Here's the difference between Canada and the United States: Americans are the only ones to get the Chevy SS, which is basically a four-door Corvette; Canadians are the only folks to get one last go at a 132 horsepower four-cylinder hatchback.
Where they salute the flag to red rockets in air and revolutionary cannon fire, we retire early to bed with the dulcet tones of Peter Mansbridge ringing in our ears, and thoughts of a nice cuppa Red Rose tea in the morning. Yes, occasionally we Canadians unleash Beast Mode when handed a length of timber and told that the other guys have the puck, but mostly we're laidback, and reserved, and conservative.
The Matrix is a very Canadian sort of car, and a decade or so after its introduction, the Yankees have decided they don't want it anymore. We, on the other hand, apparently can't get enough of the thing, so it's back again for 2014 like one last Rush reunion tour.
Design
The Matrix is built in Cambridge, Ont., and is sort of the Canadian tuxedo of cars. If ever a machine were to wear all denim attire, this'd be it.
A vast amount of puffy sheetmetal seems to dwarf the 16-inch steel wheels (17-inch alloys are available as an option), and the greenhouse of the car clusters atop the vehicle like the conning tower on the SeaBus. Where newer machines find their ad campaigns crammed with words like aggressive, dynamic, and emotional, the Matrix is none of those things.
The Matrix isn't stylish, it's simply there. The optional S package does add a tiny bit of pizzazz, with the aforementioned 17-inch alloys, front and rear aero-kit and a rear hatch spoiler, but it's still a tad humdrum. This is not a flashy car. That wouldn't be very Canadian.
Environment
The Matrix carries a Toyota badge up front, but judging from the insides, a Rubbermaid one would be far more appropriate. While the Corolla now looks reasonably upscale inside, to the point of including a stitched-look dash, the Matrix is from the old school Toyota line, and is festooned inside with plastic-not-so-fantastic.
The driver's seat fabric does look pretty durable, but the armrests are unyielding. Rear seat room is surprisingly good, and while taller folks might not find the little Toyota to be especially comfortable, everybody else will.
What's more, the rear cargo area remains exemplary. It's all plastic too, but that just means it's highly durable and capable of handling bags of soil for the home gardener, or wet dogs, or lumberjack equipment.
The seats fold as flat as the prairies - not always that common in the hatchback market - and the S model includes a flatfolding passenger seat as well. If you're used to "S" standing for "sport," then in this case, the sport is cross-country skiing.
The controls are simple and easy to use. One of the three rings of the gauge cluster is flattened, as if somebody sat on it, but they're easy to read. It's all a combination of slightly outdated, but familiar and unchallenging.
Performance
Underneath the Matrix's truncated hood, one will find a 1.8-litre, 132 h.p. four-cylinder engine mated to either a fivespeed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic. In today's world of CVTs, direct-injection, and small-displacement turbochargers, this sort of hardware is the motoring equivalent of Fred Flintstone's feet.
The suspension, too, is not set up for corner carving, and the traction control is as nervous as a new parent watching a toddler near a puddle. If a wheel so much as thinks about spinning, it scurries to the rescue, flapping its electronic arms anxiously and urging you to be careful.
And yet, for all that, it's not so bad. What we have here, on the face of it, appears to be some sort of car. The pedal on the right makes it go, and the pedal on the left makes it stop. You can put things and people into it. It's little, yet big inside.
The road noise is really quite loud - some research indicates this may be down to Toyota's choice of OEM tires, but the echo chamber of all this plastic inside is surely partly to blame. All hatchbacks can be boomy, and the Matrix is no exception.
It is not fast, and body roll is pronounced. While there once was a performance model in the Matrix range - the sprightly 180 h.p. XRS - this current car is essentially a Corolla hatchback, and it is not at all interested in zippy driving. The manual might be a little better here.
Also of note, the rear visibility is flat-out terrible. Because Toyota's made this car a hatchback rather than a wagon, there aren't any windows in the 3/4 panels and backing out from angled parking relies on placing trust and faith in your fellow motorist to stop - you simply can't see them.
So, plenty of demerits on the sheet, and what sounds like a vehicle that is no longer competitive. But not so fast. Literally, not so fast.
The Matrix is not cutting edge, it's working class. It's a steadfast hauler, a people-mover, a machine that puts its shoulder to the wheel and pushes. As it's been around so long it's sturdy and reliable, and the simplicity of its packaging eschews flash-in-the-pan goodies for tough essentials.
What could be more Canadian than that?
Features
Your basic Matrix comes with power door locks and windows, but you must pay extra for the convenience package to get air conditioning. The convenience package also adds Bluetooth connectivity, an upgrade to six-speaker stereo, cruise control and keyless entry.
The touring package is basically a sunroof and alloy wheels affair, and the top-line S package adds in the front and rear fascias and the rear spoiler. No navigation is available.
Safety features are good, with standard ABS and traction control joining eight passenger airbags. Disc brakes are standard at all four corners, and for an older design, the Matrix still retains good side and front impact results.
Fuel economy ratings are solidly average at 8.1 litres/100 kilometres in the city and 6.3 l/100 km on the highway. Observed mixed-mileage was a little less than 9 l/100 km.
Green light
Spacious storage; simple layout; plenty of interior room; reliable.
Stop sign
Outdated powertrain; plastic interior; plain styling; noisy ride.
The checkered flag
Not fancy, but stands on guard for thee.
Competitor
Kia Rondo ($21,695): While the first Hyundai Pony celebrated the Canadian virtue of thrift to the highest degree, sister company Kia continues to provide style and value in one handsome machine after another. The Rondo isn't a luxury car, but it looks just as good as something like a Mercedes-Benz B-Class.
It's also far better equipped than the Matrix, and has available features the old-school Toyota can only dream of. However, Kia is still proving its mettle in the long-term reliability department, where the Matrix is a pretty safe bet.
