www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 9, 2008 - 23 All-new 2008 Pontiac Vibe - Discover it today! Continued from Page 22 The increase in power was the first thing I noticed when I was involved earlier this year with the `Catch the Vibe'. It was a brand introduction contest involving a kind of scavenger hunt manned by media people as the cars moved across Canada and all of it strictly on the Internet. For Ontario journalists, the object was to buzz around the Greater Toronto Area using cellphones to take shots of certain landmarks while sending blogs and twitters. Apparently it was a big success, although I never was officially notified about who won. But it did serve to show how the Vibe has grown from a grocery-getter to a vehicle that has a lot of uses and features that appeal in the post cheap gas era. During the contest, the power to join the flow of traffic on the highway was noticeable. But more so was the way it accelerated away from downtown lights where taxi drivers hit the horn in milliseconds if you are too slow for their liking. In the east end of Toronto with its cacophony of music blaring from small shops, overhead wires and oblivious jaywalkers, it took good brakes and adroit handling to weave our way to find a statue of Alexander the Great for the contest. Trying to find a parking space was tough enough let alone trying to squeeze into slots not much longer than the Vibe. Thanks to the speed-sensitive power steering it was made easier, plus the good sight lines let me know where the corners of the Vibe was. The interior is well thought out starting with a 60/40 split/fold rear seat that gives 1,399 litres (49.4 cu ft) of cargo space. And with the front passenger seat folded flat, sliding in a 10-foot ladder is no problem. And when I said, "sliding" I meant it because the seat backs and cargo floor are finished in a tough composite material that can take a lot of abuse. That cargo floor also flips up forward to reveal a stowage compartment with reconfigurable dividers and grocery bag hooks. Between the front seats is a multiuse console with cupholder that can be adjusted to cradle different-sized beverage containers. At the front of the console is a standard three-prong, 115-volt AC plug. In addition, the sound system has an auxiliary jack for MP3 players. The Vibe with AWD has a list price of $22,995 which is pretty good and includes six air bags, air conditioning, cruise control, roof rack and rear washer/wiper. But my tester came with $3,860 worth of options like a $1,100 power sunroof I could live without and the $800 Premium Sound Package that I would have to think about. But the younger demographic the Vibe is aimed at all want something like the 320-watt Monsoon sound system with seven speakers including a big, 10-inch subwoofer in the cargo wall. Another option was $950 for 17inch chrome clad alloy wheels where the standard 16-inchers would be good enough for me. But what I would want is the $385 security system with content theft protection. Besides the normal horn blasts and flashing lights, there is also a motion sensor and glass breakage sensor that immediately shuts off gasoline flow so the car can't move. With the $1,160 shipping fee, the cost of the Vibe AWD as tested was $28,115. I hope what I am hearing is wrong about predictions of $2/litre gasoline by end of the year. That is bound to change perceptions, but North Americans still will want to travel long distances in comfort with associated utility. To these factors has been added cheap cost of operation. With all-wheel-drive and a cleverly thought out interior, the 2009 Pontiac Vibe should prove more popular than ever. OAKVILLEHonda's $AVER ECO FUEL0.9% e for deta ils FINAN ON SEL CING EC MODELSTED See in st or BUY IN-STOCK VEHICLE, AND CHOOSE A TREE FROMTREE! A CAR, GET A OUR SHOWROOM PURCHASE ANY · JAPANESE MAPLES · MAGNOLIAS · WEEPING MULBERRIES · PINES · GARDEN CENTRE GIFT CERTIFICATE #Limited time lease offers based on new 2008 Accord Sedan LX, model CP2538E / 2008 Odyssey DX, model RL3818E / 2008 CR-V LX 2WD, model RE3838E available through Honda Financial Services on approved credit. £2.9% / 1.9% / 2.9% lease APR for 48 / 48 / 48 months. Monthly payment is $298 / $338 / $298 with $2,455.23 / $4,552.13 / $3,927.44 down payment or equivalent trade, $1,390 / $1,540 / $1,540 freight and PDI, first monthly payment and $0 / $0 / $0 security deposit due at lease inception. Total lease obligation is $18,937.93 / $23,477.03 / $20,601.53. Taxes, license insurance and registration are extra. 96,000 / 96,000 / 96,000 kilometre allowance; charge of $0.12/km for excess kilometres. Retailer may lease for less. Retailer order / trade may be necessary. Limited time financing offers based on new 2008 Honda models. Finance example based on new 2008 Accord Sedan LX, model CP2538E available through Honda Financial Services on approved credit. MSRP is $25,090 plus $1,390 freight and PDI, financed at 0.9% APR equals $745.81 per month for 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $369.01 for a total obligation of $26,849.01. Taxes, license, insurance and registration are extra. Retailer may sell for less. Retailer order / trade may be necessary. $2,000 / $1,000 Gas Card offers apply only to retail customer purchase, lease or finance agreements for new 2008 Odysseys, 2008 Accords, 2008 CR-Vs concluded, respectively, between July 1st, 2008 and July 31st, 2008. $2,000 / $1,000 Gas Card offers include GST, PST, HST, QST where applicable. Some conditions apply. Valid only on purchase, lease or finance agreements concluded at participating Honda retailers. See your Honda retailer for full conditions and t details. ¥Based on the retail value of installed additional equipment and price difference of CR-V LX 2WD, model RE3838E versus CR-V-LX 2WD, model RE3838E with accessories installed. #/£// /¥Offers valid from July 1st, 2008 through July 31st, 2008 at participating Honda retailers. Offers subject to change or cancellation without notice. See your Honda retailer for full details. *Based on a 2008 Accord with 2.4L engine and manual trans. / 2008 Odyssey with 3.5L engine, automatic trans. and Variable Cylinder ManagementTM System / 2008 CR-V 2WD with 2.4L engine and automatic trans. Visit www.vehicles.gc.ca for more information.