2003 Toyota Matrix XRS: Regular Car Reviews
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- We drive the 2ZZ poered Toyota Matrix XRS. It has flaws but it still was a contender for the Civic Si market share.
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Inflation adjustment is substantial for early 2000s car. We are getting old.
Ikr It still feels like just yesterday I got my 83 gmc sierra off a used car lot but that car was new almost 40 years ago now
It doesn't help that Cash for Clunkers really drained the pool of cars from that era like Roman talked about. I really didn't realize the difference until I went on Craigslist and tried to find something between 1995 and 2005 with less than 150K.
@@andrewstewart1464 Yeah its too bad cash for clunkers killed all the old cars. The average consumer just doesnt understand why old cars can be just as good as a new one.
@@andrewstewart1464 Amen! The Roman really hit the nail on the head. I was doing just what you were last fall, and
here in Iowa and the used car market has gone insane since CFC.
@@JonLasaga I did the same with a 73 Z/25 in 86......33 years ago!?!? And the Z (If still alive) is almost 50! I'm calling it. I'm old.
I’ll never forget the guy passing me down the highway doing about 80 in 2007 riding in one of these with the hatch door open revealing an ungodly large speaker mounted to it blasting Rammstein’s Du Hast.
😮
that guy fucks
Fever dream material
DUUUUUUUUUUU
DU HAST
DU HAST MICH
it does have a very practical load area. ours got totalled when some doofus ran a stop sign and t boned my girlfriend and she have a Prius C now and it's worse in every way.
fortunately it gave me an excuse to go buy a Miata so silver linings.
I drove the Plymouth Vibe version of this car from Detroit Michigan to Nicaragua and back over 9 months. It was driven over catastrophically poor roads, with questionable fuel quality and it never ever failed to perform. We sold it to a high school kid whose mom wished she could replace her own GM SUV with it. It was a manual, in electric blue. Her name was La Delfina. I love her still.
I have a 04 Matrix XR with 165k and it has it's original drivetrain and ac, pwr steering and everything. Best car I've ever owned. It may not be the best looking but it's been damn reliable.
I have a 2003 xr with 240,000, still going and I have the manual 5 speed and I thrash it sometimes... the open diff sucks... wheelspin city
when you only upgrade engine
And tranny, suspensions a bit firmer, front strut bar, but yeah you buy this car for the engine
When you hear that it has a 2zz so you and the bois go parting every junkyard xrs.
Ultimate sleeper?
@@andrewduong2740 If it was actually fast but no this thing is still slow.
@@flameo8191 to put this engine in a echo hb ;)
Bar-O-Metal ®
Now with... Suspension... Maybe
Absolutely nothing wrong with a rear suspension you can pick up with one hand.
I just found the perfect name for my new metal band
TBH, I didn't even know the Matrix XRS existed before I saw this. Once I saw this video, I knew this would be the perfect first car. Beforehand, I was debating between a manual IS300 and an EP3 Civic Si, but I couldn't find either in my price range. Here I am a year later, happy as can be with my 04 XRS, such an amazingly fun car! Thanks, Mr. Regular!
Long time listener, first time poster for "Birds In The Burbs" on 1360AM
The 1zz models of the matrix and vibes are phenomenal cars.
And just by this video the xsr variant just went up in resale value.....
Go for the Pontiac Vibe Gt then it looks slightly cooler anyways
@@davidf2392 yes but relatively fewer numbers made in comparison
@@davidf2392 but the plastic...
Yeah fuck people who do that. Like come on, we poor people gotta buy it too.
@@fordmustang269 I LIKE THE PLASTIC
Thanks for using my car 🤟🏾. You guys are the best
I've got an 09 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L. 200k miles. Love it to death.
I miss my 2000 Celica GT-S (with 2ZZ)... Smiles is what it made. Not fast, but fun. Note: Highest mileage I got ever recorded was 39.5 MPG.
Tbh 180hp is quite fast
@@lex_4242 it's only 180 bhp when in lift. 130 bhp before 6200 rpm
Respect to you sir
Same... 39 mpg on a trip to Florida and found a gas station with 75c/gallon. Life was simpler then.
@@lex_4242 Umm no. I'm not saying something has to be 250 to be fast but 180 is adequate at best.
Why Rev hang exists, if anyone is curious: At full throttle in a port fuel injected car, the inside walls of the intake runners will often get "wet" with fuel, and if you snap the throttle closed, this fuel will pour into the cylinders with very little air to go along with it, resulting in a temporary, extremely rich air/fuel ratio. This is bad for emissions and can damage the catalytic converter over time, so engines with electronic throttle bodies will keep the butterfly slightly open for a fraction of a second to make sure the excess fuel gets burned efficiently. Thanks for coming to my TED talk, I got this information from one of the Smoking Tire podcasts.
