Toyota Matrix Review

This is an owners review of the standard 2005 Toyota Matrix after 90,000 km. Absolutely no extra cost options, no air conditioning, it even has wind-up windows with manual door locks.

The final decision was between the Mazda3 Sport and the Matrix. Why not the Mazda? Well the Mazda was a nice hatchback/wagon but I was looking for better gas mileage. The Mazda hatch was not available with the smaller engine, that makes no sense to me. Also, the Matrix was taller which a dimension I am very fond of. I also like some ground clearance for snow and rocky roads. I don't drive off road very far, but I do sometimes go on bad roads. The Matrix has 5.9 inches only about 0.2 inches more than the Mazda. I don't want much more because high cars have roll over problems. In a couple of hair raising situations our Matrix has remained upright.

Any car has to be judged on how it is to be used, and by the owners priorities. Maybe I'm different from most people, but things that for some are so important are of little consequence to me.

Me? I keep a car until it dies - usually about 13 years these days (used to be 9 years back in the seventies, better quality build I guess). I don't commute to work, and I walk most places in town. I don't use the car much as an in-town grocery cart or dog hauler, but I'm sure it could do in a pinch. But my wife does like to buy bags and bags of manure, so I guess the Matrix plastic cargo area is about perfect for me in that it doesn't smell after you hose it out.

My reasons for buying a car include towing a utility motorcycle trailer, towing my small sailboat, road trips off the beaten path but not usually off the road, driving in winter, picking up and dropping off friends and relatives at the airport. When I buy a car, I am thinking how it will perform each one of those tasks. It's like a shopping list, and macho image is nowhere on the list. My trailers are light enough, under 1000 lbs. and the Matrix has no problem with them. As for power - that's a real issue for a lot of people who do not understand that you need to rev an engine to make power, but not for me as I am quite familiar with small Japanese motorcycle engines that rev to 10,000 rpm routinely. I do not get scared when I hear the engine wail like an F1 racer. That's part of the fun when driving a well made car, something you hardly ever hear about anymore today. I just gear down and floor it, but I keep my eye on the tach. Ever wonder what that was for???? OOPS forgot myself for a minute, anyway go read my various blogs on Torque vs. Horsepower to get the full story.

Most testers are pretty dismissive of reliable cars, mentioning that of course you get a reliable car ...if that's what you want. Well I sure as hell want a reliable car more than I want a car with "character", and for you people who invented the word fugly - first it's not a word. Second I don't give a crap what you think about the looks of my car. Because of the way I use a car, reliability is more important than looks. It's some assurance I will not be freezing to death in Labrador in January, or dying of dehydration on the Baja peninsula in July. Cars are not just for going to the local drive in to impress your teenage friends anymore. And by the way, as an owner who has been there, done that, after 95,000 km, here is a list of my problems with the Matrix. .... crickets chirping in the background .... I can't think of one.

Although the Matrix has optional all wheel drive, I don't need it. I got stuck, once in Baja in sand, once nearer home in snow (with the original tires). With some experience you would not get stuck at all, but sometimes I push the envelope a little. How else do you learn? Beside, 4wd just gets you stuck further from help. For snow, the Matrix should have the narrow 195/65x15 inch winter tires that you can buy from the Toyota dealer. The Matrix actually needs them because of the original Goodyear wide rubber.

As an unbiased owner I can go over some of the negative aspects of the car as well as the positive. Driver comfort is moderate. But I really like the headroom in the car, both front and back seats. Also the higher seating position allows me to get a view of various rivers while driving over bridges. My old Honda Civic was just low enough that I saw nothing but retaining wall most of the time. The Toyota's steering is an electric assisted power unit that feels very stiff driving in a straight line - steering effort does get tiring after a while as those wide 210 tires are prone to wandering more than old fashioned narrow tires. The gearbox does not like to be slammed into gear - it always seems to hang up for a second in the middle of a shift, you have to be a bit patient or it feels like you might break off the lever. I forgot to mention the clutch. The clutch itself is smooth, but the throttle has an annoying lag to it which makes it difficult coordinating the clutch on take-off and on shifts. At first it was disconcerting, but I have mostly adapted my driving style now. I would have to agree that probably most Toyota's do not have the sports car like feel of my old Honda Civic.

The back view is very restricted, making it hard to back up safely. So far it has not been a real problem, but I had a few close calls while getting used to it. It's easy to miss low lying objects, and most objects are low lying.

I like the basic no frills cars. I roll down the windows a bit when it's hot, and don't fall for that bull about air conditioners saving gas because you don't need to roll down the windows. That is a classic hoax and getting to be something of a popular delusion. My Matrix is fuel efficient, not as good as a VW diesel, but gas is cheaper and easier to find, and burns cleaner (well it did in 2005 anyway). I also like the crank down windows. I have never had a window crank fail on any car ever, and it doesn't cost $500 to fix every 5 years.

Toyota has not had an overwhelming success with the Matrix, and I'm guessing it was a miscalculation in the marketing department. Apparently they wanted to appeal to 20 somethings, but ended up attracting baby boomers. Yeah, I can see that. I'm a baby boomer who thinks the Matrix is pretty much the perfect minimalist all round vehicle- yet every time I look at the car I just wonder why the radical styling touches. Hey, Toyota, baby boomers don't like funky styling. So Toyota accidentally ended up with one foot in each camp, and nobody's perfectly satisfied. But that styling eventually grows on you.