Scion xA, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, anyone drive one of these?

[NickB79]

I've been driving a 1998 Ford Taurus for the past two years that has been a very decent car. It's been doing ~22 mpg city, 28 highway (verified by my obsessive recording of milage and fill-ups), which I consider pretty good for a mid-size car that's over 150,000 miles. However, I'm looking into getting a second car now that my girlfriend and I are getting serious and moving in together (she has no car of her own and can't afford one right now, while I can).

My specifications are:

-good gas mileage: 25 mpg city, 35 mpg highway would be good. My driving needs are pretty much 50/50 highway and city (I'm moving to St. Paul but still drive up north 75 miles to visit my family and help out on the farm on weekends)
-decent cargo space, which is why I'm looking towards a hatchback
-4-door

A Toyota Prius would be excellent, but it is also more expensive, and the waiting list is still pretty long right now. So, the three cars I've seen on the roads around here that really catch my eye are the xA, the Matrix, and the Pontiac. I'm leaning towards the Matrix because of Toyota's excellent reputation, but Scion's xA also looks intriguing. The Pontiac looks nice, IMO, but I don't know how their track record is reliability-wise.

All input would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Nite Owl]

1. The Matrix and the Vibe are

basically the same car I think. They share the same platform. I would get the Matrix for resale value though. I was looking at cars and I loved the little Matrix. Horsepower was kinda low though, 130 I think? I'm not sure which Scion that is. My son drove the coupe and it was nice.

[gbwarming]

2. Yes, Matrix and Vibe are both built at the Nummi plant in Fremont, CA.

Nummi cars have done very well in Consumer Reports reliability ratings (nova/corolla, prizm/corolla, vibe/matrix). The GM version is probably a better deal if you buy used.

I had a 2000 Echo that I really liked. It was peppy, roomy, and got great mileage - Scion xA and xB (don't know about xC) are based on the same platform. All three of the cars that you are interested in are Toyota quality despite the different brands. Good choices!

Edit: My manual transmission 2 door Echo averaged 37.4mpg over it's 67000 mile life with a mixture of commute and town driving. Typical road trip mileage was 40-44mpg, Michigan winter town driving averaged about 33mpg. The only weak point was that it was a handful in high gusty winds. I think the xA might be a little lower and thus better in this regard. Mileage should be similar.

[smiley_glad_hands]

3. Matrix and Vibe are the exact same car.

Slightly different body styles. Toyota and Pontiac shared development costs and it is built on the Toyota Corolla frame. The Matrix however will retain its value more than the Pontiac because of the brand.

My wife has a Matrix and she loves it. You're not going to get 35 mpg on the highway though, but you'll get better mileage than your Taurus. The thing about the Matrix/Vibe is functionality and the percieved amount of room inside the car----looks small on the outside--but on the inside its really roomy and comfortable--you sit higher up more like an suv and you can fold all the seats down to haul stuff if you need to. If you get the sports package, which my wife has, beware that the car sits very low to the ground and you Will at some point scrape the front sporty trim stuff under the car. All in all--my wife loves her Matrix and I think its a pretty neat car.

Scion is made by Toyota also---i think anyway. Thats about all I know about the scion.

[NickB79]

4. Thanks for the info about the Matrix/Vibe. How do prices compare?

What is the going price for the Matrix and the Vibe? I've looked up the MSRP, and the Vibe seems a bit higher than the Matrix. What do they go for in real-world prices? Thanks again.

[smiley_glad_hands]

5. It would seem to me that the Matrix would

be more expensive than the Vibe, but you should definately shop around. My wife had to have a Matrix when it first came out, so I think we probably paid a little too much for it, but its been worth it. The best time to buy a new car, in my experience, is in the fall--they want to move this years model's to make room for next years model.

You can custom order your Matrix at the toyota website and submit it to dealers for a quote.

On edit: We paid ~21,000 for 2003 Matrix XR in the fall of 2002--it was a brand new model so the buying in the fall rule didn't apply.

Also, to comment on horsepower, it does only have 130 horsepower, but it does have some kick and you won't have any problems accelerating into traffic. All in all, its a great car.