Toyota Matrix 2007 - Big on the Inside, Small on the Outside

Our 1988 Toyota Corolla wagon has 204,000 miles on it; the only major repair to date is the transmission replacement we had done a couple of years ago. Who wouldn't want that kind of reliability in car, not to mention the gas mileage? But the Corolla wagon was discontinued sometime in the '90s when "wagon" became a dirty word. Luckily, it was revived in 2003 in the form of the Toyota Corolla Matrix.

I know what you're thinking. The Matrix? A dog car? But here's the thing. A big part of the quest for the perfect dog car is balancing the desire for space for crates, EZ-UPS and other paraphanelia with the environmental and financial incentives offered by good gas mileage. That's what makes finding the perfect dog car so complicated. And while we may very well need the cargo space provided by the minivan for weekend trips, the bulk of our driving is to destinations such as agility class, herding, local shows, etc. For these trips, the cargo space in the minivan is overkill and the price at the pump is painful.

So let's cut to the chase. The first thing you should know is that according to Fueleconomy.gov , the Matrix gets 28 MPG (city), 33 MPG (highway) for a combined MPG of 31! The second thing you need to know is that you can fit two 3' x 2' wire crates in the back, though one of them will need a side opening door . Now do I have your attention?

But wait, there's more! It also has that holy grail of ventilation, the rear opening window in the hatch door. If that's not enough for you, you can always opt for the moon roof to help keep the car cool. The rear side windows also open, which may not be a big thing to you if you're used to driving a sedan, but these days minivans have so few opening windows, they're practically hermetically sealed.

I rented a Matrix last year for my annual pilgramage to Monterey for Internet Librarian. Though I was sans dogs, it gave me the chance to get the feel for the drive. I was quite content to be driving a small car again. I've never been a "big car" person, and I could live without manuevering a mini-van through grocery store parking lots. You can't dart in a mini-van, but trust me, a Matrix darts.

This isn't a luxury sedan, and the ride is a bit rougher than our Sienna. But I felt comfortable accelerating onto the 5 highway from the rest stops and it maintained the high-speeds seen along that stretch of road quite well. We won't talk about exactly HOW fast I was going...let's just say I suceeded in keeping keep up with traffic.

To my mind, there aren't a lot of downsides to this car, but it IS an economy car, so if you're used to more luxury than is offered by the Matrix, you may want to look elsewhere. Other reviewers, including the Car Guys have commented on the lack of visibility to the side and rear, so that's also a consideration.

Other cars to consider in this class would be the RAV4 , which has SUV styling and a bit more cargo room, along with a higher price, and the Ford Focus wagon. I'll be looking at these cars in future reviews, since our Corolla can't last much longer, can it??