Why does the Pontiac Vibe resemble the Mazda3 HB so much?

8022 Views 35 Replies 24 Participants Last post by dbudds, Jul 26, 2005

VraiDiouf

Discussion Starter · Feb 25, 2004

I saw one of the Vibes today and I looked at the interior, I was like what the heck, why are the speed guages so simliar to that of the 3. Let me know guys.

1 - 20 of 36 Posts

dugrant153

· #2 · Feb 25, 2004

got pics to compare?

I think the MZ3 still has a style of its own.
When I look at the Pontiac Vibe, I think: "hmph"
When I look at the Mazda 3, I think: "Hmph... oh!..... oooooh! nice...."

Kirk

· #3 · Feb 25, 2004

I would say the 3 resembles the Vibe, since the Vibe was out first

I've mistaken Vibes for 3s before, externally.

VraiDiouf

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 26, 2004

Yah, they look simliar, but I know that the 3 is a better looking car. Sorry, I'm feeling kinda lazy, but I don't think it's too hard to find pictures of the interior on vibes.

gtibri

· #5 · Feb 26, 2004

Kirk said:
I would say the 3 resembles the Vibe, since the Vibe was out first

I've mistaken Vibes for 3s before, externally.

that's why i didn't get the hatchback. the rear end looks very vibish. i think the the most perfect shape ever made for a hatchback would be the vw gti. all the other hatchbacks the have been coming out look a little too funky.

king chile

· #6 · Feb 26, 2004

yep.. there do have a lot of similarities: http://www.pontiac.com/vibe/gallery_popup_interior.jsp?brand=&pagename=&imageNumber=4

Kirk

· #7 · Feb 26, 2004

gtibri said:
that's why i didn't get the hatchback. the rear end looks very vibish. .

It's the rear side windows that do it. Very similar angles.

gtibri said:
i think the the most perfect shape ever made for a hatchback would be the vw gti. all the other hatchbacks the have been coming out look a little too funky.

I agree that the GTI is a great design. Too bad VWs cost so much more, or I would've seriously looked at that as my commuter. My mom bought a 2003 Golf 5dr a few weeks before I got my 3; it's a sharp car. In fact, I'm going to her house this weekend to teach her how to detail it

fire76

· #8 · Feb 29, 2004

I don't think it's on purpose. I just think that's the style now. All the cars are going for the "cockpit" look. Some look more alike than others, but some similarities keep them competetive.

budgy

· #9 · Mar 1, 2004

Kirk said:
gtibri said:

that's why i didn't get the hatchback. the rear end looks very vibish. .

Click to expand...

It's the rear side windows that do it. Very similar angles.

gtibri said:

i think the the most perfect shape ever made for a hatchback would be the vw gti. all the other hatchbacks the have been coming out look a little too funky.

Click to expand...

I agree that the GTI is a great design. Too bad VWs cost so much more, or I would've seriously looked at that as my commuter. My mom bought a 2003 Golf 5dr a few weeks before I got my 3; it's a sharp car. In fact, I'm going to her house this weekend to teach her how to detail it

I was gonna get a 1.8T GTI, but then I realized I have no money....
And BTW you would not believe how many problems there are with the 1.8T. Only the VR6 is half decent reliability.

dugrant153

· #10 · Mar 1, 2004

4

Vibe

Mazda 3

Mazda 3 interior

Vibe interior

Strange... I'm beginning to see a resemblance.
But I still think the 3 is nicer

See less See more

Slalom

· #11 · Mar 2, 2004

yup definitely some similarities, but nowadays most cars borrow cues from somewhere... the glovebox latch on the 3 looks just like the one in an A4... how about the similar visual rear styling of the Nissan Murano to the 3? Or the new BMW 1-series hatch that looks just like the 3 hatch? Or the 3-pod gauge cluster Mazda stole from Alfa Romeo? All the new Fords are looking like VW/Audi cars now thanks to J Mays taking his styling skills to Ford from VW several years ago... there are just too many to list and im too tired to think of any more right now

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

neoriffic

· #12 · Mar 4, 2004

Yeah they look fairly close... FYI - The Vibe's interior is also the same at the Matrix's

Inno

· #13 · Mar 13, 2004

FYI, Matrix and the Vibe are basically the same car.

Vibe's back look like the 3?? In what way? the lights placement are different, plus it looks skinnier and taller.

Vibe/Matrix's have a 4 chrome ring gauges where the fuel meter and the engine temp meter got a separate gauge where ours just share one gauge like many other cars do.

Slalom

· #14 · Mar 13, 2004

the only real external similarity between the Vibe and 3 Sport is the angled quarter window (also seen on the Murano)... but other wise these 2 vehicles are not alike other than them both being wagon-like. The 3 is lower, wider, longer...

Inno

· #15 · Mar 14, 2004

Exactly!

what i would say is the 3 resembles so much of the murano! I mean, the HB is practically a smaller version of the murano (the external shape and windows, but smaller)

IF the HB were to go with that funky orange colour (which is exactly the same colour to the Nissan's), It would be easily mistaken it being a murano looking at the side from some distance.

Murrato

· #16 · Mar 15, 2004

Inno said:
Exactly!

what i would say is the 3 resembles so much of the murano! I mean, the HB is practically a smaller version of the murano (the external shape and windows, but smaller)

IF the HB were to go with that funky orange colour (which is exactly the same colour to the Nissan's), It would be easily mistaken it being a murano looking at the side from some distance.

A friend asked me if it was a Murano, at first. Till he got closer

flipped cracker

· #17 · Mar 15, 2004

my friend has a vibe our cars don't look too much alike, other than the rear quarter window. i'll try to get some pictures side by side.

Bigmantenor

· #18 · Mar 18, 2004

Yeah, I was originally going to get a Matrix XRS, so I know what y'all are talking about.... The exterior is far more similar than the interior, but you can still see that certain cues are the same... Sad really, that a car as beautiful as the 3 should share so many qualities with a Pontiac/Toyota...

Inno

· #19 · Mar 18, 2004

the Matrix XRS was what i originally intended to get too. I can see certain similarities but i would still try to avoid saying that.

Why i say this is because i recognize the "similarites" are just characteristics of a cool-looking sporty hatchback car.

It's kind of like saying, RAV4 looks like a CR-V becuase they're both entry SUVs and both are tall. Both have a rear door that opens sidewards instead of upwards, and both have short ends because they're small cars. They're 4WD, they both have that BIG one unit headlights.

Do u see my point? there are always certain characteristics that this class of vehicles should have and it also applies to matrix and mz3.

So of course they have to be "similar" in some ways, it's all part of competition within the class of vehicles that they belong.

Slalom

· #20 · Mar 18, 2004

Inno said:
the Matrix XRS was what i originally intended to get too. I can see certain similarities but i would still try to avoid saying that.

Why i say this is because i recognize the "similarites" are just characteristics of a cool-looking sporty hatchback car.

It's kind of like saying, RAV4 looks like a CR-V becuase they're both entry SUVs and both are tall. Both have a rear door that opens sidewards instead of upwards, and both have short ends because they're small cars. They're 4WD, they both have that BIG one unit headlights.

Do u see my point? there are always certain characteristics that this class of vehicles should have and it also applies to matrix and mz3.

So of course they have to be "similar" in some ways, it's all part of competition within the class of vehicles that they belong.

yes! finally some common sense!

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