2007 Pontiac Vibe Interior Review [ 2009 , 2008 ]
Pontiac Vibe Interior Review
Interior - 7.6 (Good)
The Pontiac Vibe receives accolades for its roomy and well-designed interior, long list of standard convenience features and versatile cargo room. Most reviewers, however, are not impressed by its lack of seat comfort. Nevertheless, Edmunds claims that the interior cabin is "well-assembled with none of the chintzy-looking (or feeling) controls that plague many nonpremium GM models."
Auto reviewers are generally pleased with the Vibe's interior design. "The interior -- possibly because it is made to Toyota rather than Pontiac standards -- is also beautifully crafted and peppered with clever details," says Automobile Magazine. About.com adds, "The thoughtful placement of the instruments and dials means no searching. Everything is right there where you want it in classic Japanese tradition."
Still, the Vibe's interior isn't without fault. While reviewers at Consumer Guide agree that the Vibe's control layout is "user-friendly," they also note that "smallish, deep-set gauges aren't easy to read." Moreover, the Washington Post, like many other auto writers, complains that "the brightwork around the instrument clusters... is too bright, especially when the sun hits the ornamentations, sending blinding rays to the eyes."
Seating
Although most auto reviewers don't find the Vibe's seats to be extraordinarily comfortable, they do agree that its high roofline allows for an abundant amount of headroom. "Headroom is immense," says About.com. MSN adds, "There's good room for four tall adults in the airy feeling interior." Despite being marketed as a five-passenger vehicle, most reviewers agree with Automotive.com's assertion that the Vibe only offers "comfortable travel for four."
Reviewers are generally unimpressed with the Vibe's front seats. While the Chicago Sun-Times and the Orlando Sentinel claim that the Vibe's front bucket seats are "supportive," Consumer Guide asserts that "seat comfort [is] nothing special." The Orlando Sentinel agrees, noting that "some passengers found the front seats comfortable, some less so." Still, many reviewers concede that headroom is great. "Taller drivers will quite a bit enjoy the extra head room in the Vibe's front cabin compared to the typical sport wagon," says NewCars.com. In the front cabin, interior dimensions include 40.6 inches of headroom, 41.8 inches of legroom, 53.2 inches of shoulder room and 51.7 inches of hip room.
Auto writers, on balance, are similarly unenthusiastic about the backseat's level of comfort. According to the Orlando Sentinel, "Room in the rear seat isn't bad, given the size of the Vibe." Still, MSN complains that "the rear seat isn't especially comfortable on long trips." In the rear cabin, interior dimensions include 39.8 inches of headroom, 36.3 inches of legroom, 52.6 inches of shoulder room and 47.8 inches of hip room.
Interior Features
Among the many standard interior features equipped on the Pontiac Vibe are front bucket seats with manual adjust, a flat-folding 60/40 split bench rear seat, armrest console, manual air conditioning with air filtration system, analog chrome-accented instrumentation, cargo lighting, manual day/night rearview mirror and a two-prong household-style 115V outlet "so a laptop or video game console can be plugged in," says AutoMedia.com. A four-speaker AM/FM stereo system with CD player is also standard.
One year of OnStar service is included with the purchase of many new Pontiac vehicles. Among the many services provided by OnStar are Fuel Station Location, Hands-Free Calling, Information/Convenience Services and Turn-by-Turn Navigation. Automotive.com reports, "OnStar works like a navigation system but there's nothing to program. Press the button and a live human responds, ready to give you directions, locate the nearest sushi bar or send flowers to your mom."
Cargo
The Vibe's cargo capacity is praised for being both abundant and versatile. With the Vibe's second row seats up, the Vibe has 19.3 cubic feet of cargo room. When folded down, cargo room is expanded to 54.1 cubic feet. Cars.com says, "Both the front passenger seat and the 60/40-split rear seat fold flat, creating a level load floor for cargo up to 8 feet long."
While Automotive.com claims that "the hard finish used in the cargo area makes for easy cleanup, great for dealing with muddy equipment or wet dogs," a reviewer at MSN complains, "I disliked how items laying on top of this plastic floor can rattle around if they're not fixed into place." In order to alleviate this problem, Pontiac equips every Vibe with a standard "storage package," which includes three cargo bins and an interior rear-track accessory system with eight tie-downs and eight chrome tie-down hooks.
