Toyota Matrix (2003 - 2008) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Terrific gas mileage. I never worry about gas prices. It has 138 hp which may seem underpowered for some, but I think this car has a lot of pep. The cabin seems spacious for a compact car. It is easy to park. Very low maintenance costs. I paid for the servicing from the dealer which seemed costly, but no major repairs. I really like the car, so it's hard to find the negatives. It serves me well. May 15, 2012

This car is an all-around great car. It has great gas mileage, it has a lot of space in the car, and it has decent speed and performance. The car does 34 miles to the gallon. It's bright red, and the interior is alright. I just installed a new stereo system and everything and the music is great. I highly recommend this car if you need a reiable good looking car.Nov 11, 2009

purchased vehicle used in 2006.It had 82000 kilometers (49000 miles) on odometer when purchased.Immediately changed oil to Mobil 1 5-W-30 synthetic, drove for a week & changed again.Oil & synthetic filter is changed every 4 months, regardless of mileage, & goes down the width of a toothpick between changes. This is february 2009, there is now 126,400 kilometers (75600 miles) on vehicle & still running like day I bought it! I did change spark plugs (replaced with factory originals)when I purchased it. I quite regularily make a 240 mile trip north form my home, half on 4 & 6 lane hyway & half on 2 lane secondary (paved) roads. 4 lane speeds run from 110 kilo (66app mile per hour) up to 130 kilo (80app mph) & the vehicle handles great. I always average between 40 miles per gallon & 45 miles per gallon on these trips !! I convert litres to gallons using 1 gallon = 4.5 liters, which is very close to an american gallon of liquid! My only complaint? The seat gets a little hard on the derriere on long trips. solution... purchased after market plugin heated seat cushion Insert satisfied smile here ! :) Maintenance... change the oil & filter every 4 months & check tire pressure regularily. install K&N filter, clean & re-oil once a year & save your money! Fun to Drive... Darn straight it is. very decent acceleration (if I wanted to get to 60 miles an hour in 3 seconds, I would have bought a Ferrari) Very stable on hyway with no wandering or lurching around.Steering is fast & accurate(I have General 205-55-16 all season tires, they work just fine for me) & are wearing evenly (rotate every 2nd oil change) I plan on keeping this vehicle forever, & given the performance so far, that seems to be a reality more so than wishful thinking! Recommend to a friend ? Heck... I would recommend it to anyone who wants decent performance, good reliability, & excellent fuel mileage in a daily driver. I am 68 years old, have driven vehicles since I was 12 years old on the farm, have owned a trillion vehicles over all those years. I was an automotive bodyman for over 35 years, so I feel qualified to write a review, & NO, Toyota doesn't even know me, let alone throw a chunk of change my way for this review! (I wish) By the way.. I live in Ontario, Canada, so operating a vehicle in extrems of temperatures is the norm (think 20 below 0 for days at a time, & 80 above in summer !)Feb 10, 2009

Altho the XRS is equipped with the same engine as a Lotus Exige, the weight of the Matrix cuts down the performances. If Toyota really wanted to make a sport version of this car, they should have kept the 4 wheels drive avaiable with the 180 hp engine / 6 speeds transmission. And still, the Rav-4 sport is now equipped with a 269 hp V6 engine. Add that in a Matrix and we would be talking about performances. Impreza and the likes would be put to shame. Still, this car is among the best value/quality car one can buy.Sep 16, 2008

I bought the car recently and don’t have enough experience with it to make any comments yet. Reviews are good, it seems to be a reliable car, we’ll see… One thing that you notice immediately when you drive this car is how high you sit above the ground. The roof is may be 10”-12” higher than majority of cars, seats are high too, it feels like you’re driving a very compact van. I don’t mind this feeling at all, I wasn’t looking for a sports car when I bought that thing. So far I’m happy with my choice.Apr 13, 2008

Had it since new, it's gotten me and my associated mass of stuff, military and personal, across Canada, and to 3 different homes. Plus the usual vacation spots with all the camping gear and room left over for friends. For it's rated 135HP, probably only puts that down now that I have a cold air intake and exhaust done, it's got some get up and go, but nothing truly exceptional. Still, the 5MT beats the slushbox anyday.Jan 04, 2008

I really like my 04 matrix which we purchased used. It is a nice family car. It really has a lot of power for such a small engine. I think the turning radius is pretty bad, small inconveniences like some of the storage bins fall open often and the engine light comes on for ridiculous reasons like the gas cap not being tight enough. Otherwise I love it.Nov 26, 2007