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2009 Pontiac Vibe Review

October 30, 2008

STYLING | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Sporty styling...cool looking interior
Edmunds

Fresh and invigorating
Detroit News

More conventional roofline—yet still appears sporty
Car and Driver

A smooth, clean look coupled with sleek lines clearly makes the sporty 2009 Pontiac Vibe a ride that grabs attention. With a refreshed look for 2009, the Pontiac Vibe continues Pontiac's recent styling resurgence.

The Pontiac Vibe 2009 is, according to Edmunds, a "compact four-door hatchback/wagon" offered in "two trim levels: base and GT, though the base can also be had with all-wheel drive." Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com love the "all-new exterior styling for 2009" that Cars.com reviewers feel "gives the car a much smoother appearance than before." Kelley Blue Book points out the "bolder wheel arches and larger wheels that make it look sportier than the last generation" and also notes that "all of the trim levels have unique features," such as the "standard roof rack" on the AWD version and "larger fog lamps, lower intake ducts," and "roof spoiler" on the 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT. Edmunds points out that the Pontiac Vibe 2009's "sporty styling" makes it "a semi-identical twin to the Toyota Matrix," while Road & Track underlines its enthusiasm for the 2009 Pontiac Vibe by calling it "a really nice melding of muscular looks." Detroit News adds that the 2009 Pontiac's "chunky slab sides give the [2009 Pontiac] Vibe a big look," and a "meaner face makes it look sportier," leaving little doubt as to the attractive styling of this wagon crossover.

The attractive styling of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe carries over to the interior, which Edmunds describes as "cool looking." According to Cars.com, "the redesigned interior improves the cabin's appearance significantly, and it's something that had to be done" in order for this 2009 Pontiac to keep up with the competition. Detroit News notes other "pleasant interior surprises" for this 2009 Pontiac's cabin styling, including an "instrument panel [that] takes on a fresh look with the tachometer and speedometer each encased separately in deep cylinders...[and] the gear shifter on the automatic and manual comes out of the dash instead of jutting up from the floor between the driver and passenger." Detroit News also mentions that the dash is "big and wide, and on the passenger's side two round vents give it a strange curvy look." Also earning praise from reviewers is the instrument layout, with Edmunds noting "all displays and controls are simple and intuitive, including those for the often-used climate control and audio systems."

Conclusion

The 2009 Pontiac Vibe has emerged from its date with Pontiac designers as a sportier and more attractive hatchback.

STYLING | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Sporty styling...cool looking interiorEdmundsFresh and invigoratingDetroit NewsMore conventional roofline—yet still appears sportyCar and Driver A smooth, clean look coupled with sleek lines clearly makes the sporty 2009 Pontiac Vibe a ride that grabs attention. With a refreshed look for 2009, the Pontiac Vibe continues Pontiac's recent styling resurgence. The Pontiac Vibe 2009 is, according to Edmunds, a "compact four-door hatchback/wagon" offered in "two trim levels: base and GT, though the base can also be had with all-wheel drive." Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com love the "all-new exterior styling for 2009" that Cars.com reviewers feel "gives the car a much smoother appearance than before." Kelley Blue Book points out the "bolder wheel arches and larger wheels that make it look sportier than the last generation" and also notes that "all of the trim levels have unique features," such as the "standard roof rack" on the AWD version and "larger fog lamps, lower intake ducts," and "roof spoiler" on the 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT. Edmunds points out that the Pontiac Vibe 2009's "sporty styling" makes it "a semi-identical twin to the Toyota Matrix," while Road & Track underlines its enthusiasm for the 2009 Pontiac Vibe by calling it "a really nice melding of muscular looks." Detroit News adds that the 2009 Pontiac's "chunky slab sides give the [2009 Pontiac] Vibe a big look," and a "meaner face makes it look sportier," leaving little doubt as to the attractive styling of this wagon crossover. The attractive styling of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe carries over to the interior, which Edmunds describes as "cool looking." According to Cars.com, "the redesigned interior improves the cabin's appearance significantly, and it's something that had to be done" in order for this 2009 Pontiac to keep up with the competition. Detroit News notes other "pleasant interior surprises" for this 2009 Pontiac's cabin styling, including an "instrument panel [that] takes on a fresh look with the tachometer and speedometer each encased separately in deep cylinders...[and] the gear shifter on the automatic and manual comes out of the dash instead of jutting up from the floor between the driver and passenger." Detroit News also mentions that the dash is "big and wide, and on the passenger's side two round vents give it a strange curvy look." Also earning praise from reviewers is the instrument layout, with Edmunds noting "all displays and controls are simple and intuitive, including those for the often-used climate control and audio systems." ConclusionThe 2009 Pontiac Vibe has emerged from its date with Pontiac designers as a sportier and more attractive hatchback. 2009 PONTIAC VIBE STYLING | [8 OUT OF 10] Edmunds: "Sporty styling...cool looking interior" Detroit News: "Fresh and invigorating" Car and Driver: "More conventional roofline—yet still appears sporty" A smooth, clean look coupled with sleek lines clearly makes the sporty 2009 Pontiac ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Toyota Matrix is very similar to the Pontiac Vibe. The Mazda 3 has a stiffer ride, and its cabin allows more road noise. The Kia Spectra5 is a bit perkier and more fun to drive, but like the Mazda 3, it doesn't have available all-wheel drive. AWD is standard on the Subaru Impreza, which is more expensive and isn't as roomy or fuel-efficient. However, the Impreza has an attractive interior design for the hatchback and a torquey horizontally opposed engine, along with better safety ratings (the Impreza is an IIHS Top Safety Pick). Electronic stability control is standard on the Matrix, but not available on any of these other models.

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See the Pontiac Vibe in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Comments (3 total)

  1. By winifred hottot #1, Posted: 6/6/2009

    i would not recomend the pontiac vibe 2009 awd for reasons of rusting after owning it for a total of four whole months i think thats the worst i have ever owned i have had cars five years old and not a rust mark on it

  2. By CMJ #2, Posted: 9/17/2009

    GM has a 6 year 100,000 mile corosion warrenty on all there vehicles. Were you not aware of that?
    Did you sell the Vibe?

  3. By Vibe owner #3, Posted: 10/19/2009

    I bought a 2009 all white and I found little rust marks coming through the paint after the first winter however they do come off with a good soap and water washing.

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