2004 Toyota Matrix Compact Car Reviews & Ratings

Sitting in a Toyota Matrix is somewhat like sitting in an SUV, with upright seating and a commanding view of the road ahead.

The driver will find that the cockpit is unlike that of other Toyota cars. Four pods in front of the steering wheel house deeply set gauges. The gauges glow red at all times, even during the daytime, as insufficient ambient light reaches them. Chrome rims accentuate each pod and fake brushed aluminum trim is used to surround switches on the dashboard and door panels.

The combined radio and CD player sits directly to the right of the instrument pods, while the heating and ventilation controls are immediately below. If the radio buttons and the general un-Toyota appearance of the trim seems familiar that's because the interior is all but identical to the Pontiac Vibe, even down to the American Delco radio.

The shifter is also right there, just a few inches from the steering wheel. It's conveniently located more than a foot off the floor in a position that's become fashionable in high-performance rally cars as well as the Lexus RX, a luxury SUV.

There's 15 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. The rear seat is split 60/40 and pressing a button flips the seat down easily to provide a completely flat floor capable of holding 53 cubic feet of cargo. The cargo floor is finished in a hard ribbed plastic designed to offer easy cleanup. An XR 4WD model we drove came with a carpeted cargo mat ($56) that did a much better job of keeping cargo from sliding around, however. The cargo floor features four slots that contain movable hooks that can be used to tie down goods. There are several other tie-downs positioned along the sides. Storage compartments and cargo nets provide owners with maximum utility. All of this makes the interior as versatile as any station wagon and better than most SUVs. Even the front passenger seat can be folded down to provide another flat surface for storage, albeit at a higher level than the rest of the floor.

With its high roofline, the Matrix offers plenty of headroom for tall drivers and passengers. Shorter passengers sitting in the rear seats might find the view slightly claustrophobic due to the small side windows.

One cool feature is the available 115-volt power outlet located in the front dashboard alongside a regular 12-volt outlet. It's a low-power AC plug suitable for powering a laptop computer, but it isn't capable of running power tools. (Toyota is working on that, however.)

Despite its boxy looks there is no denying that the Toyota Matrix is a sporty car.

Shifting the manual transmission is easy. Although it might seem that the upright seating position and the high mounted gearshift would take some getting used to, it did not. Shifts are smooth and the standard engine revs nicely. Although the Matrix is quite light it's not as fast as expected as the base engine only delivers 130 horsepower. Judicious use of the gears allows one to have fun, however. There's plenty of pep when driving around town, even with the automatic transmission. The engine is buzzy, which will appeal to younger buyers but might become a little annoying to older people. Equipped with the five-speed manual, the Matrix gets an EPA-estimated 29/35 mpg City/Highway.

Steering is precise and even if the center of gravity is relatively high there is little body roll. In fact the Matrix feels just like any other small sporty car. That's not surprising as it uses many components straight from the sporty Toyota Celica.

In keeping with the car's sporty attributes, the brakes are effective.

We also drove the sporty XRS with the 180-horsepower engine. The power increase comes from variable valve timing and lift, which comes into play between 6000 rpm and the 8400-rpm redline. At lower revs the engine delivers no more performance than the stock 130-horsepower engine, so you need to keep it wound up in the upper part of the rev range to tap into its performance. The engine does not generate much additional power until you rev it to about 6500 rpm. The six-speed gearbox ratios are the same as those used in the Celica, but the Matrix uses taller tires effectively giving it taller gear ratios. So you need to wind it up before shifting into the next gear to enjoy good acceleration performance. We quickly grew tired of the high-revving 180-horsepower XRS, however. We found that the XRS was not nearly as pleasant as the XR. The 130-hp engine seems a better match for the Matrix than the high-strung 180-hp engine.

Four-wheel-drive models are not as sporty as the two-wheel-drive models. As noted, four-wheel drive is only available with an automatic transmission and the 123-hp engine. With more weight (185 pounds more) and slightly less power than the front-drive models plus the friction from the all-wheel-drive system, the 4WD models do not accelerate as quickly as 2WD models. It's still peppy, however, and the all-wheel provides superior traction on snow, ice, and slippery pavement. Matrix XR 4WD automatic gets 26/31 mpg.

Toyota Matrix is available in three trim lines: the standard Matrix, XR, and XRS. Two engines are available. Front-wheel-drive (2WD) and all-wheel-drive (4WD) versions are available.

Matrix and Matrix XR are powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 130 horsepower with two-wheel drive and 123 horsepower with four-wheel drive.

The base Matrix ($14,670) comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and plenty of features, including air conditioning and an AM/FM radio with CD player. (Destination fee of $485 is not included in these manufacturer's suggested retail prices.) A Power Package ($480) adds power windows, power door locks, and remote keyless entry.

Side-impact airbags ($250) and anti-lock brakes with elecronic brake-force distribution ($300) are optional, but we recommend them highly for their ability to save lives.

Matrix XR ($16,180) adds ABS with EBD, power door locks, power windows, and the remote key fob as well as a rear window wiper. A wider range of optional equipment is available for the XR as well. Extra Value Package 1 ($270) includes cruise control, fog lamps, and front and rear spoilers. To this, Extra Value Package 2 ($880) adds 16-inch alloy wheels and power moonroof.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard on Matrix and Matrix XR. An automatic transmission and four-wheel drive are options, but only for the base and XR models. (Automatic transmission adds $800, while 4WD adds another $1,465 to the retail price.)

Matrix XRS ($18,750) is a high-performance model powered by a 180-hp version of the 1.8-liter engine. XRS is available only with front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. It comes with 16-inch alloy wheels and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution. XRS gets four-wheel disc brakes, preferable to the rear drum brakes found on the other models.