Chipper little Toyota Matrix is fun to drive but weird to look at
— -- Those wily Toyota guys. They made four cars out of one set of key components and gave the models distinct personalities and looks — one of the four even is sold by a competitor.
It's the right way to do what the industry calls platform sharing — not changing a few curves or just the nameplate to create a corporate sibling (as you see, for example, in Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5 or Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan).
In this case, we're talking about one set of building blocks for the 2009 Toyota Corolla mainstream sedan (Test Drive, March 21), Toyota Scion xB (Test Drive, last June 15) and today's 2009 Toyota Matrix.
A Toyota-General Motors joint venture — the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) plant in Fremont, Calif. — builds a Matrix version GM sells as Pontiac Vibe that shares the chassis, drivetrain and much of the interior.
NUMMI also builds Corollas. Matrix is built at a Toyota factory in Canada that also builds Corollas.
Toyota considers Matrix a version of Corolla and reports its sales as part of Corolla's tally. So what makes it different enough to warrant a look?
Well, appearance is a huge difference. Nobody drifted over to the gas pump when the Corolla was being refueled and chattered superlatives, as happened during Matrix fuel stops.
To some eyes, apparently, Matrix even resembles a downsized Lexus RX SUV. There's no connection, other than Lexus is a Toyota brand, but what a potential perk for Matrix buyers — a $20,000 compact that nearsighted neighbors might mistake for a $40,000 luxury SUV. Can't beat that with a stick.
Whether you see the resemblance is up to you. You might find Matrix kind of ugly, and you'd get no argument here.
Another difference is a bit more interior space — people and cargo — than Corolla. But if that's your deal, get a Scion xB, the space champ for Corolla-based machines. It's also cheaper, though you have to think it's hip to be square to like the xB.
