“My god David, there are somethings you just don’t screw around with,” Autopian contributor Adrian Clarke wrote, scolding me for my decision to use a $600, 350,000 mile shitbox in a high-stakes situation. “Driving a child to hospital= reliable car, going to wedding with paramour = reliable car…I mean a wedding, that’s when you borrow a Bentley press car,” he went on before the rest of the Autopian staff piled on. But, as brilliant as the editorial team is here, it’s clear to me that they don’t truly realize one important thing: The Pontiac Vibe is an incredible, unkillable workhorse and the perfect car for wedding duty. Yes, even a 350,000 mile version. Hear me out.
While folks often poke fun at me for having “gone Hollywood” after an oil-soaked decade in the frigid rust-orchards of metro Detroit, the truth is that even California can’t change everything, and one thing about me that remains intact is the fact that I’m a cheap bastard. A deeply, deeply cheap bastard.
Saving Money By Borrowing High-Mileage Beaters
The groom’s wedding was just a month later, and these flights were starting to add up, so for round two of the LA to Detroit trip, I knew I had to save a bit of coin. Step one was to book flights on Spirit Airlines — this saved me about $400 over a Delta flight, and — for the most part — things went reasonably well.
I mean, I did have to pull some clothes out of my check-in bag to meet the 40 pound weight requirement, and we had to consolidate some of our stuff into one bag when boarding the plane — neither of these are things you can look cool doing, but my girlfriend probably realizes how much of a dork I am at this point. It was fine. Non-reclining seats were basically the only real sacrifice, but in my eyes hardly a $400 one. (Plus, I don’t like reclining seats when I fly anyway; I always feel bad for the person behind).
The next bit of money-saving took place upon my arrival at Detroit Wayne airport: I wasn’t about to rent a car in my hometown (well, sort of “hometown” — basically the closest I have to one given that I grew up in a nomadic army family), so I reached out to my loyal fellow shitbox-appreciator, Jamie. “Any of my 3 rides will be here and available for pickup. I just won’t be around to pick you up,” he offered. That meant the van, an old Pontiac Vibe, or this 4Runner he’d welded into an actual car from a pile of Fe2O3. Here’s an old article I wrote on his 4Runner fabrication:
“You can also use my wife’s Outback if you wanna be fancy. But I’d have to convince her of that. But the Vibe is better,” he told me.
I passed on the van and 4Runner, since they were wastefully large for my needs. The Outback would have been nice, I suppose, but that’s Jamie’s wife’s car, and also it has a CVT. More importantly, Jamie was right: “The Vibe Is Better.” And to be clear, he’s not just talking about any Vibe, he’s talking about a $600 one with over 350,000 miles on the clock.
It May Be A Junker, But It’s Still A Pontiac Vibe. So It’s Worth Saving
According to Jamie, the car had been listed for cheap because of a leaky radiator. On top of that, the fog lights were broken, the front bumper was a bit battered, there was plenty of rust to go around, the windshield was cracked, the interior looked awful — this thing was a pile. But, as Jamie understood, it was still a Vibe, which meant it was worth saving.
Let’s have a look at what Jamie was dealing with, starting with some rust on the rear hatch:
Here’s what the interior looked like before:
There Was A Lot At Stake
Here, I’ll even provide the answer: Nothing. The Pontiac Vibe is the bargain workhorse of our time, and — even with 350,000 miles on the clock — possibly an even less risky chariot than some beaten-on rental car with modern electronics that might go haywire.
Jamie’s Vibe proved my suspicions: upon our arrival into Detroit on our budget airline, my girlfriend and I took an Uber to Ann Arbor, where Jamie had his beloved 2006 Pontiac Vibe sitting weirdly close to his house, with the key stashed in a secret location nearby.
I hopped in, fired up the vehicle’s trusty 1.8-liter Toyota engine (it’s one of two “ZZ”-line engines available in the first-gen Vibe), pulled away from the wall, let my girlfriend in, and we were off to our hotel and then to the wedding, where I was the best man with important responsibilities.
The Vibe — and I’m not kidding when I say this — drove like a new car. Yes, a 350,000 mile, $600 Pontiac Vibe cruised at 70 mph like an absolute boss. The little 1.8-liter sang a the unkillable Toyota A246E four-speed automatic shifted perfectly. The brakes felt confident, the handling was on-point, the radio switches on the steering wheel — which Jamie had installed from a junkyard Scion TC — worked well, the lights were bright, the ride was comfortable — I’m being effusive because the Vibe deserves it. And I’ve been saying this for years.
