The standard Pontiac Vibe is no pocket rocket, but comports itself well. We found the Vibe's engine a little noisy under acceleration, but the drivetrain quieted nicely at cruising speeds. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine features Toyota's variable valve timing (VVT-i) technology and produces 130 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 125 pounds-feet of torque at 4200 rpm. The five-speed manual transmission lets the driver extract the full measure of the engine's power. Making shifting easier is the way the shifter is mounted in an extension of the dashboard, instead of in a center console. Your right hand falls easily from the steering wheel directly onto the shift lever.
The Vibe handles well, certainly better than any sport-utility, but it doesn't handle as well as a compact sedan. It was designed to be comfortable for long drives, and we were comfortable after a full day of driving. The Pontiac Vibe is built on the Toyota Corolla platform, a solid chassis that helped engineers with sound insulation and ride control. The front suspension is designed with a leading-arm MacPherson strut with a high caster angle. The rear suspensions of the base and GT models have a twist-beam design. The suspension is designed to ensure ample wheel travel, improving ride comfort and quietness while offering responsive handling and good stability.
Vibe offers StabiliTrak as an option for the first time in 2005 and it's a terrific feature. StabiliTrak helps the driver maintain the intended path by applying brakes at any of the four wheels independent of the driver's use of the brake pedal. If the vehicle begins to understeer (snowplow), StabiliTrak applies the inside rear brake to help turn the vehicle. If the vehicle begins to oversteer (fishtail), StabiliTrak applies the outside front brake to straighten the vehicle. StabiliTrak is integrated with the traction control and anti-lock brake systems.
The Vibe AWD model with the automatic isn't as quick as the front-drive model with the manual gearbox, but it responded nicely when we needed it to kick down for passing or for pulling onto freeways. On the downside, the AWD model gets slightly lower fuel economy and has a smaller fuel tank than the five-speed base model. On the upside, it won't get stuck and doesn't add much weight. Under normal conditions the system drives the front wheels only. But if the front wheels start slipping, a viscous coupling directs up to half of the power to the rear wheels. That's a very useful feature when trying to drive up a slippery slope. All-wheel-drive models get an independent rear suspension with a compact double-wishbone design, a more sophisticated setup than what's on the front-drive models. This independent rear suspension improves ride comfort and provides outstanding handling and stability to complement the sure-footed all-wheel-drive system. The all-wheel-drive system is made of aluminum and weighs less than 200 pounds.
The Vibe GT almost qualifies for pocket-rocket status. Pontiac says the GT will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in less than 8.5 seconds, compared to 9 or 10 seconds for the base car and 11.5 for the AWD.
The GT's engine also displaces 1.8 liters, but they are arranged a different way. A massage by the performance mavens at Yamaha shortened the stroke while increasing the bore. Compression is boosted from 10:1 to 11.5:1 (requiring premium fuel), and the engine computer regulates valve lift as well as timing, a setup called VVTL-i. The payback is 180 horsepower at 7600 rpm and 130 pound-feet of torque at 6800. Coupled to the Vibe GT's engine is a six-speed manual gearbox. The GT rides on the same twist-beam rear axle as the base model, but gets four-wheel disc brakes and ABS.
Rev to 6000, and the VVTL-i system kicks in a higher-lift, longer-duration cam lobe. It feels like a turbocharger that's spooling up and pumping air. We drove the car hard and fast on canyon roads west of Los Angeles, where we found it quick, stable and predictable. We also liked the exhaust note. The engine seems an odd match for this wagon, though. It seems like it would be better in a sporty compact. At times, we wondered what this little wagon was trying to be. The suspension felt too firm and bouncy for hauling fragile items or pets and the steering was a bit darty for casual driving. The rev-happy engine seemed peaky around town. Accelerate hard from a low speed and you'll experience torque steer, a tugging sensation on the steering wheel.
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