2003 Pontiac Vibe

Enthusiast drivers will either want to perform their own sport-compact treatment on the base Vibe or will opt for the factory-prepared version, the Vibe GT. The GT also has a 1.8-liter four, but this one has been massaged by Yamaha, which shortens the stroke but bores out the cylinders and increases the compression ratio to produce 180 horsepower at 7,600 rpm. That power goes to the front wheels through a standard six-speed manual gearbox. The Vibe GT comes with four-wheel disc brakes and, like the Vibe AWD, offers standard ABS.


Toyota says to expect the base Vibe to accelerate from a standing start to 60 mph in the mid-nine-second range with the manual gearbox and in 10.5 seconds with the optional automatic transmission. The Vibe AWD needs 11.5 seconds for the same maneuver. But the Vibe GT will get there in little more than eight seconds, and when you rev the engine to 6,000 rpm, it feels as if a turbocharger has kicked in, or as if afterburners have ignited.


In addition to the standard equipment, Vibes can be outfitted with such options as side airbags, power locks, cruise control, a 200-watt audio system, a six-CD changer and a "Moons and Tunes" package that for $500 includes a power moonroof and a premium sound system. There's also an optional DVD- and GPS-based navigation system with a split screen display so you can see exactly where you are as well as your location relative to a large metropolitan area.


That navigation system costs $1,600—nearly 10 percent of the entire base vehicle. It may not have a lot of appeal to the Vibe's young target audience. On the other hand, it could be very attractive to those gray-hairs searching out used video game units at Saturday morning garage sales. (www.pontiac.com)