Faults:

Driver's side channel run has had to be replaced twice.

CD player has been replaced twice.

Both were factory defects corrected with the later '03 models.

General Comments:

Fantastic overall vehicle.

Excellent maintenance, no problems aside from the channel run and CD player. Both of which were corrected in later model years.

Handling is nimble for a station wagon, sway is slightly noticeable, but diminished via sway bar set.

Fuel economy is excellent, city driving has averaged around 33mpg and highway driving has been around 35-37mpg.

Great for moving stuff and has a surprisingly large interior after laying down the seats.

Faults:

Lots of rattles, but nothing that can't be remedied.

General Comments:

The Matrix XRS is an absolutely fantastic vehicle. The 180 horsepower engine coupled with the 6 speed manual transmission make for a very fun ride. It handles well and is very nimble. Toyota has hit the mark with the Matrix in regards to versatility and performance. It has seating for 5, yet can still carry a vast amount of cargo when needed. It get great gas milage as well. I average 30 miles per gallon around town and 35 miles per gallon or more on the highway. Finally, the Matrix looks incredible! With the optional body kit, the Matrix possesses an aggressive look. And the Toyota made sure that it can back up its appearance.

Faults:

There is nothing wrong with my Matrix. I have close to 40,000 miles on it.

General Comments:

This have to be the best car ever made for under $18,000.00. The styling is the most unique and beautifully crafted. There is nothing like it on the road beside the Vibe (Matrix sister) by Pontiac.

I really enjoy riding my Matrix around town, to, and from work everyday. I get many people staring and pointing at my Matrix. I always get kids pointing at my Matrix…kids love my Matrix.

The performance of the Matrix is excellent. The interior is so awesomely nice and roomy. The ride is very comfortable and relativity quite. I love going on a long trip in my Matrix. The 6 CD changer/AM/FM stereo sound systems are great. The instrument panel is very nice and clear. I love the round chrome bezel on the instrument panel. I can get five full grown adult in my Matrix very comfortable in a long trip.

I have an automatic with over drive. Everything is powered inside my Matrix. I got the sport, upgraded alarm system and all weather packages for my Matrix. I get 35 mile per gallon highway and 32 mile per gallon city.

And, the best of all, it is a Toyota.

Faults:

I have been experiencing problems with the gas gauge. It fails to register accurate fuel levels when the gas tank is less than half full. First, I ran out of gas because I thought I still had between a quarter of a tank and half a tank of fuel remaining. After getting towed back to town, the dealership allegedly fixed the problem and returned the car to me. Four months later, I filled the tank when it read half-way and noticed that I put 11.4 gallons into the tank. The tank only holds 13.2 gallons. Thus, it was less than half full. I returned to an authorized dealer service and once again they allegedly fixed it. It is now 2 months later and I have filled it with 10.4 gallons while reading at half-full. I am about to return to the dealership, again.

General Comments:

The car is extremely comfortable to travel in. The seats support well and the passenger seat reclines easily with a lot of variety for adjustment. The driver's seat is at a perfect height for me and is very good for posture while driving and ease of entering and exiting the vehicle.

The CD changer is a definite plus, but the radio has a lot of adjustment buttons that are difficult to learn about. Also, the sound system is awkward to balance throughout the vehicle.

This vehicle handles long-distance travel extremely well. I especially like the way the cruise control functions.

The car handles storage very well, with spacious "trunk" area. I really like the fact that the seats fold flat for hauling things.

The child locks and user block on the window controls make this a great car for travel with children as well.

General Comments:

The Matrix is a fun car, with innovative ideas about utility.

This is a very sleek comfortable car, in the body of a hatchback.

The automatic has no problem bringing itself up to speed for on-ramps, but has a slight delay before kicking into the passing gears.

The ability to fold down all of the seats completely flat (except the driver's seat) gives the car a large amount of space.

A trip back from the hardware store, carrying 8' lumber is no problem.

The XR model comes standard with a 6-disc in-dash CD player, but no tape player. Considering their target audience for the car is comprised of children from the 1980's, they should have included a tape player option. Nostalgia aside, the sound system is excellent.

This is also a very safe vehicle. A side/front impact at 35 mph leaves the front cabin totally intact (the voice of experience). The passenger side door would not open, but the pasenger was totally unscathed.

I would recommend this car to anyone. Especially a 20-something person looking for a fun and useful car.