 2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD. Click image to enlarge |
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2009 Pontiac Vibe
Oshawa, Ontario – If the rising price of fuel taught us anything, it’s that if we have to, we can downsize. Drivers who used to “need” very large vehicles for their hauling capability are increasingly discovering that there are smaller vehicles that can often perform just as well cargo-wise as their bigger, thirstier cousins – vehicles like the Pontiac Vibe, which is all-new for the 2009 model year.
It shares its makeover with the Toyota Matrix upon which it’s based; both of them, under a differently-styled skin, are hatchback variations of the Toyota Corolla. In one of those delicious little ironies, the “import” Toyota model is built exclusively in Ontario, while the “domestic” General Motors version is made in a joint GM/Toyota facility in California.
Both the Vibe and Matrix were high on my list when they came out, offering superb cargo capacity, comfortable interior, and fun driving characteristics, especially in the “sporty” Vibe GT and Matrix XRS models. The new Vibe is still just as freight-friendly and cozy inside as before, but this time around, it feels like there’s something missing. It’s hard to put a finger on it exactly, but it seems more sterile, lacking the quick handling and edgy feel that used to be part of its charm. It’s still a useful vehicle and the two companies should sell a ton of them, but overall, I think I liked the old one better.
  2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD. Click image to enlarge |
Still, there are a lot of overdue improvements in this new version, especially since, in its final couple of seasons, the last-generation model was sharply pared down and was obviously just being “built out” until the new one could arrive. In 2006, Pontiac dropped the Vibe’s available high-revving 1.8-litre engine and its all-wheel drive version, and offered only a single, basic 1.8-litre model for 2007 and 2008. But for 2009, the full menu has returned.
The base Vibe still uses a 1.8-litre four-cylinder, but it’s a new one that makes 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque to the previous engine’s 126 and 122. My AWD tester and the GT models return, using a 2.4-litre four-cylinder that produces 158 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. Both the base and GT models start out with a five-speed manual transmission, and while the optional unit on the last generation was a four-speed automatic, this time around they can be swapped up to a five-speed. But the AWD comes strictly with a four-speed autobox, and while it shifts smoothly enough, you really notice that missing fifth cog. I was on the launch of the Toyota version, where an engineer told me that the five-speed automatic wouldn’t fit on the all-wheel unit, and that the four-gear was all that was available to them. Maybe so, but finding one that does bolt on would make the AWD a better performer.
As before, the AWD system runs exclusively as a front-wheeler until it detects loss of traction, whereupon it sends up to 45 per cent of torque to the rear wheels. The system has been improved over the last generation, and reacts faster than before; when I drove it on a snowy course last January – with winter-specific tires – it did an excellent job of maintaining grip in the slip.
Other improvements include four disc brakes to replace the previous disc/drum configuration, and safety features that were extra-charge add-ons are now standard equipment on every trim line: anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, curtain airbags, and front seat side airbags. The base model uses a rear torsion beam, but the AWD and GT models come with independent rear suspension.
  2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD. Click image to enlarge |
One thing I really like about the Vibe is that, should you choose, you can get it in an absolute bare-bones configuration (it starts at $15,995, or $21,270 with all-wheel drive). Before you add any available packages, the Base and AWD models come with crank windows, manual locks, fixed-delay wipers and no cruise control (the AWD includes air conditioning, which is optional on the Base). There are a lot of buyers who prefer manual to power accessories, especially if the car is the household’s secondary vehicle and they’re planning to keep it for a long time and don’t want the possibility of having to fix them. Due to its Toyota heritage, the Vibe also lacks the automatic headlamp switch that GM routinely puts on its other vehicles.
Overall, the 2.4-litre engine has enough power to move the Vibe around, even when the car is loaded, although it’s growly; there isn’t a lot of sound-deadening, and you hear a lot of road and engine noise. It also has a rough idle, which is also how I discovered that one taillight hadn’t been properly installed: the vibration was enough to make it rattle. The published fuel economy for the AWD model is 10.3 in the city and 7.8 on the highway, while I averaged 9.4. Most drivers who just want a commuter car will find the handling just fine – it goes where it’s pointed, and it’s well-planted on the highway – but the quick, sporty feeling that the car used to have has been pretty much dialed out and there’s more body roll, at least on my tester (I haven’t had a chance to drive the GT, which comes with a “performance” front suspension).
Most redesigns result in a bigger vehicle, but thankfully, the Vibe’s dimensions stay virtually the same. The wedge shape is still there, but the sharper edges have been smoothed out, and a sweeping body line waves its way from the more angular headlights to the new taillights. These are now chrome-ringed pods behind a clear plastic cover, replacing the previous three-band shield, but I’m not sold on them: I find them too big and busy for the car (they remind me of the aftermarket units that the tuner folks once embraced and are now abandoning), and I’m guessing they cost a lot more to replace than the old ones should someone tap you in the rear corner. All-season rubber wraps around 16-inch steel wheels that can be optioned to 17-inch chrome-clad aluminum rims, as on my tester, which didn’t quite look worth the extra $950.
    2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD. Click image to enlarge |
The new design also brings a tiny quarter window and thick C-pillar that result in a large blind spot for over-the-shoulder checks. That aside, though, visibility is good everywhere else, especially with the tall, SUV-type seating position.
Inside, as before, the Vibe is very roomy for its size, even for rear-seat passengers, who enjoy plenty of legroom, and all of the chairs are quite comfortable. The redesigned dash retains its simplicity, which is always a bonus in my books: dials are big and easy to use, the vents spin and close very easily, and the stereo is straightforward. Backlighting could be better though, and while fit-and-finish was good overall, there were a couple of uneven gaps that could have been better. A complaint I had with the old model was that the pods in the instrument cluster were ringed with chrome, and they could be blinding when the sun caught them on a bright day. The new pods are topped with a matte finish and they’re shaded with a heavy dash eyebrow, which eliminates that problem, but the instruments are set in so far that they can be hard to read at a glance.
What GM hasn’t changed is the Vibe’s ability to swallow cargo. Up front, there are numerous pockets, cubbies, bins and boxes, including a cupholder divider that can be removed to turn it into one larger storage unit. The cargo floor lifts in two sections, to reveal a deep, divided bin tucked up behind the spare tire, and a section at the sill that contains a cargo organizer – standard on the AWD and GT, and optional on the base model – with a freestanding lid that contains removable divider nets. You can stash your grocery bags there or, if they’re the plastic ones, they can hang off the hooks on the sides of the cargo compartment.
The cargo area is all plastic, including the rear seatbacks; with those seats up, the cargo area is 81 cm long. Drop them flat, which doesn’t require removing the head restraints, and you’ve got a length of 150 cm. Fold down the plastic-backed passenger front seat, and there’s 245 cm, enough to bring home eight-foot lumber with the hatch closed.
Previously, the cargo area contained tracks with movable tie-downs, although I’ve yet to see anyone actually tie down items inside an enclosed vehicle. The new model swaps those for a series of textured strips. These do help slightly, although some items will still roll around; it’s the trade-off for being able to wipe everything down, instead of dealing with stained carpet.
Overall, while this new model lacks the cool “vibe” it used to have, I suspect most buyers will still be happy with it: it’s still incredibly useful, it has some long-overdue safety items, and it’s a roomy little runabout. Should you be shopping it against the Matrix, keep in mind that while both Toyota and GM warranty the powertrain for five years, Toyota stops at 100,000 km (or whichever comes first), while GM continues through to 160,000 km. A little extra peace of mind never hurts.
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Pricing: 2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD
Base price: $22,995 Price as tested: $28,115
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