Another trip to the Toyota Dealer

[journeyforce]

So today I stopped by the Toyota dealer to get a key cut and to have them program a remote. for my Scion XB. The keys that came with the Scion were these remote and key combos(the remote was the key head) I think all Toyota that have remote entry have these and also the Vibes. That is a cool idea since it means only one thing for both BUT that being said the remote/key is obscenely big and the key part longer then it needs to so I had this thought. because the XB key does not have a transponder (chip that tells the car to start) then I could try something

I bought a remote/key combo with the same FCC ID from eBay (very important so that the remote will work on your car) that was already cut for another car. I then dremeled the key part off leaving the plastic remote head. I then bought a few vintage(from the mid 1990's) toyota key blanks that still had the TOYOTA block letter logo(instead of the Toyota circle logo) before I bought them I verified that the key was the correct ones for the XB and had them cut at the dealership for free. I also had the remote programmed free too

The result was a normal sized transmitter and a normal sized key for under $15(I got 5 key blanks) I like the TOYOTA logo as it looks great. I never liked the current logo as it looked like a cow head



While on the lot I saw the new Scion IQ. This car is so small and has no trunk space unless the rear seats are put down(the back of the rear seats were touching the tailgate). I am still trying to figure out what kind of market these cars would be for. The Smart four2 does not sell and it is doubtful the IQ will sell much. But still it shows that Toyota is not afraid to try something new(I am waiting for the Scion RWD sports car to come out so I can test drive it)

The car next to it is a Scion XD which is about the size of a Yaris



I also saw why the Matrix does not sell. It is overpriced The base Matrix(not an S or AWD version) with the auto trans and 1.8l sells for $20,670.00










It has the same features as it did in 2009

The 2012 Corolla with auto trans and power locks,windows and mirrors by contrast sells for $18895.00





Plus the Corolla has both an AUX port and USB port standard!

Now I love the Vibe and Matrix but I have to say that if i was on the lot buying then I would have to lean towards the Corolla because I save hundreds over a matrix and it has so much more that comes with it. I talked to a sales person and he told me that they had sold only 2 Vibes over the last 4 months but about 40 Corollas and there seems to be some truth to that as some of the Corollas were sitting with window tags saying sold and the customers name. He also told me that a lot of the folks coming into look at Matrix wind up buying a Scion XB because it is roomier and cheaper(a well equipped auto XB comes out to be $17872 out the door) Plus with the Prius C on sale now and selling for $20,000-$21000 before taxes and tags and all that happy horse crap, there doesa not seem to be a market at all for the Matrx. It is like Toyota is going out of its way to chase folks away from the Matrix so they can kill it off. It does not bode well for our favorite hatchback

[09vGT]

I love the Scion iQ. I would LOVE to have one to drive around town. LOL they make me smile.

[KITT222]

I sat in an IQ today. I guess the idea and execution are pretty good, but based on the For2, I have little hope for it. The XB meanwhile... I sat in it, and I liked it.

There is something about using just a bare metal key... I love using my spare key occasionally. It feels so much more connected!

It is like Toyota is going out of its way to chase folks away from the Matrix so they can kill it off. It does not bode well for our favorite hatchback

Yeah... They want to rid the world of the last remainder of their GM marriage. Such a shame. Well, at least there's the Prius V, which shows they still have interest in holding the hatchback/wagon market.

[jake75]

I see it is called a "Corolla Matrix" on the sticker.
How does the basic Rav-4 2wd AT 4 cyl price compare to the Matrix? I suspect it is not much more.
The 2009 Vibe base 1.8L AT stickered at $19,480. But for the fire sale price and rebates galore (including $3,000 GM card points) I would not have bought it.
Actually, I would have paid up to $2,000 more than it cost me and still had a killer deal. Next time I buy a new car I will probably loosen up the purse strings a bit.
Retirement account balances looking a whole lot better now than they did in January 2009, and I've got 3 years less lifetime to cover now than I did in Jan. 2009.

