Road Test
Pontiac Vibe
The 2003 U
ntil SUVs get 30 miles per gallon and zip around town like golf carts, pocket racers like the Pontiac Vibe will continue to be the ultimate shuttle buggy for urban-based paddlers. Pontiac must have studied the outdoor adventure market segment and realized many of us spend as much time drinking cappuccino in cafes as we do around camp- fires. They’ve incorporated clever features like in-dash GPS, 115-volt AC plug-in and internal tie-downs into a car half the size of its monster truck cousins. The Vibe’s blend of mini-ute, wagon, and street racer creates another new segment in the automotive market: The crossover vehicle.
The 2003 Vibe comes pre- packaged in three models: the base Vibe, the AWD and the Vibe GT. The three packages are surely a result of many focus groups but they didn’t ask me, a
Best Paddler Features
1. The Vibe’s solid roof rails, located near the rear and combined with low roof height, are a snap to load for even the shortest paddler. The crossbars tucked inside the rails, however, are the typical high-flex, too-narrow factory norm. For more than a couple boats, look to upgrading to the GM Accessories Utility Bar ($121.75 Cdn). The antenna is located rather awkwardly between the racks, but flexes enough to pile boats on top.
2. The Vibe is the first car we’ve seen with a back seat that folds completely flat—finally. Pontiac didn’t bother carpeting the floor areas knowing we’d just throw in wet gear, greasy bikes and even a spud boat. Notice the little tracks
guy who wants to eat, and keep, my cake. The shuttle-road- friendly and winter-savvy AWD we tested gets the shopping- mall-mom, least powerful 123-hp engine and the four-speed auto- matic. Yes, the 1.8 litre four-cylin- der zips along just fine, but if you could combine the 180 hp and the six-speed tranny of the GT with the AWD, this car would be fun. The Vibe’s modest ground clearance, firm suspension, responsive steering and g-force- pulling ABS brakes makes whistling down logging roads feel more like rally driving than river tripping. The aggressive front air dam, wheel flares, and smooth lines
incorporating the factory roof rack give even the base model a sporty look. When you first see the Vibe, it appears to be a little car, but that’s only until you climb inside. The seating position is higher than typical small cars and the roof arcs up offering plenty of headroom. Even the back seats are pretty roomy for mid-sized adults. There’s no excuse to have clutter in your Vibe. Pontiac has a spot for it all: change, elbows, sunglasses, CDs, tie-downs, coffee cups, maps and your cell phone. The real plus is that the rear seats fold into a 60/40 split or completely flat for 54 cubic feet of space. When you first
stick your head in the rear cargo area it might seem like Pontiac cheaped out with plastic trim instead of carpet. Then you real- ize how nice it is to toss in muddy bikes, snow-covered skis and wet gear without having to worry about ripping or rotting the carpet.
Will the crossover vehicle concept catch on? Pontiac hopes so. They expect to sell 40,000 in North America by the end of 2002, and then 55,000–60,000 per year after that. With a sticker price of $19,860 Cdn base, $26,250 for the AWD, and highway fuel mileage of 41 mpg, they might be onto something.
on the floor with sliding anchor points. There are clever anchors and com- partments hidden in the walls with plenty of space for tie-downs, washer fluid and jumper cables.
3. The cockpit of the Vibe has it all. The passenger seat folded flat has a recessed tray for your laptop. Don’t forget to plug into the in-dash 115-volt AC power supply. Our Vibe was packaged with the DVD-based GPS navigation system and six-disk CD changer hidden under the seat. The GPS tracking works everywhere but the DVD mapping is hit-and-miss outside populated areas. Warning: The large display screen and joystick running all the electron- ics are fascinating and addictive. Leave them to your navigator and keep your eyes on the road.
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