I've had my Matrix for 5 years now, its been the most reliable car I've ever owned. I picked that Matrix because of the body style, I'm very athletic year round and it holds all my sports gear with room to spare. It is pretty comfortable, however long distance drives you tend to get pretty stiff sitting still that long. It could be a little more comfortable in the seats. Being a crossover there are blind spots, but you should be physically looking each direction instead of relying on your mirrors. I currently have 70k miles on it, and am going through the basic upkeep maintenance. It has not been in the shop yet, with exception to basic upkeep. Being the AWD version, it does consume a little more gas then the normal Matrix. I average 26 mpg which isn't bad for AWD. It has better pick up then FWD vehicles, don't see myself ever going back to FWD vehicles. I absolutely love driving my Matrix. I feel safe driving on the snow, it handles beautifully in the snow. When I purchased my Matrix, my insurance rates dropped by $30/ month so I increased the coverage and it was still cheaper then my prior vehicle.

I love everything about my car! It's great on gas; I've made a 6 hour trip to and from Niagara falls, and I only stopped maybe 3 times all together! (And the gas was cheap). I have never had any difficulties with it. I keep up with my car's maintenance year round, which helps, but in general I believe this car is just well made. It feels powerful whenever I hit the gas and makes me feel good in my little car. It feels very safe, and I really like how it sits up high - making me feel even safer. I've heard people call the Toyota Matrix the "little-big" car. And I understand why! With the back trunk already large for such a small fuel efficient car, you can put the backseat down for extra space! I've moved plenty of times and let me tell you how much that's saved me a good few trips. I really do love this car and wouldn't trade it for the world.