Say “fuel economy” these days and the Rorschach immediately turn to hybrids, plug-in hybrids, extended-range electric, pure electric, fuel cell and diesel. And did we mention hybrids? Woe betides the traditional path to fuel efficiency enlightenment: the small car with a small engine.
Perhaps that’s just too simple.
It’s definitely not very hard. Consider the Chevrolet Aveo5 Hatchback. It is, as its name suggests, a five-door hatchback. It’s powered by a double-overhead cam 1.6-liter four available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The engine is rated at 106 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque at 3800 rpm. It runs on regular unleaded and according to EPA estimates, achieves 27/34 mpg city/highway with the manual gearbox and 25/34 mpg with the automatic transmission.
It gets by with the minimal powertrain by being small and light. Its wheelbase is only 97.6 inches and though it has five seatbelts, it’s either four-up or the three in back get very friendly. And at 2,557 lbs it’s one of the lightest cars on the road outside of specialty sports cars.
Thanks to the dimensions and weight and what it takes (or left on the table) to get there, those along for the ride have a need for speed. Well, they need speed anyway. The Aveo is anything but a ball of fire. Perhaps glowing ember of acceleration would be a better choice of words. The Aveo should come standard with a sticker in the rear window that reads, “I’m pedaling as fast as I can,” with an available upgrade to “I might be slow but I’m ahead of you.”
Our experience was with the 5-speed manual and if there’s an advantage to the Aveo5’s minimalist performance, it’s that it can be driven flat out most of the time. Rev it to redline bang off a shift and no one’s the wiser. Try that in a Corvette. It’s been said that it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. If so, the Aveo5 is ecstasy on wheels.
If we’re a bit brutal about our test Aveo5’s performance or lack thereof, it’s only to let the buyer beware. And that said, there’s a lot to be said for the Aveo5. It will accommodate up to five and though the cargo room behind the back seat is only 7.1 cubic feet, with the seat folded that jumps to 42 cubic feet, which is to say it’s much more practical than even a larger sedan for, say, hauling some Salvation Army treasure home to the apartment. (It’s more useful in that regard than the standard Aveo sedan, speaking of which, the Aveo5 has a different and bolder grille than the Aveo sedan).
We drove the Aveo5 1LT. At $13,595, it’s mid-range of the Aveo5 line, starting at the $12,625 LS. The LS must stand for “Loved by Scrooge.” It’s more notable for what it doesn’t have by listing what it does: frontal and front side-impact airbags, tire pressure warning system, a rear cargo shade (optional on some luxury model SUVs, actually), 14-inch steel wheels with 185/60R14 all-season tires, the obligatory tire pressure monitoring system, but also and AM/FM stereo with an auxiliary jack and four speakers. Note: if you’ve wondered whether there are still any cars with hand-cranked windows, yes, there are. Air conditioning, if you want it, is a dealer-installed option. The driver needs to be able to drive a manual transmission because an automatic transmission isn’t an option in the LS.
Our 1LT added as standard equipment AM/FM stereo with CD player and MP3 playback, seek-and-scan and auxiliary input jack and six speakers, floor mats and air conditioning. The 2LT starts at $16,025 and adds a number of standard-equipment civilizing touches, including keyless entry, cruise control, power windows and locks, power-adjustable heated outside mirrors, audio controls on the steering wheel and more. The test 1LT, however, had as options a $425 Power and Convenience Package including power windows, power locks and keyless remote, and cruise control for $250. Add $660 destination charge for a total vehicle price of $14,930. If an automatic transmission were it to be added would raise the price by $925.
Despite its small size, the Chevrolet 1LT has rather impressive crash test numbers, including five-star frontal, plus five-star driver and four-star front passenger side impact scores. We’ll also concede that the driver’s seat is at once supportive and comfortable. Cross country driving might be wearing for those who have outgrown a certain thrill of adventure, but as an all-day city scooter, the Aveo5 has much to commend it.
