Honda Accord Or Nissan Altima: Which One Does V-6 Better?
A decade ago, both the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima were offered in base four-cylinder versions... Read More
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Acceleration times will not set the world ablaze, but the Matrix will certainly keep up with traffic.
the 2.4-liter’s extra torque—162 pound-feet compared with the 1.8-liter’s 128—helps move the extra pork
the steering wheel exhibits natural motion through the range of travel, lightening up for city driving and firming up for greater velocities. Very well done, Toyota.
PERFORMANCE | 7 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Acceleration times will not set the world ablaze, but the Matrix will certainly keep up with traffic.
Motor Trend
the 2.4-liter’s extra torque—162 pound-feet compared with the 1.8-liter’s 128—helps move the extra pork
MSN Autos
the steering wheel exhibits natural motion through the range of travel, lightening up for city driving and firming up for greater velocities. Very well done, Toyota.
Vehix.com
The 2013 Toyota Matrix is offered in base and S models; and while the stronger of the two packs a rather large 2.4-liter four and sportier suspension, there's nothing all that scorching about the driving experience in either case.
Base models come with a 132-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, which we tend to recommend over the S models, which get that larger 158-hp engine. The 2.4-liter is quite a bit thirstier—especially in all-wheel-drive (S AWD) form—and when you either get all-wheel drive or the base 1.8-liter you're saddled with an old-tech four-speed automatic (S models do get a better five-speed automatic). A five-speed manual is standard with either engine, and it's a light, willing combination.
By the looks of the Matrix, you might expect it to handle a bit better than the Corolla sedan. It does, due to a suspension that's tuned just a half-step firmer than that of the Corolla sedan, but it's definitely no hot hatch. With steering that feels light and dull, there's just not all that much fun to be extracted here.
All-wheel-drive models get a rear double-wishbone suspension arrangement in place of the other cars' torsion-beam setup, but that doesn't have the more enthusiastic feel it might suggest, either.
Conclusion
There's nothing hot-hatch about the 2013 Toyota Matric—although it is perky with the manual gearbox.
