Toyota Matrix

The Toyota Matrix is a car manufactured by Toyota in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and sold in North America.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Toyota Matrix Review.

Recent Changes

 * The 2007 model remains basically the same as the 2006 version. Four wheel drive, however, has been removed from the Matrix, and the number of trims has been pared down to include just the Base Model and the Matrix XR. The 180 hp engine has also been dropped with its source, the Toyota Celica.


 * For 2008, The Matrix will be all-new. Release date for the new generation is pegged at Halloween 2007 at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Toyota has released only a teaser image.

Styles and Major Options
The 2007 Matrix is available in two trims: the base model and the XR. Both are powered by the same 1.8L 126hp I-4 engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The XR includes a number of feature upgrades from the base model, and some of the available safety features include optional anti-lock brakes, seat-mounted driver and passenger side airbags, and 1st and 2nd row overhead curtain airbags. Here are some of the standard features:

Matrix Base Model
 * 16" steel wheels
 * Bucket front seats with 4-way controls
 * Cargo net and tie-downs
 * 4-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo
 * Tilt steering wheel
 * Rear lip spoiler
 * Manual locks, windows, side mirrors

Matrix XR Adds to or replaces Base Model features with:
 * 6-way front seat controls
 * Cloth interior and accents
 * Front reading lights
 * Power locks, windows, mirrors
 * Leather steering wheel
 * Fixed interval windshield wipers

Pricing
Today's actual prices for the Toyota Matrix can be found at CarsDirect.

Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages for the 2007 Matrix are as follows:

Reliability
Automotive Information Systems reports that the 2003 Matrix, now having been on the market for 3 years, has experienced a few moderate problems in its engine, but has otherwise held up well thus far. It has given the Matrix an overall Green rating.

Also, Consumer Reports gave the Matrix a well-above-average rating.


 * RECALL ALERT: Toyota issues voluntary recall for 1.13 million 2005-08 Corolla/Matrix models for "improperly manufactured" engine control modules, beats Feds to it

Safety
The 2007 Matrix received above average ratings in safety from the NHTSA. For front-impact crash tests, the Matrix earned a 5-Star rating for driver's side and a 4-Star rating for passenger side. The Matrix also earned 4-Star ratings in tests for rollover as well as rear seat side-impact crash tests. It received its lowest rating, however, in front side-impact tests, for which it earned a 3-Star rating. Some of the standard safety features that can be found on the Matrix include:
 * Front and rear anti-roll bars
 * Driver and passenger front-impact airbags
 * Occupancy sensors
 * Side impact bars

Colors
A full list of available colors for the 2007 Matrix can be found at CarsDirect.com. Here are some of the possible combinations:

Exterior
 * Black Sand Pearl
 * Cosmic Blue Metallic
 * Phantom Gray Pearl
 * Radiant Red
 * Silver Streak Mica
 * Super White 2

Interior
 * Dark Charcoal
 * Stone

Main Competitors

 * Nissan Micra
 * Hyundai Getz
 * Mitsubishi Colt
 * Toyota Yaris
 * Honda Fit/Jazz
 * Tata Indica
 * Hyundai i20
 * Chevrolet Aveo

Resale Values
The Matrix should have a high resale value. According to Kelley Blue Book, "the Matrix may not cost much, but it's worth its weight in gold when it comes to resale, holding an impressive 61-percent of its value at 24 months and 45-percent at 48 months."

Criticisms

 * "Shorter passengers sitting in the rear seats might find the view slightly claustrophobic due to the small side windows." - New Car Test Drive
 * "The four-cylinder engine has to rev high to make the most of its power, and some buyers might not be comfortable with that." - Kelley Blue Book
 * "The engine is buzzy, which will appeal to younger buyers but might become a little annoying to older people." - New Car Test Drive

Current Generation: (2003–present)
The Matrix is the Toyota version of a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors; the GM version is the Pontiac Vibe. A third version was sold in Japan from 2002 to early 2004 as the Toyota Voltz. Although the Voltz was sold under the Toyota brand there, the styling was nearly identical to the Vibe. It has since been discontinued. Some would consider that the Matrix nameplate was appropriated from the popular film franchise to which Toyota also rebadged their Toyota Kluger crossover SUV as the Highlander (again, appropriating another film franchise).

Both the Matrix and the Vibe are identical mechanically and practically identical internally, but they are clothed in different sheetmetal to look somewhat different. Both vehicles are small but tall station wagons styled in a trendy, quasi-SUV fashion (called a crossover utility vehicle or "CUV" by Toyota) and marketed to a fairly youthful market segment. This type of car is often referred to as a sport wagon. They were introduced in the 2003 model year and based on the Toyota Corolla platform. It filled the gap in the Toyota lineup since the discontinuation of the Toyota Corolla station wagon in 1997.

Two 1.8 L engines are offered in the Matrix: the economical 1ZZ-FE, borrowed from the Corolla, which produces 130 hp, and the performance-oriented 2ZZ-GE borrowed from the Toyota Celica GT-S, which produces 164 (previously 180 in 2003, 173 in 2004, and 170 in 2005) hp.