#TOYOTA MATRIX MANUAL#
#TOYOTA MATRIX PLUS#
#TOYOTA MATRIX FREE#

The Vibe GT was equipped with a 180-horsepower version of Toyota’s variable-valve-timing in-line four-cylinder engine, which was linked to a six-speed manual transmission. I drove the top-level Vibe GT in New York and the mid-level Matrix XR in the Washington area.

The look is reminiscent of the control centers in the larger Lexus RX 300 and Toyota Highlander car-wagon-utility models.

#TOYOTA MATRIX FREE#

The Matrix’s body is free of the lower-body cladding found on the Vibe.īut Toyota seems to have had the most influence in interior design.īoth vehicles feature dramatic instrument panels that swoop downward toward high-mounted cradles for gearshift levers.

The roofline slants severely to the rear (a design cue hidden on the tested Vibe GT by a roof-mounted luggage rack). It is outfitted with a more mainstream front end, a sculptured ode to the Toyota Camry. The Matrix, by comparison, is more conservative. Rear cornering lights and tough-looking lower-body cladding also are exclusive to the Vibe. The Vibe (top photo) has a highly stylized version of Pontiac’s traditional arrow-shaped front end with the bifurcated grille. (Young people apparently have an overwhelming need for secrecy.) Exterior differences between the two vehicles are skin-deep.

#TOYOTA MATRIX PLUS#

There are the obvious door pockets, plus nine concealed storage units in each vehicle. Storage bins abound in the Vibe and the Matrix. That means both can provide power for laptop computers and other electronic equipment. There are 115-volt electrical outlets designed to accept standard wall-type plugs. Both vehicles have rear seats that fold easily to form flat load floors. So GM and Toyota have loaded up the Vibe and Matrix with amenities, horsepower, style and utility. Money is the only passport that matters in the auto market. It matters little that those young people include Asians, Africans, Americans, Arabs, Australians, Europeans and Israelis.

They care only about future profits.īoth companies are using the Vibe and Matrix to woo young buyers - people 16 to 26 years old - according to Aerovec, a youth-oriented online magazine. They don’t discuss past wars and hostilities. GM and Toyota don’t care that one partner is Japanese and the other is American. The vehicles are based on the compact, front-wheel-drive Toyota Corolla/Chevrolet Prizm platform. They are practically identical car-wagon utility vehicles (CWUVs). They co-develop products.Īnyone doubting that should take a look at the 2003 Pontiac Vibe and the 2003 Toyota Matrix. Auto companies trade parts across national boundaries. I’ve tried to explain to Carl that flags no longer mean what they once meant in the auto industry. He often expresses his angst in more offensive language. He accuses me of “kneeling” before the Japanese, Germans and Koreans. Parts supplier, Takata, manufactured defective, shrapnel-hurling airbag inflators that need to be recalled.Carl writes frequently to complain about my coverage of “foreign” cars.Ĭarl is a reader. Toyota Vehicles with Recalled Takata Airbags.Toyota, in all their 'deny-til-we-die' splendor, is reportedly denying warranty coverage on many oil consu… Continue reading article 'Toyota Excessive Oil Consumption' … Continue reading article 'Rodents Chew Soy-Coated Wires'Īn increasing number of Toyota vehicles are experiencing excessive oil consumption which may be the result of defective piston rings. It's biodegradable, commendable, and a complete disaster for owners. Somewhere in the mid-2000's there was an industry-wide push by automakers to replace plastic and glass-based wiring insulation with a more eco-friendly soy-based coating. So what's causing the musty smell and just how dangerous is it?… Continue reading article 'Musty and Moldy A/C' Toyota air conditioners smell like mold in numerous vehicles. A list of some of the most common issues Matrix owners have to deal with.

Toyota matrix