The Vibe GT: a GM product I really like!

Well, it's not really a GM product, as it comes from the Toyota/GM Nummy plant.

At my age, I am certainly not in GM's target demographics for this car, and that's just too bad. It's a free country. After driving a little less than 35 years and 1/2 million miles, in over 100 SUV's, minivans, trucks, sedans, wagons, coupes, and convertibles, mostly rentals, I grew to be a great fan of cross-overs. These vehicles have the room of an SUV, they are good for the environment, and they drive like real cars. So, which cross-over?

Again, I rented many of them, and drove interesting models in Europe, like the Mercedes A170 and Audi A2. My daughter bought a Focus, which is a great car, and drives extremely well, but it is small. So, after a careful study, I am now the enthusiastic owner of a Vibe GT.

The engine is state-of-the-art, at 180 horsepower for a 1.8L engine, 100 hp/liter! The GT version only comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox. All 6 speeds are needed: the engine only has torque above about 3500 rpm. This is a car for active drivers: you find yourself constantly shifting up and down. So, I would recommend the GT only if that is how you want to drive. And, I might add with some humility, I have stalled the car more than once. Not exactly the car in which you want to learn to drive a stick-shift. In fact, if you like an easier gearbox, I can recommend the Focus. Still, once you get the hang of it, the Vibe GT's engine/gearbox combination is really great fun.

One negative about the drivetrain: the reverse gear. Most manual gearboxes have some mechanical lock that prevents you from putting the car in reverse while driving. These locks can be a little crown on the stem of the level which you must pull or push, or you have to pull or push the lever itself. Some older not-so-great GM products didn't have a real lock, but the reverse was located a little out of the path of the other gears. The 6-speed box of the Vibe GT doesn't have a lock. Amazing for a car of the 21st century! Instead it has an annoying little beep when you put the car in reverse. Since the reverse is located near the first gear, and there is a delay before the little beep sounds, it doesn't really work as a warning. It will tell you too late that you have made a mistake.

The car handles very well. I was skeptical at first, as it doesn't seem to have an independent rear suspension, but it works. Of course, I didn't really test this out at any unreasonable speed or in tight maneuvers. The 4-wheel disk brakes are both powerful and gradual, as one expects from a modern car. Be careful when driving this car at first, especially when coming out of an SUV. The Vibe gets to 60 mph without giving the impression of speed. You're over the speed limit before you have noticed it. Keep your eye on the speedometer.

The interior is really state-of-the-art. It is spacious, has many storage compartments, and has rails and anchoring points in the trunk. The interior styling is a bit in-your-face, not very upper-class BMW or Mercedes, but I like it that way. The same can be said for the exterior styling. Styling is a personal choice anyway, so it's up to you.

I did test-drive the regular (non-GT) Vibe, with the 5-speed stick shift, and found it considerably less peppy. That gearbox is much easier to use, though. I have no idea about the Vibes with automatic transmission.