Even if the fuel economy can’t meet that of the stingiest hybrids or diesels, the original purchase price goes a long way towards making up the difference. It may not have the cachet of saying “it’s a hybrid,” but then one can’t put cachet in the bank.
Illustrations, top to bottom: 2008 Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT; 1.6-liter Ecotec engine in 2008 Chevrolet Aveo5; 2008 Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT interior; 2008 Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT. All photos by John Matras.
The price of gas is crunching your budget, yet you have a decent-sized family and need the room and utility of an SUV or crossover. What's a car buyer to do? As a potential answer to this conundrum, we turn to the Ford Escape Hybrid and its fuel economy rating that’s in the 30 mpg range. Does the vehicle make up for its price in fuel savings? Minus its hybrid drivetrain, how do its features and design match up with competitors’? Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley weighs in on the Escape Hybrid. Click below to read his full review.
Lexus announced they would be increasing prices on several different models, including the GS 450h luxury hybrid sports sedan and the LS 600h L premium hybrid luxury sedan.
The 2008 GS 450h price tag will be increasing by $600 to $56,400. But you will get 10.6 cu. ft. more in trunk space. That's an increase of 40 percent.
The 2008 LS 600h L will have modest $985 increase, and will have a base MSRP of $105,885. For that, you will get front-passenger-seat memory added in.
Think it’s hard hitting a moving target? Try being the target and having to keep moving, having the whole world on your six, trying to take you out.
That’s where the Nissan Murano is. Arguably the first crossover—if by “crossover” one means something more stylish than an SUV pretender on an automotive platform. Debuting as a 2003 model, the Murano had a totally sleek profile that made the Lexus RX350 look like nothing more than a beveled sport-ute. The 2008 Murano said, “I’m not an SUV and I don’t pretend to be one.”
It was a risky move for Nissan. A previous effort by Isuzu had landed with the thud of an overly inebriated defensive lineman after a frat house bacchanal. The Murano, however, was more appealing and instead of the usual sales pattern of a first year high followed by a year-by-year decline, the Murano gained every year, climbing from 47,987 for the 2003 model year to 81,064 for the 2006 model.
Why, then, mess with success? Because nothing lasts forever, and besides, the dies for the body panels wear out and you might as well cut the jib at least a little bit different.
And that’s what Nissan did for the Nissan Murano. Not a body panel is the same on the new edition, which isn’t a facelift—despite the obvious similarities—but a completely new vehicle. This second generation Murano shares the new “D” platform introduced under the 2007 Altima sedan, which Nissan says is 1.5 times stiffer than its predecessor. Lighter and stiffer fully-independent suspension with—for tech geeks—dual flow path shock absorbers are designed for better compliance without float.
The ’08 Murano uses Nissan’s ubiquitous—not a bad thing—VQ-series 3.5-liter V-6 engine with variable valve timing. It’s now rated at 265 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque, a significant bump up in horsepower, up from 240 hp, and a skosh more torque, at 244 lb-ft.
The Murano is offered in front-wheel or all-wheel drive, but either way the only transmission choice is Nissan’s continuously variable transmission (CVT). We know about the efficiency of the CVT but we don’t like the feel. The good news is that the manual shifting works well, and that the V-6 is torquey enough that in full automatic mode it doesn’t go soaring for redline at the slightest touch of the pedal.
The all-wheel drive system is integrated into the stability program, using the yaw (rotational) sensor, steering angle sensors and wheel slip data to transfer torque anywhere from 100 percent front to fifty-fifty front to rear. Nissan claims the shifting torque to the rear wheels decreases understeer, helping the vehicle get around a slippery corner along the intended path. We weren’t able to fully test this feature—perhaps best so—during our sojourn with the Murano.
