Matrix/Vibe/Aerio

[markque]

Took out an automatic base model Matrix yesterday. Didn't expect to like it but it was quite peppy and handled well. In fact, the tranny was more eager to shift and held the gear to redline. The suspension eats the bumps way better than the sport tuned suspension in the P5. Nice.
These cars are hard to find on lots and since my buddy & I drove one, the salesman just assumed he had a sale. What a joke. Talk about pressure. Even sent a more experienced sales person over to ask why we weren't buying one. Ha!
Anyway, not a bad car but too quirky in the styling department for me. I really want to drive the XRS though. Not that I plan to trade - just because. Sucks that Toyota doesn't offer a sunroof option - Pontiac does.
The Matrix is rated at 47mpg for the 5 speed and 43 for the auto. Compare that to 39mpg for the 5 speed P5 and 38 for the auto. Not bad considering the decent performance from the 1.8L base engine.
Anyone else test drive one of these yet?

Mark  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[7plymaple]

Ya my buddy let me drive his Matrix but I couldnt push it. I didnt mind the handling it reminded me of a sidekick but with less body roll. You really feel high though like your in a sidekick.

I also tested the areo. If you ever do, take a look at the person sitting next to you and youll realize how close you are. Those things seem very narrow on the inside. But decent space otherwise. The tranny was nice. It was nothing fancy or super sweet but I could definitly drive that thing all day long. The major down side of that car was the body roll. Way too much for a car that size. It was pretty pepy though I have always liked suzuki engines and still do.

[Fhemto]

I think I read somewhere that Toyota and Pontiac did a joint venture on the Matrix and Vibe. Supposedly, both cars are the same mechanical wise, and only their looks and available options are different. Not too sure though, feel free to correct me. Anyone else know more about this? http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[markque]

Yes, joint venture or sister cars. Just like the Chevy Nova - Toyota Corolla of the mid-80's. (not the same Nova from the '70's)
Pontiac is banking on the Toyota engine and reputation. However, it still looks like a Pontiac with all the extraneous plastic and SUV looks. I don't mind the front end - looks more like the P5 than the Matrix. Side by side with the (ultra-ugly) Aztec, the two look surprisingly similar from front and side.
The Vibe & Matrix are equipped differently and surprisingly enough, the Toyota caters more to the budget minded. There are different versions of the vehicle - base, XR, AWD, and XRS with the Celica GTS 180 hp 1.8L and 6 speed tranny (or 4 sp auto in Toyota - no auto for Vibe GT). Mind you, you have to push the revs to motorcycle-like rpms to get that power. Light to light, the two engines perform similarly. The only advantage the extra 50 ponies provides is passing power or if you are at a drag strip, real or not.
Just about crapped when I found out an AWD Vibe had a sticker price of $29,000+. This car only has 123hp and 114ft lbs of torque! (they slightly detuned the AWD version for some inane reason) Outrageous!

Mark  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Orange]

Matrix & Vibe are jointly developed by Toyota & Pontiac. You will see lots of Pontiac influence in the interior, particularly the circular meters with chrome trim. My friend who just bought a Matrix told me that the Vibe's are more expensive at every trim level because it has more 'standard' gadgets. This sounds consistent with the fact that Chevy cars are sold as Toyota's in Japan, and Pontiac's are usually one level up from Chevy.

From what I heard, the Vibes should be better made because it is built in the Toyota/GM joint venture factory in CA, which is rated one of the top 3 auto factories in N. America. I think the Matrix are made in Ontario but I'm not sure.

I have only driven the base Matrix with automatic tranny. I was quite disappointed because the engine has been tuned 'down' from the same one in Celica, probably to conserve gas. The base Celica is quite bland as is, and with the heavier body, the Matrix really lacks the kick. Having said this, I have heard some good comments on the top model Matrix with the 180hp engine and AWD.

In terms of styling, I'm not a big fan of Matrix. I like cars with lots of windows, and the recent batch of Toyota's all have windows 'curving up' towards the tail end, resulting in lots of body. The car is also very high. I much prefer the styling of Vibe among the two.

As far as competition of P5, the Focus 5 is much closer than Matrix / Vibe / Aerio. It handles quite well, much better than Matrix & Corolla S, and the styling is closer to P5. Anyone with P5 care to comment?

