Review Car

2011 Pontiac Vibe

The Pontiac engineers say, that their target to build 2011 Pontiac Vibe was to build a small car in which people could ride comfortably for several hours. The car comes with a 180-horsepower engine and a six-speed manual transmission. It also gets four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, 16-inch cast alloy wheels and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The same engine as the base Vibe powers the Vibe AWD, but it produces only 123 horsepower and is available only with an automatic transmission. But it has an independent double-wishbone rear suspension and standard anti-lock brakes. The base 2011 Pontiac Vibe is amazingly well equipped with air conditioning, a CD player, a two-prong household-style power outlet as well as two standard automotive power outlets, the rear cargo track system with adjustable tie-down anchors, a height-adjustable driver’s seat and a rear hatch that features a glass window that can be opened without having to open the entire hatch. A 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine is adequate to the car’s basic transportation tasks.

2011 Pontiac Vibe provides seating for five, and those seats are elevated for a good view of the road. The person at the wheel can enhance that vantage by taking advantage of the manual height-adjustment controls the driver’s seat. The rear seat has a 60/40 split and room for at least two full-size adults and either or both seatbacks can be folded down, providing a Utah-shaped flat floor all the way from the rear hatch to the right half of the dashboard.

The 2011 Pontiac Vibe can carry more than 57 cubic feet of cargo, which can be secured by using various tie-downs, including those that lock into position in a clever pair of tracks in the rear cargo floor. Those tracks also are built into the rear seatbacks, so they extend the full length of the rear cargo floor. Pontiac also offers a net system for the cargo area and various bicycle or ski racks for the roof. The rear window on the Vibe’s hatchback opens so you can reach your stuff without having to open the entire hatch.

The base 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine has Toyota’s variable valve timing technology and produces 130 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 125 pound-feet of torque at 4200 rpm. By comparison, the Ford Focus five-door wagon has a 121-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder and the Mazda Protege5 a 130-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder. 2011 Pontiac Vibe’s engine was a little noisy under acceleration, but the drive train quieted nicely at cruising speeds. With a solid chassis, engineers are able to do a good job at sound insulation and ride control. We spent a full day in the Vibe and were always comfortable. Enhancing the experience are easy to reach and use controls, with the audio system controls at the top of the center stack and with three big dials to control the heat-a/c-ventilation system.

It also expects 13 percent of buyers to opt for The 2011 Pontiac Vibe GT, a car that does qualify for pocket rocket status. Pontiac says the Vibe GT will rocket from a standing stop to 60 mph in less than 8.5 seconds (compared to around 9 or 10 seconds for the base car and 11.5 for the Vibe AWD). Rev The 2011 Pontiac Vibe GT’s engine to 6000 rpm and a higher-lift, longer-duration cam lobe kicks in and it feels as if a turbocharger has activated, like afterburners have been ignited. We drove the car hard and fast on canyon roads west of Los Angeles and it was quick and stable and predictable, and the GT engine emits a nice exhaust note. This 1.8-liter is the same engine that powers Toyota’s Celica GTS, but in the Vibe GT the engine is in a package that has room for people and their stuff. Coupled to The 2011 Pontiac Vibe GT’s engine is a six-speed manual gearbox. Although the Vibe GT rides on the same front McPherson strut/rear twist-beam suspension as the base Vibe, the GT gets four-wheel disc brakes, standard ABS and has its 205/55 aspect tires mounted on 16-inch cast aluminum wheels.