The Pontiac Vibe--a hatchback that was the product of a joint venture between General Motors' now-defunct Pontiac marque and Toyota Corporation--was designed to be fuel-efficient due to its economical, compact body type. Gas mileage for the Vibe differed, however, between its standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) versions.
When the Pontiac Vibe debuted in 2003, it was available in three trims: the base model and GT, both with FWD, and an AWD version. The base model came with a 1.8-liter, 123-horsepower, in-line four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission. The GT's engine had 57 more horses and was paired with a six-speed manual. The AWD had the same engine as the Base, but it had a four-speed automatic rather than the five-speed manual. Also, with a 12-gallon gas tank, the AWD had a smaller tank than its FWD counterparts, which had 13-gallon gas tanks.
The GT version of the 2003 Vibe FWD had the worst gas mileage of all three trims, with 25 miles per gallon for city driving and 30 miles per gallon on the highway. The base version had the best fuel economy, at 29 MPG in town and 36 on the highway. The AWD fell in the middle, with its numbers at 26 and 31, respectively.
By the end of its run in 2010, the Pontiac Vibe had four trims available instead of three. The base model was scrapped in favor of the 1.8L and 2.4L; both joined the GT as FWD vehicles with the AWD still in place. This time, the AWD had the same 13-gallon gas tank as its FWD counterparts.
By the end of the Vibe's production, though, it was the AWD version that had the worst gas mileage. Armed with a combination of the more powerful of the two engines available in the 2010 model-year (2.4-liter, 158-horsepower) and its four-speed automatic gearbox, its fuel economy dropped to 20/26 MPG. The FWD trims fared better: the GT and 2.4L had 21/28 MPG while the 1.8L came out on top with 26/32 MPG.
When Pontiac went under in 2010, so did the Vibe. Edmunds.com lamented the car's end, praising it as the best compact car that Pontiac ever produced, with its gas mileage as one of its highlights. In his review of the 2009 Vibe at Cars.com, Mike Hanley compared the vehicle's gas mileage favorably with other compact cars, such as the Mazda3, Scion xB and Volkswagen Rabbit.