[vibenvy]

The iQ is so cute! I know I would be so uncomfortable driving one though. Definitely not my cup of tea. I picture this being a perfect car for a teenage girl though.

That sticker price for the Matrix is ridiculous! The sticker price of my fully loaded 2009 Vibe GT was $23,xxx, so $20,xxx for a Base 1.8L Matrix is just plain nuts!

[jake75]

But the comparable 2009 Vibe base 1.8L AT total msrp was $19,480. The 2012 Matrix at 20,670 is just $1,190 more.
That is only a 2% per year increase. My point - the msrp stickers on the 2009's were equally ridiculous. But at least the Vibes were generally selling for a lot less due to discounts and rebates.

[Kincaid]

It is like Toyota is going out of its way to chase folks away from the Matrix so they can kill it off. It does not bode well for our favorite hatchback

Yeah... They want to rid the world of the last remainder of their GM marriage. Such a shame.

I suspect this is exactly it. Funny how in corporate, capitalist America, you still see decisions being made that are entirely personal.

[jake75]

In corporate America (or in corporate Japan) the decisions are generally not personal - they are more of the "show me the money" variety.
Yeh - the Vibe/Matrix might be your favorite hatchback for $16,500, but not so at $21,000. For that kind of money something else becomes your favorite. I have favorite restaurants when I want to spend $15 a meal, but a different list when I am spending $25 a meal. In the USA hatchbacks are not as appreciated as in some countries. So the low volume equates to a higher unit cost. There is life after the Vibe and Matrix sail off into the sunset. There are a lot of better options out there for the same or even less money.

[hotbug1776]

I'm almost 6'3" and would so rock an IQ. I think as a non-family vehicle it's just about perfect. Why lug around all that extra just to go to work, or on a solo road trip. I'd like it more as a diesel or electric (for driving to work).

[star_deceiver]

I sat in an iQ the other day, and my 6'4 frame easily fit. There's more room up front then in my Vibe... too bad the base purchase price after tax is $2200 more then what I paid for my Vibe brand new!

[journeyforce]

So I made the trip back to the local Toyota dealer to get my Xb's first service done(oil change and tire rotation) and it was to mixed results. I have wheel locks on the wheel(I posted about them on the past) and after experiencing a shop destroying my wheel locks on a past car 10 years ago, I am in a habit of removing the wheel locks on my car before taking it in for any work that might require removing the tires. I also leave the hubcaps at home

So going into the dealer I had 4 lug nuts on each tire and one missing(there are 5 lug nuts per tire) when I got the car back I noticed a shiny new lug nut on each of the wheels. Instead of having 4 lug nuts per wheel and the 5th one removed, I now had all 5 lug nuts on each wheel . It seemed whoever did the tire rotation thought I must have managed to lose one lug nut on each tire I was not charged for them and now I have 8 spare lug nuts(the 4 i originally took for for the locks and the 4 new ones) it is the first time I got something for free at a dealer.

I was however charged $30 for reprograming the remote(my one remote quit last week and a new battery did not fix it) I was told that it lost reprogramming because of the battery being removed and replaced(I smell BS because the car has a module that logs the remote FCC ID code and remembers it so if a battery is removed as long as the remote itself is undamaged it should work fine after batter replacement) I will ask Scion if they call to inquire how my visit was.

Now one of the things that I was hoping to see was the new FR-S and this dealer had two. But by the time I came in they were sold. It seemed that they had one out in the show room for about 4 hours sitting in its own space with loads of promotional materials around it only to have to move it out again because somebody quickly bought it. so no pics of it. I will try to take a pic of one next time I am there.

Finally I saw yet another sign of the matrix doom. The base 4WD automatic RAV4 sells for $22,593 before taxes/tags by contrast in the next aisle, there was a AWD Matrix priced at 23,184 before all that happy horse crap. There is no real market for the matrix. You get more stuff for your money with a Corolla sedan for $18,000 and you get AWD, ample room and decent MPG with a RAV4 starting at around $22,000

I like the Matrix but it seems Toyota is pricing it to compete with other Toyota vehicles