2009 Pontiac Vibe to start at $15,895

Likely in an effort to reduce incentive spending, Pontiac has announced that its second-generation Vibe will start, at $15,895, about $1,500 cheaper than the 2008 model. The all-wheel drive model will list for $19,495 and the more sporty GT model at $19,895. All prices include the $585 destination charge.

The five-door Vibe (as well as the Toyota Matrix, which was co-developed with the Pontiac five-door) gets a 1.8-liter four producing 132 horsepower and 128 lb.-ft. of torque, both up six from last year's base model. A 2.4-liter four comes with the more expensive AWD and GT models and produces 158 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque.

AWD Vibes are stuck with a four-speed automatic, while base and GT models get a choice between a five-speed manual or a new five-speed automatic with Driver Shift Control, allowing the driver to select gears manually with tap up/tap down controls. Fuel economy of the 1.8-liter Vibes are on par with last year's ratings: the manual gets 26 city/32 highway while the automatic achieves 25 city/31 highway.

Step up to the bigger four-cylinder and you can expect 21 city/28 highway with the manual, 21 city/29 highway with the five-speed automatic, and 20 city/26 highway for the heavier AWD model. For comparison, the Chevrolet HHR gets 20-22 city/28 highway with the Ecotec 2.4-liter and the 2.3-liter Mazda 3 five-door gets 22 city/29 highway.

All Vibes employ a MacPherson-strut front suspension. Base Vibes use a torsion-beam rear suspension while AWD and GT models have a multi-link independent rear suspension. Pontiac claims the new Vibe has "class-leading gap/flush tolerances" as well as other improvements in the driver-centric interior like low-gloss materials as well as durable and supposedly more premium seating surfaces. Of course, the Vibe comes standard with an auxiliary audio input jack in addition to AM/FM, a CD-player and XM satellite radio.

The new Vibe can carry 49.4 cubic feet of stuff with the second-row seats folded down, reflecting a drop of 4.7 cubic feet from the 2008 model, but the Pontiac is still bigger than the Mazda 3, which has a 43.8 cubic foot capacity.

The 2009 Vibe may not generate any serious "driving excitement," but with more refined styling and a number of different trim levels less expensive than last year's model, the new five-door Pontiac appears better equipped to tackle the small crossover segment when it goes on sale in February 2008.