2004 Pontiac Vibe Review

The Pontiac Vibe is a good alternative to a small conventional station wagon or sport-utility vehicle.

The Vibe might be called a "crossover'' vehicle, with attributes of a car and small sport-ute. But it's essentially a tall, roomy compact wagon with towering headroom.

The sporty looking Vibe is generally fun to drive and is aimed at younger motorists. Some 53 percent of Vibes are bought by women.

This Pontiac is offered with front- or all-wheel drive and only differs from the Toyota Matrix in styling and features.

The Vibe arrived as an early 2003 model and thus has no major changes for 2004. However, a dealer-installed General Motors supercharger package for the base 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine is among new options -- as is a dealer-installed Sport Package that makes the Vibe look sportier.

The supercharger package is priced at $2,995, with dealer installation costing extra. It's fully warrantied for the same period as the Vibe and increases horsepower of the base 130-horsepower engine to 170. It's offered for the standard front-drive Vibe model with either a manual or automatic transmission. Without it, the 130-horsepower Vibe is fine in town but has lazy acceleration above 65 on highways with either transmission.

The front-drive base Vibe, which I tested, is priced at $16,485. The rating is 123 in the $19,785 base all-wheel-drive version, which isn't designed for off-road use. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, while a four-speed automatic transmission is an $850 option.

The all-wheel-drive version comes only with the responsive automatic and is heavier -- and thus slower -- than the front-drive version. The base front-drive Vibe weighs 2,701 pounds, compared with 2,976 for the all-wheel-drive version.

There's also a hot rod $19,435 GT version sold only with front drive and a rather notchy six-speed manual gearbox. It has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 173 horsepower. That engine is from the racy Toyota Celica GT-S coupe and is mostly for car buffs who like to zip through the gears with a high-revving motor. The GT is fun on highways or back roads, but can be a pain in town.

Estimated fuel economy is good with both versions of the four-cylinder engine -- in the mid- to high 20s in the city and in the low 30s on the highway. No figures are yet available with the supercharged engine.

The $1,890 Sport Package, which was on my test Vibe, makes it look sportier with such features as front-rear fascia extensions, side rocker panel extensions and two spoilers.

That package requires the $325 Premium Monotone Appearance package, which features color-keyed bodyside cladding, bumpers and trim.

My test Vibe also had $825 17-inch aluminum wheels and wider 50-series tires. That combo might not seem worth the money for the mechanically tame base versions, which have standard 55-series tires on 16-inch wheels.

Those extras -- along with the automatic transmission and such options as a $1,150 Power group package with remote keyless entry cruise control and power windows and locks -- caused my test Vibe's price to be $20,810. It also had $500 anti-lock brakes, which are standard on the other two Vibes.

Not included was the $850 power glass sunroof package, which includes a premium sound system. There's also a $1,650 complex navigation system with a trunk-mounted 6-disc CD changer and 100-channel XM satellite radio for $325.

Safety options include $575 front side air bags, but curtain side air bags aren't available.

Even the base front-drive Vibe is fairly well equipped, with such standard items as air conditioning, AM/FM/CD player, dual outside power mirrors and a tilt steering wheel.

The Vibe is easily maneuvered, with only a 102.4-inch wheelbase and 171.9 overall length. It has nicely geared steering that isn't too fast or slow. The suspension is firm but supple, although it allows a jerky ride on some roads. The brake pedal has a progressive feel, and stopping distances are decent.

Seating is upright, but occupants don't sit high, as in some "crossover'' vehicles -- despite towering headroom. The general impression is being seated in a high car. Why not raise the seats a bit? Front seats are supportive, and a driver has a substantial "dead pedal'' on which to rest his left foot.

It's easy to get in and out, although lower rear door openings are rather narrow and doors should open wider. Four adults fit comfortably.

Curiously, speedometer and tachometer markings are offset, as in a race car. For instance, the 80 mph speedometer mark is where 60 mph would be on conventional speedometers. The small, overstyled gauges are in deep tunnels, making them harder to read. And some speedometer markings are missing, such as those for 30, 50 and 70 mph.

Power window controls are nicely placed on the driver's door. Small sound system controls are above large climate controls, which are rather notchy. The interior is quiet, except for excessive engine noise during spirited acceleration. There are a decent amount of storage areas, and front-rear cupholders are substantial.

The large cargo area features fold-down rear seatbacks and even a fold-down front passenger seatback. The tailgate has an interior indentation to help close it without getting hands dirty on the outside of the tailgate.

Vibe strong points include solid Toyota engineering and available all-wheel drive. And the new supercharger option makes the base four-cylinder engine much more lively.

2004 PONTIAC VIBE

Prices
$16,485-$19,785

Likes
Roomy. Generally fun to drive. New supercharger and sporty appearance options.

Dislikes
Occasional jerky ride. Noisy engine. Lazy highway acceleration with base motor.