Anyone ever look at the Matrix b4 Si?

[oberkfell]

Has anyone driven the Matrix XRS. I was just wondering if anyone had to choose between the two prior to buying their Si. I think it looks pretty nice. The only bad things I have heard about it is the lack of torque and its a little noisy on the highway.

[SiR Medic]

I test drove a Pontiac Vibe GT which is pretty much the same car.

First of all the thing had plenty of room! The backseat was like a limo compared to the Si.

Also, it has a nice interior with lots of cubby holes, chrome, and a good stereo.

It's also plenty fast in a straight line.


However...

It feels like a mini-van... You ride high, the thing has plenty of body roll and is no where near as agile as the Si!

Also... The 6-speed is junk! It's vague, clunky, and imprecise. To add insult, it beeps in reverse(just like a garbage truck)

And... The gauges are murky, small and hard to read. Also the chrome rings around them get very hard on the eyes on a sunny day.

Worst of all... The engine, although powerful, is incredibly high-strung. It does nothing until you hit at least 5000rpm and then it sounds like ball-bearings in a blender.

It's also more expensive.




If you need the extra space, get the Matrix. If you want a fun car, get the Si!

[blueiedgod]

i test drove vibe before looking at the Si.
Likes:
front passenger seat that flips flat to be used as mobile office.
nice sliding tie down hooks in the cargo area and on the back of the rear seat back.
lots of room
back seat acess is easy
back seat room is ample
arm rest is available

dislikes:
gauges are awful
HVAC controls only have 3 settings on each knob
power windows/locks/cruise/sunroof/ABS are all optional
really noisy engine
shifter is kind of all over
interior is very gray/silver, is not one of my favorite
$20K sticker price with power package, sunroof, alloys, and ABS
Pontiac's lower resale



i drove vibe first and then i drove the Si. there was no comparison. I knew i would get the Si from there on, and the sweet price on the 2002 just made the deal sweeter. She may be an ugly duckling, but i am very comfortable in her, and i can easily carry 4 fully grown (5'9"-6') adults in it.

[Suk02Si]

The Matris XRS is ugly and slow. I raced one at the track three times in a row, every race I was able to win by at least half a second.

[n8s si]

If you are tall (ie. over 6') you wont like the vibe/matrix. I drove them first before purchasing the SI. There is a footrest on the drivers side that will not allow you to stretch your legs out. This is a major bummer if you travel much. As for quality, & fun factor... these two dont compare.

[I-4Si]

I drove the Si first then the Matrix XRS.
As was stated before, the shifter in the XRS wasn't as smooth as what's in the Si.
The Si is a more refined car with its smooth power delivery. Its tougher to keep the XRS in the proper power band. If you shift before 6 grand it feels alot slower. The Matrix' engine is buzzy compared to the Si.
Depending on the angle of the sun, the gauges could be a little difficult to read when one takes a quick glance.
For me, the Si is more fun to drive, but the Matrix is more practical in terms of space.
I wasn't looking for practical because my wife has a Rav 4, so space wasn't a factor.
I do think the Matrix is a good looking vehicle.
I prefer the warm and fuzzy feeling of having the H on the grill.

[elroygun]

I test drove the Matrix XRS before the Si.

The beeping (it only beeps inside the car) made you feel like you're retarded because the car has to remind you that you are going in reverse. It's kind of stupid to put the reverse right next to first gear, which is why you need the beeping.

The Matrix I test drove had aftermarket rims (18's), exhaust, and probably an intake. It felt pretty good and because of the weird shifter, I started the car in 3rd, but kept dying out because I though I was in 1st.

I never took it on the freeway because there was way to much traffic.

It did feel like I was sitting very high.

[blueiedgod]

matrix XRS/vibe Gt are actually closer to the engine performance of the 99-2000 si, where you had to wring out the engine to get it going. The new Si is much more refined and more city-driveable vehicle. so, if there are people who like the boom of VTEC of yore, matrix XRS is their answer. as always, honda is ahead of the game with the next generation of the VTEC. Just like honda was the first in the 90's to have VTEC on the NSX and then on the rest of Honda line up. then BWM caught up with Honda in mid to late 90's and "developed" VANOS, and in the last few years Toyota "developed" VVT-i. Now Honda once again, developed i-VTEC, with broader power curve while still retaining fuel economy of the small displacement engine. I am sure BMW and toyota will have "next" generation of VANOS and VVT-i in the next few years.
Oh, by the way, I don't know if it has been discussed, the Si only has "half" the VTEC.

[ADAMnQuickCIVIC]

I agree w/ everything SiR Medic says...
and to add to that...
I had to warm the car up for 20 mins of driving like a granny before the VVTLi (or whatever it's called) would even kick in...
I guess that's a safety feature...
But this was in September...and it wasnt even cold out...
My Acura 3.0CL does the same thing with the VTEC but it doesnt take THAT long...


Originally posted by SiR Medic
I test drove a Pontiac Vibe GT which is pretty much the same car.

First of all the thing had plenty of room! The backseat was like a limo compared to the Si.

Also, it has a nice interior with lots of cubby holes, chrome, and a good stereo.

It's also plenty fast in a straight line.


However...

It feels like a mini-van... You ride high, the thing has plenty of body roll and is no where near as agile as the Si!

