Today I went and test drove a new 2007 Pontiac Vibe. It was very nice.
Right now I have a 2003 Chevrolet Impala LS. First off, …the Impala is a great car, lots of power, big, safe, and a great stereo system.
…you’re probably thinking “why might you be getting rid of it then?”. We’ll, being a 3800 V6 (3.8L), it likes to suck up the gas. The tank in the Impala is huge, I think it is 80L, and to fill it up takes over $80. It’s almost like driving an SUV. I drive 15km one way, so 30km total in a day to and from work. With that, and extra driving, like going to my hockey games, groceries, etc. etc. I’m putting in $35+ a week.
Gas is just one thing, but it seems it not fitting in with my lifestyle. The Impala has a lot of cargo room, but it is sectioned off in modules. It would be a lot better if the Impala had all the room joined together as a whole. I’m a goalie, so when I go to hockey I have to fight with getting all my equipment in the trunk – and do it without scratching the crap out of my car. A hatch-back would be better for this – hence the Vibe.
So I wanted to get something with better gas mileage, and lots of room. The Vibe seemed to meet all these needs. It has a tonne of room when the rear seats are folded down, almost as much or more than the Impala. I also like the GM 5 year + 160,000km warranty on their cars – gives me piece of mind. The Impala has no warranty right now. Also, with kids in the near future (year or two), it fits a child seat in the back quite nicely.
The one I drove was a 5 speed, and it shifted great – nice and smooth. For a 4 banger with 126hp, it moved along quite nicely. I think I may lease one, and if it is good at the end of the lease, I might buy it too.
We’ll see what happens, because I might stick with the Impala if the trade-in value is below $12,000.
