Hey everyone,

I'm looking into a Toyota Matrix. Is it a good car? What is the fuel economy like? If i were to buy one which spec/trim line and colour should i pick?

Are there any other alternatives to the Toyota Matrix?

Thanks

I know this is going to sound like I'm advertising my car but anyways...

I own a 2004 Toyota Matrix XR. I have used it as a daily driver. It has about 67,000 miles and has never given me any trouble. Seriously, I never had to spend money on this car other than the required maintenance (oil change, tires, belts, etc.). Very very reliable.

The ride is pretty comfortable thanks to soft suspension that's typical of Toyota. But it may be a little firmer than the Corolla, which uses the same chassis. Plus, it sits high so you get a pretty nice view. It also has a very nice handling. It's a fun car to drive overall.

To me, one thing that really stands out is the brakes. The car has really strong brakes despite having rear drum brakes. But then, I think it also helps that mine has ABS option.

It's also pretty versatile thanks to flip down seats. Once you flip down the seats, there is a decent cargo space.

The gas mileage is pretty decent. I'm getting 31-32 MPG with mixed city and highway driving.

With that said, there are few negatives, which are minor. The interior quality isn't quite what you'd expect in a Toyota. But then, the interior was designed by Pontiac so I'm not surprised this is the case. Plus, this is not some $30k car so I don't think we should expect much.

FYI, This car was a joint project between GM and Toyota but rest assured, the only thing that GM really had its hands on was the interior design. Everything else, inlcluding the engine, electrical parts, etc. were all by Toyota.

Another negative might be the performance. It has a 1.8 liter engine, which produces 126 hp/122 ft-lbs. torque. The power is adequate for a car this size but not great. You'll have hard time climbing up hill but on a flat surface, it's pretty peppy. I guess you can think of it as sacrificing power for good gas mileage.

Also, one thing that some people complain about is the engine/exhaust noise. This could be a good thing or a bad thing for you. I think there are few factors that contribute to this.

For one, it has a small 4-cylinder engine so it needs to run at a higher RPM to be able to reach and run at certain speeds. And, higher RPM means noisier engine.

Second, some people may be confused with the exhaust note and the engine noise. Once it reaches ~3500 - 4000 RPM, you will hear an exhaust note kick in. Matrixes (or Matrices?) are equipped with larger exhaust pipes that produce a rather interesting sound but not ricey sound. I think they put these exhausts since they are targeting younger buyers looking for a sporty car.

Third, the car may not have enough noise dampening materials to reduce the outside noise. This is somewhat uncharacteristic of a Toyota car since most of them have quiet rides.

But personally, I welcome the noise since I'm a car guy and love the way the engines and exhausts sound (with the exception of ricers). However, the noise is not as deep as I'd like it to be like BMW or Infiniti.

I suggest you test drive the car and decide for yourself.

As far as the trim, I highly recommend that you get the XR trim with all the options you can get. I think XR's look a lot better since you get the color keyed side mirrors and door handles. Plus, you get other little extras like underbody kit, fog lights, etc. which significantly enhance the look of the car. No offense but the base Matrix looks cheap and ugly.

As for color, this is subjective and you should go with whatever you like. Mine is gray color and it looks pretty nice. It hides dirt pretty well so I don't have to wash the car that often. Along with gray, I'd also suggest white, silver or black. I think Matrix looks very nice in those colors, too. If you like, you can also go with red, which I think looks hot but I'd like to keep a low profile.

Other alternatives:

-Pontiac Vibe: Same exact car with a different badge and exterior design. With Vibe, you can get the roof rack, which Matrix does not have.

-Toyota Corolla: Matrix is based on the Corolla. Engine and chassis are the same. I'm sure it drives the same way but it's lighter so a little more peppy.

-Honda Fit: This is a wagon like the Matrix but I think it's slightly smaller. Decent car.

-Scion tC: This is a two-door coupe and built by Toyota. It has a bigger engine than the Matrix, borrowed from Camry.

-Scion xB: This is the boxy looking car and was redesigned for 2008. About the same size as the Matrix. It has the same engine borrowed from Camry. Pretty slick design.

-Scion xD: All new for 2008. It replaces the Scion xA. It's smaller than the Scion xB and the Matrix.

-Honda Civic: You can go with either coupe or sedan. It does everything well. Coupe looks nice.

-Mazda3: Sporty and fun to drive. More luxury features/options than the Matrix.

-Nissan Sentra: Redesigned for '07. Peppy engine. Roomy interior.

I'm sure there are others but I think those are your best bets.

Good luck.

I have a matrix for a company car and it is a pile of junk, the car has the worst gearbox I have ever seen and they put in an overly tall gear to try and make up for the lack of power. anything is a better car than this

Good choice go for it

toyotas are awesome
if u like the design go for it
the matrix is pretty new so i dont think there are any cousins or sister cars to it

the scion xA or xD
are relative to it but slightly smaller