Looks, storage space, plastic floor in back. Dash lights at night, cruises the highway nice. Pretty roomy inside.

Chrome on dash (reflects too much light at times), Dash lights hard to read in bright daylight. There was one thing missing which didn't bother us, but we could not find a ashtray anywhere.

My wife and I are happy with our Matrix. We bought a well equiped one, and that made a difference. It is the XR with the sport package. I like the front end with the fog lights much better than the plain one. We got a sand colored one. There was a kind of silvery blue one, but it was not as well equiped and had hub caps not 16 inch alloy wheels. I kind of like the color, but I'm going to get the windows tinted to dress it up a bit. I think it will be real sharp then. I was shopping for a RAV4, but she noticed the Matrix on the lot. We had never seen one before and the styling was something special, plus it had the room we wanted. It's easy to get in and out of and to drive, and gets a lot of compliments on its looks. It gets around 30 MPG. The only complaints are switching the brights on sometimes causes a hesitation in the drive train when the cruise control is on (going in the shop this week), and sometimes the engine downshifts when climbing slight hills (it ought to have enough power for normal crusing in high gear). Best things about it drives pretty good for being small, and it has plenty of room for our purposes. The longer I own it the better I like it.

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None, always had cars. '96 Accord (real good car) '95 Taurus (don't get one without an extended warranty) '85 Cadillac (don't ever get one)

Roomy, and ease of exit and entry

None noted

I've had my Matrix for the past 7 mths and have loved it since the first day I sat in it. It is very roomy even with the front seats pushed all the way back. I find there to be lots of headroom and the car is very easy to get in and out of unlike some smaller cars. The car is very peppy and great on gas. I would definitely recommend this car to everyone.

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None

Versatility,peppy engine,build quality,price,unique appearance

Side mirrors do not fold in,no optional leather,engine a little "buzzy"

The XRS model that I purchased with its Celica GTS based running gear provides enough performance to satisfy most driving situations. With its Yamaha designed DOHC VVTL-i engine producing 180 horsepower, the vehicle is very peppy and responsive. Although, my engine is mated to an automatic transission, it still accelerates with authority and passes relatively easily. The automatic transmission shifts very smoothly but the engine does get quite 'buzzy' at the high rpms. The ergonomics are very user-friendly. Everything is well within arms reach and the positioning of the key components, such as the air conditiong buttons and knobs, wiper switch, and turn signal indicators are perfect. One feature that I really appreciate is the twilight-sentinel headlight operation. What this does is eliminate the need for turning on the headlights at night. As soon as you start the engine and release the hand brake, the twilight-sentinel sensor on the left side of the dashboard will 'sense' for lighting and will automatically turn on the instrument panel lights and headlights when it is dark...you never have to worry about leaving the headlights on again...very cool! Another feature that is very useful is the separate opening of the rear liftgate glass. Instead of having to open the entire rear liftgate to load in small packages, such as grocery bags, you can just load them in through the liftgate glass opening. It's much easier to close the liftgate glass as opposed to reaching up and closing the entire rear liftgate. Having the optional 17" alloys with the 215/50/17 tires enhances the handling of the vehicle quite a bit. I would strongly suggest this upgrade. The braking is not exceptional but quite good having 4-wheel disc brakes. The fit and finish is impeccable as one would expect from Toyota. The paint quality, however, is not as good as I expected. There is a noticeable amount of "orange" peel on the finish, but overall it is very smooth and shiny. The ride is very comfortable for a vehicle sporting 17" wheels and tires. I could easily take this vehicle for a cross-country venture. Overall, The Matrix XRS has alot to offer for it's $20,000 MSRP price tag. It's quite comfortable,quiet except for the high-rpm engine "buzz",very well built,has a unique appearance,and is very versatile. I think Toyota has a "winner" with the Matrix XRS!

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Toyota RAV4

firm tight ride, alot of space for a small car, responsive

cruise control little tough to get use to.would be better on steering wheel.

very stable, tight vehicle. had only one problem with the horn. would blow by itself, after three trips to dealer, they finally founf that replacing the airbag would fix the problem. I am very happy with the car. I have the XRS model and would reccomend anyone looking to upgrade and pay the difference in price, the car is quick and agile and very fun to drive, also purchases the navigation system,,makes driving enjoyable.

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240sx honda civic

great car . gas saver . sporty and fun

the service,thesmall power,

toyota products have always been outstanding.ive purchased numerous vehicles.ive alwasy been satisfied up until now . i commute 150 mile one way so i needed a gas saver .so i purchased this car . the bad thing about this car is . the gas light keeps coming on when it is full the dash lights keep clicking ,my air conditioner freezes up and my stereo whent out . this is after the first ive had this car . the only thin g that toyota can seem to find whats wrong with the car is the stereo . it got fixed . the other stuff they cant find the problem.i likethe car and i wish they would get me another . i only have 3000 miles on it

Great gas milage, over 30MPG.

Power seats are not available. Leather interior not available.

Feels solid, well built when cruising down the highway. Nice, stylish interior. Comfortable bucket seats. Plenty of room for a 6 foot tall human, even in the back seat with the front seats pushed all the way back. 90 pound dog fits in back. Have an XR, automatic, 2 wheel drive with lots of extras.

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Range Rover

Lots of room good ride very good gas mileage Good erganomics Good build quality

a little weak in horsepower dept.(xrs would probably cure) gauges sometimes difficult to read poor design in riveting door speakers to door panels instead of screwing in as everyone else does,making difficult to upgrade them. cruise control a little funky to operate, would be a little better if it had push buttons on steering wheel,instead of stalk behind the steering wheel.

This is a great little car.It has a lot of room for a small car. It has a well thought out design. Lots of storage under the rear deck as well as the ability to fold the rear floor completely flat.My previous car was a 99 Honda Civic Si. It also was a very good car. Never going into the shop for anything except routine maintence. I just needed more room. It also gets very good mileage. I average 34-35 mpg with a high of 39.8. I just wish I had gone ahead and spent the little extra to get the XRS model,I miss the extra kick the Civic Si had when it switched cams.The 130 horse version is decent though,especially considering the better mileage it gets. I would recommend a test drive if this car's particular attributes are what you are looking for.

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1999 Honda Civic Si 1995 Nissan SX200-SER 1991 Nissan NX2000