Toyota Matrix Owners Input Please??

[SlightlyGoofy]

I greatly enjoy Dave Ramsey and even that irritating lady who gives money advice late at night, cannot think of her name right now. I have been a thrifty person my entire life and we do not owe one penny of debt for anything and I will write a check for our next car, no matter what kind it is.

The reason I am trading the car in even though it runs well is that I would rather invest the thousands that it will cost in repairs one day in a new vehicle than deal with fixing and having to keep a vehicle that I no longer have confidence in. I am good at a great many things but am not mechanical when it comes to autos. I can change oil if need be but am not strong enough to change my own tires anymore. It has also has close to 90,000 miles and will require a timing belt and some other things in the next year or so. Just a choice BUT if I was going to have to pay a payment I would hold onto it. I put so much away each month toward the next new vehicle.

I am growing to love this car more and more as I read each review. I cannot believe that there is not at least one bad review but then it is basically a fancy looking Corolla and they have been around for years and have a great reputation.

My husband is now 72 and this car will last 6-7 years so I am guessing that a wheelchair is probably in the future and especially since he has just been diagnosed with some severe problems (he smoked for 54 years). I figure if I plan ahead the bad things will NOT come.

You can haul lumber in this baby? That is the car for me. Bet it will not handle a 4x8 sheet of plywood though, darn it. That would make it the perfect car for this hardware loving mama. Power tools are my thing!!

I could get rid of our 1990 Mazda pickup truck with just over 100,000 miles on it when it finally dies if the Matrix could do sheets of plywood. Oops, forgot about the loads of mulch I shovel each year. Nothing is perfect but this sounds almost so.

Thanks to you all. I plan to buy closer to spring as I hate the idea of driving a brand new car into a snowbank.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[Gillian]

A friend's parents have a minivan and his mom recently was telling me how much she loves it, especially now that her husband has mobility issues and sometimes uses a wheelchair.

When we were buying our new Sienna I checked out the Matrix & it is very cool. If it's in the budget, you might want to check out the sienna as well. It's a wonderful van, easy to get in, flexible seating that folds away if needed, and plenty of room for lumber.

ETA: I think it's a good idea to research your next car before you NEED it!

 

[Clang]

I have really enjoyed this car. When I got it, it was still "NEW" and different....now there are a ton of them on the road. I haven't had any problems with (knock on wood), and would consider another, but alas, my DH fell in love with the 2007 Camry and bought one last fall. Now, I need to get a "family" vehicle - will probably look at the Sienna.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Because of budget concerns and the fact that the mpg is much lower on the Sienna I cannot consider that but if I were younger and had more kids to haul around it would be at the top of my list!!

Having had 3 Toyotas in 20 years with only one repair it would be dumb of me to switch horses this late in the game.

I always use Consumer Reports (NOT Digest) to research any potential purchases. They have never steered me wrong yet.

One of the reasons I am looking at something other than a Camry, in spite of being very pleased with the 3 I have owned, is that I was not pleased with the 2007 version.

Guess this is why they make many models, something for everyone.

I have hallway carpeting to put in and a new roof for the garage and then I will be ready for the car early in the spring BEFORE our next DW vacation. I always plan ahead. Wish our government did. Lower taxes.

Slightly Goofy

 

[arminnie]

I drive a 2006 Pontiac Vibe - which in essence is the same as the Matrix. It is now 1 yr old and I LOVE IT!

Me too. I liked the looks and the color (bright red) that I could get with the Vibe. With the back seat folded down you can really carry a lot of stuff. I used it moving stuff to New Orleans.

It took a lot of courage for me to buy a GM product after being a Honda owner for decades (2). It was the being made by Toyota part that finally convinced me.

 

[KristinU]

You all have almost talked me into a Matrix!

Does anyone have this car and a Decathlon car seat? I really like the folding back seat and all the cargo room in the back. I'd have a huge easier time with her stroller too.

Thanks!

We have a Marathon in the center position of mine. Since its in the center we can't fold the seats down, but can do a partial fold when the seat is installed outboard. It's a pretty roomy back seat and I can sit in the back next to the carseat, but I think it would be a squeeze for an average adult since I'm pretty petite. I'm thinking the footprint for the Decathalon and Marathon are pretty similar.

HTH!

 

[DawnM]

Ah, well, no arguement here than. I just have had so many friends lately get a new car before they needed one and have gone into more debt than they needed to.

