2009 Pontiac Vibe
Pontiac VIbe strikes the right note as a DogCar
Sun, May 4th 2008
| VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| type | 5 door, hatchback, 2wd |
| msrp | $15,895 |
| trans | manual |
| gas mi. | 20mpg/26mpg |
| rating |  |
I recently bumped into a veterinarian who is also renowned for her top-wining show dogs. She is an enthusiastic champion for her DogCar, a vehicle economical to purchase and to drive, blessed with lots of usable cargo space and sure-footed on the icy winter roadways of her home in the upper Midwest.
Her wonder car? The Pontiac Vibe.
Not two weeks later, I got to see for myself, with a week-long test drive of the small wagon recently named one of best in the under $18,000 category by the industry watchers at Kelly Blue Book.
The veterinarian was right: The sharp-looking little Vibe wagon is a super DogCar with a thrifty starting price around $17,000. The Vibe is comfortable to drive and fun to handle, with seats that fold perfectly and easily flat, exposing a cargo bay of nearly 50 cubic feet with hard plastic surfaces that are easy to keep clean.
If your DogCars adventures lead you down some dicey roads, you can choose all-wheel drive and still stay a tick under $20,000 – with a 100,000-mile warranty, to boot.
With gas prices likely to keep climbing and dogs who still want to go along for the ride, we're going to want great little cars like the Vibe – even the all-wheel drive gets decent 20 mph city/26 highway, with the basic model in manual rated 32 mph at best -- to get us there in style, comfort and savings.
-- Gina Spadafori
-- Keith Turner, The Family Car
Barking Lot Banter: There's a new Vibe going around town and it's getting some attention from the DogCar crowd. The Pontiac Vibe is a pleasing pup-mobile in a small package.
Comments
Great Car for Dogs!
2009-06-01 09:36:18
I have to give it 8 paws for my two German Shepherds.
2009-06-01 09:18:01
Great car. 06with awd getting over30mpg. I do dog transports for American Brittany Rescue and NBRAN as well with it and have had no problems with the car.
Two of my own dogs love riding in my Vibe. They hop right in.
Only thing I did was build a custom pet barrior that mounts directly to the back of the seats.
2009-06-01 09:01:41
I have a 2005 Vibe, and both me and my dog love it! Gas mileage is great, 32 mpg average, but on long trips on the freeway 38 mpg.
2009-06-01 08:38:16
I have an 06 Vibe and a 70lb Amstaf. I always drop the seats down for him as I have the cargo area and the back of the seats Herculined (bed liner that trucks use) and he absolutely loves it!!!
2009-06-01 06:39:54
Seat up or down my 2009 has plenty of room for my 80lbd Golden Ret., then only thing I don’t like the bumper has no rubber protector for the Dog’s nails so consider getting one installed to save scratching your rear bumper when they are jumping in or out… Great to clean and keep clean
2009-06-01 02:33:14
The Vibe is just great for hauling my GSD! He loves going for rides and I love driving my 2009 Vibe GT… which I get about 32 mpg.
2009-06-01 02:29:36
We own two Pontiac Vibes.
They are the perfect car for single people, families, and yes, dogs!
They are user-friendly, practical, fun and affordable.
They are all made in Fremont, CA.
2009-06-01 00:44:39
I have a small home-based pet business, and two Dachshunds, and I take boxes of merchandise to expos, to the post office, etc. I have also been able to put a medium size dog crate in the back with the seats down…OR up! My 2006 Vibe has been an asset to my business and my family!
Deb, www.hawaiidoxielover.com
2009-06-01 00:42:57
The 2009 vibe rocks! great gas mileage, lots of little extras that other luxury hatchbacks don’t have and both my 75 lb labs have plenty of room. Back seats fold flat and are easy to clean, love the cloth/leather trim seats and the sound system & sunroof are my favorite features!!
2009-05-09 12:34:17
My rough collie weight 90 lbs. and loved to ride in the Vibe.
I purchased a grey rug 4 feet by 6 feet and anchored it to the floor useing the tie downs.
2009-05-02 20:01:46
THESE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.I AM THINKING OF GETTING A VIBE. MY CONCERN IS WILL MY 80LB BOXER FIT. IS IT BETTER TO HAVE THEM IN THE CARGO AREA OR BACK SEAT.SHE NOW RIDES IN A VAN IN THE VERY BACK SEAT IN FRONT OF THE CARGO AREA..PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS
2009-03-14 17:53:53
I have 3 Dalmatians & I love my 2007 Vibe. I get 24mpg in city & 32 – 34 mpg highway. I will agree the engine is a little noisey. Great value for the money.
2009-02-03 22:48:56
This should not be called a dog car, because even my dog would not like riding in this little piece of crap that Pontiac has the nerve to call a car! I HATE THIS CAR….it is uncomfortable, noisy, no leg room, no head room, narrow windows so you feel as if you are being buried alive, and so many blind spots that I have narrowly avoided an accident on many occasions while changing lanes on a major highway. Everything about it screams CHEAP
2008-12-01 23:05:06
We love our 2009 Vibe. It fits our Lab and German shepherd strapped in with luggage just fine! We went to the cottage (6 hour drive) with the pups on their beds strapped in and 3 suitcases, a cooler, golf clubs, and a guitar. The hatch and back of the seats are so easy to clean, and even have rubber strips to prevent the pups from slipping too much.