The Murano’s interior design and materials quality bump up against the Infiniti EX35’s insides. It looks good, really good, as space-agey as the Murano’s exterior. The center stack is arty and efficient and with controls out of an organic star cruiser. There are more buttons on the steering wheel than stops on the Mighty Wurlitzer down at the Bijou. The gauges light up with an orange rim and needles that sweep through their full range.
Talk about soft touch, the Murano’s armrests aren’t just soft, they’re squishy. The optional on base/standard on top level leather interior has a gathered effect, including an elegant fanfold treatment on the door panels.
And while we’re talking about the interior, the Murano shares something with the Infiniti EX35. Its rear seat seatback flips down for extra cargo capacity—one of the advantages of this body style is to be able to carry a bunch of stuff—but so that one doesn’t have to crawl into the cargo area to pull the seat back up, there’s a power-up feature: the advantage of a full-power seat with a lot less cost.
A dual panel sunroof is optional. Nissan like most other carmakers has decided that what we have always wanted is more ways to see the sky.
Spotting a 2008 Murano is easy once one knows what to look for. Overall the size hasn’t changed much since the 2007 model (Nissan skipped 2008), with the same wheelbase and not quite an inch more overall length. We suspect they’d cast about the same shadow. But from the front, the grille has changed from a primarily horizontal motif with a matte finish to bright diagonal slats tilting outwards. The headlamp cluster is smaller, too, thanks to advances in lighting tech.
Out back, the rear window is more angular and the taillights are more horizontal instead of wrapping up over the fenders. The backup lights are now in the taillamp cluster instead of flanking the license plate frame, largely because the license plate area is now sized for international-sized number plates.
The driving experience, however, that tests a crossover, and after driving a Murano it’s a question why anyone who drives on the highway only would ever want an SUV again. While its higher center of gravity means it won’t corner like a sports car or even a sports sedan, it’s well controlled with a slight bias towards the front for stable handling. There’s none of the usual tippiness of an SUV, however.
The ride is smooth, highway noise limited, all the good stuff that a modern vehicle should have. Our only annoyance was the CVT. We’re old school and don’t appreciate the CVT’s operating quirks. On the other hand, we know some habitual manual transmission drivers who say that if consigned to an automatic, a CVT would be one like this. Go figure.
Odds are, if you’re an automaker with a hybrid, it’s flying off the lots right now as people shy away from big SUVs. What happens, though, when your new hybrid is also a big SUV?
Kelsey Mays reviews the new 2008 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid to find out, and he finds plenty of positives about the green-ish SUV, and not surprisingly some big minuses too. Check out the full review and let us know if you think there’s a place for big hybrid SUVs in today’s market.
The all-new, raving 2008 Mazda -- Mazda Speed 3 looks -- Mazda’s new offering and a direct one-up from the erstwhile Mazda 6 line-up has these eye-candy looks and an amazing performance to boot, but is it really that good? What has it really got? Especially knowing that the Mazda 6 never really challenged the comfort levels of its rivals like the Honda Civic, Mini Cooper S, Nissan Sentra, etc and had to resort to discounted selling to the budget lookers among the rich. Lithe handling, harsh suspensions, tight handling, just a little less impressive interiors and lack of the finesse so much required for a car in that class couldn’t see the Mazda 6 to the top.
Things do change and How!
The Mazda 9 is a seriously well-made follow-up on the Mazda 6 Series and brings so much more to the table that you just have to sit up and take notice. Its mean looking exterior with those curved body lines must make any car enthusiast’s knees go weak. The car is much roomier now and comes with a flourish that can give its big dog competitors a run for their money.
The Engine and Power line
Equipped with a humongous 4-cylinder engine, displacing about 2.3 liters, generating about 260 Horsepower and about 280 pound-feet of torque, it is a veritable powerhouse, indeed.
A six-speed manual gearbox helps transmit all that whopping power to the front wheels and it doesn’t come with the automatic transmission option. There is also a limited-slip differential and an electronic torque transmitter for better regulation of the torque depending on the gear selection, which also enhances traction and minimizes torque steer, incidentally.
