2005 Toyota Matrix Reviews - Page 4 of 5

A wierd leak in the passenger side front post.

Toyota put a hose on it for 2 hours but could not find a leak. I have since discovered that it only leaks if the car is parked with the front end lower than the back. Even a couple inches will do it. The water pours out of the top of the plastic cover half way up the post all over the passenger seat. Toyota thinks its from the roof gutter. Anyone else with this problem?

Needs more power for passing but perfectly fine for aroung town.

Love the room in this car. We have slept in the back comfortably a few times when camping and we are not short!

My 50 pound dog fits just fine in the back.

The car was bought brand new and hasn't had any issues yet, which is what's normal for a new car.

My review is rather focused on the design of the vehicle and the way it feels to drive.

No problems yet though. Just oil changes, tire rotations and 1 replaced windshield due to a rock falling off a truck when my parents were on the highway with the car.

The driver seat is up high, which some people prefer.

ONLY the driver can see the dashboard, which is covered with ugly "cups". I personally hate it.

The dash is not well designed at all. Older cars were much better thought out in this respect. For example, the RPM gauge is uncomfortable to look at and the space between the rev's is too narrow which is also connected to the touchy throttle that makes it hard not to over-rev the car before you feel it's alive. I personally think that this gives you pretty much no control at all.

The ride is choppy.

Visibility is bad, although there are much worse cars in this respect.

The clutch is very numb, very light, and the shifter is very notchy and unpleasant. I have driven many manual transmission cars. This by far is the worst designed one. I don't think anyone who knows anything about driving would disagree. My advice is go for automatic if you want to buy a Matrix.

This is my parent's family car, I have owned many older cars and I strongly believe they were all better designed than this one including a 1986 BMW 325E, 1989 Honda Civic, 1988 Mazda MX-6, 1994 Volkswagen Jetta and 1988 Acura Integra.

I also dislike the body style of the car and hate how it looks.

Other than these characteristics, the car has not had any issues and I think like other Toyotas it is built to last. Only time can tell.

It seems like a good family vehicle, but it's definitely not sporty or fun to drive.

It's comfortable for passengers on long trips, front and back. It feels roomy and easy to sit in.

The dealer service has always been good.

The rear seal went on my Matrix and was covered by warranty. Rumor had it that this is a price fix too.

The glass in the Matrix or maybe all Toyota's is garbage. Sure I do a lot of Highway driving, but still I've seen the same crack along the bottom on multiple Matrix's.

This car has been everything I wanted. I can load it up and take it camping. I can take 4 people to the Mountain for some snowboarding without a roof rack (fold down the small side of the rear seat). This works great. All in all I don't regret going from sports car to my Matrix... But I will be lowering it this year and putting some rims on er. If you've seen a Matrix with this done, it's one of the best looking Japanese Cars out there.