I think the Matrix looks too bloated and fat, and the Vibe...well, that's just Pontiac aka Playskool(make me yak)

[7plymaple]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">(they slightly detuned the AWD version for some inane reason) Outrageous!
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

My friend who has the Matrix I drove said the AWD system made them rerout the exhaust in a way that cost them the HP. http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[markque]

The Matrix is made in our very own Cambridge plant along with the Corolla and RX300 SUV. According to the dude yesterday, Toyota did not anticipate the response and are way behind in production. Each person who buys one is &quot;assigned&quot; to one and is told when it will roll off the assembly line. Quite the sales tactic, eh?. Not sure how others feel but I wouldn't be ordering a car by catalogue - this isn't Sears mail order...
Don't know about the reputation of the Pontiac plant in the US but the Cambridge plant is top-notch, nothing less. They just spent $200 million to reduce the time for each Matrix produced from 59 to 49 seconds according to Mr. Salesguy.
I also agree there is not enough window in the Matrix. I need lots of glass to avoid feeling claustrophobic in cars. Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that.
The Focus ZX5 is nice looking on the outside but Ford ruined the interior in my opinion with all the angular swoops and odd shaped components. Looks like an '80's design. And Ford has always made flat, boring seats. Last year there was a comparison in the Star on the Focus wagon and the P5. The P5 was rated as sportier (of course), tighter handling, nicer inside due to superior quality components. The Ford was rated like a Ford - softly sprung, better on straight roads, and yet the Zetec engine was rated as more willing to rev and the 5 speed shifted easier. That one threw me. But that could have been subjective. The Ford was also costlier for the same equipment.
When I drove the Matrix, I realized the seats quite a bit higher, as is the vehicle height. I believe it's ~ 3&quot; taller than the P5. Lots of headroom for all your NBA friends or the 10 gallon hats. Even Marg Simpson would appreciate the headroom!
I read a test recently on the 123hp AWD, which comes only in auto. It was labelled as barely adequate for climbing mountainous hills. At one point, it wouldn't shift out of second gear and would not accelerate beyond 103 km/hr. Unacceptable for a $29,000 vehicle. Tsk, tsk, tsk...
The Aerio was rated as a good vehicle for the price and intended purpose. Suzuki is at the lower end of the Japanese food chain, like Mitsubishi. Both are definitely below Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Subaru in almost all respects. A former friend had an '87 Forsa Turbo and '89 Swift GTi. Both were very fast for small cars, taking Civics and Del Sols at lights. I used to like his little cars but personally, I don't believe Suzuki has the build quality. Like the Matrix, I find the Aerio's styling awkward.
I'm enjoying the opinions on this so far. Let's face it, Mazda's not the only company with a 5 door sporty car.

Mark http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[rowan]

Don't get mislead, Orange.
The &quot;AWD&quot; version of the vibe/matrix only comes with the shittiest, lowest-powered engine of the bunch.
And it's not real AWD either .. more like rear-wheel-assist if the front ones slip :|

[midnightblue97lx]

I know this is off topic kinda, but speaking of ugly and pontiac, have any of you seen the new Sunflowers?? I think they're so goddam ugly, I'd rather buy an Asstec.

[Protege5 Kid]

I sat in one of those aerio at the last Toronto Auto
show. And boy was it a POS. the intereor was the
wost, the Yellow comes fadded right out of the dealership


I'm not down with Aerio not down at all!

[YP5 Toronto]

Don't hate me, but I had a chance to sit in the VIBE GT (the top model). I have to say I was impressed. The dealership said that there is a 6 month waiting list.

Apperently, 60% of them being made are made with Toyota badging and sent to Japan.

The interior was nice and the engine stats are impressive.

[markque]

I HATE YOU! Ok, I'm over it...
Glad you like the Vibe GT. Haven't seen one of those close up, but sat in the base model. Not impressed with the cluster of gauges. My buddy liked the seat material in the Matrix but I much prefer the fabric on the P5 seats. The Vibe looks bulkier than the Matrix, especially the lower models where the plastic moulding is not body coloured. Looks too SUV-like.
There is a long wait for both Pontiac and Toyota. Mail order catalogue doesn't work for everyone though. Best to wait and they'll be everywhere like the P5. Many of us early P5 owners had to wait for ours.

One day I'll test the 180 hp 1.8L...can't go wrong with Toyota quality.

Mark http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[jali-p5]

one of my friends has the toyota matrix xr and apparently there's a few things she's encountering that are beginning to tick her off.........for instance the guage cluster seems to be falling apart.....something about all the trimming falling off like the glue is not sticking and her dials are flickering........hahahaha......i just laugh at her and park my lower sitting, more impressive P5 beside hers and laugh some more........hehehehe

[MP5Navy]

Don't tell me you're just friends cause there is no such thing as a Girl (space) Friend....

I hate all the above mentioned cars.

I hate Aerio commercials so I just can't think of even owning one.

Matrix/Vibe are same thing but I have separate beef with those cars.

The Vibe looks like a lowered Aztec - nuff said.

The Matrix is huge on the road. It's damn high. The only thing I'd do in a Matrix is have sex in the hatch/backseat cause it folds down nice and flat, furthermore, since it's all plastic coated it won't stain like a blue Gap dress.