Your back would stick to your seats with the car taking off the o-60 sprint in just about 5.9 seconds. The EPA figures that the car would pull out at 18 mpg city/26 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined which indicates a toll on the fuel economy, thanks to its venerable power surge.
Safety is standard with the Mazda Speed 3 -- equipped with an impressive line up of safety features like antilock disc brakes, computerized traction & stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags all come without you asking for it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rates the Mazda Speed 3 a veritable four stars out of five for frontal-impact collision performance.
Interior Design and Special Features
The Mazdaspeed 3 comes with a flourish that is hard not to take notice. Upscale Interiors, rather large gauge layout, point-precise controls and a robust build with excellent materials makes this car a stand-out feature on its own. The seats come aggressively designed that look sporty; a neat touch with aluminum pedals; a red-and-black color scheme and embossed floor mats with “Mazdaspeed" emblazoned on them. While tall passengers might cringe at the lack of legroom in the rear, the front seating space if fairly well-designed and capable to equip almost anybody. A dinosaur like Cargo capacity with 17 cubic feet behind the rear seats and can give way to about 30 cubic feet with folded back seats.
Driving Impressions
A responsive steering, adequate suspension damping and an outstanding braking performance, the Mazda Speed is a moving adrenaline pump. A virtually non-existent turbo lag, amazing low-end thrust and the supercharged engine offers you a drive that cannot get any less zippy. It pushes forward when you lunge the car to the left and right due to all that torque acting through the steering wheel, otherwise it is indeed light and pleasurable to drive.
The prodigious midrange torque, stiff suspension and considerable grip give the car much of its handling prowess and make your transitions quick indeed. It can be a little unsettling to lunge the car onto fast corners but the suspension damping is otherwise on par. The car stops is less than 110 feet all the way from 60 mph to a screeching halt which should titillate your safety minded, and comfort seeking mind too.
Driven: 2008 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid car review; Full measure Add a Comment October 22, 5:50 PM by John Matras, Auto Review Examiner
General Motors wants you to know that the 2008 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid is the “world’s most fuel-efficient V-6 SUV.” That’s the glass half full. The other half of the glass is that the Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid is, in our view, the world’s most powerful fuel-efficient compact SUV. So forget about the old half-full/half-empty conundrum. The Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid is a glass full to the brim.
The 2008 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid is the first smaller-vehicle application of the two-mode hybrid technology developed as a joint project between General Motors, Chrysler and BMW. It was introduced in the 2008 GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe (see our 2008 Tahoe Hybrid car review) and is also available on the 2008 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid. The Saturn Vue is also the first front-wheel drive application of the two-mode system.
The Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, which won’t be in Saturn stores until early 2008, combines a 3.6-liter variable-valve timing direct-injection V-6 with the two-mode hybrid system. The V-6 is similar to that in the Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI, though detuned for 255 horsepower and 252 lb-ft or torque for this application.
The two-mode transmission combines two electric continuously variable modes with four fixed mechanical gear ratios. The system turns the engine off at idle and cuts fuel flow to the engine on deceleration, but the system’s official two modes of operation are:
First mode (low speed, light load): On moving away from rest, the Vue 2 Mode Hybrid can operate on electric power from the two 55-kW electric motors incorporated into the transmission at up to about 20 miles per hour (under light acceleration). The gasoline engine provides power for more acceleration and higher speeds and can operated in conjunction with the electric motors. The effect feels something like a continuously variable transmission, with a virtuously stepless sensation, the engine hardly ever sound like its revving.
Second mode: The electric motors shift to boosting the gasoline engine during heavy acceleration, towing or climbing steep grades. The transmission will also “lock up” for efficient power transfer while cruising at speed.
The magic is in the software and careful calibration that provides no sensation of changing modes. In models with a navigation screen, the (now) typical schematic will show where power flow is going, whether recharging the battery, running on gas engine only, etc., and if it weren’t for that, the only palpable indications of the dual-mode in operation is the slight torque reaction when the gas engine turns on and noises associated with controls and occasional electric motor-type noises. Reversing is done only by electric motors.
