Question: When is a hatchback not a hatchback?

Answer: When it is a "sports wagon." Or so Pontiac would have you believe.

Apparently, "hatchback" does not do justice to the coolness Pontiac imbued in the Vibe. Of course, I am probably not cool enough for the Vibe (Consider: I muted the soundtrack on the car's Web site when I was researching this article).

Nevertheless, the Vibe seemed like a hatchback to me.

A peppy little hatchback, but a hatchback just the same.

That pep comes from a 2.4L engine that generates 158 hp. The Vibe engine also uses a system called variable valve timing intelligence that is intended to boost horsepower by improving the engine's ability to take in air. The Vibe marketers say this results in "spine-tingling performance." I would not go quite that far, but coupled with the all-wheel drive of the car I tested, the Vibe offered impressive, sporty performance.

The Vibe also features the distinctive and stylish exterior design that has been a Pontiac hallmark for years. The Vibe's exterior design is one area in which the car seems to have a slight step up on its most direct competitor, the Toyota Matrix.

Around the same time that I tested the Vibe, I also tested a Matrix. Having been born and raised in a town with a Ford factory on each end, I may be more inclined to root for American cars to match up well with their imported competitors. The Vibe compares favorably with the Matrix. Which, it turns out, should not be much of surprise since they are almost identical. The cars are the product of a joint venture by GM and Toyota. So much for competing with the Japanese. If you can't beat them, join them. Though the results suggest the effort is worth it.

The Vibe comes in four trims, including a version with a 1.8L engine that is supposed to provide 132 hp. The smaller engine might be less fun (and probably seems even more like a hatchback than a sport wagon) but it does offer 32 mpg in highway fuel economy. The boost in power costs you 3 mpg in highway fuel economy. The all-wheel drive version only gets 26 mpg on the highway. In my travels to work in Sunbury and from youth sporting event after youth sporting event in Snyder County, the Vibe seemed to average 25 mpg which seems to fall in line with the advertised fuel economy but was still a little disappointing considering the size of the car.

On the other hand, oftentimes when I test smaller cars, I hear a chorus of complaints from the three reviewers in the back seat. A 5-passenger car does not always work well when the three passengers in the second row are inclined to pinch each other or stick their fingers in each others' ears. They must have thought the car was snappy though because they did not complain much about having to ride in a car instead of a seven-passenger vehicle.

Despite, the name, the Vibe's sound system was not mind-blowing. but the Vibe's audio system does allow you to plug your MP3 player in and play your favorite music. Those of the age Pontiac likely hopes will buy the Vibe might appreciate that feature, but I did not. More to my liking was that the car came with XM satellite radio, as well. There are few things more enjoyable on a summer evening than driving in a car with a radio that offers play-by-play of a half-dozen baseball games instead of just one.

n E-mail comments to jfinnerty@dailyitem.com