Otherwise, its appearance is unchanged. The Vibe was conceived by General Motors and is built to Toyota assembly standards with Toyota components at a joint GM/Toyota assembly plant. Toyota sells its own version of the car, called the Matrix, with different styling cues. Traditional Pontiac styling cues distinguish the Vibe. Its wedge shape, muscular stance and cat-eye headlamps signal that you are looking at a Pontiac.

Vibe's hatchback design makes for a practical car, but Pontiac's designers strived to avoid a design that looked too boxy. They wanted to make sure it looked like a Pontiac. So the front and rear overhangs were kept short. (Overhang is the part of the car that sticks out past the bumper.) Short overhangs means the wheels are pushed out to the corners of the car. In addition to improving handling, this design helps uphold that traditional Pontiac "Wide Track" stance. More slope was put into to the rear section of the roof. In profile, the Vibe hints at a fastback shape. The encapsulated C-pillars almost look like inverted hockey sticks.

Pontiac hasn't quite broken its habit of surrounding its vehicles with lower-body cladding. But at least the Vibe's bottom fringe is relatively simple, and is available in either low-key charcoal or even less conspicuous body color ($325). We think the charcoal looks best on the all-wheel-drive version, giving it some visual elevation and a more outdoorsy look.

Buyers who want to project more attitude can purchase dealer-installed extensions for the sides and front and rear fascias, plus spoilers for the roof and tailgate. The whole package ($1890) is offered in a selection of vibrant colors, or in primer and ready for your own custom paint.