New Car Review of the 2005 Pontiac Vibe Sub-Compact Wagon

Description: Sub-Compact Station Wagon
Base MSRP Range: $17,000 - $20,325
Invoice Price Range: $15,895 - $19,004
Where built: USA

Pontiac's five-door, sub-compact, crossover wagon has agile road manners like a small four-door sports sedan, the cargo capability of a sport-utility, miserly fuel efficiency, plus the attractive price points of an economy car.

Exterior styling looks aggressive, with a new front fascia and grille styled like the G6 and Bonneville GXP. Vibe's structure is tall, which accommodates seats that rise high like chairs and creates voluminous space for people and equipment. A track system in the floor of the cargo bay adapts with various accessory kits to mount sports equipment like a mountain bike or snowboard.

The price-leading FWD Vibe and Vibe AWD tote an economical 4-cylinder engine that hits 130-hp. Vibe GT with FWD skews toward the sporty side with a high-performance 170-hp engine tied to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Vibe's base model also offers a boost by supercharging through a SPO (Service and Parts Operations) kit installed at a Pontiac dealer. Expect to gain about 30 percent in horsepower and 18 percent more torque with the supercharger aboard.

New options for the 2005 Vibe range from leather seats to StabiliTrak stability controller and curtain-style side air bags.