Gets very good miles per gallon. It's a very reliable vehicle. The outside of the vehicle looks sporty. It has a nice interior and handles good in rain and snow. Has a lot of room and is good for camping.
This car is very spacious on the inside, lots of legroom. It gets good gas mileage and is very reliable. Our car has 115,000 miles on it with no significant issues so far. It is able to fit 2-3 car seats across the back, so it is suitable for families. The back seats fold down so you can haul good sized objects.
Lots of utility with folding rear seats. The tailgate glass flips up for loading long materials/toys. Handles nice. All the vehicle controls are easily accessible while driving. Gas mileage is pretty good.
It is a manual transmission which are hard to come by now a days and which deter thieves from stealing as many people can no longer drive standard cars anymore. It is a very simple car so many of the amenities do not need repair.
I like the stick shift. The car is small and easy to maneuver, with enough storage space to be practical. It also is the right size for me, as I can transport the people and items I need to. It is more fuel efficient than some other cars, which is nice. It is blue, which is pretty. It does not break down all the time.
It's easy to feel every little bump and crack in the road because its light and low to the ground. Its starting to rust around the windows and is getting pretty old. Not very solid if in a crash because of plastic bumper.
After 120,000 miles, this vehicle has become a little rattly. Either parts are coming loose or the insulation inside the vehicle just is not very good. Also, because everything is very tight inside the engine bay, repairs can be a little difficult.
There is carpet on the backside of the rear seats or the cargo area so things tend to slide around while driving. The rear bumper has grounds effects requiring it to be cut if you want a trailer receiver to be installed.
It is not a luxury vehicle and does not have many of the amenities that people are accustomed to nowadays. Getting stuck in traffic driving a manual car is no fun and having to roll down the windows and lock and unlock the doors is also a hassle.
I am short, and I have a bike rack on the top of my car, but I cannot reach it. This is frustrating, because it means I cannot use my bike rack. I could get a bike rack that attaches to the back, but that is a lot more expensive.
The 2008 Toyota Matrix has an average owner rating of 4.11 out of 5 which ranks it #14 of 23 other Compact SUVs.
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