Pontiac's new Vibe a no-fuss quality ride

Some cars get far less credit than they deserve. They please their owners, start every day, look good and go about their business reliably without fanfare.

If the auto industry were a film, those cars would be Kevin Bacon.

Sexy, high-profile models such as the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Corvette and Ford F-150 are the Harrison Ford-Jodie Foster faces on the posters for big- budget summer smash hits.

Bacon doesn't get many headlines, but the talented and versatile actor has played key roles in wonderful movies such as "Mystic River" and "Apollo 13," turning in stellar work without a fuss.

In that spirit, I name the 2009 Pontiac Vibe Kevin Bacon Car of the Year.

The 2009 model is an all-new replacement for the Vibe wagon that went on sale in 2002. Over its six-year run, the Vibe won Pontiac new buyers, had consistently high quality and fuel economy, and remained resolutely below the radar.

I tested a Vibe all-wheel-drive that was a real bargain at $20,895, despite suffering from an exceptionally noisy ride at highway speeds.

The fruit of a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota and one of the first in the new crop of wagons and car-sport utility crossovers, it had a quick fling with fame, like Bacon's brief teen-idol status following "Footloose." Then the Vibe settled into its role as a steady, dependable supporting player, consistently pleasing its owners while flash-in-the-pan Pontiacs like the Aztek and GTO came and went.

The all-new 2009 Vibe promises to continue that track record. Roomy, comfortable, affordable and fuel- efficient, it's everything buyers are crying out for as gasoline flirts with $4 a gallon.

Prices for the Vibe start at $15,310 for a front-wheel drive model with a 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic adds $850. Stepping up to a front-drive model with a 158-horsepower 2.4-liter engine and five-speed manual raises the price to just $15,710. An optional five-speed automatic costs $1,050.

All-wheel drive models feature the 2.4-liter engine and four-speed automatic and start at $18,910. The top GT model comes only in front-drive with the 2.4-liter engine and five-speed manual. The optional five-speed automatic again costs $1,050.

The Vibe is engineered by Toyota, using the same mechanical pieces as the Corolla and Matrix. It shares its exterior sheet metal with the Matrix. GM set the Vibe's basic parameters including size, room, price and features. The car is built by New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., the Fremont, Calif., assembly joint venture the automakers have shared since the mid-1980s.

In addition to the Matrix, the Vibe competes with small wagons and crossover sport utilities such as the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Nissan Rogue.

With the exception of the Matrix, which I haven't tested yet, the Vibe is at least as good as any of them on many levels, and better on most.

The compact five-seat wagon's value makes it particularly appealing. The Vibe's standard safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes, front-seat side air bags and curtain air bags. It also offers every comfort and convenience feature I could ask for at the price, including power windows, mirrors and locks, and manually height-adjustable driver's seat and tilt and telescoping steering column.

The interior is comfortable, with an exceptionally attractive three-binnacle gauge display. It's trimmed in materials that look and feel good, although a couple of trim pieces were very slightly misaligned and the width of the gap from door to dash varied from top to bottom.

The only major drawback comes at highway speeds, when the interior buzzes and echoes badly from both wind and road noise. It's bad enough to make cell phone conversations very difficult and to interfere with talk among the Vibe's occupants.

Pontiac should have insisted on better sound insulation, but the Vibe's room, value and practicality outweigh that fault. You're not likely to go wrong seeing a movie that features Kevin Bacon, and it's hard to imagine any owner will regret choosing this underappreciated little wagon.