CD Article: 2007 Toyota Matrix

[Wolfe]

Did you not consider buying a Pontiac Vibe?

No.  I didn't like the look of the vibe at the time and quickly realized the version of the Matrix I wanted was way past my price range. After looking at the Civic I realized I didn't want a 4 door car at all.

Ah, I see. 

[2hondas1BMW]

I was in a Matrix, filled with 5 people, including me. WOW, you could not feel the car accelerate... and the engine sounds boomy. Blah.

[gary b.]

We have  a 2006 Corolla and an 06 Matrix XR, both 5 sp. manual.When we are taking a trip we invariably take the Corolla as the fuel economy is waaaayyyy better, and the wind noise absent even with the Corolla's sunroof feature, oh and the driving position is more comfortable and we don't have to downshift on the hills... on the highway the Matrix is 'pushing a lot of air', at least that is how my wife explains it.  I find the Matrix underpowered and tire sensitive, although this latter point may hold true for most new cars with cheap OEM skins. The Matrix can really corner hard with Michelin Hydroedge but lacks the power to... well you know, to ungreen the thing in the corners on a nice warm day. Both CD players suck when the cars are at highway speed. The Matrix cruises at 110/kph and the Corolla at 130/kph+
The Corolla feels lightweight and the Matrix feels substantial. The Corolla shifts much more precisely and with a more direct feel. The Matrix hatch does not open high enough to prevent head injury, the pop open glass window is never used so that $$ could have been used elsewhere... both cars hold a lot with the back seats down but the Matrix folds perfectly flat - so I take her to the beach windsurfing. No reliability problems with either and about 45,000km on both... Our Matrix gets much worse fuel economy than does Corolla - 8litres/100km. travelled (sorry US people..) or about 500km per tank and the Corolla gets 650km.- 700km., depending who is driving and the season.

[tpl]

No side airbags, no abs, no 4 wheel disc brakes, no side curtain airbags, no traction control, solid rear axle ..... I will pass and wait for the next generation.  All these should be standard at this price.

We didn't even go to a Toyota dealership because of 1,2 and 4 of those points... and of course its a Toyota which means it does not have an engine made by either Honda or BMW 

I worked with a South African expat for years who called them t'yotas and grudgingly bought a new corolla every time the old one died of old age... he bought his 3rd one in 23 years in 2005. he just loved them... car as refrigerator.    ( he was a great guy... Phd in some obscure branch of topology... and a great programmer but he just was not a car guy... anyone reading this who ever met him will know who he is... he is retired now)

[AVToller]

Not surprising. Topologist I have known tend to live on a landscape all their own. 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

No side airbags, no abs, no 4 wheel disc brakes, no side curtain airbags, no traction control,

The very reasons I looked at the Matrix first!

As to the rear suspension (from Wiki):

Some front-wheel drive automobiles use a type of torsion bar suspension, usually called a Twist-beam rear suspension, in which the rear wheels are carried on trailing arms connected by a laterally mounted torsion beam. The torsion beam functions both as wheel-locating arm and as an anti-roll bar to resist lateral motion of the wheels as the body leans in turns. Its advantages are that it is inexpensive to manufacture and install, and engages a minimum amount of interior volume, leaving more space for the carriage of passengers, cargo, and other components. Because the torsion bar acts in the lateral plane, not vertically, the twist-beam axle cannot provide ride-height adjustment, and it suffers, to some extent, similar car handling limitations as other beam axle suspensions. However these limitations may not be apparent on the road, because of the trend towards firmer, more sporty suspension setups with more limited wheel travel. Twist-beam rear suspensions were pioneered on the Volkswagen Golf[citation needed] in the early 1970s, and remain common on compact cars and minivans.

Torsion beams are quite a bit different from beam axles.