Review by Chris Chase

In Toyota's seemingly eternal quest to bring down the median age of its customers, the Matrix was designed to appeal
to young buyers. It certainly looks cool, but Toyota did little to differentiate its on-road behaviour from that of the Corolla,
so while it's pleasant to drive, fairly roomy and good on gas, there's nothing that exciting about it.

Base Matrixes use the Corolla's 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, and either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic
transmission. The Matrix XRS got the high-revving, 180-hp version of this engine, which was first used in the late Celica,
along with a six-speed manual transmission as the only choice. An all-wheel drive Matrix was offered too, but it lost a few
horsepower compared to the base model, and was only offered with the auto tranny.

The basic components here, as you might expect, are solid, so you could rightly expect few troubles from a used Matrix.
However, members of Matrix-centric web forums talk of a handful of issues: intermittent hard starting and a rough idle;
automatic transmission cooler lines that cause a "whistle" or "hoot" sound under light acceleration; and clutch failures
seem to be common in XRS models.

Fuel consumption is good, though the Matrix can't boast quite the same super-low numbers as its Corolla cousin.
According to Natural Resources Canada, a base Matrix with automatic transmission (as the majority have been sold)
will use about 8.5 L/100 km in the city and about 6.5 L/100 km on the highway.
Base models with a manual transmission will use a little less, and XRS models will use a bit more, as will all-wheel
drive variants.

Where safety is concerned, the Matrix has performed well in frontal crash tests, earning five and four stars
(for driver and front passenger protection, respectively). In side impacts, though, the Matrix received three and four stars,
for front and rear seat occupation protection, respectively.

Used Matrix values range from a high of C$22,300 for a 2006 XRS, to a low of C$8,750 for what Canadian Red Book
calls a basic 2002 model, though the Matrix was ostensibly launched in 2002 as a 2003 model. When new, a base model
started somewhere between C$16,000 and C$17,000, but beware that this got you little more than the basics needed to call
the Matrix a car. Moving up to an XR model got you a few more extras, but the Matrix is not as strong a value as some of its
compact competitors.

A 2004 Matrix XR looks like a reasonable deal at about C$15,000, according to Canadian Red Book, but an '04 Mazda3
Sport is similarly practical, but a far more engaging ride for about the same cash. The Mazda also has a more natural driver's
seating position; the Matrix, like the Corolla, is built for drivers with short legs and long arms and won't be comfortable for
everyone.

If you really like the Matrix, I might suggest taking a look at a used Pontiac Vibe. With the only major differences between the
two being cosmetic, the Vibe represents a far better used value. It was more expensive new as it came with more standard
features, but resale values are weak: a 2006 Vibe is worth just under C$16,000, despite an MSRP of just under C$20,000.

The Matrix (and Vibe) is a safe bet, but definitely test drive before buying to see if this pill is the one you want to take every day.

Pricing

Red Book Pricing (avg. retail) March 2007:
Year  Model          Price today  Price new
2006 Matrix XR   C$18,925    C$21,465
2005 Matrix XR   C$17,000    C$21,885
2004 Matrix XR   C$14,875    C$21,025
2003 Matrix XR   C$12,950    C$20,925
2002 Matrix XR   C$9,900      C$20,925