"redline is 8200 rpm or 8400 rpm depending on who you're arguing with" 😂🤣
@Never Gonnatell Redline for mine was whenever the engine blew up
Redline on mine was whenever I felt like shifting
Revlimit for mine is whenever I shifted from 6th to 4th
I swear by 8300 lol
I’ve the Europe version Corolla Tsport 190bhp,came with strut braces,redlined at 8,200
How did I miss this when you first posted it? I had an 03 Matrix XRS from 2009 to 2017. It had the automatic. Oh god what a criminal thing to do to this car. It sapped all of the joy out of it. I bought it to replace a base 03 Matrix with a 5 speed that got totaled. The base Matrix was not trying to pretend it was something it wasn’t, unlike that automatic XRS. When my XRS was nearing end of life I used it like a pickup truck, hauling all manner of crap in it. I even used it to haul sod.
I have an 05 with factory JBL sound system with the subwoofer, all electric trim with sunroof and only 85 000 miles on it, i love it i think its so confortable and smooth for long drives
Awesome video! I've had my 2003 Pontiac Vibe GT (same as the Matrix XRS) and it's been a perfect college car. Tons of space with the seats folded down, decent gas mileage, and with somewhat high ground clearance for a FWD hatchback I get around fine with snow tires in the winter where we get over 350 inches of snow a season (I go to Michigan Tech). Plus, it's very fun to rev it out from first to third!
One of my friends from high school has had a couple of them and recently turbocharged his. It's now making around 240-ish HP at the wheels. Very interested to see what it's like this summer when I'm back home.
How did you like the turbo charger on the XRS?
@@aliventurous It was a very interesting powerband. Still spun the tires going from second to third. The turbo kicks in before lift does, so it's almost got "two stages" when you get on it.
The 2ZZ is what the AE86/FRS/BRZ should've come with...
Kevin Daskal interesting idea..
While i love boxer motors that you dont see very often anymore, it would have made it a true spiritual successor to the ae86 then
The 2ZZ wasn't around when the AE86 was made lol
@@hamstirrer6882 right?! Granted, the boxer 4U-GSE / FA20 has its benefits like a lower center of gravity, lack of crankshaft counter weights, along with a more balanced/stable motor due to opposing pistons reciprocating primary and secondary forces and the very unique and epic sound they produce in STis and 911s, one has to wonder why Toyota didn't just go with the engine they already had... It's very interesting to ponder why Toyota would collaborate with Subaru and invest so much in R&D for an AE86 engine, when they already had the awesome 2ZZ (which already was designed in collaboration with Yamaha) and could've easily started production and rollout of the AE86/FRS without the need for another manufacturer's involvement... A "Fun Fact" regarding the current and prior AE86, is Toyota collaborated with Yamaha specifically for the head of the 2ZZ engine while they did the block, but in the boxer 4U-GSE / FA20 that sits in the modern day AE86, Subaru provided the block while Toyota providing the head... lol
@@tomelliott9 he meant the GT86
If seen pictures of a late 70s rola wagon with a 2zz swap here where i live, and a kp61 starlet with one too, but not sure if it is from here or another island in the Caribbean. Toyota needs to make a successor to the 2zz with lift.
I love my 04 Vibe GT. 219,000 miles today, and still chugging along! Only thing I dislike is how it reacts to wind on the highway.
The dying mall reference was gold. I've always had a liking for these. I comb auctions for them and they seem to sell for higher prices. Pontiacs do well too. I guess dealers and car nerds knew this long before I did. Now you put it all out there !!! Well done . Do you have a Buick Rivera or 89 reatta with the first touch screen comming up?
Imagine if Regular bought a Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe instead. I love this car, it’s like a better built Subaru Impreza or slightly slower Honda Civic Si hatchback with a less comfortable Toyota shifter.
These manuals hatchbacks, some of them AWD, with Toyota quality I’m sold.
Man, that bird guy story made me realize how much we're going to appreciate one another after this pandemic ends, if only for a little while. Talking to a random old fart about his racing pigeons sounds like a pleasant dream right about now.
I haven't driven a Matrix or Vibe with six speed transmission, but I have driven my five speed Vibe 200,000 miles. I have never felt the need for double clutching.
The Fiesta ST can technically use 87 but it pulls timing resulting in about 10 less HP.