Back in 2018 I wrote the article “We’re All Underestimating The Pontiac Vibe.” Here’s what I had to say:
NUMMI, [a] Fremont, California-based plant (part of which is now owned by Tesla), was a way for General Motors to gain insights into Toyota’s “lean manufacturing” methods that promised higher vehicle output and better quality.
The way this relates to the Pontiac Vibe is that this little hatchback was built at NUMMI between 2002 and 2009, and shared not just the same basic Corolla-based platform as the Toyota Matrix, but also the powertrains and the interior. In other words, the Vibe was a Toyota with some Pontiac sheetmetal, offering the same fuel efficiency and reliability as a Toyota, but—and this is just my opinion—in a more aggressive, stylish package.
[…]
It’s not fast, and with a MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear-suspension on base models (double wishbone with all-wheel drive), it’s not particularly advanced, either. But reviews that came out shortly after the Vibe’s launch were positive, with Automobile writing in 2002:
“The Pontiac Vibe—a tall sedan/truncated wagon/ mini-SUV—is far and away the best small car from General Motors.”
And it wasn’t just contemporary reviews. People who now own the Toyota-disguised-as-a-GM — that’s 15 years after manufacture — still love the things, largely because they just don’t die. From my old article:
Also, the Vibe just doesn’t die. “They’re hugely reliable. We have members consistently asking about the odometers stopping counting at 299,999 (even though they’re digital). And even though I’ve put the TRD Supercharger kit on mine and more aggressive suspension, nothing has put me on the side of the road, or made me late for school,” he said.
Nick has owned his vibe for over six years and 122,000 miles, and tells me the car is a “secret” in that most people don’t realize just how versatile it is. “And it’s this little secret of a car that seems to do 90% of what anyone needs to do, so I’m always ready for anything,” he says.
Jamie’s Vibe was a beast all weekend. Was it new? No. Did it look amazing? No. But it was comfortable enough, and it was a tank. There was no drama, only great vibes at Brandon’s wedding. Here is the handsome man leaning against his family-heirloom Model A out front of the church he’s about to get married in:
Sure, there had been a lot at stake: two important relationships. I could have stranded my girlfriend and me on the side of the road and left my best friend high and dry at his wedding, waiting for someone to be by his side to give him the ring and sign his wedding certificate — but was that really much of a concern?
The answer is “no.” The truth is, the headline of this article is a lie; I risked nothing, as the Pontiac Vibe’s reliability is a sure thing. A loyal and reliable best man needs a loyal and reliable car, and the Vibe is just that.
DT,
How in the hell do you omit the jewel of a nugget that you drove a Pontiac to a wedding in Pontiac? Them’s my old stomping grounds 🙂
A fair point!
I was born in Pontiac. When I mention this I often get asked, “Born or conceived?”
There’s potential for some Inception-style levels here… Conceived in a Pontiac (in a Pontiac dealership?) in Pontiac
Canadian here just learning now that Pontiac is a city?? I was wondering why so many comments said “in Pontiac” instead of “in a Pontiac”
Indeed it is a city. It used to be quite the happening place until GM shut all the factories down. There still are some amazing buildings and homes in the area from that era…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac,_Michigan
Why is it that I can see David with manhnof his friends at the wedding, drink in hand, raising a glass…
“Gentlemen? To parsimony!”
Hey David, Good for you… GOOD FOR YOU
You made your gf fly Spirit? That’s a real test to a relationship.
“Step one was to book flights on Spirit Airlines”
Fuck no.
I’d rather *walk*. The way they skimp on stuff, you just have to wonder what their safety inspections are like. That is the cheapest airline I’ve ever flown; I was forced to once by work – told them I would not fly for work again if I had to use Spirit. Best part was, it actually cost *more* than flying Delta because of all the extra fees I had to pay. Never again.
Perhaps unexpectedly, budget airlines are better with maintenance than you’d think. They often run newer aircraft and have pretty great safety records. As far as I can tell Spirit has never had a crash or a fatality. Ryanair is the butt of jokes, but it too has an excellent safety record! 🙂
“Perhaps unexpectedly, budget airlines are better with maintenance than you’d think.”
Sure. When the mechanic and the pilot are the same guy, the mechanic takes extra care in his work…..
“When the mechanic and the pilot are the same guy, the mechanic takes extra care in his work…”
This is accountability!
Was this the first appearance of the word ‘girlfriend?’ The juvenile in me wants to knows for some juvenile reason like that we could tease him over it.
Either way, congrats mate. Finding someone who can put up with each of us is real accomplishment (among your many others).
And yes, it’s just a Toyota Matrix with some arrowheads pasted on which means it will run well forever, as opposed to a GM product which will run poorly, but also forever.
Has anyone told HER she’s his girlfriend? She may just think she’s doing some sort of charity work….
