The Toyota Matrix is an excellent and sturdy car. I have owned it for five years, purchasing it in 2013 when it was six years old and had about 124,000 miles on it. It now has over 170,000 miles on it and is still running well. I have it serviced regularly and have purchased new tires for it once. I has never had any problems since I have owned it, and I have driven in blizzards, heavy rain and for long road trips, commuting, etc. It is not fancy, and the base model has manual mirrors. The hatchback is spacious and great for hauling things back and forth from college as well as fit your friends in it for carpools. The cloth interior is easy to vacuum and clean, and it is just a sturdy, well-rounded vehicle. I got it at a good price, and it will hopefully last a long time. It has a good amount of power but nothing super great. It's a good vehicle for everyday use and will do what you ask of it. It might not be as comfortable to drive or be in for a taller individual, but as a shorter person, I have always been comfortable, and the customization offered by the manually adjustable seat and steering wheel have always met my needs.

I am able to fit my entire drum kit plus additional instruments in my car with space to spare, because of the fold flat seating. I get very good gas mileage with the Matrix - I drive over 23 miles back and forth to work five days a week and a full tank lasts me most of the work week. I like using the power outlet to charge my cell phone as well as my GPS unit. Outside of normal maintenance every few months (oil, tire rotation), I have not had to put much work into the car and it is almost 10 years old! The only slightly negative thing I can possibly say is that I occasionally, maybe once or twice a year, have issues with my "check engine" light coming on for no reason. The light seems to reset itself once it is plugged into a diagnostic machine. Other than that, I have had no issues with my Matrix. I've driven it in a lot of different road conditions and terrain, and it always handles safely and efficiently.