Having owned this car new from dealer it is important to remind viewers that this is an XRS with a Yamaha head and suspension tuned (or at least touched) by Lotus. I will say you got it right, never easy to drive in city but shockingly great on highway...never understood that set up. It handled like a low-end Celica but made an engine sound similar to an S2000! I used the interior features more than I thought I would, lowering the front seat flat to carry trim out the back glass!!!! Glass hatch is totally UNDER-RATED just ask Pathfinder owners. The clutch was actually worse than the gearbox and that means it was really BAD! My first hatch since my inherited Citation!
Engine revving near the redline sounds a lot better than any modern 4 cyl.
3:45 am in CA and has to wake up in 4 hours but starts to watch video
it's the morning now. how do you feel? you did this to yourself.
SpaceMissile i regret nothing
The Matrix and Vibe are my favorite cars. It isn't just me. I have met lots of people who own one and they all love it. Too bad Toyota and GM ruined these cars starting with the 2009 model year. Of course sales declined. Starting in 2009, people were like "Yo, I can buy one of these cars that is a couple years old and it will be better than a new one at a lower price." And that's what we call a marketing disaster.
Dude you need to upgrade the gear linkage bushes they are gone in that car. I upgraded my 2zz bushes and it transformed the car.
IT did look to have some slop.
Yup solid bushings are 21 bucks!
add poly bushings and coilovers on that list. Stock suspension is way too high and soft.
@@PpRZman or 3 to 8 dollars for a pair of skateboard bearing (depending on where you get them.) an a couple of washers you have laying around and you got yourselves cheap solid bushings.
@@Flako92 Very true, although I prefer the little kit on ebay with sand paper, nice washers, spacers, and new cotter pins. I've swapped them on my Rav, Celica, and MR2 😅
The RCR boys never let me down! Quite often I see videos of cars that the general public has forgotten and I generally always know the car in question! Ford exp? Know it! Buick roadmaster? Know it! Honda beat? Know it! But this is something I didn’t even know existed!! Wouldn’t have even knew any different from any normAl matrix if not for you boys!
i had a 2003 pontiac vibe gt, i absolutely fucking loved that car. we used to tow it behind our RV and sadly it got passed in along with said rv bc it had all the stuff ready to tow it behind.
I got one of these for $2000 a WHILE back because it was savage and I loved lol!!
Have had the car for 5+ years or so but my mom has it now and she likes it.
The best part of the Pontiac version is calling it the Vibrator.
It's a half decent transmission feel away. Just need TWM short shift kit with base and linkage bushings and Redline MT-90 transaxle oil. Still a little notchy but it has a good solid feel.
Yasss.
bought my matrix xr new (2005), still driving it today!
awesome! i bought an ‘05 matrix XR last year and plan to keep it for a looooong time. only 70k miles
This is a great car and all, but can we talk about that nice-sounding conventional random sequence grooving on the bridge at 2:12? Such a soothing sound to listen to while cruising.
Having owned a 2004 vibe, I can say one thing. Best seats ever. Comfy, supportive. My ass remembers them to this day. When I come across one in the junk yard, I always have a sit. The butt has a memory for these things
I really feel that notch Toyota shifter. Need those metal Honda bars not cables lol
Honda hasn't used bar linkages since 2001. They're all cables, and they're all better than the XRS shifter
Kinda sad...just traded in my vibe (the corolla engine type). This review was so spot on, haha, right down to the front end push in corners! Such an ahead-of-it’s-time car...the granddad of the current car-based cuv craze.
ahh have so many stories of my 2003 Vibe GT. Such a wonderful car for the $1000 I paid for it. I'll always miss that car. If I could find another I'd pick it up in a heartbeat.
ME! haha. Bought my 03 xrs almost 3 years ago for 1200... so much car for the money! course i went and blew it up but i mean what can ya do..
Despite the shifter u seem to be having alot of fun driving it
I always accidentally say "downshift" too because it's usually the funniest shift when you pull the shifter from top to bottom, plus the pitch of the engines tone goes from high to low. Thanks go the videos, cheers!!
Oh man. That bridge....so many memories of that bridge....
Base Matrix was on my list before I found a decent first gen CRV. Good to know these have such high value.
I have a Pontiac Vibe AWD, and it's suprisingly capable at offroading. I noticed that the Vibe is a bit more SUV-Like, and the Matrix is a bit more Hatchback-Like. The Vibe is bulkier and more lifted than the Matrix, giving it the feeling of a mini-crossover. Also there's enough room that you can camp in the back.
That chrome plastic trim around the dash gauges is worse in my Pontiac Vibe with a damned sunroof! I owned it for 2 months before I figured out there was a sunshade for the sunroof which helps a tad.CHEERS from HERE!