2008-11-07 21:35:53
I have owned a toyota matrix for almost 4 years. Has 98000 miles on it, and almost all of those miles have driven a dog somewhere. I am able to get 2-300’s or 1-400 and 1-300 in the back, and when there are 2-300’s in the back, i am able to get either a 300 or 400 in one of the side doors, and put a 200 along side that for a total of 4 crates. I have also loaded 3 dogs (in300crates), 4 fold down crates, tackbox, and large bin, and luggage for 1 weekend in there. Needles to say there was no room for a passenger. I love mine and would purchase again.
2008-08-01 22:07:22
What size dog crate fits in a Vibe with the seats down? Varikennel type 100, 200, etc?
2008-07-10 23:17:26
Last month,we purchased a 05 Vibe in fantastic condition w/ 13K miles. We drive it weekends to our place in northern Michigan-400 miles rd trip. Its been great on gas..consistently 35mpg hwy; 30+ suburban. Our two girls-a Brittany and LBD (little black dog) are 33 and 50# and are very comfortable in the fold down cargo area. Plenty of room for them and the weekend gear! Highly recommend this dogcar. Considering buying a second w/ more bells and whistles!
2008-07-08 21:03:37
I have an 06 Toyota Matrix which is basically the same as the Pontiac Vibe, it just happened to be cheaper at the time. My dogs and I LOVE it. The back seat fits three real adult-sized people…or in my case, two sprawly dogs harnessed in, and there’s still plenty of room for dog (and people) luggage or gear in teh back. We love it for long trips and camping. And so far, the only work it’s required is regular maintenances…nothing broken. A good solid utility car, with good gas mileage, and an interior that seems so much bigger than the exterior!
2008-07-06 20:49:48
I love my 2006 Vibe! I get great gas mileage, around 27 average (city and hwy) and it has plenty of zip for mountain roads. The cargo space is excellent for a car this size, actually beats my old Santa Fe. The plastic cargo area is easy to clean, but I had to purchase some cheap rubber-backed floor mats so my dog and cargo didn’t slide around when the seats were down. My biggest peeve with this car is that there aren’t enough outlets for chargers – the AC outlet seems cool, but most chargers with their large box casings don’t fit and I wish there had been a leather option my year (hence the 4 paws instead of 5). Overall, I think this is a great fuel-efficient dog car.
2008-06-30 18:04:11
I carry two to three large collies in my Pontiac Sunfire. The seatsfold down exposing the trunk area. It also has a hatchback. I have one dog that just loves to get down in very back and sleep. Nancy Weaver
Parnan Kennels, Reg Collies Bridgewater, NS. Canada, B4V 3J5email colliesdogs@yahoo.ca
2008-06-17 12:50:06
I sell the Pontiac Vibes…when a customer comes in and is looking for a good utility dog car I take them right to the Vibe…the hard vinyl surface with the seats down is the most perfect and easy to clean surface. The surface also has rubber strips running up and down so that if you put a dog bed back there it keeps it from slipping…also the vibe has a 115v outlet so I can plug in a little vacuum…what a deal…
2008-06-12 14:20:46
I’m picking up my 2005 Vibe from the dealer tomorrow and expect to love it. Thanks for the detailed reviews!
2008-06-09 23:31:22
I just bought my Pontiac Vibe 4 days ago and have put about 100 dog miles on it already – I have a hard time getting my two border collies out of the car now – they are certain that I bought it for them – they are right!
2008-05-30 16:36:53
I agree awesome dog car! My border collie loves it! Easy to clean seats! Great gas mileage too!
2008-05-29 16:12:35
I have a 2003 Vibe GT, which gets slightly worse mileage than the regular version, and in mostly city driving I average 26 mpg. I agree that it has been wonderful for my dog.
2008-05-29 11:25:22
with my 2004 model I get 27+ mpg in town with the air on, and my golden retriever loves it!
2008-05-29 09:44:49
Your specs for the Vibe say 20 mpg. However, one letter says he gets 34 mpg. This is quite a difference. Which is it? I’d love to replace my small SUV with a “wagon” type. MPG will be the deciding factor.
2008-05-26 20:21:17
I traded in my Dodge Durango because the lack of air conditioning in the cap was difficult for my two super-sized labs. I was driving down the road and saw a very large dog standing in the back of a small car – a Vibe. The next day I stopped at Pontiac dealer and checked it out for myself. I asked salesman if I could bring dogs in to “see if they fit” before purchasing. Needless to say… it was roomy!!! I keep rear seats down and have two large dog beds in the back – plenty of room. The front passenger seat folds down flat and my one dog always rides shotgun ! The gas mileage is great…I get 34mph on the basic model. I’ve had it for 4 years and will trade it in for a newer model next year.
2008-05-21 19:08:25
Only added a cushy rubber mat to keep the slip factor down since the pup area is all plastic. Perfect size wagon for just about anything. And my ‘08 manual Vibe gets around 36 mph, keeping fuel costs reasonable compared to other vehicles I considered. You can get a bigger 2.4 liter engine on the 09 Vibe, the smaller 1.8 liter engine coupled to the manual transmission gets better mileage. Skip the Automatic transmission if you can.
2009-06-01 13:02:53