General Comments:
Overall, the Vibe has been one of my favorite vehicles to own. It provided my family with a large amount of utility for our day to day activities. Because the Vibe (and its sister car, the Toyota Matrix) is based on the Toyota Corolla platform, the mileage was great and had a comfortable ride. There are a lot of unique features like a 120V plug-in and factory roof rack. The styling is very attractive, but driving performance is relatively boring. The versatility of the hatchback was essential for our family with one toddler and two dogs. I also appreciated how the hatchback window could open independently of the door, which made trips to the lumber store a little more convenient. On a side note, there is even a large community of happy Vibe owners that maintain a website dedicated to sharing information and accessory reviews/recommendations called genvibe.com.
Some downsides to the Vibe are that the motor is a bit sluggish when going up hills or passing on highways. This is made even more noticeable by the added weight of the AWD (although the AWD is awesome in the snow!). On our Vibe at least, there is wind noise on the front passenger side. Also, the driver's seating position is very upright, which helps with visibility, but takes some getting used to.
Recently my wife was stopped at an intersection when a F-550 rear-ended her going 35 mph. Our toddler and one of our dogs were in the car with her, but everyone was able to walk away without injury. The Vibe was totaled, but we fully plan on replacing it with another Vibe. If I could give this car 5 of the yellow smiley faces, I would!