Toyota Matrix

jimjps

Sorry to say this about Edmund's, but many of the given specs are not right. Check Focus wagon height - they say it's 53.9" (3" lower than the sedan?) I even bothered to Email them that it is more like 58" high, but it will be forever a lowered wagon.

just_some_guy

I just hope somebody brings out aftermarket tail lights for the Matrix that look like the ones on the prototypes. I'm a little dissapointed that they switched those. I'm really dissapointed though that they changed the 17" wheels from standard to an option on the XRS.

strager

I'm in the SF Bay Area, and got the brochure from a local dealer. I think generally dealers have no interest in handing out brochures, they'd rather sell you something on the lot to take home TODAY! But I happen to know the GM of a local Toyota dealership, so that helped.

If you call Toyota at 800 331-4331, then can send you one.

dindak

I was reading an article in the National Post where Toyota Canada is moving towards Saturn style pricing with no haggle. It's already like that in parts of western Canada and Quebec. My guess is Matrix/ Corolla are priced for this program and you will pay list. That said, pricing is very good!

Tup

Paying sticker was not discussed with my dealer. At the end of November, when I ordered our Matrix, we agreed on 600-800 off MSRP depending on how much margin he had....I suspect it will be $600 but which the announced price, I'm very happy. My dealer at the time didn't think there would be too much demand for the Matrix. He thought the new Corolla would be the hot ticket. When the pricing was announced, he changed his tune and now thinks it will be in high demand.

Tup

Just curious, did Toyota expand their Cambridge plant to produce both the Matrix and the Corolla? I know they also produce the Lexus IS300 hatchback there as well(I think). Just wondering how they will handle extra demand for the Matrix. Can they increase Matrix numbers if they need to?

I also see the matrix stealing sales from the Echo (actually not that much cheaper than a base matrix and much smaller looking) as well as the Corolla...maybe even some from the Rav.

matrix4sale

What should I do? I won a Matrix XRS 6 speed. Because I am only one year into my Rav4 lease I want to sell the Matrix. I will take delivery within 3 weeks. Should I take the car to the Manheim auction,put it on E-bay or sell it myself?

dayee

After browsing through the sales brochure, I was disappointed to see that, apparently, the moonroof option will not be available with the 17" aluminum alloy wheels. Any idea why? I noticed that the Sport Package includes 16" wheels along with the moonroof. Why not 17" wheels?

dindak

Put the Matrix on Ebay. How knows, maybe one of us will buy it!!

Must be horrible having your problem! ;-)

Tup

How did you win this Matrix? Was it the online video contest?

suvshopper4

I just heard from a trustworthy source that a truckload of Matrixes (Matrices?) was seen yesterday, 1/22, pulling off I-5 in Portland OR on their way to the Toyota facility (for prep, I guess).

Tup

Car and driver now has another article online about the matrix:

http://www.caranddriver.com/

Also, Edmunds has a video of the Matrix as well.

I found out today that my Matrix is actually in a holding facility 3 hours away. They are holding back both the Matrix and the Corolla until the Feb. 2 launch...perhaps even the 6'th for the Corolla. Grrr. He also said Toyota has been swamped with requests for additional Matrix vehicles from dealers since the pricing was announced. He said that they could ramp up production if demand was heavy. I suspect that there will be a need for a lot more than the 70,000 units currently slated for production in 2002.

matrix4sale

matrix4sale

Just found out that my Matrix XRS will be an Automatic rather than a 6 speed. I won the Matrix at a Toyota sponsored event not through the video contest. It will be nicely equipped with side airbags and the 6 disc cd changer. MSRP will be around $20,500

zizi

Hi all

for the canadian people check out the prices for the corolla and matrix and all the options

http://www.carcostcanada.com/ccdata/retailprices/models1.asp?MakeID=34&ModelYear=2003&submit1=submit

dmundy1

Tup, they did recently expand the plant in Cambridge. Currently they produce the Corolla, Matrix, and Solara. Next year Solara production moves to the States and Cambridge will begin producing the next generation Lexus RX300 sportute.

hpulley4

on the base model. You might as well get the XR as the AC/power package is a whopping $2700, putting the price tag over $20K Cnd$. That is still fairly cheap but a far cry from the $16450 originally quoted. $900 freight for it to roll down the highway just minutes from my house???

The AWD version also seems to be too much. You can get a proven 165hp Subaru Impreza TS for $22K, which is just a bit more than a stripped base AWD Matrix (with no AC).

Tup

Yes, the option packages are high. Toyota did the same thing on the Corolla. They put out a low base price and then charge high for the options.

We ordered our Matrix with the B package before the pricing was announced. I figured it must be priced well since Toyota figured 50% of sales would be for Base plus B package. I think that for $1605.00 more, the XR is a better deal for the money. That extra 1605 (plus tax) gives you power windows, leather steering wheel, variable int. windows, cruise, plus color coded mirrors and door handles (we ordered black so this won't matter).

