I'm considering buying a Pontiac Vibe, if you drive one, what do you think?

Q: I have a Mercury Villager Van, looking to downsize, to small wagon eventually, but have seen the Vibe everywhere lately. I'm single mom, 2 teens, 2 dogs, need to hold garden stuff, flea market stuff, sports equip. A test drive isn't the same as real driver recommendations. Love to hear from you
(2010-11-05 00:56:41)

A: A friend of mine has a vibe, and it is a nice little car. It is basically the same exact car as the toyota matrix- and in a lot of ways is nicer than most other pontiacs when it comes to quality control and reliability.
However, it would be a BIG step down. They are pretty small compared to a van you might feel a bit crowded. My mother considered moving down to a little wagon but found that she liked being up high in a van so instead is going to get a little suv- a honda crv. If you are looking at the vibe definitely look at the honda crv and the toyota rav 4 and even the honda element. They are about the same size in cargo capacity, but just a little higher up and are reviewed very well.

Another friend (actually a husband and wife couple who I am friends with) have a mazda 3 which I like much better than the pontiac vibe. It is possibly a bit smaller- but they are fun to drive, reliable, and nicer seeming inside than the vibe. You should check them out, or a mazda protege hatchback which the mazda 3 replaced.


The big thing with the vibe is it will seem not only smaller, than the van but probably cheaper as well. It really is basically an economy car with a wagon back. If you are ok with that it should be fine- but I would definitely look at some of the other options around. The vibe will be nicer than say, a chevy cavalier, but not as nice as a honda civic fit and finish wise. It may be slightly bigger than the civic but not by that much.