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Al Willits
08-18-2007, 9:46 PM
That's Matrix as in Toyota Matrix, having just found out the wife's Altima is totaled from the tree falling on it last weekend, we are now in need of another car and unfortunately we don't have the time we did when we bought her last car.

After a half day playing on line, one of the top runners appears to be this Matrix, good gas economy, seems well made, we fit in it, and for a smaller econo box, it seems like a good buy for 18k, and that's about what we have to spend.

So just wondering if any of you have either owned one of these or knows someone who does and what ya think about it?

Only thing wood working related here is, the more we spend on a car, the less I have for wood working stuff.....ya I know, a bit of a reach...:D
tia.

Al

Art Mulder
08-18-2007, 10:14 PM
Al,

Never owned one, but I did rent one for a weekend, two years ago.

On the positive side were the points you've found - good price, good mileage, toyota quality...

On the negative side, I remember that the rear window seemed on the small side, giving a smaller view in the rearview mirror. Now, bear in mind that our regular vehicle is a Toyota Sienna Minivan. So I've wondered if that was just me being used to a big vehicle, or if it really was on the small side. Check it out for yourself.

And there was something else weird about the rearview mirror... I think that it was extra thick with the dome light mounted there. Something strange like that. Hope that's gone in the newer models.

As you can see, not much on the negative side here... ;)

Karl Laustrup
08-19-2007, 6:41 AM
Al, if your looking at the Matrix, you should also look at the Pontiac Vibe. They are the same car under the skin. Not sure on the price but, I'm sure it's in the Matrix range and could even be less.

I rented one two years ago to go from Vegas to SoCal, a trip of about 300 miles. To avoid being run over I had to drive at an average speed of 75 MPH and had the A/C going for the whole trip. I got 32 MPG, which I thought was pretty good under those conditions for a little 4 cylinder at that speed.

It was satisfactory as for comfort, but I wouldn't want to spend every day driving that far in it. I think it's more tuned to the urban scene.

Check out www.pontiac.com (http://www.pontiac.com) where you can pick out all the stuff you want and get a sticker price, which does help when you head to the dealer.

Karl

Jim Becker
08-19-2007, 9:27 AM
The Matrix is a nice vehicle. Karl is correct, the Pontiac vibe is essentially the same car, although I like the Toyota version better. I've only driven it once (as a rental) but it was just fine as a small car goes. Nice little wagon.

John Shuk
08-19-2007, 9:35 AM
I have 2 friends with the vibe and they both like them alot. They claim nearly 30mpg.

Tim Morton
08-19-2007, 10:07 AM
I have many friends who either have the vibe or the matrix, they generally love them. I was recently in the market for a comuter vehicle and had the matrix and the prius on my short list. In the end I found that i liked the honda civic better than both and bought it instead. I chose the civic over the matrix based on MPG and the civic over the prius based on $$$.

Pat Germain
08-19-2007, 4:59 PM
If you're considering the Pontiac version, try to get some info about your local dealer. When it comes to the former-big-three, dealerships can be pretty good to downright horrific. Even if the Vibe is a decent car, it will be no fun to own if the dealer is evil.

I bought a new Jeep and dealer refused to do warranty work, which makes no sense since it's fully reimbursed by the manufacturer. Whatcha gonna do, other than buy Japanese next time?

Al Willits
08-19-2007, 5:57 PM
Thanks guys, Beasty has now found the Rav4 and thinks that's the car she wants...grrrrrr
Its about 3k more and a bit more room, bit tight for the me to sit in, but we're gonna go look again.
But the Matrix is still an option.

Al....who thinks a root channel might be easier than car buying

Jim Becker
08-19-2007, 8:11 PM
The current Rav is an excellent vehicle, Al...certainly worth looking at.

Stephen Beckham
08-19-2007, 9:37 PM
Al - coming in this one a bit late, but we picked up a Vibe for running the roads. I kept getting head aches after I started driving it to Alabama and back. Thought it was because of the long drive and just kept taking asprin.

Took my wife's mini-van (let it go guys) once and had the asprin waiting - but no head ache... Still didn't click...

Then finally it hit me one day when I stopped to pick up a friend. His comments to me were along the lines of "thought you hated loud music in vehicles..."

It all fell in to place. I always complained to the wife about how loud the road noise was on the Vibe. With so much noise, I had the radio up so loud that it was causing the head aches and I never placed it because I'd turn the radio down when stopping for gas...

Okay not scientific - I know. But end of the story - we got rid of the Vibe for a F150 - still no head aches while driving long distances... Yes it did top 30 MPGs...

Pat Germain
08-19-2007, 10:03 PM
The RAV 4 is a great little go-devil. My son's girlfriend has one and it does her well in everything from long highway drives to Denver blizzards.

Although it's 3K more, the RAV 4 would likely hold it's value a little better than the matrix.

Barry Stratton
08-20-2007, 9:28 AM
That is too bad about the car Al, but tell us turner types more about the tree?? What species???? Size??? Get any good blanks out of it???:D :D

Al Willits
08-20-2007, 10:51 AM
That is too bad about the car Al, but tell us turner types more about the tree?? What species???? Size??? Get any good blanks out of it???:D :D


Black oak and we're gonna use it for firewood in the portable fire pit....hehe

Naw, its a silver maple and most of it has already be hauled off, least of what fell, there's still the other half (split down the middle) and that'll prob get hauled off, maybe save a bit for fire wood.
You want it, bring a trailer...:D

Wife just called to check on the water heater, its in and heating now...whew!
Then she says she's been wandering the net and we can get a Altima for about 22k, not quite as fancy as her old one, (no sun roof or spoiler) but she was excited about it....so off to the Altima dealer we go tonight.

I'm not gonna mention that I suggested that for 5 days straight, and got the "no, I don't want a reminder of my car, and we'll get something just to get by on" nope... I won't mention it....uh huh, sure I won't.:)
Thanks all for the help....:)

Al

Ken Fitzgerald
08-20-2007, 10:55 AM
Al....I wouldn't mention it!:D

Al Willits
08-20-2007, 2:06 PM
Al....I wouldn't mention it!:D

Naw, but thinking about it makes me smile...:)

Al...who hasn't had a beating in a while...:D

Barry Stratton
08-21-2007, 12:53 AM
Naw, its a silver maple and most of it has already be hauled off, least of what fell, there's still the other half (split down the middle) and that'll prob get hauled off, maybe save a bit for fire wood.
You want it, bring a trailer...:D



Thanks for the offer, but I'll leave it for Tyler. Rumor has it he owns a lathe:D

Hey, YOU should buy a lathe!!!! Just think of the momento's you could make for your wife out of the car crushing maple:eek:

Al Willits
08-21-2007, 8:01 AM
Thanks Barry, but I'm trying to forget the car crushing maple now...:)
Somehow I think Tyler is gonna pass on all this wood, besides haven't seen him lately, I think he's been hiding up at the palatial estate up north...:)

Little update, we are picking up a 2007 Altima today .. well unless the salesman po's us off a little more, I believe we just dealt with what might be the most incompetent moron I've ever seen, wasn't for the wife having fell in love with the car I would have walked out.

Al