Pontiac Vibe, introduced in 2002 as a 2003 model is a product of joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. The Vibe is based on the Toyota Corolla platform and powered with Toyota engine.
Pontiac Vibe doesn't precisely fit into any vehicle category. It's a four-door tall and relatively short wagon with certain attributes of a sports car (sporty styling and available 180 hp engine). It also resembles an SUV with its tall ride, available AWD system and spacious cargo area. Yet it's one of the most fuel-efficient models in GM line-up.

Pontiac Vibe features transversely mounted four-cylinder engine, front independent suspension with MacPherson struts and semi-independent torsion beam rear suspension (independent double wishbone suspension in AWD model).
Anti-lock Brake system (ABS) is standard on AWD and GT models and optional on base Vibe. Disk brakes in the front, drums in the back (four-wheel disk brakes on GT model).
Pontiac Vibe base and AWD models feature the 4-cylinder 1.8-liter 130 hp engine with variable timing. The Vibe GT comes with a high-performance 180-horsepower version of the same engine with variable timing and valve lift. The Vibe base model is available with

a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission. The AWD model comes only with four-speed automatic transmission. The GT offers sporty six-speed manual transmission.
The Vibe interior offers plenty of space and versatility. The elevated roofline provides generous headroom for front and rear passengers. Dashboard looks sharp and sporty with round gauges and chrome trimming. Driver's place offers upright seating position and easy to use controls. One of the useful features - optional 115V power outlet to plug in your laptop or other equipment. The split rear seat folds flat offering generous cargo space. There is also an adjustable roof rack for extra luggage. The front passenger seat folds flat resembling a table or to help accommodate extra long items. The rear hatch window opens separately for easy access.

The Vibe offers stable ride and good handling. The engine is a bit noisy at acceleration. The available all-wheel drive system provides better traction on a slippery road.
The seat-mounted side air bags are available as an option. In NHTSA frontal crash test, the 2003 - 2004 Pontiac Vibe received five stars for both, driver and passenger. The 2005 - 2007 models has five stars for driver and four stars for passenger in the same test.

Engine

The Vibe base and AWD models come with 1.8-liter 16-valves DOHC engine with variable timing (VVT-i), the same engine as in Toyota Corolla.
The GT features the 180 hp VVTL-i version of the same engine with added variable valve lift. This means that at high rpm valves open wider allowing the engine to breath better giving it more high-end power. Both Vibe engines use a long-lasting timing chain, there is no timing belt. Either of these two engines is very reliable if maintained properly

Strengths

- Good fuel economy
- Reliability
- Stylish sporty look
- Practical spacious interior
- Cargo room
- Rear hatch window opens separately

Weaknesses

- Interior looks a bit cheap, plastic trim around the stereo is easy to scratch.
- Plastic floor in the cargo area - consider buying a cargo mat.
- The engine is a bit noisy
- Wind noise at highway speed
Problems are rare and mostly minor, like noisy serpentine belt idler, check engine light, and alike.

Overall

The Pontiac Vibe offers great combination of stylish sporty look, spacious interior and versatility of an SUV with excellent fuel economy of a small car. Add good reliability records and low maintenance costs - The Vibe is essentially a Toyota with few GM components and Pontiac badge. With high gas prices, the Pontiac Vibe may be a really good alternative to a thirsty SUV or a minivan. Toyota Matrix is a mechanical twin of Pontiac Vibe and also can be considered.

Few maintenance tips

- Wash and wax your car regularly to protect the paint.
- If you live in the area with high humidity, rustproofing will help to protect the car body from corrosion.
- Regular oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.