The instrument panel, however, has some significant differences from the conventional gas engine’s. There is no tachometer, the large dial to the left of the speedometer housing an “efficiency” gauge, the needle swinging from orange for least economical and green to the center and leftward for more economical operation. At idle stop, the gauge drops to a white zone on the left of the dial. A smaller dial below the larger needle tracks state of charge for the main hybrid operating batteries.
Because “starting” the two-mode hybrid won’t always start the gasoline engine running, a new small internationally-recognized symbol for “hybrid ready”—a warning light in green in the shape of a vehicle profile with a two headed arrow underneath—is in the lower left hand corner of the instrument panel. Another illuminated icon on the i.p. lights up when the vehicle is in regenerative braking mode.
The Saturn Vue 2-Moed Hybrid has “fully-blended” braking, meaning it can operate under 100 percent friction brakes, 100 percent generative braking or any combination of both).
The different weight distribution of the Vue 2 Mode Hybrid required changing the chassis tuning with different shocks, springs and anti-roll bars, but it’s all transparent to the operator, which it should be. The Vue 2 Mode Hybrid also comes with four-wheel anti-lock disc braking, stability control, roll-over detection and trailer sway control. The latter is necessary because the 2 Mode Hybrid is capable of towing up the 3,500 pounds, and sprints 0-60 in 7.5 seconds according to Saturn. Our experience with the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line was a 0-60 time of about 10.5 seconds.
The 2008 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid comes well equipped, including power mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio and cruise controls, and a six-speaker AM/FM stereo with CD/MP2 player and auxiliary input jack. A navigation system and sunroof are optional.
Saturn has discontinued use of the Green Line badge but last year’s Saturn Vue Green Line continues as simply the 2008 Vue Hybrid with the same “mild hybrid” system of the 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine with the external assist motor/generator, a package we found generally unsatisfactory in testing with disappointing gas mileage (though admittedly operating in a hilly area that didn’t how the Vue Green Line at its best).
We were not able to drive the 2008 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid far enough to get an independent observed fuel mileage rating, and there is no EPA estimate for fuel mileage either. However, based on the performance of the Yukon 2 Mode Hybrid and the 3.6-liter non-hybrid Saturn Vue of 16/23 mpg, we would expect an EPA rating of not less 28/28 mpg city/highway. Price for the Vue 2 Mode Hybrid hasn’t been set, but expect to pay no more than $33,000 (well equipped but with no options).
For anyone ready to downsize to a more fuel efficient SUV or who needs the oomph for trailering or other power-related need but still wants fuel economy, the 2008 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid equipped with the world’s most advanced hybrid system is an excellent choice. That’s what GM wants you to know, and we’ll drink to that.
Review: Cabin tech drives 2008 Dodge Durango Hybrid Posted by Wayne Cunningham 1 commentShare
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A new tech barge in old SUV clothing, the Dodge Durango Hybrid features an impressive array of cabin tech and one of the most advanced power trains in a production vehicle. This truck is big, with seating for seven, plus cargo space, all riding high in classic SUV fashion. But environmentalists could learn to love it as it turns in fuel economy equivalent to a V-6 sedan. We take a close look at this behemoth, maximizing our city mileage and testing out the cabin tech.
Read the review of the 2008 Dodge Durango Hybrid
The 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, a 4-door 5-passenger sedan, uses a gasoline/electric hybrid engine to maximize fuel economy with a 1.3L four-cylinder engine that generates 110 hp paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Honda Hybrid performance tops the Civic lineup with fuel economy of 40 mpg city/45 mpg hwy and 42 mpg combined. Hybrid models are equipped similarly to the Honda Civic EX and have automatic climate control. They can also be equipped with an optional navigation system, leather seats and heated seats.
