Imbibe the Vibe
June 27, 2003
Pontiac has a two-part mission in the General Motors plan. The brand is charged with attracting youthful buyers and import buyers, sometimes the same shopper, to consider buying a domestic nameplate. The results so far have been as mixed as the product lineup.
When the Bonneville was pitched to Euro sedan buyers, the campaign failed dramatically. The same car was re-targeted to appeal to domestic prospects with much better results. The Transport minivan was shamelessly positioned as a rugged, off-road product and it worked. On the other hand, the Aztec “crossover” SUV, a product with some off-road capability, personifies the failure of GM’s recent “package goods” brand management experiment.
General Motors’ Vice Chairman and product czar, Bob Lutz, has made Pontiac the launchpad for his style of product innovation, with plans for a new hot coupe from Australia, a cladding removal campaign to clean up Bonneville and Grand Am models and a cool, new sports car.
Pontiac is still waiting to hit a home run like the PT Cruiser. In the meantime, the flamboyant, new 2003 Vibe looks like a solid base hit. Sales are brisk at Pontiac dealerships and many of the buyers are just what the marketing people hoped for: young men and women who might have bought a Toyota or Honda.
In fact, you can buy this Pontiac with the same confidence you might exhibit if you purchased a Toyota Matrix. Toyota’s rugged 1.8-liter engine has found a home behind the Vibe’s pugnacious grille and the car leaves the same assembly line in Fremont, Calif. with other Toyota models.
We reviewed the Matrix a few months ago and liked both the performance and clever packaging wrapped in an aggressive style. The Vibe has all these fine qualities with a bit more attitude. Not everyone will love the Aztec-like styling, but it does work better in Vibe proportions.
Inside, the Pontiac designers have had plenty of fun with youthful cues in just the right context. The interior is not unlike the Aztec in its approach, and that’s good news since the rugged, practical style is what Aztec owners loved about their interiors. Chrome is used liberally around the instruments and center stack without annoying reflections, just playful accents.
The Vibe’s five-door utility is just the ticket for hauling friends or cargo. The big rear hatch opens wide for bulky loads and the seats flip and fold to provide multiple configurations. Tie-down hooks are provided to secure loose loads.
Pontiac settled on the 1.8-liter Toyota inline four-cylinder engine and offers it in two flavors: the standard 130 horsepower version with 125 foot pounds of torque and a GT variant that ups the power to 180 at a shrill 7,600 RPM, but increases the torque by just five foot pounds. Both engines are equipped with Toyota’s excellent VVTi valve timing design and are smooth operators.
Our test car was the standard front-wheel drive model with a nice balance of options, like the “Moon and Tune” package that adds a better stereo and moon roof for just $500. The Vibe is equipped with a nice level of standard equipment yet offers a long list of options to allow customizing. Be careful though: some options are values while others are pretty pricy.
Speaking of price, GM is still offering zero percent financing on all their cars and trucks, including the new Vibe. If that incentive doesn’t work for you, there is currently a $1,000 cash-back offer as well as leasing options.
If the style and packaging are your cup of tea, the Vibe is a great way to buy American with the knowledge that you’ve got a sturdy little Toyota humming under the hood.
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