Evening folks, I am hunting for another car to buy and keep until the wheels fall off. I am looking at a 03 Pontiac Vibe with a 5 speed standard transmission with around 188,000 miles on it for around $3,000. Family owned, and passed down to the original owners son (so I am told).
Knowing these are like a Toyota Matrix in disguise, is this still a good year for this make and model? I currently have a 06 corolla with the same engine, but could have this Pontiac Vibe have issues that the matrix of the same year may/may not have had at the time? Are there any quirks of the vibes that were unique to them and not the matrix?
Thanks!
It could be a good car but it is 20 years old so you'll want a mechanic to give it a thorough check before purchase. If it hasn't been well maintained over the last couple of decades or has hidden damage it might well be a lemon. (How much longer do you realistically expect a 20-year-old car to last as a daily driver?)
They were nearly the same, but I believe the air conditioner is different.
What scares me is they passed it down to their son. If he is over 30 years old that may be okay. Kids kill cars, especially boys when they get their first one.
That was the first year they made it, but it wasn't the first year for basically all the parts. For that price, I would want to see good records of oil changes and all maintenance. Price is about right if it doesn't have any rust, and has decent enough paint. Of course it is hard to say if in your market the price is good I guess.
