The 2009 Vibe AWD compact four-door crossover appeals to what many people look for in a vehicle. Below, the instrument panel.

GM

Some cars get far less credit than they deserve. They please their owners, start every day, look good and go about their business reliably without fanfare.

If the auto industry were a film, those cars would be Kevin Bacon.

Sexy, high-profile models like the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Corvette and Ford F-150 are the Harrison Ford-Jodie Foster faces on the posters for big-budget summer smash hits.

Bacon doesn’t get many headlines, but the talented and versatile actor has played key roles in wonderful movies like Mystic River and Apollo 13, turning in stellar work without a fuss.

In that spirit, I name the 2009 Pontiac Vibe Kevin Bacon Car of the Year.

The 2009 model is an all-new replacement for the Vibe wagon that went on sale in 2002. Over its six-year run, the Vibe won Pontiac new buyers, had consistently high quality and fuel economy, and remained resolutely below the radar.

I tested a Vibe AWD that was a real bargain at $20,895, despite suffering from an exceptionally noisy ride at highway speeds.

The fruit of a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota and one of the first in the new crop of wagons and car-SUV crossovers, it had a quick fling with fame, like Bacon’s brief teen-idol status following Footloose. Then the Vibe settled into its role as a steady, dependable supporting player, consistently pleasing its owners while flash-in-the-pan Pontiacs like the Aztek and GTO came and went.

The all-new 2009 Vibe promises to continue that track record. Roomy, comfortable, affordable and fuel efficient, it’s everything buyers are crying out for as gasoline flirts with $4 a gallon.

Prices for the Vibe start at $15,310 for a front-wheel drive model with a 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic adds $850.

Stepping up to a front-drive model with a 158-hp 2.4-liter engine and five-speed manual raises the price to just $15,710. An optional five-speed automatic costs $1,050.

All-wheel-drive models feature the 2.4-liter engine and four-speed automatic and start at $18,910. The top GT model comes only in front-drive with the 2.4-liter engine and five-speed manual. The optional five-speed automatic again costs $1,050. All prices exclude destination charges.

The Vibe is engineered by Toyota, using the same mechanical pieces as the Corolla and Matrix. It shares its exterior sheet metal with the Matrix. GM set the Vibe’s basic parameters — size, room, price, features — and the car is built by New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., the Fremont, Calif., assembly joint venture the automakers have shared since the mid-1980s.

In addition to the Matrix, the Vibe competes with small wagons and crossover SUVs like the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Nissan Rogue.

With the exception of the Matrix, which I haven’t tested yet, the Vibe is at least as good as any of them on many levels, and better on most.

The compact five-seat wagon’s value makes it particularly appealing. The Vibe’s standard safety equipment includes antilock brakes, front-seat side air bags and curtain air bags. It also offers every comfort and convenience feature I could ask for at the price, including power windows, mirrors and locks, and manually height-adjustable driver’s seat and tilt and telescoping steering column.

There’s only one 12-volt power outlet, but that shortcoming is offset by a 115-volt household-style outlet, flat-folding rear and front passenger seats and a handy panel that flips up to create a storage space tailor-made for holding grocery bags upright.

The interior also has plenty of front head, leg and shoulder room. Rear leg and head room are very good, although accommodations would get very cramped with three adults or mid-teens in the back seat. Cargo room is good, with 20.1 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 49.4 with those seats folded flat.

The interior is comfortable, with an exceptionally attractive three-binnacle gauge display. It’s trimmed in materials that look and feel good, although a couple of trim pieces were very slightly misaligned and the width of the gap from door to dash varied from top to bottom.

The Vibe’s body retains the sloping roof that distinguished the profile of the first generation of the car, but it adds subtle fender flares and a crease running along the sides for a contemporary look.

While the Vibe AWD’s 158-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine provides less power than the Caliber, Compass and Rogue, the lighter Pontiac’s acceleration is fine, and the all-wheel-drive model’s EPA fuel economy rating of 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway tops the Caliber and Compass and matches the Rogue.

The electric power steering is exceptionally well tuned, providing lots of assist for low-speed parking lot maneuvers and stiffening up nicely to provide good feedback and on-center feel at higher speeds.

The suspension absorbs bumps for a comfortable ride over rough surfaces.

The only major drawback comes at highway speeds, when the interior buzzes and echoes badly from both wind and road noise.

It’s bad enough to make cell phone conversations very difficult and to interfere with talk among the Vibe’s occupants.

Pontiac should have insisted on better sound insulation, but the Vibe’s room, value and practicality outweigh that fault.

You’re not likely to go wrong seeing a movie that features Kevin Bacon, and it’s hard to imagine any owner will regret choosing this underappreciated little wagon.2009 PONTIAC VIBE AWD

Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive five-passenger compact wagon

Base price: $18,910 excluding destination charges

As tested: $20,895

Standard equipment: Antilock brakes; electronic stability control; front-seat side air bags; curtain air bags; active front headrests; tire-pressure monitor; daytime running lights; stainless steel exhaust; air conditioning with rear ducts; carpeted floor mats; manual tilt and telescope steering wheel; three-months’ XM satellite radio service; 115-volt household-style outlet on instrument panel; center console storage; manual height adjustment for driver’s seat; fold-flat front passenger seat; 60/40 split fold-flat rear seat; rear cargo storage system; solar-ray light tinted glass; power side-view mirrors; luggage rack with cross bars; one-year OnStar service.

Options: Remote keyless entry; power windows and locks; cruise control; variable front and rear intermittent wipers; 17-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels; AM/FM/MP3 compatible CD stereo.

Specifications as tested

Engine: 2.4-liter DOHC variable timing 16-valve four-cylinder

Power: 158 horsepower at 5,000 rpm 162 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm

Transmission: Four-speed automatic

Fuel economy: 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway

Wheelbase: 102.4 inches

Length: 171.9 inches

Width: 69.4 inches

Height: 62.7 inches

Curb weight: 3,295 pounds

Where assembled: Fremont, Calif.

Comparative base prices

All-wheel drive models, automatic transmission, not including destination charges

Dodge Caliber R/T: $20,495 Nissan Rogue S: $20,570

Subaru Impreza: $18,495

Toyota Matrix S: $20,400