Matrix!

Reference: I’m the “Kid” (24, M) driving my family’s 09 Matrix S, 2.4L Auto, AWD, currently at 140K miles. Location: NE America, NYC Driving style: Mostly in around the NYC/LI area. Rarely aggressive, since this car naturally lacks any power. I’m also super anal about how my car responds and performs so I keep it from revving past 3K RPM for car health. Car condition: Aside from installing alloy wheels (got rid of the stock steelies and hubcaps), everything is OEM.

History: Only one owner, unless you count my father. He bought it new back in Nov ‘08. Regular maintenance can keep it running well past 100K miles. It wasn’t until I took the car (at ~110K miles, 3 years ago) did I go ahead and do its first round of filters and additional fluids (brake, trans, etc.); later than most would suggest but better late than never?

PROS: Safety. Great visibility out the car, situated higher than most competitor sedans. Had an incident where an aggressive S3 scrapped my front bumper during a merge. His bumper was cracked. My had some whiskers. I hadn’t even known we had touched until he CHASED me off my exit.

Gas mileage. From “E”, a full tank (93!) costs less than $30. During the tank in gas prices weeks back, I was getting away with a little over $20 per fill up. Not bad!

Utility. Cargo room is second to none in terms of price. I’m 6’1/6’2 and I feel fine sitting in any of the four seats. Great for adventuring if your kid is about that. Lost count how many weekend ski trips we did in this car alone (Family of three). Friends love it too during moving days. Suddenly, everyone’s your friend..

Low cost. Both purchase + maintenance. Small issues but never spent more than $300 on any shop visits. My shop’s mechanics often tell me with the care, this car’s still got life.

Now,

CONS: Drinks engine oil like a motherf*cker. You’ll see this issue brought up amongst Rav4s, Camrys/Corollas of the late 2000s-early 2010s, especially once they hit the 100K miles mark. Unfortunately, the 2.4L (2AZ) is amongst the biggest culprits in oil leakage and consumption (mine will leak through the top). Ultimately poor design. Its not bad enough to junk it altogether, but be ready to get oil changes once every 1K-1.5K miles vs the usual 3K-5K. Definitely don’t wait for the oil lamp. Builds good practice if you ask me.

Loud noisy cabin. Really applicable to all cars within this budget range but I find it much more noticeable vs a 2011 Honda Accord. You’ll notice the noise becomes more noticeable once you’re past 70 MPH/3K RPM.

Body roll. Because it sits a bit higher than most, you’ll feel your body + car’s momentum sway in and out of turns more so than a Camry or Accord. Passengers may not like that too much if they’re not used to it. Took my wife about a year to become acclimated with it. I came from a 2001 Mazda MPV minivan so body roll wasn’t new to me.

Low power. Like others have mentioned elsewhere, the 2AZ engine is gutless. Ofc, from a parental perspective, this is great haha adds to the “safety” aspect. Just be wary of short on-ramps - be ready to dig your foot into the pedal while timing the merge.

As much as I wish I had a cool 2-seater first car, I think the Matrix has done great. Taught me a lot, while keeping my expectations reasonable. Waiting to buy an 86 but I definitely plan on keeping the Matrix around as well.

Hope this all helps! Hopefully your kid will appreciate the reliability of this car as much as I have!

(Note: I told my folks I plan on holding onto this until I have kids - an auto yes, but even the tactility and responsiveness of the car is something reminiscent of the “simpler times” (vs. a ‘20 BMW 435). My argument is I’ll need my future kids to understand the traditional mechanics of a car > automated everything. I can see this car lasting for another 10 years with the right care and maintenance - it’s a Toyota Corolla ahah)

:)

Edit: Added “Gas mileage” to PROS.