psychephylax

I needed to rent a car for a month in August and I got a Toyota Matrix.

Toyota Matrix Page: http://toyota.com/matrix/index.html?...N_MATRIX_INDEX

Basic info:
1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i 4-cylinder
126 hp @ 6000 rpm
122 lb.-ft. @ 4200 rpm

For the size of the car, it's waaaay underpowered. I think it should at least have ~170-180hp. The very beneficial side effect of this of course is that this car is excellent in the fuel efficiency department. I was spending something about 25$ to drive in gas between Eastern Long Island (NY) and Washington Dulles Airport. Approximately 300 miles on a single tank of gas.

The inside was plane jane. Nothing fancy, no manual shifting. But the gear shifter was in a weird way, similar to a Nissan Quest it was attached to the dashboard. No sat radio, no neverlost. It did have one very cool feature that I wish was in more cars which was a two prong A/C connector. With a 2 to 3 prong converter you could plug in a laptop. This came in real handy because I needed to use my laptop as a GPS a number of times. The trunk space is huge. So is the interior. It's surprisingly roomy.

Pros
-Fuel economy
-Space/Comfort

Cons
-No pickup whatsoever

This car is great as a utilitarian means of transportation. A great daily driver and nothing more.

SpeedRicer

Fully agree with you on this. Toyota does have the Matrix XRS, which has 180 hp, but that's a relatively high-strung engine, so it still is a bit gutless at low-revs...

CApreppie

I had one of these. Serviceable transportation. Versatile and practical with good fuel economy. No anti-lock brakes.

What class is the Matrix in?

SpeedRicer

I believe it was YB.

CApreppie

Thanks. I had booked A/Economy and figured it was B. Basically an alternative to the Focus.

MapleLeaf

Hmmm... I must be the only person who absolutely loves the Matrix. A friend who actually owns a car has ridden in it several times and thinks it will be her next vehicle.

Do the Canadian cars have different engines? Wouldn't think so, but never found it underpowered myself.

szymon

You're not the only one. I own a Matrix and love it. I have the 1.8 liter engine but with all wheel drive. Mine has ABS. It is underpowered but I use it for transportation and not for racing. If I want to race someone at the light, I'll do it in the 3.9L G6 I rented from Hertz last month

Szymon

Seat1A

i have a matrix from IAH this week -- the contract and keyring put it in class YC.

generally agree with the reviews -- i've tried to push the pedal thru the floor more than once. other than that, it's not bad...

jmr50

misposted

CrazyOne

I can't decide whether to make a new thread or put it in here. Yesterday I picked up a 2006 Pontiac Matrix at PIT. I mean a Toyota Vibe. Okay, it's a Pontiac Vibe. But it hardly warrants a new thread. It's identical in all critical ways to the Matrix, from the engine to everything in the interior except for the GM-sourced stereo unit. The body style is slightly different, of course, and includes an independently-opening glass hatch within the hatch. That's about it for differences, though.

The first post above can sum up the acceleration: there isn't any. Heh. I was surprised how underpowered it felt, and it makes a terrible freeway cruising car. I drove to Columbus, Ohio and back, and trying to keep it around 75mph was a pain. On some hills, which are all minor on that drive, it had to shift down at that speed. I guess the 4th gear is a really deep overdrive. Ugh. Gets good mileage, sure. Also crappy on the freeway because of its hard ride.

Also, while it is more comfortable than its Corolla cousin (the only Japanese car where as someone of pretty average height I couldn't get comfortable in the seat), it really isn't that great. I have driven a Matrix before, though never for this long. I thought it wasn't too bad until I got back into my own car (and even, today, into a Kia Optima; that's another story). It isn't really that comfortable. It is a useful car space-wise although I typically don't need that much space.

The Vibe/Matrix does do pretty well curvy on back roads. Here the power, hard ride and gearing isn't quite as much of an issue (especially if you just press in the O/D off button). I took it back to my house before returning it, and it handles nicely when not called upon to maintain a more constant freeway speed.

Class was YC (a bit of creep from the YB previously reported; just like the Corolla I guess); I rented C. Had a bit over 11,000 miles on it and had the R sticker, which if I recall from the past means it's owned by Hertz rather than leased. (The last C I rented at PIT, which turned into a YC Chrysler Sebring, was also tagged with the R.) Also Florida tags (must have been driven up this spring?) which gave me a chuckle because last year around this time I drove to Columbus in a Hertz car with Florida tags. It was raining then, too, as it was yesterday. Bring your umbrella if you're headed to CMH when I'm there.

Maybe I should create a new Ride Report thread saying Pontiac Vibe and just link to this one. Or actually, better yet, in the sticky thread with all the links just make a 2006 Pontiac Vibe entry linked to this thread. There's certainly no need to have it be its own thread.