The Cars Americans Will Not Buy

[acvw74]

Saw this article and laughed since I own 2 on the list. I don't think most people "get" our Vibe/Matrix...it fine but hate to see them end production.

http://247wallst.com/2012/05/03/the-car ... l-not-buy/

[KITT222]

The fact that the Yaris is on there perplexes me. Than again there are the new American alternatives, namely Sonic and Fiesta.

Toyota is trying to bring a logical case to the table to kill the Matrix, and they sure have one now. Something tells me that the final remnant of the GM-Toyota marriage is going away soon.

Dust off the bugles, the trip to Matrixowners is imminent!

[colterk]

Saw this article and laughed since I own 2 on the list. I don't think most people "get" our Vibe/Matrix...it fine but hate to see them end production.

http://247wallst.com/2012/05/03/the-car ... l-not-buy/

very interesting read, thank you for sharing. weird that the matrix is on there. everyone that I know that has one loves it. Some good things are just under appreciated. one thing that can maybe account for this lack of interest is the fact toyota hasn't really done much as far as changing it up a bit, no facelifts. There have been minor changes but nothing drastic. I mean look at 08 vibes compared to 09, drastic. look at focuses, how many body style changes has it gone through and yet look at its popularity... just a thought.

[jkm311]

Notice the Matrix is the only vehicle without a single negative quality. It's simply, as Colterk put it, under-appreciated. And it's a damn shame.

[zyzyix]

One other thing that may have counted against the Matrix, the soon to be discontinued Scion XB is virtually the same at a lower cost, with the 2.4 engine as standard.

[trb]

About the only advantage the Matrix has over many of its competitors is the available AWD. You have to step up to a small SUV or a Subaru to get that item most of the time. And it is not needed in a lot of the country. Most Toyota dealers apparently don't value it as much as the Pontiac dealers did, since they have several other comparable vehicles to push. My former Pontiac dealer says they wish they still had the Vibe to sell. They sold thousands of them over the years, and relatively few had problems.

I prefer the looks of the Vibe, but I may be also looking for a nice 2012 or so Matrix S if I need a newer car in a few years.

[star_deceiver]

About the only advantage the Matrix has over many of its competitors is the available AWD. You have to step up to a small SUV or a Subaru to get that item most of the time.

The main problem with the Matrix AWD is cost. I was at the Toyota/Scion dealer yesterday, they had an awd Matrix in the showroom.... $28'xxx before taxes. They also had a 1.8 w/slush for upwards of $22'xxx. For those prices there are much more appealing vehicles on the Toyota lot.

This version of the Matrix is done. I have no doubt that a Corrola wagon is in the works and I'd be surprised if it wasn't on sale by 2014!

[acvw74]

This version of the Matrix is done. I have no doubt that a Corrola wagon is in the works and I'd be surprised if it wasn't on sale by 2014![/quote]



Do you think that the "new" version of the vibe is out?...The Prius V?

[jake75]

1. The Scion xB is being discontinued?
My guess is that it a 2.4L in the Scion xB is equivalent to the 1.8L in the Matrix. Lower mpg?

2. Step-up to a Subaru? Are Subaru's more expensive than a Matrix?

[acvw74]

Had an XB with the 2.4 great car...couldn't get better than 28mpg and I thought it was "tinny" in the doors and roof.

As for Subaru...depends on the model you are looking at...read some forums about them having problems with the boxer engine when they get above 160k

[journeyforce]

1. The Scion xB is being discontinued?
My guess is that it a 2.4L in the Scion xB is equivalent to the 1.8L in the Matrix. Lower mpg?

2. Step-up to a Subaru? Are Subaru's more expensive than a Matrix?

The 2.4l engine is a dog when it comes to good fuel economy. For a 4 banger that is not with a turbo or SC to have that low mpg is a shame. My XB gets 27-28mpg on the highway and mixed driving(city/hwy) and I don't beat on it. My 2005 Buick LeSabre that I had before it with a 3.8l V6 and 200hp got 25-26mpg and it was much larger.

I don't know about the price of the Subaru, but i know they are more thirsty then the base Vibe. A friend of mine has a WRX and with high gas prices commutes to work with the beater Cavalier due to it getting better MPGs

[journeyforce]

The Yaris (the last gen and the current gen) are (removed) ugly. The only folks buying that car are those who value great gas MPGs over everything else. The past gen of the Yaris and the Echo(another (removed) ugly car) were very cheap to buy and own. But this current gen of Yaris is not attractively priced and suffers from the Toyota Tercel syndrome(Toyota Tercel was a subcompact Toyota made and sold in the USA from 1980-1998 and was replaced by the Echo) The last 4 years of the Tercel, Toyota priced them so high in price for a decent one that they were only a $1000-$1500 less then a decent version of the Corolla and being the Corolla was bigger and more comfy and drove better while returning good gas mileage, a lot of folks bought Corollas instead(in fact the Corolla was the biggest competition to the Tercel)

A nicely equipped 5 door hatch Yaris on that lot was $16,998. You saw in my other post the cost of a nicely optioned Corolla was less then $19,000 so a lot of folks bought Corolla's instead. To most folks the Corolla name means quality with a low price and high resale value so why would you not want to get one instead if the price was good?

The Matrix is a good car but over priced compared to the Corolla and now that the Prius C is there and a good price(can you say cheap and hybrid) there is no point to the matrix. Plus I have never never never ever seen Toyota market the Matrix.

For the Yaris and Matrix the biggest competition is on the same Toyota lot

The VW Routan was a pointless vehicle. It looks and drives like a Caravan but is higher. Why in the heck would I want to pay more for what amounts to a caravan with a VW badge on it when I can simply by a Dodge for cheaper? Reminds me of another tidbit of rebadged greatness the Chrysler TC by Maserati

[star_deceiver]

Do you think that the "new" version of the vibe is out?...The Prius V?

The Prius V is much larger then the Matrix and has a base price of $27K up here, whereas (if you can find one) you can buy the base model Matrix for a little less then $18K. Anybody who values driving dynamics or merely enjoys the act of driving won't buy any sort of Prius... although I can think of worse cars to own.

[acvw74]

Do you think that the "new" version of the vibe is out?...The Prius V?

Anybody who values driving dynamics or merely enjoys the act of driving won't buy any sort of Prius... although I can think of worse cars to own.

Yeah...I don't think I could drive a Prius...my other car is a Mazda 6...it can out drive a BMW 3 series...and on a long trip gets 35mpg.