Kinda of what Holly thought about Kevin on the “The Office” ?
He did slip it in on an article the other day but nobody seemed to notice the promotion from “friend”. Or they did and it was after i left.
Great article my friend. My trio of mid 00’s automotive greatness are always available any time you’re in town.
And Jamie, just to be clear you’re a great friend and the Vibe is legitimately a rockin’ car to us Autopians. I enjoyed reading about the repairs you did and the car looks great.
Thank you sir. Amusingly (not so much to my wife) I bought this Vibe on a whim after originally suggesting it to a friend’s niece who needed a good cheap car. She wasn’t interested so I scooped it up with the plan to fix and sell for a tidy profit. But then I started driving it around in the name of making sure it was well-sorted before listing it for sale and I ended up enjoying it too much. Almost 10k miles later, it’s pretty much all I drive these days unless I need the space of the MPV or the towing power of the 4Runner.
Preach brother. I DD an ’07 Vibe in Red and it’s an amazing vehicle. The seat is a bit uncomfortable for me (but I’m really thin, tall, and mostly legs so it may just be me) and the car isn’t very good in the snow, but other than that it’s a great vehicle. Good mpg, looks nice, is both foreign AND domestic, unkillable Corolla engine, and cheap as dirt but parts everywhere because….. again, essentially a Corolla. Perhaps the best perk, it’s basically a TARDIS. Small on the outside so it fits anywhere, but tons of cargo space inside because everything folds flat, has anchors and a plastic back, and the hatch can even pop the glass for longass items. Plus you’ve got the standard rails up top if you need more cargo to go on the roof.
It’s the ultimate utility car!
Look it is essentially a Toyota. 300k is just broken in. They can go 500k without a problem.
Facts, low key one of these might end up being the last “Pontiac” anyone drives around for normal duty
Man does this epitomize the quote of “You can take a man out of the (insert noun here), but you can’t take the (noun) out of the man.
On a scale of 1 to living at a strangers house for weeks trying to revive a literal pile of rust. This seems pretty low on David Tracy drives into the Void and tests his own morality scale. Happens to the best of us when we commit ourselves to others. I see you wanting to take automotive risk, but recognizing how you can damage others through your willingness to examine the extremes of possibilities. Limiting yourself to just driving a Pontiac Vibe for awhile. Instead of finding a Pontiac Vibe atop a mountain then spending three weeks fixing it and driving it 2,000 miles. It’s a big development in your character arc. I look forward to season 3.
I need more risk and craziness.
The postal jeep was cooler.
But this trip was better for the planet at least
I’m really kind of hoping there’s some article in the future along the lines of “This time, I took the advice to get a nice press car for another wedding, but during a quick stop on the way there, the electronics bricked and wouldn’t let the car start, stranding us. We missed the first half of the wedding, and would have missed the whole thing if we hadn’t hitch-hiked and gotten picked up by someone driving an old Vibe with 299,999 on the odometer”
I’m not a betting man, but I’d put money on it happening on a press car from Alfa Romeo.
On one hand, everybody was right. This was dumb, and you’re a colossal cheapskate who should not have done this.
On the other hand, you are tighter than two coats of paint, and your girlfriend should know what she’s getting herself into. Brandon already knew who he chose. So the Vibe was absolutely the right call.
Now you best start wrenching a little more often, so she gets used to dirty fingernails.
We will not have any David recidivism on my watch.
Oh, you’re sweet. I’ve been trying to talk sense into this man for years now. But good luck to you! I’ve tried. I’ve failed.
“This was dumb, and you’re a colossal cheapskate who should not have done this.”
WTF?! This isn’t an old Mustang leaking CO into the cabin or a deathtrap Chevette that tops out at 45 mph because it ate a plug. This is how a big chunk of America gets through the day.
This is nothing to clutch pearls over.
Yeah, it’s just a high mileage Toyota with a good owner.
My pearls are hardly clutched. You clearly did not read my next sentence. I’m writing this response from a ’99 Corolla I paid $200 for, while my daughter is in her karate class.
So what was the point of your comment then?
That his colleagues were technically correct. DT has access to press cars. The smart thing to do would be to book a press car and leave zero to chance on this very important trip.
But DT is gonna DT. His best friend knows that already, and his girlfriend should learn what she’s in for. So with that in mind, the Vibe makes perfect sense.
Ah, I see.
IMO to have used a free press car (and presumably its free gas) is what a “colossal cheapskate” (and maybe a poser if its a Bently) would have done. That definitely would have been the right move if the only other options were a fleet of crusty postal Jeeps and sun baked, mouse infested whatevers where safety would have been a compromise.
