Practical and affordable, sporty and stylish.
(Find Used in Your Area)
By John Rettie
Overview
The Toyota Matrix is part car, part wagon, part minivan, part SUV. Toyota even calls it a CUV for compact utility vehicle. We're not sure whether the acronym will catch on, but the Matrix appears to have caught on. Matrix was introduced in 2002 as a 2003 model, and Toyota sold nearly 30,000 of the compact wagons in the first half of the 2003 calendar year. Matrix is based on the Toyota Corolla and is built in California at a plant jointly owned with General Motors.Matrix is targeted at younger buyers who want a vehicle with a sporty image and high functionality. Toyota claims the Matrix combines the style and performance of a sports car with the functionality of an SUV and the affordability of a compact sedan. It does, indeed, accomplish all of those objectives, if not to the degree that sports cars, SUVs, and compact sedans accomplish their respective missions. We found the Matrix offers peppy acceleration, particularly around town. It corners nicely yet offers a smooth, comfortable ride. Matrix is practical, with a big cargo area that can be expanded by folding down the rear seats. And it's certainly stylish. While the high-performance XRS model has drawn some attention with its high-revving 180-horsepower engine, we preferred the 130-horsepower models for their more relaxed, more pleasant demeanor.
Model Lineup
Toyota Matrix is available in three trim lines: the standard Matrix, XR, and XRS. Two engines are available. Front-wheel-drive (2WD) and all-wheel-drive (4WD) versions are available.Matrix and Matrix XR are powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 130 horsepower with two-wheel drive and 123 horsepower with four-wheel drive. The base Matrix ($14,670) comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and plenty of features, including air conditioning and an AM/FM radio with CD player. (Destination fee of $485 is not included in these manufacturer's suggested retail prices.) A Power Package ($480) adds power windows, power door locks, and remote keyless entry. Side-impact airbags ($250) and anti-lock brakes with elecronic brake-force distribution ($300) are optional, but we recommend them highly for their ability to save lives. Matrix XR ($16,180) adds ABS with EBD, power door locks, power windows, and the remote key fob as well as a rear window wiper. A wider range of optional equipment is available for the XR as well. Extra Value Package 1 ($270) includes cruise control, fog lamps, and front and rear spoilers. To this, Extra Value Package 2 ($880) adds 16-inch alloy wheels and power moonroof. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on Matrix and Matrix XR. An automatic transmission and four-wheel drive are options, but only for the base and XR models. (Automatic transmission adds $800, while 4WD adds another $1,465 to the retail price.) Matrix XRS ($18,750) is a high-performance model powered by a 180-hp version of the 1.8-liter engine. XRS is available only with front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. It comes with 16-inch alloy wheels and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution. XRS gets four-wheel disc brakes, preferable to the rear drum brakes found on the other models.
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| 2004 Toyota Matrix consumer reviews: | | | | overall rating |  | | value | | | comfort |  | | reliability | |
| | I've had two Matrix hatches and loved them both. The '04 has now 70,000 miles with only regular maintenance. It's been extremely reliable with no mechanical or other problems, not even brakes. Service with the local Maine dealer in Rockland is excellent. Someone mentioned low profile tires. No problem with mine. I rated comfort as moderate -- it's not like my kids' Camrys, but I drive hundreds of miles between Maine and Massachusetts with no problem and I'm no spring chicken. Compared with more expensive and comparable size and weight cars, mpg is very good at 30. An excellent value. | | posted by mariah in maine on Jun 20 2009 | | |
| overall rating | | | value | | | comfort | | | reliability | |
| | I hate the low profile tires!! | | posted by Glen on May 18 2009 | | |
| overall rating | | | value | | | comfort | | | reliability | |
| | Bought the 04 Matrix new and some 50K miles later have not had ANY problems with the car. it's gone cross-country (I live in California) several times in heat and cold and its never let me down. I'm a big guy, well over six feet and there's plenty of room for my legs--which believe me driving cross-country is a huge thing.
I'm having the brakes done in a few days, that's first serious repair in five years and get new tires (though there's still life in the old ones)--no complaints from me.
You do the routine maintenance (oil changes, rotate the tires, and try not to drive into any barriers or trees or other vehicles and the car will last. It's a Toyota for crying out loud: you get in it and drive and it takes you where you want to go. | | posted by Jake James on Jun 22 2008 | | |
| overall rating | | | value | | | comfort | | | reliability | |
| | I bought my 04 Matrix new and I am about to put another $10,000 into it to replace a blown engine which will total roughly $16,000 in repairs over the last 4 years, including a new transmission. As far as I am concerned Toyota's legendary reliability is a load of ........ I am nearly 50 and well past the age where I am racing around abusing my vehicles yet at 130,000km I have to replace and engine. I would love to just load it up with a bunch of gas cans and push it off a cliff. Not only have I had repeated problems with the vehicle I have to say the dealership has been totally terrible to deal with. So far I have had to return to the shop on 4 seperate occassions to get repairs that I had paid for done properly. This is definitely the last Toyota that I will ever own. | | posted by Marc Roy on Feb 26 2008 | | |
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