I'm planning on repainting the Vibe, but I will continue with the Maroon color. Somebody has put tinting on the back window over the rear defroster, so I'm not bothering it. I have no idea what year model the Vibe is yet. I'm hoping to find an owners manual on e-bay. The AC and the heater works well in the Vibe also. My sister said they have driven the Vibe to Arkansas many times and it still performs well. I have the check written out and ready to purchase my first Pontiac. The Pontiac handled the rough I 20 very well. It does use more fuel than my Honda Accord though. I drove it to Fort Worth a week ago and I'm happy with its performance. The Poniac Vibe has plenty of get up and go. I have to park my 2002 Honda Accord from now on. I need something reliable to drive from Longview TX to Fort Worth TX many times. So I am buying my relatives Pontiac Vibe. Now my transmission in the Honda refuses to work on the highway. I drove my relatives Pontic Vibe while my 2002 Honda Accords transmission was being worked on. Knapp says she doesn’ think “Buy America.” She says she and her readers simply think “Buy.” She said: “We like these smaller vehicles. The bottom line is that both the Vibe and Matrix are likable, fun-to-drive vehicles, highly suited to urban environments (though the automatic transmission makes more sense in New York City’s stop-and-go traffic).īoth vehicles appeal to young people, according to Alix Knapp, the 19-year-old founder and editor of Seattle-based Aerovec. The top-of-the-line Matrix XRS has the same equipment found in the Vibe GT. The Matrix XR came with a 130-horsepower version of that engine linked to an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. The Vibe GT was equipped with a 180-horsepower version of Toyota’s variable-valve-timing in-line four-cylinder engine, which was linked to a six-speed manual transmission. I drove the top-level Vibe GT in New York and the mid-level Matrix XR in the Washington area. The look is reminiscent of the control centers in the larger Lexus RX 300 and Toyota Highlander car-wagon-utility models. The Matrix’s body is free of the lower-body cladding found on the Vibe.īut Toyota seems to have had the most influence in interior design.īoth vehicles feature dramatic instrument panels that swoop downward toward high-mounted cradles for gearshift levers. The roofline slants severely to the rear (a design cue hidden on the tested Vibe GT by a roof-mounted luggage rack). It is outfitted with a more mainstream front end, a sculptured ode to the Toyota Camry. The Matrix, by comparison, is more conservative. Rear cornering lights and tough-looking lower-body cladding also are exclusive to the Vibe. The Vibe (top photo) has a highly stylized version of Pontiac’s traditional arrow-shaped front end with the bifurcated grille. (Young people apparently have an overwhelming need for secrecy.) Exterior differences between the two vehicles are skin-deep. There are the obvious door pockets, plus nine concealed storage units in each vehicle. Storage bins abound in the Vibe and the Matrix. That means both can provide power for laptop computers and other electronic equipment. There are 115-volt electrical outlets designed to accept standard wall-type plugs. Both vehicles have rear seats that fold easily to form flat load floors. So GM and Toyota have loaded up the Vibe and Matrix with amenities, horsepower, style and utility. Money is the only passport that matters in the auto market. It matters little that those young people include Asians, Africans, Americans, Arabs, Australians, Europeans and Israelis. They care only about future profits.īoth companies are using the Vibe and Matrix to woo young buyers - people 16 to 26 years old - according to Aerovec, a youth-oriented online magazine. They don’t discuss past wars and hostilities. GM and Toyota don’t care that one partner is Japanese and the other is American. The vehicles are based on the compact, front-wheel-drive Toyota Corolla/Chevrolet Prizm platform. They are practically identical car-wagon utility vehicles (CWUVs). They co-develop products.Īnyone doubting that should take a look at the 2003 Pontiac Vibe and the 2003 Toyota Matrix. Auto companies trade parts across national boundaries. I’ve tried to explain to Carl that flags no longer mean what they once meant in the auto industry. He often expresses his angst in more offensive language. He accuses me of “kneeling” before the Japanese, Germans and Koreans. Carl writes frequently to complain about my coverage of “foreign” cars.Ĭarl is a reader.
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