I have never driven them but neither have a lot of younger people. Seems like all the Vibes, Matrix' and Aerios are driven by older people who should have better taste that to develop a demand and market for these horriffic designs.

[Orange]

Oops ... I thought AWD is optional on all Matrix trim levels ... I guess not ...

In any case, I quite like the plastic moulding on the side of Vibe. Makes it look sportier than Matrix. Also breaks up the HUGE amount of metal in the body so the windows look a bit larger than Matrix.

Gauge cluster is very obvious GM product, so I'm not surprised it's falling apart. I have seen enough of those in rental Grand Ams.

I would caution anyone who still has the fantasy / illusion of Toyota quality. That may be true with Japanese manufactured vehicles in general (e.g. top-of-the-line Camry and my MP3). My friend got a Highlander last year &amp; it's a HUGE lemon. The brakes intermittently fail starting the first day he got the car, and his dealer refused to fix because they cannot duplicate the problem. He almost crashed his car on a road trip once. (He eventually got the dealer to fix it.)

Also, I got my 1st gen Protege at the same time when my uncle picks up a Camry. I'm glad to report that every component on my car, even small things like the headlight bulbs, outlasted his! http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

PS: As for quality of the GM/Toyota factory in CA that makes the Vibe, it is such a good factory that it is a case study of operational efficiency in business school.

[mazdaspeed]

I acutally test drove the Martix XR), I don't think the handeling is better then a Protege or P-5... The car really has a crapy rear susp setting... its dependent (something like an mazda MPV). I almost lost control of the rear end in a hard trun. But the car does feel abit solid(cus of the weight)...
&quot;i guess its kinda off topic&quot;...But I think the Subaru Impreza wagon handels really well, and probly the best out of the group.. But it has awd and Boxter type engine...

[mronions]

I've got to agree with Mazdaspeed,... I drove all the different varieties of the Matrix/Vibe prior to settling on my P5. I chose the P5 even though I had a $1500 incentive in GM points to buy a GM product as I've done in the past. The handling was terrible in my opinion,.... while driving the Vibe GT,...I took it around quite a few curves and ran it pretty hard over some twisty train tracks over near Laird &amp; Eglington,..... it wiggled all over the place and really lacked control,..... everything felt loose and clunky. A half hour later I headed over to Gyro and took the P5 over the same road,..... what a difference! I also felt that the P5 had more zip to it that the Vibe GT,..... even with the HP difference.
I hated the Vibe/Matrix instrument cluster,..... it looks cheezy.
The back cargo area IS nice though with the seats laying down flat,... great design work there.

[Gen1GT]

Margaret..Props to the Gen 1..

legal disclaimer: anything said, or implied in the preceding message, was not meant to harm, offend, reject or insult anyone on the TOprotege.com message board. I apologize in advance for any such implications...

[pawood]

When I was looking for a car to replace the Colt DL100, I looked at everything in the market, and was shocked!. I found that the Matrix drove like a 1972 Renault 16, and the sales&quot;person&quot; told me I could hose out the inside to clean it!! http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif

The Suzuki was poorly built, and looked like a pregnant pygmy hippo... the P5 was what I first fell in love with, and finally nabbed me. As for the Vibe... step away from the car... hands elevated towards the sky... no sudden moves... or I shoot!

[markque]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (pawood @ Sep. 19 2002,11:27)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">When I was looking for a car to replace the Colt DL100, I looked at everything in the market, and was shocked!. I found that the Matrix drove like a 1972 Renault 16, and the sales&quot;person&quot; told me I could hose out the inside to clean it!! http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif

The Suzuki was poorly built, and looked like a pregnant pygmy hippo... the P5 was what I first fell in love with, and finally nabbed me. As for the Vibe... step away from the car... hands elevated towards the sky... no sudden moves... or I shoot![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>


Love it -  Ha!

[prosilver]

Hi folks, I happen to work at the Toyota plant in Cambridge (don't live there..thank God!!http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Anyway, Mark your right they have spent alot of money to produce cars faster but don't put too much faith in what the dealers tell you, they don't know shit!! we are soo far behind its stupid. order a Matrix today and get it in about 7 months!! There hiring 700 people to up production and for the Lexus that starts in about May.

[prosilver]

Hi folks, I happen to work at the Toyota plant in Cambridge (don't live there..thank God!!http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Anyway, Mark your right they have spent alot of money to produce cars faster but don't put too much faith in what the dealers tell you, they don't know shit!! we are soo far behind its stupid. order a Matrix today and get it in about 7 months!! There hiring 700 people to up production and for the Lexus that starts in about May.

[markque]

Prosilver, I take it by your screen name you drive a silver Protege, and yet you work for Toyota. Interesting... What model Pro? Any plans to trade for a Matrix XRS?

Mark http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif