New-Age Vibrations
First Drive: 2003 Pontiac Vibe
By: BJ Killeen Posted 03.15.2002 12:00 PDT

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When you've got to get someone's attention, you shout. This is what Pontiac did when it introduced its new Vibe to the world at the Los Angeles Auto Show January of 2001. Pontiac employed the Vibe's target audience to hoot and holler the slam poetry as the Vibe was being revealed. Pontiac had to shout because it knew the success of the division would depend on the success of this vehicle.

The Vibe is Pontiac's first cannonball aimed at the sport compact market segment. As of late, Pontiac's reputation has been stained by the Aztek, an SUV that some say is way ahead of its time while others say it's way off base. Either way, it's been the butt of jokes for over a year. Now new blood is swimming in the veins of General Motors, and it's nothing but good news for Pontiac; it is now this division's turn to rejuvenate and get back to creating "excitement."

According to John Mack, chief designer, the Vibe was designed to appeal to the buyers because it's functional, sporty, and affordable. The Vibe features a muscular look, with "tight surfaces" that give it a unique personality. It carries Pontiac's signature twin-port grille up front, along with short overhangs and an encapsulated C-pillar, which give the Vibe a "hockey stick" look. The Vibe also highlights Pontiac's trademark wide-track stance, and with the aggressive wheel and tire package, add to its emotional appeal for a performance ride. Cat's-eye headlights, recessed foglights, and rear cornering lamps round out the exterior appeal. While Pontiac has been known to favor cladding, recent sneak peeks of new models, as well as word from the top, note the trend away from the added panels. Of the three trim levels for the Vibe, only the GT model gets some cladding, and it's minimal at that. A wise decision for Pontiac if it really wants to bring in younger buyers.

While it's always good to get as young a buyer as possible into the vehicle to foster brand loyalty, the Vibe's demographics lean more toward "lifestages" than straight-out demographics. Lifestages are described more as people of any age who are active, adventure-seeking and have a need for a versatile vehicle. And versatile is the key word, here. The objective of the Vibe team was to combine truck and car attributes into one vehicle, and by doing so, provide customers with the ability to do and carry just about anything.

These "crossover" vehicles are storming the marketplace now, with offerings from the domestic as well as the import side. Those that come out on top will be the vehicles that can back up all the claims for usefulness. The Vibe should have no problem, with its myriad offerings to make any outing easy. For example, the Vibe features four doors and a rear tailgate with split hatch for easy loading of smaller items. The rear cargo loading system is easy to use and well-thought out, with two parallel tracks that run the length of the rear compartment. There are eight adjustable sliding anchors that also help secure any cargo on the level load floor. The Vibe features almost 60 cubic feet of cargo capacity. The second row seats feature 60/40 split folding, and even the front passenger seat folds forward with a hard surface for use as a worktable. There's plenty of small storage space and hidden bins, and even a 115-volt outlet with a wall-type plug in the front console; perfect for charging your iPod or laptop computer. No self-respecting net-gens would be happy without music, so Pontiac has made standard in the Vibe an AM/FM stereo with programmable CD player, equalizer, and 4-speaker system. For those who need more, opt for the "Moon and Tunes" value package, which includes a power glass moonroof and 200-watt premium audio system with 6-speakers. If you want the full boogie, get the available DVD-based nav system with 5.8-inch LCD screen, 6-disc remote CD changer, AM/FM stereo, programmable EQ, RDS, and 6-speakers.

But being versatile doesn't mean you have to sacrifice comfort and convenience. The Vibe's interior is probably the cleanest, most attractive environment in the entire Pontiac lineup. The seats are supportive, comfortable, and attractively dressed in high-quality fabrics. Overall, the interior looks high-tech and contemporary, something we hope to see carried over to other future Pontiac vehicles. The dash and instrument panel are easy to reach and read, and a metallic finish adds to the futuristic theme. Housing the transmission shift lever in the center of the dash allows for a feeling of more room for occupants, as well as a useable center console.

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2003 PONTIAC VIBE SPECS

GENERAL
Chassis:
Transversely mounted front engine and transaxle, front- or all-wheel drive
Construction:
Unibody, steel frame and steel body panels
Trim levels:
Base, GT, AWD
Manufacturing facility:
NUMMI facility, Fremont, Calif.

ENGINES
Vibe Base Engine
Type:
1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder, 16 valves with VVT-i
Displacement (cu in/cc):
109.5 / 1794
Valvetrain:
DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio:
10:1
Horsepower:
130 @ 6,000 rpm
AWD model 123 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque:
125/170 @ 4200 (lb-ft./Nm @ RPM)
AWD model: 118/161 @ 4200

Vibe GT engine
Type:
DOHC 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder, 16 valves with VVTL-I
Displacement (cu in/cc):
109.6 / 1796
Valvetrain:
DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio:
11.5:1
Horsepower:
180/134 @ 7600
Torque:
130/176 @ 6800

TRANSMISSIONS
Base engine:
Four-speed automatic or five-speed manual
Base engine with AWD:
Four-speed automatic
GT engine:
Six-speed manual


CHASSIS/SUSPENSION
Front suspension:
MacPherson strut with coil springs and stabilizer bar
Rear suspension:
FWD: torsion beam with trailing link, coil springs and stabilizer bar
AWD: independent double wishbone with coil springs and stabilizer bar
Steering:
Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Turning diameter, curb to curb (ft/m):
36.7/11.2

BRAKES
Base:
10.8-inch front discs / 8.98-inch rear drums
AWD:
10.8-inch front discs / 8.98-inch rear drums
GT:
Four-wheel discs, 10.8-inch front / 10.6-inch rear

WHEELS / TIRES
Wheels:
16-inch aluminum/steel
17-inch aluminum

Tires:
Goodyear or Continental P205/55R16-all-season
Dunlop P215/50ZR17-summer

DIMENSIONS (IN.)
Wheelbase:
102.4
Overall length:
171.9
Overall width:
69.9
Overall height:
62.9 (62.6 with 17-inch wheels)
Tread-front:
59.6 (59.2 with 17-inch tires)
Tread-rear:
58.9 58.5 with 17-inch tires
Cargo volume
behind driver:
57.2 cu ft
Cargo volume
behind 2nd seat:
24.6 cu ft
Trailer tow capacity:
1500 lbs.

CURB WEIGHT
Base engine, manual:
2700 lbs.
Base engine, auto:
2780 lbs.
Base engine, AWD:
2975 lbs.
GT engine, manual:
2800 lbs