I thought I posted this but have not seen it come through yet.
My father turned 90 yrs young last June. A year ago he bought a brand new Toyota Matrix, saying it is easier for him to get into and out of that his former car, a Toyota Prius. Now, he may decide to hang up his driving privilege before he has an accident, and has offered me his car to buy. It has less than 3000 miles on it. I have toyed with the thought of replacing my Mazda Tribute with another vehicle.
Does anyone here have a Toyota Matrix? What do you think of it? Feel free to respond off ng, to my email address.
Toyota's have generally been reliable cars -- we've had a couple, though not a Matrix. The Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe are basically the same car. We considered a Matrix when we were car shopping about a year and a half ago, but ended up with a Nissan Versa, which is just a bit smaller and less expensive. We love the hatchback for hauling stuff. DH uses a walker much of the time, so we are hauling that a lot and the hatchback is nice for that. Both the Matrix and the Vibe seem quite popular around here. It is a fairly small car -- maybe not what you are looking for if you are considering a truck. :)
Julia in MN
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G> I thought I posted this but have not seen it come through yet.
We had several Toyota's over the years. My all time favorite car was my Toyota Corolla wagon. It was an '89 and never stranded me once in 9 years of use. My kids didn't fit in it anymore or I probably would still have it. Matrix really is just a cool corolla wagon I think. I have a honda now but was happier with Toyota's.
BTW, I really appreciate you dad giving up the driving. Everyday my neck hurts from an accident when a really old guy hit me years ago. Another oldster tried to kill my son. TAria
Julia > Toyota's have generally been reliable cars -- we've had a couple, though
Ginger, I couldn't identify a Toyota if there was one sitting in our kitchen. Know zero about car buying. However, I just have to climb in and say how wonderful it is that you have a Dad. That you have a Dad who is 90 and the good sense to realize that he might need to give up driving. Oh my. Wow. Please hug him for me. If he's the type who isn't comfortable with displays of affection, do it anyway. Tell him 'this one's for Polly and she was a cocker spaniel in another life'. Polly
;)) My father is the son of a one-of-a-kind inventor. Grandpa invented among other things, a unique engine used in Model T cars, and the little wax bottles of syrup we used to get at Halloween. My father was on the USS Enterprise on 12/7/1941, Pearl Harbor, and saved three lives. After working and retiring in 1981 due to a bad back, he took care of my mother for 10 years before she passed from Alzheimers and dementia in 1996. He still lives on his own, is "deaf as a doornail" even with two hearing aids, and is soooo stubborn [a combination of side effect of deafness and his personality]
He has had a few bumps in parking lots, and is now coming to grips with his limitations. We spoke about this last year, and although I fear his idea of giving up driving takes his last perceived sign of independence away, he is present in his mind enough to understand it is not safe to drive. He lives in a highly populated area, and drives only mid-morning during the week. He entertained the thought of driving back over to Reno one day, but we so far have talked him out of that.
I will send him cyber hugs, okay? He lives a day's drive from here.
And, thanks, all. Most all of us have experienced the inconsistencies of elderly drivers. My father has never had an accident, received only one ticket in his life [we were headed to a shooting match 45 yrs ago and he was speeding]. Best to quit while you're ahead!
G> Ginger, I couldn't identify a Toyota if there was one sitting in our
I don't know much about the Matrix (though I have an echo that I think is great...I like Toyotas). But you might want to look at cartalk.com
- they haves lots of info on cars and a survey area where you can look up what people think of their cars - it's a great resource! I used it when I got my echo and to find a good mechanic when I moved a couple months ago....
I don't know about the Matrix (I have an echo and love it and Toyotas in general) but a good resource is cartalk.com. They have a survey area where people write in reviews on their cars. I've used the site when buying my echo and to find a good mechanic - always with good results!
Steph
sorry if this posts twice, I tried once and it didn't show so I'm trying again! I hope this doesn't post
Ginger, I have been driving a Vibe since 2004. I am not a large person and I find the hatch back a real pleasure. There is no lip to have to lift things up & over. Gas mileage is good, both on the road and in city. It easy to see out and manuver. The Vibe is the Pontiac copy of the Mattrix. Bet you would love it. Anna Belle in stormy Palm Bay (near the tornados in Cocoa Beach)
OY -- my Dad was on the Enterprise, too! He was a pilot at the beginning of the war -- flew bi-planes, too! I wonder if they might have known each other??? Papa died in August of 2006 at the ripe od age of 95. He, too, lived on his own and drove until 2005 -- THAT was a scary thought. CiaoMeow >^;;^<
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at
Ginger, DH drives a Matrix. I love it! It's one of the early models (don't remember the model year exactly) but it's also one of the high-end versions (XRS) and a stick shift. DH does very little driving as he works about 1/2 block from our house. We also live in a very small town so he's constantly shifting gears and that annoys him on a daily basis. When I drive it, it's usually a little further and/or highway. Not that I mind shifting - most of my previous vehicles were stick shift - but it can be a pain. Due to the high-end engine, it does require Super grade gas but it does get pretty reasonable mileage. But in my mind the added cost of the super grade kind of offsets some of the mileage benefits. I had a Toyota Corolla ages ago that just wouldn't quit! I drove it for 12 years, sold it and that person drove it for another 5-7 years! Toyota does make a great product. I'd buy any Toyota product so long as it suited my needs. The hatch in the Matrix is great as somone else mentioned and it is very easy in/out. One of the primary reasons DH decided on that vehicle was because at the time it was one of the few in it's class that the rear seats folded completely flat. He was insistent that we had to be able to travel with the dogs in it. Which, of course, we rarely do! Bottom line - great car and I would highly recommend it!
Ginger, I sympathize with you. My mom quit driving a little over a year ago. She just decided that she wasn't comfortable driving any longer, and she is "only" 76. She saw an "almost accident" and realized that if she had been the one driving the car ahead of her, she didn't think she could have been as quick to avoid a serious accident. So she gave up driving. And she had done a lot of driving in her time.
Fortunately there is family in Tucson to help out, and her church is just a couple of blocks away.
As to the Matrix, I have no idea. I used to have Toyotas, loved them, but had some issues here in the desert with overheating when running the air conditioner in the summer. :( not a good thing. But those were also older models, and my mom's never had a problem. If the car will serve your purposes, go for it.
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