- hatchback 199,137
- 1,408 below average
- 3,250 great
- Nicholasville, KY
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- autoshopper.com
- 1,408 below average hatchback 199,137 gasoline orange automatic
2004 pontiac vibe review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. This five-door hatchback boasts a roomy interior for front and rear passengers. Its creatively designed cargo compartment features a track system with adjustable tie-down anchors. The seating arrangement is flexible, allowing the driver to flip down the passenger seat when hauling items up to 8-feet long. A selection of over-the-counter accessories is available to enhance its look. Vibe comes in wild colors, including fusion orange, lava, satellite, and envy. Xm satellite radio, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a supercharger for the base model have been added to the options list for 2004. All-wheel drive is available for drivers in the snowbelt. on the road, we found the base model pleasant and comfortable with a hatchback's cargo-hauling versatility. The vibe comes standard with wind-up windows, manual door locks, and 16-inch steel wheels, but it is otherwise reasonably well equipped with air conditioning; a cd player; a two-prong, household-style 115-volt power outlet (as well as two automotive-style 12-volt outlets); and power mirrors. Anti-lock brakes 500) are optional. the all-wheel-drive vibe (awd) is similarly equipped, but its engine is de-tuned to 123 horsepower. Anti-lock brakes (abs) and automatic transmission are standard; no manual transmission is available. the vibe gt is a factory-built sport compact with 180 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. No automatic transmission is available. side-impact airbags are optional 575) and come packaged with an alarm system. A power group 750) adds cruise control, power windows, and power door locks with remote keyless entry to all models. The optional moon and tunes package 850) adds a power glass moonroof and 200-watt audio system. An in-dash six-cd changer is also available as a stand-alone option 325) or as part of a dvd-based navigation system 1,650). New for 2004 are 17-inch aluminum wheels with 215/50r17 dunlop all-season tires, xm satellite radio, and onstar telematics. also available is a dealer-installed supercharger for the base model that will deliver 7. 5 psi of boost for a 35-percent increase in horsepower and torque. The supercharger can be installed on either manual or automatic vibes, and shares the vibe's 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. walkaroundthe pontiac vibe was designed using a two-box hatchback architecture, which makes for a practical car. To make sure the vibe wasn't too boxy, however, the overhangs were kept short and more slope was put into to the rear section of the roof. In profile, the vibe hints at a fastback shape. The encapsulated c-pillars almost look like inverted hockey sticks. And the short overhangs push the wheels out to the corners, improving handling while providing some traditional pontiac 'wide track' identity. But at least the vibe's bottom fringe is relatively simple, and is available in either low-key charcoal or even less conspicuous body color 325). Those seats are elevated for a good view of the road. The person at the wheel can gain an even better vantage by using the manual height adjustment of the driver's seat. The driver operates in a cockpit-style environment. Making this setup more convenient are release levers on both sides of the passenger seatback, so the driver can fold it one-handed, while someone standing outside the car on the passenger's side can easily reach in and do the same thing. the rear seat has room for at least two full-size adults, and is split 60/40. With both rear seatbacks and the front passenger seat folded down, vibe provides a perfectly flat cargo area shaped like utah and almost as large: 8 feet from the rear hatch to the right half of the dashboard. With all seats folded, the vibe can carry 54 cubic feet of cargo, which can be secured by using the numerous tie-downs, including those that lock into position in a clever pair of tracks in the rear cargo floor. Those tracks are also built into the rear seatbacks, so when the seats are folded down they extend the full length of the rear cargo floor. The hard finish used in the cargo area makes for easy cleanup, great for dealing with muddy equipment or wet dogs. An optional seatback pack 80) attaches to the front seatback and includes a first-aid kit. all told, the vibe provides nearly a dozen interior storage containers, nine of which keep contents out of view. There's even a compartment behind the base of the back seat, where an umbrella or fishing rods can be kept in a covered pocket. However, it isn't cheap 1,650). onstar works as a navigation system because there's nothing to program. Press the button and a human operator responds, to provide directions and other assistance. The vibe's engine was a little noisy under acceleration, but the drivetrain quieted nicely at cruising speeds. the five-speed manual transmission lets the driver extract the full measure of the engine's power. Making shifting easier is the way the shifter is mounted in an extension of the dashboard, instead of in a center console. With this solid chassis, engineers were able to do a good job of sound insulation and ride control. We were comfortable after spending a full day in the vibe. enhancing the experience are controls that are easy to reach and use. Audio controls are located at the top of the center stack. Three big dials are used to control the heating/air-conditioning system. the vibe awd model with the automatic isn't as quick as the front-drive model with the manual gearbox, but it responded nicely when we needed it to kick down for passing or for pulling onto freeways. On the downside, the awd model gets slightly lower fuel economy and has a smaller fuel tank than the five-speed base model. The all-wheel-drive system is made up of lightweight aluminum components, so a vibe awd weighs just 198 pounds more than a base model with automatic transmission.
3,250 Nicholasville, KYNicholasville, KY at autoshopper.com