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
| 
