2003 Toyota Matrix Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Had it since new, it's gotten me and my associated mass of stuff, military and personal, across Canada, and to 3 different homes. Plus the usual vacation spots with all the camping gear and room left over for friends. For it's rated 135HP, probably only puts that down now that I have a cold air intake and exhaust done, it's got some get up and go, but nothing truly exceptional. Still, the 5MT beats the slushbox anyday.

This Toyota is great for the price, lots of room, and fantastic gas mileage! It's comfortable on long trips too. It's great for someone who wants the extra room but doesn't necessarily need 4WD. Although for being a 2WD (FWD) vehicle, the Toyota Matrix XR has great power, even on off roads.

I just want you to know this car saved mine and my daughter's life. a Mercedes pulled a U-Turn on a frontage road. There were cars behind and in front of me. A major five car collition. I was pushed into the car infront of me. My car was totaled in front and from behind. We walked from the accident without a scratch. It saved our lives!!!

It is roomy enough for camping gear , music equipment or a massage table. The gas mileage is excellent. It is a well built and comfortable car. It handles easily. I just pay for routine maintenance- only problem I've had is with the CD player giving out. I really like this car.

I bought the car recently and don’t have enough experience with it to make any comments yet. Reviews are good, it seems to be a reliable car, we’ll see… One thing that you notice immediately when you drive this car is how high you sit above the ground. The roof is may be 10”-12” higher than majority of cars, seats are high too, it feels like you’re driving a very compact van. I don’t mind this feeling at all, I wasn’t looking for a sports car when I bought that thing. So far I’m happy with my choice.

acceleration is good braking is awesome and handles like a dream looks awesome and gets farily decent mileage per gallon for being all wheel drive gets about 25 mpg for the city and about 28-30 on the highway. bye

Altho the XRS is equipped with the same engine as a Lotus Exige, the weight of the Matrix cuts down the performances. If Toyota really wanted to make a sport version of this car, they should have kept the 4 wheels drive avaiable with the 180 hp engine / 6 speeds transmission. And still, the Rav-4 sport is now equipped with a 269 hp V6 engine. Add that in a Matrix and we would be talking about performances. Impreza and the likes would be put to shame. Still, this car is among the best value/quality car one can buy.

I own the XRS 6 - speed manual, definitely a lot of fun. It accelerates well and takes turns pretty good. It needs a new clutch at the moment, but overall, it has been great. It's OK on the mpg - only around 27 depending on how you drive. Can move a lot of stuff - I managed to get a love seat in the back! Would recommend again.

I like cars that are functional first and no bigger than is necissary. The Matrix is exactly that, parking well and getting good MPG while remaining roomy inside both for kids and cargo. My only complaint is that the cool looking ground effects both dramatically limit ground clearence (I supose that is obvious, but it is more of a problem than I thought) and sometimes whistle at highway speeds. With hind-sight I would have gotten the Vibe which also has an integrated roof-rack.

Great gas mileage! Awesome acceleration with the best brakes (of course). The car really gives you the speed you need with the security of a family car. I love the handling on this car and the look of it is not so bad.