Base price: $15,155; 4wd, $17,600; XR, $16,665; XR 4wd, $18,930; XRS, $19,235
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear- or 4-wheel-drive; 5-door 5-passenger wagon
Interior volume, F/R (cu ft) 50/43
Cargo volume, seats up/maximum (cu ft) 19/54
Wheelbase 102.4 in
Length/width/height 171.9/69.9/62.2 in
Turning circle 36.7 ft
Curb weight 2700–3000 lb
EPA city/hwy mpg 25–29/30–36
Fuel-tank capacity/range 11.2–13.9/291–403 mi
Passive restraints driver and passenger front and side airbags
POWERTRAIN
1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-in-line, 123 or 130 hp; 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-in-line, 180 hp; 5- or 6-sp man, 4-sp auto
SUSPENSION
F ind, struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
R ind, multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
F/R vented disc/disc
ABS standard
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TOYOTA MATRIX
"Young buyers want a vehicle with a sporty image and high functionality,” says Toyota general manager Don Esmond. That’s the underlying philosophy for the Corolla-based Matrix with which Toyota hopes to attract some of that youth market.
The Calty design center’s theme for the Matrix was “street performance utility.” Translated, that means a tall wagon with style. The styling mostly succeeds. We think the combination of a downward-arching roofline and an upward-arching beltline produces an interesting greenhouse and understates the Matrix’s extra height, which allows an impressive 40.6 inches of headroom.
The Matrix also offers good convertibility with its split-folding rear seatbacks, providing ample space for cargo along with eight tie-downs to keep it in place. One can even fold the right-rear and front-passenger seatbacks forward to accommodate long items and still have tandem seating for two. The floor also boasts structural load rails for use with movable tie-down accessories.
Beneath the sheetmetal there are well-proven Corolla components, including the drivetrain and platform. Indeed, the Matrix is built alongside the Corolla at Toyota’s plant in Ontario, Canada (as is the mechanical twin of the Matrix, the Pontiac Vibe).
The Matrix differs most from the Corolla by offering an optional all-wheel-drive system, which uses a viscous coupling between the driveshaft and rear differential for automatic slip sensing and torque redistribution. It is not, says Toyota’s chief engineer Takeshi Yoshida, an off-road system. It is primarily intended for slippery road conditions.
The 130-hp base engine loses 7 hp when coupled to the four-wheel-drive system, which is not available with the 180-hp engine, which was evidently chosen to make the front-wheel-drive Matrix more sporty. However, it seems to us the four-wheel-drive model might have been better served with a bigger, more powerful and torquier powertrain.
The Matrix is available in three model variants: base, XR, and XRS. The first two use the same 1.8-liter engine and transmissions found in Corollas. The top-of-the-line Matrix XRS is fitted with the high-output (180 hp), high-revving (8200-rpm redline) engine from the Celica GT-S, with that car’s six-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions.
Like all Toyotas, the Matrix is a carefully designed, impeccably executed vehicle. With compact three-box sedans becoming a harder sell every year, the Matrix provides an adventurous new wrapper for the well-conceived Corolla platform.
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