We’ve driven the Vibe about 56,000 miles over the last four years. I’ve replaced two bulbs, a battery, a DRL relay, tires, and oil. It has never broken down and it’s cost me nothing to maintain, compared to say a 17-year old Lexus.
The 1ZZ mated to a slushbox is neither sexy nor fast, but if you want acres of cargo space, dependability, and no bullshit, then you could do a lot worse.