My wife, Ronda, has a new hobby. Over the past year or so, she has become what I call a “gastrackologist.”

Unlike coin collecting, hunting, and other activities people enjoy, Ronda’s hobby doesn’t require expensive gear, hours of free time or the need to memorize minutia that only similar-minded hobbyists give a hoot about.

All my wife needs is a computer and an internet connection, which she uses to track gas pump prices.

Ronda picked up the hobby around the same time gasoline was approaching $4 a gallon. She became fascinated with finding the highest and lowest prices in the area and – for some reason only a gastrackologist could explain – in places we’ve never even been and have no plans to visit.

I’ve got plenty of hobbies that she thinks are stupid, so while I don’t quite get her fascination with gastrackology, I’m OK with it. I figure it’s preferable to Ronda developing an interest in, say, bungee jumping or tightrope walking.

Except for one annoying habit with her hobby: She insists on sharing it with me. And frankly, one of the last things I want to hear while watching a hockey game on TV is how much folks in Phoenix or people in Pocatello are paying at the pump.

So while other folks saw the recent decline in pump prices as a windfall for their wallets, I was excited by the prospect that Ronda might lose interest in her hobby.

Not so. Now she seems obsessed with finding the least expensive gallon of gasoline being sold in the country.

I think it’s somewhere in Oklahoma, but that’s unimportant unless you regularly drive to Anadarko or Coweta for a fill-up. More likely, you’ll trade your gas-hog for a more fuel efficient vehicle like the 2009 Pontiac Vibe I recently tested.   

Vehicles like Vibe were an afterthought the last time I tested one in 2002. Gas cost $1.30 a gallon then, and the economy was in much better shape.

Because a buck-thirty is cheap today even by Oklahoma standards, if consumers are buying any vehicles these days they’re small, versatile, and more fuel-efficient ones like the Vibe.

The Vibe, which is a close cousin of Toyota’s Matrix, has always been fuel efficient and versatile. But now it’s much more attractive, which is never a bad thing.The first-gen Vibe was funky looking at best. The new one is sleeker, sportier, and more mainstream in appearance.

Yet it retains its predecessor’s most endearing quality: Packing a generous helping of roominess and versatility into a compact package.

With its four-door hatchback design, split folding rear seatbacks, and nearly 50 feet of cargo space behind its front buckets, the Vibe is more small station wagon than typical sedan.

Contributing to that impression is a cleverly conceived cargo area. The cargo floor and back of the rear seats are made of a durable plastic that’s great for hauling stuff that could ruin conventional carpeting.

Yet the plastic surface features rubberized strips that are sticky enough to keep things from rolling around like a bunch of billiard balls.

Another clever touch is the section of the floor that flips up to divide the  cargo space into separated sections.

Strategically placed cargo hooks, and a flat-folding front passenger seat also enhance the Vibe’s versatility.

It’s roomy, too. I stuffed a recliner, a full set of oak snack tables, several suitcases, and a 75-pound chocolate Lab into the Vibe.... and didn’t even have to adjust the driver’s seat.

A new engine, stiffer platform, and reworked suspension make the ’09 Vibe driver’s seat a better place to be than its predecessor.

All-wheel drive and upscale Vibe GT models come with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder power plant that produces 26 more horsepower and 34 more pounds-feet of torque than the 1.8-liter engine found in front-wheel drive Base Vibes.

The test vehicle’s 2.4-liter engine felt strong and responsive throughout its power band. So much so that it feels quicker than the 8.7-second 0-to-60 time I recorded with a stopwatch.

Besides being peppy around town, the Vibe has no trouble climbing hills or merging onto the highway.

Ride comfort on the highway and in town is good for a small car. The Vibe’s cabin also is pretty quiet most of the time, but the hum of tire noise was evident on some road surfaces.

The Vibe is a very competent highway cruiser, but it’s more fun to drive around town. And with its available all-wheel drive system (which is offered only with the larger engine), the Vibe feels surefooted when the roads are wet with rain or snow.

All-wheel drive models, however, get six less city and highway miles per gallon than front-drive, 1.8-liter Vibes.

The tradeoff may be worth it for those living in snowy NEPA. I’m not sure how much snow they get there, but given the low gas prices, AWD is probably a no-brainer in Oklahoma. 

NUTS AND BOLTS

WHAT IS IT? 2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD, a versatile and sporty four-door hatchback.

WHAT DOES IT COST? Vibe is offered in three trim levels: Base, AWD, and GT with starting prices ranging from $15,310 to $19,310. Base models get a 132- or 158-horsepower four-cylinder engine; AWD and GT models get the latter. Test vehicle was an AWD with automatic transmission and an $18,910 starting price. Options hiked the MSRP to $22,615.

WHAT I LIKED BEST: Versatility, sporty styling, AWD, zippy performance.

WHAT I LIKED LEAST: Tire noise on rough roads, unexceptional fuel economy, AWD unavailable with GT trim.

WHO’S IT FOR? With its snazzy performance and styling, AWD, and versatility, Vibe hits a lot of targets for consumers looking to downsize from larger, more conventional SUVs.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS: 2.4-liter, 16-valve, Inline 4 with variable valve timing produces 158 horsepower, 162 lb-ft of torque. 4-speed automatic. 102.4-inch wheelbase. 3,295-lb. curb weight. 20.1/49.4 cu. ft. cargo space behind second/first rows. 20 city/26 highway mpg (EPA). 0-60 mph in 8.7 seconds (stopwatch).

About the Author

Scott Wasser is the managing editor for the Times Leader. Reach him at (570) 970-7162 or swasser@timesleader.com.

Scott Wasser is Vice President/News and also writes an auto column for The Times Leader. Wasser brings 30 years of publishing and media experience as a writer, editor and photographer to his roles at The Times Leader.

Wasser has worked at newspapers as diverse as the Stuttgart Daily Leader in Arkansas and the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. His Times Leader tenure began in 1983, when he was hired as the newspaper’s sports editor. Over the next decade, he turned the newspaper’s sports section into one of the most recognized in the nation as it was annually named one of the best daily and Sunday sports sections in the country.

Wasser left the sports department to become assistant general manager and online editor of The Times Leader’s website during the infancy of the internet. He left The Times Leader in 2000 to become online editor of the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal. Just prior to returning to The Times Leader in 2008, he was editor-in-chief of a national magazine covering home theater and other consumer electronics.

But Wasser says his proudest accomplishment is having driven and reviewed over 1,000 cars, trucks and motorcycles since he started writing a weekly car column for The Times Leader in 1988. The column, which runs in print on Saturday and online here, has appeared in several other newspapers, and Wasser has contributed auto-related content to national publications including “Road & Track” and “Open Road” magazines and “USA Today.”

He resides in Dallas with his wife, Ronda, and son, Brandon. He also has two adult daughters, Lauren and Lisa, who grew up in the Wyoming Valley.

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