2008 Pontiac Vibe Exterior Review [ 2009 , 2007 ]
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
The Pontiac Vibe's exterior design is striking, but not distinctive enough to make its mark in a class of 12 affordable wagons. Cars.com says: "With a sleek wedge and short overhangs, the Vibe displays basic styling cues that suggest an SUV. A slight resemblance to the company's controversial and now-defunct Aztek may be noted, but the Vibe is considerably less radical."
According to the Sacramento Bee, "The first impression one gets walking up to the Vibe is that it looks, well… saucy." While AutoMedia.com says that the Vibe "isn't mom's boxy SUV, nor is it grandma's minivan, nor even great-grandma's station wagon," the Chicago Sun-Times writes it's "basically a tall station wagon that combines attributes of a car, station wagon and sport-utility vehicle." Nevertheless, Automobile Magazine, says "the Vibe's best asset is its hard-to-categorize shape." And Edmunds, in a comparison with the Vibe’s platform-mate the Toyota Matrix, says that "to our eyes the Vibe is the more handsome of the two with its chiseled lines and distinctive trademark grille as opposed to the Matrix's bland nose and bulbous body."
Among the many exterior features that come standard on the 2008 Pontiac Vibe are power-adjustable mirrors, daytime running lamps, fog lights, rear liftgate and a luggage rack. While the Vibe comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels with bolt-on covers, cast aluminum wheels are available in both 16 and 17 inches. Included in Pontiac's optional "Sport Package" are 16-inch cast aluminum wheels, as well as body-color lower trim, front and rear fascias, door handles, body-color mirrors and rear liftgate trim.