The Vibe wasn’t either of those. As it was we got a fun story about how even cheap, imperfect, well used ordinary cars are fine for important special occasions. Nobody cares what the guests show up in anyways as long as it doesn’t leak oil or blow blue clouds of stink all over the parking lot.
The Pontiac Vibe wasn’t a risk, flying Spirit was a much bigger chance of being stranded [in Atlanta, probably] or disintegrating into a cloud of rust.
That’s right. In truth, there was no risk at all, for this was a Vibe.
So you borrowed a car from your friend for your trip. Said car has high mileage, but is reliable, just as your friend promised.
It’s not only reliable, but looks to be well cared for.
I don’t see this as a cheapskate thing and especially not a risky move.
I mean, it’s not like you took the thing on an 8k mile cross-country road trip.
But it’s possible I’m a cheapskate myself, because all this sounds perfectly normal to me.
You may be a cheapskate.
This article was really just a reminder: The Vibe is awesome.
Some good may come out of this end the end. The world really needs one or two more “little DT’s” in the world.
“we stopped by Brandon’s new property “
Something something huuuuge tracts of land
…maybe a reference I don’t get?
I’m gonna have to roll my eyes like a teen girl here.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
Not ringing any bells?
How about “RUN AWAY!! RUN AWAY!!”
What is the capital of Assyria?
Nineveh (and I only looked it up for spelling).
Google Huge Tracts of Land.
Went there. Did that. Such a great movie. Shit now I need to find it on DVD.
A laugh a minute.
There’s nothing wrong with being a cheap son of a gun, but for heaven’s sake you are a “BIG DEAL” with an automotive website! You couldn’t pull a nice press car for the occasion? Also, Thomas is wise beyond his years.
Now, turning your Leaf into a “Safari” vehicle and driving it to Moab with 20-mile range (less with big tires and a lift)… oh, wait, that’s a really horrible idea. Forget I said that.
Preach, David! I’m in the midst of resuscitating a running, driving (sort of) Volvo 245 wagon for the princely sum of $260! It was abandoned at a local mechanic shop, but I finally rescued it.
I’ve done a lot, including motor/trans mounts, front struts/mounts and rear shocks, flame trap service, engine and trans oil change, and I’m waiting on inner and outer tie rods and ball joints because they’re…bad. Really bad. I’ve also got the infamous blower motor to contend with. I also hunted down replacement right side front and rear doors to grab on my interstate trip to visit family over Thanksgiving.
Here’s the introductory post on Oppo for those curious, but there’s been consistent updates too:
https://opposite-lock.com/topic/86643/i-may-have-overpaid-volvo-245-stuff/1?_=1699566407869
He left out my most hard won piece of advice: “David, do you want to live like a hobo or do you want a girlfriend”.
If his GF let’s him live like a hobo, then she’s a definite keeper.
How did I miss that?
I think you wondered why not both. At which point I was shaking my head and smiling at your sweet innocence.
PSA: your right hand is not your girlfriend.
Of course not. The right hand’s for wrenchin’!
Spit take!
*why not both?*.gif
Sign the wedding certificate? Is that a Pure Michigan thing or something?
It’s pretty common to have witnesses sign a marriage certificate.
TIL
Well she knows what she’s getting into, but I’d personally have suggested getting the fanciest press car they would lend you so the car would match how good she looks in the dress she’s wearing.
Look, there aren’t many chances to put on your best finery, especially when you’re dating David Tracy, you gotta make it count!
He has yet to realise having a girlfriend is hard work. Which is why I don’t have one.
I have a boyfriend and I think if I rolled up in a 350k mile Vibe to drive to a wedding I’d probably get his go-to when I do something he doesn’t like:
“It’s a personal choice” through gritted teeth.
LOL
You just haven’t found the right one yet dude…trust me.
Oh thank Geebus! The David we all know and love and followed to this great site still exists underneath that shiny Hollywood veneer. I was getting worried for a bit.
Probably the reason the carry on was so heavy was because of some heavy Jeep part inside
So, just a bag of rust then?
Cheap Bastard LOL
Your girlfriend truly knows what she’s getting into now LOL
If you needed proof that unicorns exist…
yep, too bad they did not stick with Toyota on the whole small hatchback thing and went full deawoo with the trax.
Everyone knows you never go full Daewoo.
I am loving all the recent Pontiac Vibe content. The Vibe deserves everything and so much more.
I’m here for it also. My only worry is that people start snatching more of them up. They really are a great cheap, broke-graduate-needs-a-ride option.
So Shhhhhh everyone, the first rule of Vibe club is we don’t talk about Vibe club. Everyone go buy that Saab instead…..