My wife and I are thinking about getting a VIBE. We wanted something with a hatchback and good mileage.
Don't know much about the reliability though.
Anyone on the forum have any good or bad experiences?
What seems to be the concensus about the car in general?
Thanks ahead of time!
Stavid

Be aware this is a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac badge. Basically the running gear is from the Corolla so that alone should tell you something.

I have an 05 base w/Auto. Only has 30K miles but it has been a good car.

If I behave myself it'll give me mid 30s with no problem on the highway in summer driving. Have seen 36-38 a few times. I run my Amsoil 5W-30 XL, which helped a bit too.

Overall if you like how the car fits you, it should be a good unit if maintained properly.

As mentioned, it's a rebadged Corolla and a Matrix twin, so you have the Toyota quality underneath. I've had ours (an '03 AWD) for a few months now and I'll say that it's good for a commuter and around-town car, but I wouldn't choose it for a road trip.

Road noise is noticeably louder than our Camry and Envoy (my preferred road tripper for the family) due to the wider tires and lack of underbody sound deadening material.

Me being nearly 6' tall, the seat position makes me feel like I'm reaching for the steering wheel...again okay for around town but uncomfortable on long trips.

The engine is peppy if somewhat loud and the AWD is a great feature, but it leaves me wanting for more oomph.

The radio/nav system is good but not spectacular. Mine doesn't employ a touch screen, so I'm forced to fiddle with a joyknob to select menu items (please tell me they have touch screen in the new ones!).

I don't know what the new models have done to alleviate the issues I've laid out, but I'm going to say that it isn't the best car in it's class but I'd consider it on Toyota's reliability alone. If they improved in what I griped about then all the better. Decent alternatives might be the Honda Fit, Subaru Forester or WRX, or perhaps the Chevy HHR.

good luck!

I just got a 2005 Vibe with 72K on it and it is still in great condition besides the CD player doesn't work. I really like it and I'm sure it will be very reliable. If you look at Consumer Guide, the ratings are awesome.

the 2009 vibe gets signifigantly less milage than the 04-06 vibe and to me looks plain ugly. The 09 gets around 29 on the highway, about as much as a minivan. The 06 is your best bet with around 35 highway and 30 city.