The PT Cruiser my mom had, the interior had that same plastic chrome crap in it and it absolutely caught the sun to reflect it right in your eyes. Never again....
oooohhh, a pontiac vibe! (close enough; i'm just pretending the badging is different)
So, I don’t really know much about cars and a lot of this is over my head, 😆 but this is the car I’m going to look at tomorrow and I enjoyed the stories and anecdotes along the way lol. Thank you 🙏😊
The xrs is a great place to find a 2zz for your mr-s
Right because the manifold angles up, perfect for reusing MR2 air system.
I will drive my 2012 Matrix till the day I die. Shits like a second home for me.
I will also note, recently the price has been going up on these.
I have two oddly vivid memories of the Toyota Matrix. The first is that a cousin of mine used to own one and I never really remembered until now. The other is that during a party, a light blue Toyota Matrix came down the hill and annihilated the back of my uncle's pickup (muh truck). Strange power RCR vids possess.
Hahahhahaha i have a buddy who had a vibe who explained to me with glee that the passenger seat folded forward flat with a spot to place a laptop. It really made me laugh when he pushed it forward in this video
I had a 2003 Pontiac Vibe which I bought used in 2005 for $7,000 with 90,000 miles and I drove it until 2008 and it finally died with 325,000 miles. (I drive a lot for my job). It was a great car.
PSA new owners if you get an 03-04 and the odometer is at 299 and you want to swap another one in....make sure it's out of an 03-04 (red dials) using an 05+ cluster (white dials) will cause your fuel gauge to not work right as the wiring is slightly different in it while it may be plug in play the fuel gauge will simply roll backwards then move back up right above the E mark and it's overall reading will be wayyy off just put the right cluster in and take it to the dealer to correct the mileage on the cluster.
Proud to drive a Matrix.
I grew up riding around in a Matrix Xr. I loved that car.
>tfw you put the good engine in the fat hatchback instead of the mid-engined two-seater sports car
Yes... 2,800lbs is a fat hatchback... shut the fuck up.
Right, Toyota is silly. I have/had an 03 XRS, 05 XRS, GTS, and a 2ZZ MR2. All very fun but it wakes up the MR2 completely.
@@MichaelCoolGuy86 Jesus dude chill it's just a grocery getter
@@MichaelCoolGuy86 lol sorry but...it is.
That's why they have celica gt-s......
The chrome around the guages looks pretty cool at night
My buddy in high school used to drive the XR and it was a good little car. Lasted to over 250k miles before the transmission went. Granted he had an auto. Was pretty good in the snow too. Had good zip to it for being a 4 speed auto with a 4 cylinder
Your remarks are top notch
The corrola sportivo / 2zz variant was much better
The Corolla T Sport and Compressor were the best versions by far
I had an 06 Matrix XRS, they say it supposed to be lowered than the XR and base models but it sits high off the ground like a mini Van. I sold it a few months later and didn't miss it. The body roll was ridiculous during cornering and it was an odd car to own and drive. I prefer Coupes and Sedans or a real Station Wagon.
I still want one of these but ultimately I ended up with a Honda Fit. But I can still dream.
My dad has an 05 matrix base and everything he said about the struts, suspension and transmission is 100% accurate af
got myself the base model. fantastic little car and a surprising amount of power. not to mention piss easy to drive, great for first time drivers who regularly have some cargo to haul
Hey Mr Regular! great vids!
FYI: Daily Fiesta ST owner here; you can put 87 octane in the FiST too :)
If I want to tick off my wife I remind her that her beloved 2005 Vibe was a Toyota wearing arrowhead badges and one of the best selling Pontiacs of all time.
Hers was a manual also and almost turned me off manual transmissions entirely.
I had the Vibe GT version. Practical and mildly fun. The 2ZZ-GE just didn't have enough torque to be fun. The car was too tall and soft to handle well. On the highway it was buzzy and loud even in 6th. Even in 4th it doesn't have that much passing power. By modern standards it's slow. A Leaf will feel mucho faster.
That gen xrs Corolla is on my want list. I drove them when I worked for Toyota. What an awesome daily
Welp here I am I now have an 03 XRS matrix lol
Both engine and transmission had AMSOIL lubricants. Strong at 192000 miles... Shifting excellent..
Barry's Birbs in the burbs sponsored by tinkle stream credit union and spittin' cursin' landscaping...holy shit. Mr. Regular, please never change
You sound just like Scott Galloway, same confidence, same Cadence same voice, you're like a doppelganger
This is like having a civic si without the aura of owning a civic si
Pepsi bottle, Coca Cola glass. You commented on the Thug Life version of it 4 years ago. I saw ur verified check and was like, damn, this guy has an actual channel
Always kinda likes these to be honest. Glad you made a video of these, was curious how they drove.
