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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 419
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 419 |
Ya the Vibe will drive like a Matrix ... the interior is even the same so you can just pretend it's a Matrix while test driving. The 180hp engine is a lot better but it really has to be manual since it's best at high RPM. Both cars have waiting periods. But these cars aren't really bigger then the Contour ... since you said it's time for something bigger.
95 Contour GL 2.5L ATX
Minor mods
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399 |
Originally posted by chansen:
Another good car in the price range is the Subaru Impreza TS. Had a hard time choosing between it and the Matrix.
Craig
Amen on the Subie! You would basically be getting many of the same things as on the 2.5RS, but in wagon form for way less money. The brakes are different (that's fixable), but a lot of it is the same. When I bought my SVT it was one of the cars I looked at, but the B pillar sits right on my shoulder. Truly uncomfortable.
Good luck on the the search, eh?
98 Silver Frost SVT
97 BMW 540I Sport, six speed
"Blue is for sky, black is for soil, and white is for simplicity, purity and hope for the future"
"A coveted car should never stunt your life, but should make it more rich and interesting."
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 32
New CEG\'er
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New CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 32 |
Originally posted by ContourChris:
Ya the Vibe will drive like a Matrix ... the interior is even the same so you can just pretend it's a Matrix while test driving. The 180hp engine is a lot better but it really has to be manual since it's best at high RPM. Both cars have waiting periods. But these cars aren't really bigger then the Contour ... since you said it's time for something bigger.
I so badly wanted the XRS in a manual, but the wife has to drive it too, and she dug in her heels. Like you said, the 2ZZ engine of the XRS needs to hit 6000rpm before "lift" kicks in. Auto on that engine is pointless, so, auto XR for us. I'm 30 now, and had not been accelerating hard in the Mystique for a while. The only time I miss the V6 is the highway on ramps, but taking the Matrix out of overdrive seems to help.
In terms of size, for two people, there's more usable space in the Matrix. With those back seats folded down flat, there's a lot of room in there. That was the main selling point over the Subie.
Oh well, in a year or two, the Matrix will be the wife's car (she wanted the auto, right?) I'll end up in an Impreza, Altima, or something else with a little more gitty-up.
ex-98 Mystique LS 2.5L auto
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