Pontiac 2010 Vibe a great buy, great on fuel Vibe

This week, I’m writing my final Pontiac new car test drive as I center on the only 2010 Pontiac model available to the public, notably the Pontiac Vibe. The only other 2010 with a Pontiac badge is the G6, which is available only as a fleet sale and not to the buying public.

Produced in conjunction with Toyota Matrix in California, I drove our final Pontiac tester thanks to a dealer in Pennsylvania. There’s also a good bit of melancholy driving the 2010 Vibe, as the General Motors’ decree that Pontiac would cease operation came before its bankruptcy reorganization and government intervention. Thus, even had GM not undergone change, Pontiac was still on the “out list” just as the Oldsmobile brand ceased production in 2004.

The Pontiac automobile, with a history that dates back to 1926, spurs numerous good memories in my life. It started in the 1950s with my uncle John’s two-tone blue and silver 1951 Pontiac fastback, which featured a straight-8 engine. My uncle Joe became one of the first owners on our block of the new 4-cylinder, rear transmission mounted, Pontiac Tempest in the early 1960s, while my first ownership came in 1968, when I owned for 60 days (thanks to a call from Uncle Sam) a ’65 GTO convertible with a 389 Tri Power.

In ’89, after driving used cars most of my driving days I bought a dealer demo ’89 Bonneville, followed by the first car I ever ordered in my life, a beautiful ’94 Trans Am LT1 6-speed that I still own. I’m still proud to say I received an official “OK back pat” from Pontiac’s master of speed, Jim Wangers of Royal Pontiac Racing fame along with “Royal Bobcat” badges for my Trans Am. It only has 14,800 miles on it. My daughter also purchased a G6 two years ago, and it gets great gas mileage and was an affordable buy.

As for my neighbors, they always drove Pontiacs, from Ventura to Star Chief to Bonneville. Two doors over, one of my best friends had a ’61 Catalina 389 bubble top with a 333 horse engine. On the nation’s raceways, Pontiac was in the middle of many big wins, from NASCAR to NHRA to more recent Rolex Grand Am.

Back to the Vibe which is a great vehicle. For 2010, Vibe is a carryover from 2009 as a 4-door, 5-passenger wagon style SUV that is big on room and easy to drive. Available in four distinct trims, the entry level front-drive 1.8L Vibe starts at only $16,100 and comes equipped with a standard 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder that produces 132-horsepower and delivers 26-mpg city and 32-mpg highway. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, while a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional.

The 2.4, AWD and GT models are equipped with a standard 2.4-liter inline-4 that develops 158-horsepower and achieves 21-mpg city and 28-mpg highway. Our AWD tester came with the automatic overdrive, the only transmission available in this model.

Vibe AWD is loaded with standard features, including all the amenities and powers, traction control, 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes, four wheel disc brakes, StabiliTrak vehicle stability control, great AM/FM/CD stereo, air conditioning and much more. On the safety side, driver and passenger two stage airbags, side head curtain airbags, seat mounted second row side airbags, seat mounted front side airbags with head protection, and OnStar with 12 months free all comes standard. Your GM dealer will gladly explain all of the additional standard features when you visit a showroom.

Our tester had just two options, a $150 stereo upgrade to include MP3 capabilities and beautiful 17-inch tires and machined bright aluminum wheels for $545 more. The final tally came in at $21,805 with $635 destination, but there are many GM incentives currently in effect.

On the highway, Vibe will take you anywhere in comfort and security, as the more powerful 2.4 engine is recommended for all types of driving.

Important numbers include a wheelbase of 102.4-inches, 3,284 pound curb weight, 13 gallon fuel tank, 20 cu. ft. of expandable cargo space and 5-Star government crash ratings.

Likes: Price, fuel economy, interior roominess, Toyota build quality.

Dislikes: The irony that Pontiac’s final 2010 vehicle is made by Toyota.

Base Price: $20,275

Price As Tested: $21,805

Greg Zyla writes a weekly car column for The Daily Review in Towanda. Write to him at gzyla@thedailyreview.com. © The Daily Review 2010.

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