Also... The 6-speed is junk! It's vague, clunky, and imprecise. To add insult, it beeps in reverse(just like a garbage truck)

And... The gauges are murky, small and hard to read. Also the chrome rings around them get very hard on the eyes on a sunny day.

Worst of all... The engine, although powerful, is incredibly high-strung. It does nothing until you hit at least 5000rpm and then it sounds like ball-bearings in a blender.

It's also more expensive.




If you need the extra space, get the Matrix. If you want a fun car, get the Si!

[ludikris]

I'm curious as to why anyone would compare the XRS the EP. They are classed completely differently, so if you are looking at both, I'd say you are confused as to what you want. If you are looking for a sports car, you won't buy an XRS, and conversely, if you are looking to haul your friends/family around along with some luggage for all, your won't buy an EP.

Most everything mentioned above is personal preference. The gauges, shifter, interior, looks, etc. I've driven both, and the shift takes a day to get used to, but after that, it's very smooth. You won't gain that appreciation in a 20 minute test drive. The XRS engine does need to be wrapped out to wring the most power out of it. Sounds like most of you never drove a mid 90s Honda equipped with VTEC. ;) The XRS isn't as agile as the Si b/c it was never meant to. It's a sporty crossover vehicle, not a sports car. :)


Now Honda once again, developed i-VTEC, with broader power curve while still retaining fuel economy of the small displacement engine.

Is that why the smaller 1.8L Toyota motor gets 180hp/130tq @ slightly better gas mileage numbers while the K20A3 get's 160/132? :D

My brother got an Ep last week and I got to drive it a bit. If anything happened to my current car, and for whatever reason I couldn't anything over $20K, I'd probably pick the Si. It's torquey for around town driving, the seats frickin ROCK, and the fit and finish is very nice. The looks are growing on me but talk about looking like a minivan....... ;)

[ADAMnQuickCIVIC]

Originally posted by ludikris
I'm curious as to why anyone would compare the XRS the EP. They are classed completely differently, so if you are looking at both, I'd say you are confused as to what you want. If you are looking for a sports car, you won't buy an XRS, and conversely, if you are looking to haul your friends/family around along with some luggage for all, your won't buy an EP.

Most everything mentioned above is personal preference. The gauges, shifter, interior, looks, etc. I've driven both, and the shift takes a day to get used to, but after that, it's very smooth. You won't gain that appreciation in a 20 minute test drive. The XRS engine does need to be wrapped out to wring the most power out of it. Sounds like most of you never drove a mid 90s Honda equipped with VTEC. ;) The XRS isn't as agile as the Si b/c it was never meant to. It's a sporty crossover vehicle, not a sports car. :)


are you saying the Si is a "sports car"??
lol

[tsa1]

toyota....hmm. they always copy honda. first with them coming out with lexus and then with VVT-i. VVT-i is more like the vtec in the ep. it doesnt have the extra cam lobes, it adjusts cam valve timing. VVTL-i is like the vtec in the b16a, k20a2 and so on. but since toyota is gay they had Yamaha develop the entire engine.
i guess toyota doesnt have the technology to develop its on generic vtec they hired a motorcycle/keyboard company to do it for them

[blueiedgod]

Is that why the smaller 1.8L Toyota motor gets 180hp/130tq @ slightly better gas mileage numbers while the K20A3 get's 160/132?
i don't remeber off the top of my head, but i think the XRS/GT get similar mileage as the Si. and the reason for low MPG's in the Si is the very low final drive ratio and lack of cruising gear (6th gear).
XRS/GT have 6th gear for highway cruising.

As far as getting more HP out of the small displacemnt, Honda is on top once again with S2000, that gets 240 Hp out of 2.0L engine. that is 120 hp/liter of displacement.

[ludikris]

are you saying the Si is a "sports car"??

Nope, I'm saying the XRS certainly isn't one. :)


but since toyota is gay they had Yamaha develop the entire engine.

..and for their investment (and those that choose to buy Toyota) you get an engine that responds very well to mods. Several of my Celica GTS friends (where Toyota grabbed the XRS powerplant) see 15-20hp from simply a CAI and cat back. It's a reliable motor (just as reliable as Honda) and makes great power.....It sounds like you have something against joint ventures :o


i don't remeber off the top of my head, but i think the XRS/GT get similar mileage as the Si. and the reason for low MPG's in the Si is the very low final drive ratio and lack of cruising gear (6th gear).

The XRS & EP get similar gas milage with the XRS edging the EP out ever so slightly. However, as I pointed out, they do so with a smaller, higher hp engine. They also got their shit together and put a 6 speed in, something that Honda is just recently doing in the RSX and S2K (and Acura CL/TL line).


As far as getting more HP out of the small displacemnt, Honda is on top once again with S2000, that gets 240 Hp out of 2.0L engine. that is 120 hp/liter of displacement.

So you are comparing the S2K with the EP and XRS now? The EP has 80hp/liter while the XRS has 90hp/liter. Let's stick to the original subject of the EP and XRS discussion and not try to muck up the waters. :)

[oberkfell]

Every road test I have read indicates the XRS is either faster or equal to the Si. In addition, several publications indicate they do not like the smoother Vtec, but rather the older high revving motors.

Conversely they dislike the high revving Toyota Motor. Go Figure.