2009 Toyota Matrix Review

PROS  Good interior room for the class, Fuel-efficient engine

CONS  Cut-rate interior materials, Firm ride on XRS

First introduced in 2003, Matrix returns for 2009 with new styling, more power, and additional features. It remains a compact, four-door wagon that seats five on two front buckets and a three-place split-folding rear bench seat. Matrix shares engines and chassis with the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota's own Corolla. It competes with vehicles like the Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Dodge Caliber, and Scion xB.

Three Matrix models are offered, all have a four-cylinder engine. The Base comes with a 132-horsepower 1.8-liter. S and XRS get a 158-horsepower 2.4-liter. All come with front-wheel drive except for the S, which is also available with all-wheel-drive. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on all except the AWD S. Standard on that model and optional on the Base is a four-speed automatic. Optional on the front-drive S and XRS is a five-speed automatic.

Antilock brakes with brake assist, tire-pressure monitor and dual-front, front-side airbags, and curtain-side airbags, are standard on all models. Stability control is standard on XRS and optional on other models.

The Base starts at $16,190 and comes with air conditioning, tilt-telescope steering wheel, height-adjustable driver seat, center console, power mirrors, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with digital-media player connection, cargo cover, rear defogger, theft-deterrent system, and 205/55R16 tires

The $18,260 S adds fold-flat passenger seat, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, variable-intermittent wipers, intermittent rear wiper/washer, and fog lights. The $20,400 AWD S adds heated power mirrors and sport suspension, but deletes the fog lights.

The line-topping XRS starts at $20,660 and adds to the S traction control, leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, rear spoiler, sport suspension, 215/45R18 tires, and alloy wheels.

Key options include navigation system, sunroof, Bluetooth cell-phone connection, and satellite radio. All models are carry a $720 destination charge and are built in Fremont, California.

Get Up and Go  The 2.4-liter engine provides adequate acceleration from a standstill and decent passing power. Though no official 0-60 mph time is offered by Toyota, it's likely a touch over eight seconds. Acceleration is blunted with a full passenger or cargo load but never falls to unacceptable. The less-powerful 1.8-liter engine is likely best suited to light-duty commuting.

The Matrix falls short of its competitors in the fuel economy race. The front-drive S is EPA rated at 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. Those numbers compare to 21/30 for a similar Chevrolet HHR and 23/29 for a similar Dodge Caliber.

In routine commuting expect to average close to 26 mpg with the Matrix. If your commute includes lots of open-road expressway travel, you might net as much at 31 mpg. Thankfully, all Matrix models use regular-grade gasoline.

On the Road  If you're looking for a smooth-riding wagon, stick to the Base or S. With 16-inch wheels, those models have the softest ride. XRS models get 18-inch wheels, low-profile tires, and a sport suspension. That combination leads to a busy ride on bumpy roads. Both models are subject to bouncing oscillations on scalloped expressway surfaces.   

On Base models, body motions are kept well in check with little bobbing or bouncing on rough roads. XRS rides with significantly more tautness and have little body lean.

Though the base model is quite nimble and is a good fit in cut-and-thrust city driving, when the road grows twisty, you'll want to be in the XRS, with its stiffer suspension and larger tires. Both models have nicely weighted and accurate steering and impressive brakes. No Matrix is as sporty as a Chevrolet HHR SS or Dodge Caliber SRT4, but those models have a significantly harder ride.

Like most tall wagons, Matrix gets blown around a bit by crosswinds. The engines could be a trifle quieter, thankfully wind noise is low at highway speeds and tire thrum is only a problem on coarse concrete roadways.

Behind the Wheel  It appears as though the main focus of the 2009 Matrix redesign was interior cost cutting as most surfaces are covered by hard textured plastics. The entire center stack is surrounded by inexpensive looking painted plastic that is prone to scratching and even the center armrest is a hard material.

Gauges are small and hard to read at a glance. Thankfully, audio and climate controls are well placed and clearly marked. The optional navigation system shares controls with the audio system, complicating operation of each.

Front-seat passengers sit upright on firm but only mildly supportive seats. Head room is adequate on models equipped with the optional sunroof. Taller drivers will want a trifle more leg room. Outward visibility is fine and the side-view mirrors are generously sized. The tall dashboard and thick rear pillars lead to a slightly closed-in feeling.

Rear-seat room is surprisingly good. There's adult-size head room and leg room only grows tight if the front seats are moved all the way back. The seats themselves were designed more for utility than comfort. The seat bottom is completely flat, which is ideal for folding, but not so great for long-haul comfort. Though, this design works well if you actually want to seat three kids back there. Adding to middle passenger comfort is a very small driveline bump.

The cargo area is plenty large for a weekend's worth of luggage or a week's worth of groceries. The rear seats fold flat in a snap and there's even a fold-flat front-passenger seat. Interior storage is plentiful, a large glove boxe, front and rear door map pockets and a couple of open bins in the center console. There's also a 115-volt power outlet that provides enough juice for laptops or video game systems.

Bottom Line  Vehicles like the Matrix make an excellent choice for shoppers that are looking for the versatility of a small SUV. They offer increased maneuverability, a more comfortable ride, available all-wheel drive, and substantially better fuel economy.

Toyota's redesign of the Matrix wasn't completely successful. It's still offers a fine blend of comfort, refinement, features, and economy. However, it feels stale compared to most competitors and trails them overall fit and finish.

Thankfully prices didn't increase much and Toyota added horsepower and useful features like Bluetooth and navigation. Still, a huge opportunity to distance Matrix from the competition was missed, and that will allow vehicles like the Chevrolet HHR and Dodge Caliber to steal away sales and establish themselves in the market.