Standard safety equipment includes antilock brakes, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, active front head restraints and stability control. Civic Hybrids have a slower acceleration time than other models and only around 10 cubic feet of truck space, due to the space taken up by the hardware of its gasoline/electric power train.
The good: Sync provides excellent voice command, along with MP3 player and cell phone integration in the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Sirius Travel Link provides useful information about traffic and gas prices in the car. The hybrid system gives the car very low emissions.
The bad: In our testing, fuel economy came in well under the EPA numbers. The audio system is only adequate.
The bottom line: Ford's cabin tech sets the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid far ahead of the competition, with extremely convenient features, and the hybrid system allows for gas-free driving at low speeds in this small and practical SUV.
Specifications: Body style: SUV; Available Engine: Hybrid See full specs
Driven: 2008 Toyota Matrix XRS car review; It's not a station wagon... Add a Comment November 2, 3:29 PM by John Matras, Auto Review Examiner
See this car? It’s a Toyota Corolla station wagon, but if you don’t tell it, neither will I.
We know it doesn’t look like a Corolla except in the most general way, but what you and I see as a Toyota Matrix is, in the fine print, a Toyota Corolla Matrix. It says so right on the window sticker. That’s part of a ruse on Toyota’s part to puff Corolla’s numbers for bragging rights about the world’s most popular model.
But the regular Toyota Corolla sedan and the 2008 “Toyota Corolla Matrix 5-door sedan,” while they share common underpinnings are no more than kissing cousins sharing the barest of family resemblance on the outside. The Matrix is taller, a tall wagon that’s sort of sporty, and the effort that Toyota stylists have put into the sporty part is obvious. The front spoiler was filched from (a) a nineteenth century railroad locomotive’s cowcatcher or (b) an American LeMans Series racer. The honeycomb grille and the scoop-like opening below it—a lower grille?—are black on all trim levels and particularly distinctive.
While the Corolla sedan has a ridged hood that leads into the A-pillar, the Matrix has dramatic, almost reptilian spines running up from the front, up the A-pillar to a roof significantly higher than the typical compact sedan’s. The roof tapers slightly towards the rear where there is on our test Matrix XRS a spoiler over the hatch.
A bigger difference between the top of the line XRS and the lesser standard Matrix (though shared by the mid-line S trim level) is under the hood. Instead of a 1.8-liter 132 horsepower four cylinder engine, the XRS and S have a 2.4-liter four rated at 158 horses with 162 lb-ft of torque. Both engines have double overhead camshafts with variable valve timing, which helps boost torque on smaller engines like these. Two-point-four liters isn’t particularly small, however, and we’re honestly surprised that Toyota couldn’t have coaxed a few more ponies from this mill.
Under the hood is another XRS exclusive, a strut tower brace that links the top of the front suspension bits on either side of the car. It’s back almost under the Matrix’s cowl so Toyota chromed it to make it more visible. It’s there to stiffen the front end of the XRS, which begs the question: Does that mean the front ends of the standard and S trim levels are floppy by comparison? Or is this just a sop to owners who might otherwise visit their local aftermarket supplier for a similar part that might not work as well…
But speaking of better handling, the XRS has standard 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels wrapped with 215/45R18 rubber. All Matrixes come with four-wheel disc brakes, though the XRS discs are an inch larger in diameter and a smidge bigger at the rear on the XRS and the all-wheel drive models. All-wheel drive is optional on both the S and XRS trim levels. Our tester had front-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive and XRS trim-level Matrixes have double A-arm rear suspension instead of the lesser models’ simpler twist beam set-up. There are a host of reasons the former is the better, including being fully independent and also lighter in terms of unsprung weight—the weight of the suspension and bits—so therefore able to react to pavement irregularities. In other words, it gives a better ride. The double A-arm arrangement also has a better “geometry” that can keep the wheel more upright while cornering for better grip.
