not get near the EPA highway estimate, even though it is driven almost entirely on the highway.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2006

30th Dec 2006, 18:58

Just a couple of quick comments... I have an 03 Vibe with a 5 speed (62K miles) and an 06 auto trans car (9000 miles). Both cars exceed EPA mileage. I bought the 03 used because I liked the new 06 I bought my wife new. The impressive part of the 03 is that I have to move the seat up a notch or two to operate the clutch safety switch, and I'm 6 ' tall! This car is very comfortable in all aspects. The 5 speed is a lot more fun to drive and will spin the tires in 2 gears if you take off in a hurry! Passing is not a problem for either car. You must watch the tachometer in the 5 speed if you drop to 3 rd gear and stay on it... 85mph comes quick as well as the red line!

25th May 2008, 10:42

My 03 with 75000 miles still easily gets 30+mpg. I am 6'1 and it's VERY comfortable for me, front and back. At 70,000, other than routine maint, I finally had to spend some money on new brakes. An engine making "rasping" noises and not having it looked at, might be affecting your lower gas performance.