Pontiac Vibe?

[charby]

Visconsin??  Oh boy another invader to the upper midwest!

[mfree]

"the 2.2L 5-speed is dual-fuel capable"

.... it is? I may be keeping my little truck longer than I thought then...

[brimic]

Not a big fan of the Colorado/Canyon myself.  They seemed preoccupied with rakish angles on the sheetmetal, and how cheap they could make the plastic interior pieces look.

When I was looking for a new truck a few years ago, I loked at the Colorado as well. The cheapo interior which is similar to the Equinox was a deal breaker for me, wasn't too keen on te 5 cyliner engine either- I know that Audi used to make one, but in my mind an engine should have an even number of cylinders and Chevy isn't Audi. I ended up just keeping my Nissan for purposes as a beater pickup truck.


Pontiac Vibe- I would feel kind of goofy driving around in a car that sounds like the name of a sex toy, maybe its just me.

[The Rabbi]

Pontiac Vibe- I would feel kind of goofy driving around in a car that sounds like the name of a sex toy, maybe its just me.

It isn't just you.  I thought the same thing.  Didnt Toyota or someone make a car in the mid-1980s that had a name also like a sex toy?

[Gewehr98]

Visconsin??  Oh boy another invader to the upper midwest!

Not really.  I was born and raised there, and left Wisconsin for my military career in 1986.  I always wanted to return to that area, especially after being assigned to the People's Republik of Kalifornia for 10 years, and am just now making it a reality.  So I wouldn't call it an invasion - more like a re-occupation.  

"the 2.2L 5-speed is dual-fuel capable"

.... it is? I may be keeping my little truck longer than I thought then...

Mfree, you'll have to either look in the owner's manual, or keep an eye open for the dual-fuel label in the gas filler door and special parts in the engine compartment.  The true dual-fuel 2.2L S-10 pickups have what's called a fuel composition sensor on the frame rail near the foot area of the passenger compartment, just behind the front A-arm on the suspension.  It's mounted directly on the frame rail, and has a fuel line going into it from the fuel tank, and one heading to the engine.  It tells the engine computer what type of fuel is coming down the pipe, and then the computer remaps the ignition advance and fuel injector timing to run on any mixture from straight gasoline to E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline).  GM started doing this for extra CAFE credits with their S-10/Sonoma/Hombre line beginning with the 2000 model year, but I don't know what percentage of the total 2.2L pickups were dual fuel.  2002 was the last year for the dual fuel S-10/Sonoma.

[mfree]

Darn, mine's an '03.

5 cylinders are A-OK, they balance properly and all that. It's just a space-saving measure. Modern engines control fuel burn better with smaller cylinders, and since they had an engine already with decent emissions and mileage but had 6 cylinders and needed a four, they dropped one, because dropping two would have made it *too* small while using the same cylinders, rods, etc.

I read a long article about it a year or two ago when those new engines came out. Decent motors, too, as well as the 2.2 Ecotec, very overbuilt. Seems the tuner crowd (the real ones, not the Nawz Kiddiez) got a stock one to make 350HP with no issues, asides from the added turbocharger.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I sure miss the Mazda pickup from the 80's that had triangular vent windows and a Perkins diesel 1800.

pocketapocketapocketapocketapocketa......

like a little trawler.

Last fall I got to drive the new Colorado crewcab 4WD alongside a comparable Tacoma. Out of one, into the other at a GM Test Drive event. I hate to admit it, but the Tacoma felt a LOT better than the Colorado.
Sitting in the Colorado makes me wonder if the anthropomorphic model for the truck was a close relative of Quasimodo.

Too bad the Toyota diesel isn't stateside.


Regards,
Rabbit.

[Strings]

Gewehr98, dude... where in Wisconsin? When ya make it back, coffee and .44AMP ammo's on me!

[charby]

Okay bring a post back from the dead..  Zombie I guess!

Well I bought a 2004 Pontiac Vibe today. 21,160 miles on it and price was to good to turn down.  So far I like it, I'll know more this summer after a trip to Yellowstone and to BWCA.

-C

[Gewehr98]

I've been seeing all the ads on TV for the big V8 Toyota.  Since Toyota is actively pursuing a corporate purchase of GM, do you suppose we're looking at the next generation of Chevy/GMC pickups?   

[charby]

G-98

Probably, IIRC Toyota and GM already have quite the partnership going on. I thought GM was trying to buy everyone, first Ford when they were in dire straights and now Chysler.

My Vibe is Toyota Matrix in a Pontiac wrapper.

-C

[Bigjake]

A lot of the farmers and ranchers who're currently driving Ford, Chevy, and Dodge diesels would switch over

a cold day in hell, my friend.  Even if it was marginally better, and assembled in the states, no way in HELL there will ever be a foreign vehicle in my stable.

[Declaration Day]

Bigjake, I respect your opinion on that, but make sure you do your homework on your next vehicle purchase.  Like the Vibe, which is really a Toyota Matrix, the badge on the hood does not necessarily indicate who built the vehicle, or who got paid to build it. 

I've owned a couple of "American" vehicles that were built in Canada or Mexico. 

These days, the badge on the hood is often more of a marketing tool than a true brand identity.

[Gewehr98]

True words.

My Chevy S-10 was built in Canada.  I $hit you not.   

And my '78 Harley has Japanese forks, carburetor, and generator, that was nigh unto 30 years ago.  Globalization isn't for the faint of heart. 

Bigjake, I hate to tell you, but that computer you're typing away at patriotically?  Open the case and have a look-see.  There's a metric assload of Chinese parts in there, I guarantee.

[Sergeant Bob]

My brother just got rid of a Matrix. He liked the car for the most part but it had one very annoying flaw.

It would wear out a set of back tires in about 15 to 20,000 miles.
It had some serious alignment problems, but there was no way to align the rear wheels.

He checked some car forums and said it was a relatively common problem, which the manufacturer would not fix.

I rode in it and drove it and it wasn't a bad driving car but, it was definitely an econo-box.

You might want to do a bit of research before taking the leap of buying a Matrix/Vibe.

[bedlamite]

True words.

My Chevy S-10 was built in Canada.  I $hit you not.   

The door sticker on my S-10 says Linden, NJ

[Strings]

>The door sticker on my S-10 says Linden, NJ<

Damn... were ANY of 'em built in the US?

[crt360]

Someone actually researched the "where cars are really made" issue a while back and I think they found that the Toyota Camry was the most American made car.  The new Tundras are made in San Antonio and I know Toyota was trying to get many of the parts sourced in the U.S.  It wouldn't surprise me if it was much more "American made" than the trucks from Ford, GM, or Dodge.

I heard a few days ago that Hyundai was interested in purchasing Chrysler.

[charby]

my 91 S-10 says made in Shreveport, LA and has a big alligator sticker on the window.

-C

[theCZ]

My folks have an '05 Matrix.  Usually gets 38mpg, and I think it's definately funky looking on the outside, but there are all kinds of cool things on the inside made to attract the younger generation (mine).  Both back seats fold down flat to make a  hard bed that can haul more than most small cars.  It drives pretty nice too. 

[Declaration Day]

I heard a few days ago that Hyundai was interested in purchasing Chrysler.

That would be great for Chrysler. 

I own both a Hyundai and a Chrysler, and the Hyundai is a much higher quality vehicle.