- hatchback 132,355
- 5,495 high price
- Folsom, CA
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- autoshopper.com
2005 pontiac vibe review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Style and practicality. introductionthe pontiac vibe is popular for its practicality, sporty styling and zippy performance. A new front fascia greatly improves the appearance of the 2005 models. The seating setup is flexible, allowing the driver to flip down the passenger seat when hauling items up to eight-feet long. That seat can be used as a desk for a laptop computer, which can be plugged into the 115-volt electrical outlet. vibe is best represented in the standard model. It's also inexpensive. A vibe loaded with optional safety features, premium sound systems and cargo compartment accessories retails for about $20,000. And it can get there: all-wheel drive is available for dependable all-weather capability. the vibe gt is designed to deliver more excitement, but its high-performance engine seems too peaky for this application and adds considerably to the cost. Vibe comes in wild colors, and accessories are available to enhance its look. new safety features are options for 2005 models, including stabilitrak electronic stability control, side curtain airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, a tire pressure monitor, onstar, and programmable automatic door locks. The front-passenger airbag has been upgraded on all models. 2005 models get new cloth fabrics as standard equipment. The vibe comes standard with wind-up windows, manual door locks, and 16-inch steel wheels, but it is otherwise reasonably well equipped with air conditioning; power mirrors; a cd player; two automotive-style 12-volt outlets; plus a two-prong, household-style 115-volt power outlet. anti-lock brakes 525) and stabilitrak 495) are optional. Also optional: side-impact and curtain airbags 745) and onstar 695). The awd model comes standard with an automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes. the vibe gt comes with a 180-horsepower engine and six-speed manual transmission. No automatic is available. Stabilitrak 495) electronic stability control is also optional. A power package 850) adds cruise control, power windows with driver's express-down, and power door locks with remote keyless entry to all models. The optional moon & tunes package 840) adds a power glass moonroof and 200-watt audio system with seven speakers and integrated subwoofer. An in-dash six-cd changer is also available as a stand-alone option 325) or as part of a dvd-based navigation system 1,650). Xm satellite radio 325) and onstar 695) telematics are optional. Optional 16-inch 440) and 17-inch 825) aluminum wheels are available. to give all that show some go there is a dealer-installed supercharger for the base model that will deliver 7. 5 psi of boost for a 35-percent increase in horsepower and torque. The supercharger can be installed on either manual or automatic vibes, and shares the vibe's 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. walkaroundthe smooth new grille and front fascia give the 2005 pontiac vibe a more contemporary look and hint at the styling direction pontiac is taking with an upcoming sports car, the 2006 solstice. otherwise, its appearance is unchanged. The vibe was conceived by general motors and is built to toyota assembly standards with toyota components at a joint gm/toyota assembly plant. Toyota sells its own version of the car, called the matrix, with different styling cues. Traditional pontiac styling cues distinguish the vibe. They wanted to make sure it looked like a pontiac. So the front and rear overhangs were kept short. (overhang is the part of the car that sticks out past the bumper.) short overhangs means the wheels are pushed out to the corners of the car. In addition to improving handling, this design helps uphold that traditional pontiac 'wide track' stance. More slope was put into to the rear section of the roof. In profile, the vibe hints at a fastback shape. The encapsulated c-pillars almost look like inverted hockey sticks. pontiac hasn't quite broken its habit of surrounding its vehicles with lower-body cladding. But at least the vibe's bottom fringe is relatively simple, and is available in either low-key charcoal or even less conspicuous body color 325). The seats are elevated for a good view of the road and the driver gets a manual seat-height adjustment. The driver operates in a cockpit-style environment. Secondary controls are easy to reach and use. Audio controls are located at the top of the center stack. Three big dials are used to control the heating/air-conditioning system. We found the handbrake lever awkward, though. nice touches went into making the vibe a pleasant place for driving or even for working: the front passenger's seatback folds flat, so its back can serve as a table for a laptop computer or even a video game system plugged into the 115-volt outlet. It's a convenient setup with release levers on both sides of the passenger seatback, so it can be folded with one hand either from the driver's seat or from outside the car. the rear seat has room for at least two full-size adults. The rear seatbacks are split 60/40 for versatility. With both rear seatbacks and the front passenger seat folded down, vibe provides a perfectly flat cargo area shaped like utah and almost as large: 8 feet from the rear hatch to the right half of the dashboard. With all seats folded, the vibe can carry 54 cubic feet of cargo, which can be secured by using the numerous tie-downs, including those that lock into position in a clever pair of tracks in the rear cargo floor. Those tracks are also built into the rear seatbacks, so when the seats are folded down they extend the full length of the rear cargo floor. The hard finish used in the cargo area makes for easy cleanup, great for dealing with muddy equipment or wet dogs. However, this same hard finish means cargo that isn't secured tends to slide around. An optional seatback pack 80) attaches to the back of the front seat and includes a first-aid kit. there's also plenty of places to tuck stuff away. Vibe provides nearly a dozen interior storage containers, nine of which keep contents out of view. There's even a compartment behind the base of the back seat, where an umbrella or fishing rods can be kept in a covered pocket. However, it isn't cheap 1,650). onstar works like a navigation system but there's nothing to program. We found the vibe's engine.
5,495 Folsom, CAFolsom, CA at autoshopper.com