2003 Pontiac Vibe

I owned a Pontiac Vibe for a short time- I had previously been driving a Monte Carlo, and the Vibe was an ‘in-between’ car for me. I was used to a heavier and larger car. The Vibe had some cool styling, and it was easy to park in a crowded parking lot. The doors were light and not heavy so the one time I did close the door on my foot it didn’t hurt too badly! It was a nice little car, but not right for me. I couldn’t adjust the seat to be comfortable. If the steering wheel was a comfortable distance for my arms, my legs were cramped up. When my legs were comfortable, my arms were stretched out. It sounds like a simple thing to fix but believe me, I tried all the combinations and could never seem to get it just right. I thought I’d better become an orangutan monkey with really long arms or else it wouldn’t work for me! That was just me, though. Some other people I know who have driven a Vibe didn’t have that problem, so maybe it’s just I’m proportioned differently. The radio controls were also hard to use while driving- they were far enough away from the wheel that it was uncomfortable to lean over while driving to change something. The CD player worked fine and the sound system in the car was pretty good, as far as simple car audio systems go. One thing I didn’t really like either was my model had a shiny metallic dashboard. It looked cool, but when the sun shone in at just the right angle it made a glare that was a few times quite blinding. I didn’t realize all that when I got the car, but next time I’ll remember that about the dashboard. The Vibe did get great gas mileage, and was fun to drive in the fact that it felt light and zippy. It just wasn’t right for me, or maybe I just was used to my big tank of a car with the Monte Carlo. It cost less to fill up at the gas station, and these days and economic times that can be a real selling feature. It did get around town nicely, and was attractive for a smaller car. It was easy to drive, other than getting my seat right. The head rests were adjustable and easy to move, and everything fit nicely in the compartments it offered. The Vibe had a nice trunk area, and lots could fit in- from groceries to even a medium sized television. That was a good feature- and for the money, it did come with some nice features like a seat warmer. I think for younger people or a first car, the Vibe would be a good choice for most. For me, other than the seat adjustment and the glare from the dashboard, I did enjoy driving it. It was a great small car that got good mileage and seemed to be fun to drive around.