Starting at the rear of the inside, the Matrix has a hard plastic floor but with rubber rub strips to help keep large items from sliding around. There are also tie-down loops and a neat mesh bag with a zipper to hold smaller objects in place. The rear seatback folds flat (60/40) for more cargo capacity, and that’s flat as in truly flat so large rectangular items can easily be slid all the way in.
With the rear seatback raised, the back seat is particularly roomy for a small car. With the front seat set for a five-foot-ten autowriter, another five-foot-ten fits in back with several inches of knee room left. Headroom is a no-brainer. So to speak. The Matrix’s dash is almost voluptuous. Even the dash vents have their own bulges. The shifter is located on the center stack, that vertical part of the dash between driver and passenger, something of a recent trend. Our tester had the optional five-speed automatic transmission; the automatic option for the standard is only a four-speed, unfortunate because the smaller engines could use the help of another ratio. We’d have preferred the five-speed manual but at least the automatic has a tip-shift feature for manual control.
Part of the XRS trim level is the steering wheel wrapped in genuine cow. The instrument panel is unusual, with two rings trimmed in silver for the speedometer and tachometer and a smaller oblong opening for the engine temperature and fuel gauges, outside temperature, odometer and transmission. We’re not sure why but the assemblage reminds us the robot Bender from Matt (The Simpsons) Groening’s Futureworld.
We’re so spoiled these days that we call 158 horsepower “not a lot,” but despite the numbers we thought our test Toyota Matrix XRS had a fair amount of zip. We even noticed torque steer, particularly on rougher pavement that would make the wheels hop off the grounds or sandy patches from runoff across the road. If our tester had all-wheel drive, acceleration would be more disciplined. On the other hand, with all wheel drive, there would be less acceleration, thanks to the added weight and mechanical drag. We’ve driven an all-wheel drive 2008 Matrix XRS and thought its reflexes were rather slow and suspect that hills would leave it panting. On yet another hand, we’d much rather be in an all-wheel drive model in the snow.
That said, the 2008 Toyota Matrix XRS was agile on gollywiggling roads though we felt more like we were sitting on the seat than it, thanks to the high “h-point,” the distance of the driver’s hips off the ground. That extra head room of the higher roof doesn’t come without some price.
Speaking of prices, the Matrix’s low price comes at the price of highway noise. Like other cars in this price range, a fair amount of tire noise filters up into the passenger compartment, enough so that any wind noise isn’t a factor. Nothing comes for free.
But it can be reasonable. The standard Matrix with no options checks in at $16,160 while our tested 2008 Toyota Matrix XRS started at $21,850. Thanks primarily to a nine-speaker JBL audio system with MP3 playback, XM radio, Bluetooth and steering wheel-mounted controls—that’s $1,100—and the sunroof—another $890—total comes to $24,560.
The EPA says the front-wheel drive XRS should get 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 on the highway. All-wheel drive cuts that to 20/26 respectively..
So far this review has not once mentioning the dreaded S(tation) W(agon) words, but we’ll have to admit that the Matrix, even with its taller roofline, taller than a conventional Corolla wagon would be, certainly doesn’t look as dowdy as a conventional Corolla wagon, if such existed, certainly would.
However, we think the exterior somewhat oversells the actual performance from the Matrix. It’s sort of like getting a Victoria’s Secret catalog that says “60 percent off” on the cover and then finding out that the percentage is referring a sale. But even then the catalog’s not bad for perusing—uh, shopping for a gift—and we have to admit that the 2008 Toyota Matrix XRS is a pretty good station wagon.
Whoops! There we said it. Well, the Matrix had to find out it’s a wagon sometime. The Toyota Matrix might as well learn from friends that it’s really a station wagon in a hot set of duds.
P.S.: Way back in 2002, Toyota learned its lesson. The ’02 Matrix XRS had a real zinger of an engine, a 1.8-liter four tuned to produce 180 horsepower with a redline of 8200 rpm. Wowzer.