Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with this car.

General Comments:

I love this car. Owned a 1991 Toyota Camry, (great car) then a Saturn LS (problematic) my Matrix has been my favorite car of all.

I have the AWD/ABS brakes model, that and the lower profile than typical SUV's got me around without fear this winter. It felt very safe on the road.

Seats are comfortable and sit up higher than prior Saturn. (had to slouch into the front seat of the Saturn.

It's very versatile, and I really appreciate being able to fold down the back seats and passenger seat for extra cargo space and hauling.

Interior gauges are easy to find and read.

Downside: mediocre radio/stereo system, gas mileage is good, but less than expected: 29 mpg in town. The best mileage I received was 32 mpg highway - once.

Faults:

Only one problem after a year - the drivers-side window molding somehow got compressed the wrong way by the window, which created a slight air leak. Warranty issue, replaced by dealership.

General Comments:

This is a great economy car for tall folks. At 6' 5" there's still a couple of inches headroom. Plenty of legroom, also. My back doesn't start feeling uncomfortable after a few hours like it does in some other small cars. The fuel economy is decent, not great. Well designed and built.

Faults:

Small rattle in the dash. The dealer attempted to repair it, but the rattle still occurs on rough roads.

General Comments:

Most magazine reviews mentioned that the XR Matrix is a little slower than other cars in its class. I have found the power to be more than adequate. On a recent trip of over 1500 miles it cruised easily at 80+ mph on California freeways and passed trucks with ease on 2 lane roads in oregon and Washington.

Rough roads do toss us around, and if the road surface is chewed up from studded snow tires and chains it is pretty noisy in the car. It is not a luxury car! On good roads it rides well and seems quieter than other small cars I drove. (But not as quiet as the camry or accord, but it looks sportier and gets better gas mileage)

Gas mileage has ranged from 29.4 mpg to 36.1 mpg in a typical mix of 30% city and 70% highway driving. Averaged 33.2 mpg on the 1500 mile trip, and about 400 miles of that was at 80+ mph. I am told that the gas mileage should go up after about 5000 miles.

I am 6'4" tall and the matrix was one of the few high gas mileage cars that I could sit comfortably behind the wheel, leave the drivers seat set at that point and get in the backseat and sit comfortably. Amazing room for a small car!

My wife loves the hatchback design and all the cargo room with the seats folded down.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

The car handles very well around corners and has better power than the 2004 model. They have fixed problems such as compartment doors not closing. It gets wonderful gas mileage and is a fun car to drive.

The seats hug you and the modern dashboard is easy on the eyes. The new tail lights are very European.

The finish is flawless and with the dealer tinting it's beautiful and slick looking.