So I started to think that we should have gotten the XR but the dealer only found 1 black XR 5 speed and it was sold....unless we wanted to wait longer. Our priorities had been keyless entry and AC so we should be happy.

I was very happy when I heard the base Canadian price($16,670) but then not so happy with the option pricing.

Oh well, only about a week left to wait.

adam2433

what type of aftermarket do you think the matrix will have? do you think it will spark more after market parts to come out or since it shares its engine with teh celica do you think it will be left with only the few mods that are available for teh celica?

jvkalra

I understand from the local dealer/GM, who is a friend of mine, that Toyota is having unexpected assembly problems with the Matrix, that go beyond usual startup problems. Fit and finish is not upto usual Toyota standards, and liaison teams from Japan have halted shipment from the factory to make sure things get fixed. This is not the usual building up of inventory prior to launch. He said that Toyota finds more fit and finish problems with their assembly operations on either coast(Canada and California), compared to Kentucky.

Tup

SO this is a Toyota dealer telling you this? Seems odd as most magazines compliment the fit and finish of the Matrix prototypes. Also, this Cambridge factory has received numerous awards for quality. My local Toyota dealer told me that they have a slow ramp up to full production where for the first few months the production is slow and highly monitored.

Even if this were true, I can't see Toyota telling even their dealers.

Hopefully this is not going to be the case as mine has already been produced. I had taken comfort in the idea that production would be much slower than usual.

dindak

Any new model can have glitches in start up, even Toyota. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Producing an all new car is pretty complex. A girl I work with has a boy friend that works at the Cambridge plant. I will ask her.

aeroterremer

...in Hawaii has been pushed back to March 1. We'll have to wait another more month here.

leafguy2727

Here is what I'm looking for. What is the breakdown in US pricing. Basically I need

Auto
Air
ABS
Power Windows
Power Locks

Thx for your help

bayham_jd

Those options should be standard on the XR or XRS (automatic)...........

petl

This information is from a friend who works for GM. How convenient. The Matrix may or may not have assembly problems. Until this information can be verified by impartial sources, I would take it with a grain of salt. The fact is... as Tup mentioned; the Cambridge plant has won numerous quality awards (JD Powers).

If by chance they do have quality problems I would prefer they stop the assembly and fix them rather than pretend they don't exist. Maybe that's why they win these awards. Can't wait to see one. PeterL

dindak

While the source may not be great, it is possible. Toyota has had problems with other vehicles (notably the RAV-4) so it's not impossible. Like I said, it's not worth getting too worried about.

Local dealer said they should have a few by this weekend, but he said that 2 weeks ago.

hpulley4

I'd rather get one later with no recalls than getting one now with problems down the road. If they are having problems and need to delay the rollout, I say they should take their time. Aside from geeks on the net and real car buffs, the Matrix hasn't been advertised so people on the street won't know or care if the car is late.

Some owners of other notorious 1st-model-year cars probably wish they'd waited to buy them, as their car's manufacturer's didn't wait to bring them out. "It's a good car, except for the recalls" doesn't do well for repeat customers.

Tup

I think it's a bit premature to suggest recalls and such. The Matrix is not really a totally new design. It uses engines and parts from the Corolla and Celica. Also, lets look at Toyota's track record with new vehicles. Unlike other manufacturers their track record has been very good. Production hasn't been off target, the 02/02/02 date is still on as far as I know. My vehicle was produced on Jan 11. With any new vehicle there is a ramp up time. Lets give them the benefit of the doubt.

Were there problems with the new Camry?

Oh, and the guy in Hawaii....I'll try real hard to feel sorry for you as I shovel the snow out of my walkway once again...knowing that you'll have to wait a whole month to see the Matrix!

petl

Not worried at all. I'm a very patient person (the wife says I'm getting worse with old age). I was just responding to what may or may not be factual information concerning assembly problems with the Matrix. If there are problems, I'm confident Toyota will make the appropriate adjustments. Please inform us when you get word from the boyfriend. Waiting patiently to see one. PeterL

strager

My observation is that in general, vehicles designed for North America by both Toyota and Honda don't do that well quality wise. As an example, there have been unexpected quality problems with the Odyssey and Sienna minivans. The exception to this rule is the Japanese manufactured RAV4, which has had persistent problems, see rav4world.com. Perhaps this is because the Japanese themselves are not buying too many RAVs, Americans are. If the RAV was being sold in volume in Japan, you'd bet that these quality problems would get fixed quick.

It's not impossible for the Matrix to have problems, being that this vehicle is designed exclusively to meet (the lower) fit/finish standards acceptable in the US.