Dawn

I greatly enjoy Dave Ramsey and even that irritating lady who gives money advice late at night, cannot think of her name right now. I have been a thrifty person my entire life and we do not owe one penny of debt for anything and I will write a check for our next car, no matter what kind it is.

The reason I am trading the car in even though it runs well is that I would rather invest the thousands that it will cost in repairs one day in a new vehicle than deal with fixing and having to keep a vehicle that I no longer have confidence in. I am good at a great many things but am not mechanical when it comes to autos. I can change oil if need be but am not strong enough to change my own tires anymore. It has also has close to 90,000 miles and will require a timing belt and some other things in the next year or so. Just a choice BUT if I was going to have to pay a payment I would hold onto it. I put so much away each month toward the next new vehicle.

I am growing to love this car more and more as I read each review. I cannot believe that there is not at least one bad review but then it is basically a fancy looking Corolla and they have been around for years and have a great reputation.

My husband is now 72 and this car will last 6-7 years so I am guessing that a wheelchair is probably in the future and especially since he has just been diagnosed with some severe problems (he smoked for 54 years). I figure if I plan ahead the bad things will NOT come.

You can haul lumber in this baby? That is the car for me. Bet it will not handle a 4x8 sheet of plywood though, darn it. That would make it the perfect car for this hardware loving mama. Power tools are my thing!!

I could get rid of our 1990 Mazda pickup truck with just over 100,000 miles on it when it finally dies if the Matrix could do sheets of plywood. Oops, forgot about the loads of mulch I shovel each year. Nothing is perfect but this sounds almost so.

Thanks to you all. I plan to buy closer to spring as I hate the idea of driving a brand new car into a snowbank.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[welovedisney7778]

We also have a Marathon in the center of the backseat in our Vibe. We LOVE this car. We use it for everything. I can easily sit next to the carseat and I am 5'7". The trunk is awesome for the stroller, and I LOVe the electric outlet. The fact that the front passenger seat folds totally flat is great for diaper changes too.

 

[Medusa]

New poster here, though as a Fort Wilderness tent camper I check out the boards frequently. I just got a new Matrix after doing lots of research and test driving many small wagons/CUVs. I have no experience with transporting a wheelchair, but this 62 year old woman was able to easily lift a 25 lb. fold-up bike into the cargo area.

For cargo space, fuel economy, and brand reliability I think it would be hard to find a better compact vehicle for the buck... has that "cuteness" factor, too! Just got back from a 600 mile trip this week and found it comfortable and fun to drive, plus it held my bike and loads of camping equpment with room to spare - a definite keeper!

 

[Lisa_M]

we bought our 2003 Pontiac Vibe in September and it has been great! Like some others have mentioned it's the same engine as the matrix w/ a slightly different body kit. Anyway, we just came back from a major driving trip (1200 miles) and we had so much stuff packed in there it was great. Another plus to this car is it's easy to get into if you've got some leg problems. My grandmother has a very difficult time getting into cars and she was able to get into our car with no problems. The only problem I had is that on steep hills you can't leave the cruise control on. There is not enough engine power and it will over rev the engine. The lack of engine power is the ONLY drawback to this car, but if your daily routine does not include driving in the mountains it shouldn't be a concern.

If you purchase I would suggest buying a pre-owned model. I paid 12k for mine and a friend bought her 2004 vibe new for around 21k and still owes way more than me and probably more than her car is worth.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Dawn M., I really appreciated your advice. It was lovely for you to take the time to give it too. Might I ask how your car does in the mountains of Charlotte? I was there for a trivia convention a couple of years back and raced a storm down the mountains so I know how they are. BTW, I won the tournament, all of the games. The power to get up and down mountains is the only big negative I have read so far. I go to Florida often, obviously, but can avoid the taller mountains (Mt. Eagle) if necessary. Not too many mountains in Indiana.

Lisa M, I never gamble cause I have no luck at all. The only thing I have ever won is a case of liquor and I don't drink. If I were to buy a used car it would not turn out well. Besides most of the kind of people who would buy this car are the kind who would drive them until they were near dead I fear so I would suspect any fairly new ones for sale (I could be wrong though). I am seeing that it is possible to buy a new one with lots on it for under $18=19K. With my trade in it would only be about $13 diff and I have it in the bank and ready to go. I buy most other things used but they do not have moving parts.

Happy New Year everyone!!! Slightly Goofy/Linda

Check out Googles videos for the fireworks from the Poly. It was taken by one of my DISer friends who is there right now.