Summary
Although the bigger motor doesn't transform the AWD into a track star, it is miles ahead of the anemic, 123-hp, 1.8L motor with which its predecessor was afflicted. That engine barely had the torque to pull a tissue out of a Kleenex box. The 2.4L, on the other hand, doesn't run out of lungs and there's decent passing power available with just part throttle. However, the only transmission available for the Vibe AWD is a four-speed automatic; the five-speed manual is offered only on the GT and base 2.4 models.
The Vibe cornered well -- assisted by the tester's optional P215/45R17 rubber (205/55R16s are standard) -- with little lean in corners, but the overall ride was stiff. Given the potholed nature of Toronto's winter-ravaged streets, there were a few times when I wished I was driving something bigger and cushier. Like the exterior, the '09 Vibe's interior is all new and yet familiar. It retains the driver-focused cockpit design, although the interior materials -- low gloss, varied grains on the instrument panel and satin-metal accents -- are a step up. I miss the bright chrome trim rings around the gauges, though. Still, the cabin's focus is primarily functional, lacking the more upscale nature of interiors found in similarly priced Mazda3s or Honda Civics.See the full content of this document
Extract
Better Vibe-Rations?
By Brian Harper
As can often be the situation when getting behind the wheel of a new test vehicle for the first time, within an hour or so, I start to notice just how many of the new model or the previous generation there are on the roads.Such is the case with the Pontiac Vibe...See the full content of this document
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