Tup

I'll post a quote from Car and Driver with regard to the new 2003 Corolla and Matrix fit and finish:

"Quality standards for panel alignment and gap widths are set the same as for Lexus models, and the levels of fit and finish are nothing short of remarkable. Considerable care also went into crash performance and impact energy distribution through the body structure, so owners can expect high levels of protection in the event of accidents"

I know one other article I read about the Matrix compared fit and finish to a Lexus. Don't forget, the plant that produces the Matrix and the Corolla had to improve their standards to Lexus level since Lexus models will/are rolling out of that plant.

jvkalra

Just to clarify, I said GM=General Manager of a large Toyota dealership. I was simply relaying what he said: the Matrix is delayed because of fit/finish problems, as I mentioned in my previous post. Your guess is as good as mine, when it comes to the accuracy of this info.

One thing to remember is that cars given to magazines such as Car and Driver are often fixed up before delivery, or sometimes can have poor fit/finish too.

Given a choice, IF the Matrix was also assembled in Japan, I'd try to find one of those. I would speculate that if demand outstrips supply from the Canada plant, Toyota may assemble and ship some Matrices from Japan to the US.

johnclineii

I doubt that seriously, since Pontiac VIBES built in Fremont, California are being rebadged as Toyota Voltz and sold in Japan....

There is no plant producing any variant of the Matrix/Vibe in Japan...and I can't see that there will be.

Tup

I'm not exactly sure but it seems to me that I read something about North American assembled Toyota's Honda's etc having just as good reliability as those built in Japan.

As for fit finish problems...perhaps it is taking longer to increase production speed while keeping fit and finish at their high levels. Toyota would not knowingly send out a vehicle with problems....it's not their style. That's not saying that unforseen problems won't crop up....but I doubt it.

rsparrow

here:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hp/03matrix.htm

leafguy2727

Just called a Toyota dealer near my house about getting a price. Just got this verbally.

XR with Auto, Air, Power window, locks. I believe pwr windows came with an option that included 16" alloy.

Total was $21,925. Was told ABS only comes with XRS???? He said it wasn't an option that he could see.....hmmmmmmmm I know it comes with the AWD but I can't order ABS on its own?

artdecho

Seems like it's only available in the AWD and XRS.
Since I don't feel the "reactive" AWD with its extra weight and fewer ponies/torque is worth the extra 3-4 grand they want for it, I'll be looking at a FWD XRS too.....unfortunatley Toyota isn't making ABS available with that one.

hpulley4

model so perhaps some will go there. That said, never having had an ABS car I'm glad there are still some out there without it. After many Canadian winters pumping my own brakes and knowing what that feels like, I'm worried about what I'd do in a panic situation with ABS. I know not to pump them normally but in a panic situation I think I'll revert back to my old form.

just_some_guy

I'm looking at the spec sheet from Toyota right now and it does indeed list ABS as an option on BOTH the base and XR model. It is standard on the XRS and the 4WD versions of the base and XR. I also have a vehicle inquiry report here for the two Matrices that the dealer in my town is getting and the XR he's getting has ABS.

Tup

You are correct, ABS is an option in the US on the base or the XR. However, that's not the case here in Canada where options are severly limited. For the base there is just the "B" option pack that includes power locks, keyless entry, A/C, alloy wheels and illuminated entry(base comes standard with rear wiper). The XR comes loaded...even with alloy wheels....but no option for ABS. IF you want ABS in CAnada....it's the AWD version or XRS.

Tup

I should mention that the Vibe does have in Canada the safety package which includes side airbags and ABS. Add that to the fact that the Vibe has a 5yr 100,000KM powertrain and it looks good...if it's priced well.

artdecho

You must be getting pretty close to picking your Matrix up, eh? When's the ETA?

Tup

Dealer says they are going to hold them for some unvieling ceremony held in Toronto. Both the Matrix and Corolla will reach dealers on Wed or Thurs of next week (6'th or 7'th) so Mine will be there then. He said possibly a day or 2 earlier but likely the 6'th or 7'th.

grandtotal

Happens on the 7th February in Toronto.

leafguy2727

Wow,

Just got a fax from a Toyota dealer I called which outlines all the stand features. From the looks of things all I need is the XR with auto. It come STANDARD EQUIP with Power Windows, Locks, Air, cruise, tilt!!!! Looks like all I need to pay for is auto.!!!!! Does anyone know if the Canadian listed MSRP includes freight?

grandtotal

My dealer thinks it may be $1095 for freight, I'm hoping $995, like the Corolla. Either way that's on top of MSRP.

leafguy2727

That's too bad!!!

Does anyone know what the Canadian price of a 4wd XR??? The reason I ask is that is comes standard equip with Auto trans, and ABS. Essentially I'll have no options to pay for!!!

dindak

I'm surprised Toyota wouldn't offer ABS on all models in Canada. Clearly an over sight IMO. You can certainly do with out, but I would personally want them.

Tup

Check out www.carcostcanada.com

They claim shipping is $900 but my dealer thought $995.

Anyhow, the XR with AWD is listed at $25,100 inc freight but it would be $1000 more for automatic. Carcost lists a weird GT package which I don't think exists. If it does...it would add the 180hp engine to the AWD vehicle!