2005 Pontiac Vibe Consumer Reviews

Great Little Car!

Written by: TW on 06/01/2009

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Bought 9 months ago with 100,000 mi. LOVE this little car. It runs like new and never have a problem. Good mileage 28/33. Great design, part minivan, part SUV, part sports car. Very comfortable seating for 4 six footers. ONLY problems are: clicking behind clove box, could fix but is harmless, cold idle is too high can't fix, red dashboard light is hard to see in bright daytime. Other than that its perfect! I expect it to go another 100,000 miles.

Favorite Features

fun and practical hatchback, very peppy and great MPG

Suggested Improvements

higher contrast dash lights for better visibility, lower the cold idle to improve mpg and give the tranny a break!

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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poor fuel economy

Written by: brian on 05/09/2009

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe AWD 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

This vehicle is poor in the snow.Fuel economy is 20-25 mpg max,dont try to pass a car at hwy speed on two lane rd or you might be dead!!! If you are looking for fuel economy and a good car in snowy areas this is not your your car.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

GM & Toyota should should put higher profile tires that are proper for this type of car.Have sinse drove a jeep compass & nissan roge and these cars are 10 times safer in snow conditions

1 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Even better than I thought

Written by: Matt on 03/27/2009

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

My previous car has been dying for the last few months and finally kicked the bucket this week. I have been researching cars for hours a day during the last few weeks and had trouble committing to something. I'm the kind of person who wants everything. I wanted an SUV for the capacity. I have two dogs that I drive and need my car to move. I'm on the road a lot. I also needed something that would be good on gas. I wanted a new car but those were too much for me right now. So I bought this used car with only 8,000 miles on it. Practically new. I love this car more than I would have thought. It looks great, drives great.

Favorite Features

moonroof, daytime running lights, huge center storage compartment, cd changer, back seat/trunk, gas mileage, looks, peppy, price, position of shifter, seats raise, nice upholstery, nice big wide tires. a real good bang for the buck and my last car was an audi. would absolutely recommend this car

Suggested Improvements

visibility in reverse, armrest kind of small, wish i had power locks but didnt buy the car new so couldn't pick and choose, wish it had cruise too (again my problem not a problem with the car)

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Still Going!

Written by: Roadrunner on 03/10/2009

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Though this car is only an '05, it has many hard miles on it. It just hit 145k. Never had it to the dealership, never a problem! Just normal things you have to maintain. Still has original battery. Had brakes replaced last summer. Hit a deer and help up VERY well, hardly could notice any damage. I love this car. It's unreal what you can pack into this thing! Nice storage areas inside, lots of space and very roomy & comfy! The fold down flat seats make it nice for putting just about anything in it. I think it's a very sharp looking car. Had it over a year before I actually realized it was a station wagon. Mine is a 5spd and gets great gas mileage. 145k & still going strong!

Favorite Features

Love the roomie-ness & flat folding seats. Gas mileage is unbeatable

Suggested Improvements

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Not Just For Young Drivers

Written by: vibeowner on 03/09/2009

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

My wife and I are in our mid 40's which is probably older than the target age for this car. But we love our Vibe for the most part. We looked at the Matrix but went with the Vibe because it looks better, has better stereo (even with the standard system) and roof rails. The 2005 didn't include cross bars so we paid extra for them so we could put stuff on top. There was a problem with intermitent hard/extended starting and GM issued a service bulletin. We took it to three different dealerships to get it fixed but they wouldn't do anything about it until we got lucky and the hard start happened with the service rep. GM is really bad about warranty service. Next time we'll go with Toyota.

Favorite Features

Higher seating than a sedan. Fun to drive. Small exterior but surprisingly roomy interior.

Suggested Improvements

The 1.8L engine bogs down on hills when the car is loaded. Does not have much pickup from a dead stop (although we rented one before purchase which was much more peppy) Gas millage is not even close to the rated numbers (we get 25MPG avg). I wouldn't complain about power if it got better MPG.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Excellent Car

Written by: Sheriff on 02/28/2009

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe AWD 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I've been driving Corolla's for the last 5 years and 2 months ago I replaced by 2000 Corolla with a 2005 Vibe, I have to say I'm very happy with this car, it's small from the outside yet roomy on the inside, I'm 6'-5" and have no issues setting in this car, traction is very good, fuel economy is very good too. I highly recommend this car to anybody, it's a proof that GM can build good cars if they want to!!!

Favorite Features

AWD, moom roof, high driving position

Suggested Improvements

Add more storage areas in the dashboard, heated mirrors will make this car perfect in the snow/rain.

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Wheel Bearing Trouble

Written by: Jim on 10/19/2008

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe AWD 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

We bought our AWD Vibe used in 2007. We have put approximately 45,000 miles on it since, due to our work travel. In July of this year (2008) we replaced both front wheel bearings which cost us over $500.00 and this month, (October) we have replaced both rear bearings which cost us over $700.00. Is this normal for AWD?

Favorite Features

We like the higher seats and the larger windshield. Gas mileage is great too!

Suggested Improvements

Exterior paint could be better. Also rust around door handles, on wheels, etc.

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I Think I'm in Love

Written by: jessica on 07/17/2008

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

It is awesome!! It is so fun and cute! At first I wasn't too crazy about the looks of it. But, we test drove and looked at everything. This was just more practical! I love furniture and this car is just as roomy as a little truck when it comes to hauling stuff home. I am 5'3 and it fits me to a tee, my hubby is 6'1 and he Loves it! Gas mileage is great now that is is $4 a gallon. It is fun to drive and roomy, the back seat can comfortably seat 2 adults. I love this car, I call it my little go-cart, the motor is a little loud and the steering wheel gives it the sporty feel, it is so fun!

Favorite Features

Of course, the cargo area, lay the seats down and have a truck bed! Little storage compartments are cute! I like how the light lever works! It is so sporty and versatile! I plan to drive this thing until the wheels literally fall off!

Suggested Improvements

The arm rest is simply to low and all of the plastic in the cargo area shakes some and makes noise, and there is some road noise, but that is to be expected. But, these little flaws aren't even noticeable with the perfection of the rest of the car! I recommend this car for everybody!

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Best car in the nation

Written by: lady t on 07/07/2008

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe AWD 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Gas mileage is unbelievable. 11 gallon tank. The car is very roomy can carry a small sized couch.

Favorite Features

My favorite feature is the color of my car. (burnt orange)

Suggested Improvements

2 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Fun multipurpose compact

Written by: Lewis G. on 04/20/2008

Vehicle

2005 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl 5M)

Review

This car has performed better than expected. A peppy 4-cylinder with excellent handling. Well-build interior and comfortable seating. Good gas mileage (about 31 hwy. / 27 city), but less than advertised (35 hwy. / 31 city). Roof racks and hitch (added on) makes it a good transportation choice for most recreational activities such as camping, kayaking and cycling. With the exception of a rubber window liner that was replaced under warranty, the car has had no problems at all.

Favorite Features

Handling is tight. Good layout on the dashboard. Nice sliding / tilt glass sunroof.

Suggested Improvements

Gas pedal is too sensitive from stopped position.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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