Scotty Kilmer called... wants his Toyota back
I've always had a soft spot for this and the vibe
Oh cool, this is what I drive... except mine is a base model with the 1.8 liter corolla engine hooked up to the 4-speed automatic. At least I have the the separate opening hatch glass still?
But in all honesty, (and take with a grain of salt as mine is slow and boring) but with the 2zz and a Manual, this thing would be the ultimate daily driver. Great mileage, Toyota reliability, you can lay down every seat except the driver’s seat, and it gives you so much space to store stuff. Great little car, especially (I imagine) at the higher trims.
Let’s talk about “rev hang” for a sec; go about 75-80% on the throttle in any a W204 C300 with the 3.5. Within about 1000 RPMs of the redline, just let off. It’ll basically free spin all the way back down to the 2000-3000 RPM range before it engages the next gear. And if you get back on it while it’s dropping, it’ll freely rev up before engaging the next gear. Every one I’ve driven has been like that. Go 7G-Tronic and drive-by-wire! Lmao, it’s a weird feeling
The issue with the Matrix/Vibe is that it's almost impossible to find an XRS/GT. Instead, you get the 1.8 snoozefest 1ZZ-FE which only had 122 lb-ft tq that is entertaining only in that you have to rev the ever-loving crap out of it just to go. And the XRS/GT wasn't around for all 10 of those years, either. It was only available with that engine from 2003 to 2007, and they seem to have been a tiny minority of the overall production. I tried hard to find one about three years ago and they didn't exist, even in here Central Texas where rust isn't a thing.
“this is a perfect car for a first time driver who wants a sports oriented car but cannot quite get into a mazdaspeed3”
well shit.
i just got a mazdaspeed 3 as my first car... and i pulled the pan to find out it’s built, and since i bought it sight unseen, i found out it has a Garrett 2871r...
checked with the previous PREVIOUS owner. it’s making 400 to the wheels on an e40 blend. i think this is gonna be an interesting first car.
Ahh I remember that sound from my 99 Celica.
mmmmmmmmmmmm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
I love my 03 Matrix XRS. I added a stiffer rear anti-sway bar, and a front strut bar, and it handles like a dream now. You're right about the aesthetics, though. It's ugly as sin.
I wanted to get one of those as my first car, but ended up with a manual '04 Civic DX. Dunno if that's something to brag about, but I do love my car.
I remember my friend had the Pontiac Vibe and that we straight piped it immediately after hearing the engine!
You should drive the Corolla XRS of the same generation. Same engine, same platform, but lighter car. They're stupid fun. The shifter still sucks balls though.
The 8200 vs 8400 RPM thing: If you have an 03-04 Matrix XRS (NOT Corolla XRS), the ECU is slightly different, and goes to 8400 RPM. All the others go to 8200 RPM. The good news for anyone with the lighter Corolla XRS is that the ECU is a direct swap from the early Matrix - Just plug it in and go.
A friend of mine had one of these in college. It had no door handles. Literally. They all broke off on the outside. So this kid would carry around one of those yellow break-into-your-locked-car tools JUST to open the driver's side door.
Funny stuff.
The vibe also had an all wheel drive option which would have been nice to see on the Toyota side of the house.
The matrix could be had in AWD ✌️
When will Toyota make a hatchback like the Fiesta ST?
It's called the Yaris GRMN
God I wish they made one on the US
Don’t they do a corolla SR?
They made a Corolla T Sport and Corolla Compressor which were comparable but didn't handle anywhere near as well. The Yaris GRMN is the closest they'll get
Hmm, my Dad owns one of these (automatic though), and I was curious why he likes it so much. Maybe I got my answer here.
With the 2zz just swap the oil pan and you're good an aftermarket oil pan works or you can get a 1zz oil pan and slap it on and ur golden
Hot hatch for days
I wish you would have talked about the difference in exterior styling between the Matrix and the Vibe. I think the Vibe looks cooler myself, more angular and sharp, and probably appealed to more of the youth than you gave it credit for.
What.... a regular car on Regular Car Reviews?
I once owned a 2003 XR. It was a pretty good car.
in the words of the roman
I WAONT IT
Waont it*
Blue Blockhead thank you
I own a 2016 Scion iM with a six-speed. It's got an independent double-wishbone rear suspension for terrific handling and has much better looks than the Matrix. However, the engine is a 1.8-liter Corolla engine that only puts out 137 hp. So acceleration is just okay. (Yet I'm glad I don't have the CVT!) Other advantages are Toyota reliability and good (but not great) fuel economy, with up to 36 mpg on the highway. All in all, I'm glad I bought my iM.