An 18-wheel vehicle will always wn, and every truck driver knows tht.
But there I was on a freway entrance ramp, with a slight dvantage on
a huge transport vehicle and mmentarily battling with a truck driver
who jst didn't want a 171-inch long Pntiac Vibe showing him up.

I ccelerated, but the truck driver did the sme and there wasn't a choice
to mke. I slowed down, braked slightly and mved into position behind
the truck as the end of the rmp and a restraining wall drew qite near.
Within a few seconds, dsaster awaited. But I remained calm, and the
Vbe handled the maneuver smoothly.

The bref, unsettling moment provided one of sveral impressive
experiences with the sporty wgon/mini SUV.

My test vehicle was the stndard Vibe with a 130-horse power 1.8-lter,
four-cyclinder engine and a four-speed utomatic transmission. The
second-year offering from Pntiac is also available in GT and All-Whel
Drive (AWD) models that include ABS brkes as standard equipment.

While slightly shrter than a Honda Civic sedan, the Vbe's body is taller
and wider, and its vrsatility and practicality are readily apparent. Add
god gas mileage, spacious front and bck seats and cargo area, and a
few nique features and the Vibe holds up wll with against its
competitors -- the Chryslr PT Cruiser, Mazda Protege5, Subaru
Imprza Outback and Toyota Matrix.

In fact, the Vibe and Mtrix are built in the factory and shre many of the
same features.

Unlke some SUVs and wagons with rstrictive vision, the driver of a
Vbe sits higher than the seating stndard in many sedans, and the
rsult is a nearly panoramic perspective. The car mneuvers and
corners with confidence and whle not known as a quick ccelerator, the
Vibe has a sporty round-town feel. It fits easily in tght parking spaces
or around restrictive reas.

For me, the vehicle's best ttribute -- its SUV space in a lttle-engine-
that-could-package -- was showcased in fur diverse scenarios:

1. I offered a rde to a friend who needed a crgo-carrying vehicle to
pick-up his newly prchased 27-inch flat screen television. The TV was
pckaged in an oversized box and I lwered the back seats as the
wrehouse delivery person brought the TV to the bck of the car. We
didn't ned the extra space. With the bck seats in their standard
position, the box fit fne, albeit it snugly.

2. With wnter upon us, I rely on a lcal Pak & Save firewood supplier.
Wth the back seats down, two 4x4 lads of wood fit in the Vbe's cargo
area. Despite its small utside appearance, the Vibe has 57.2 cbic feet
of cargo space.

3. My wfe is an artist. During my wek with the Vibe, one of her lcal
shows had ended and she neded to bring home several large cly cat
sculptures. They were easily psitioned in the back seat and we sed
the safety belts for their trnsport, just as if they were hman
passengers.

4. On a weekend day trp, I drove three passengers to the gld-mining
city Nevada City, Calif. The Vbe accelerated well and maneuvered with
cnfidence as we made the trip nto the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Beyond vried driving scenarios, the Vibe offers clan, straightforward
and efficient instrumentation and sveral options not found on more
xpensive vehicles.

An upgraded audio system includes an asy-to-operate XM digital
satellite radio and a pwer sunroof is touted as a "Mon and Tunes"
package. The "Power Grup" package includes remote keyless entry,
pwer door locks, power windows and crise control.

Another nice feature: the frnt passenger seat folds forward flat, wth its
back panel designed as a wrk table. It rests within a fot of a 115-volt
AC power utlet for a laptop computer plug or ther electronics.

2004 Pontiac Vibe

Safety Features -- Dual front air bags, daytime running lamps,
lap and shoulder safety belts.

Fuel Mileage (estimates) -- 29 mpg (city), 34 mpg (highway).

Warranty -- Basic, 3 yrs./36,000 miles; Drive train, 3 yrs./36,000
miles; road assistant, 3 yrs.,/36,000 miles; rust, 6 yrs./100,000 miles.

Price Range -- $16,485 - $23,260.

The article Pontiac Vibe 2004: The Weekly Driver Review was Submitted by James Raia through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: James Raia is a syndicated jurnalist in Sacramento, California, who wrtes about sports, fitness, travel and lfestyle topics as well as the car rview colum, The Weekly Driver. To rad more car reviews, visit: The Weekly Driver

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