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Friday, June 28, 2002

By Don Hammonds, Post-Gazette Auto Reviewer

What on earth has gotten into Toyota these days?

Yep, they're still dependable, high in quality and all that jazz, but some of Toyota's latest products have shredded the company's heretofore dull image all to tiny pieces. It's the biggest personality change since Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And it's about time!

The evidence is this week's two test cars, the 2003 Toyota Matrix and the 2003 Toyota Corolla.

	2003 Toyota Matrix XRS.

Both of these are new, reasonably priced small cars that have lots of style, personality and class.

So let's start with the new Corolla, a small subcompact family sedan that I dubbed "the little Lexus."

Ours was an LE version with automatic, front-wheel drive, tachometer and temperature gauge, wood trim, power steering and tilt wheel, and air conditioning, all standard for $15,480. Anti-lock brakes, CD player and a couple of other items brought the bottom line to $17,155.

What a difference from the old model. First of all, just look at it. Curves, rounded profiles and styling cues from the Avalon and Camry make for a car that's not nearly as costly as it looks. The headlights, in particular look like little jewels, and a nice jaunty touch is the roof-mounted, slanted antenna that gives it a European flavor.

Inside, the Corolla is just about perfection.

On the dashboard, the gauges look as though they have been layered one on top of the other instead of just installed in the usual boring side-by-side arrangement. And at night, the nice, soft, gray-white illumination makes the gauges look moonlit. Nice touch.

The seating was well done, too, and the fabric was a nice creamy, beige with thick, nubby texturing. There was plenty of room, and I had my 4-, 6- and 8-year-olds sitting next to each other in the rear (two in car seats) with nary a complaint.

Lots of lavish equipment, too. The headlights automatically turn on, and when it gets dark, the dashboard gauges light up automatically. The dash also comes with a gauge to tell you the temperature outside, and the gas gauge courteously tells you which side the fuel filler door is on. All the controls are within easy reach, too.

I was shocked at how much "get up and go" it had, and trying to accelerate enough to navigate Pittsburgh's treacherous highway entrances was no problem at all.

Problems? There weren't many.

One was that I thought the engine was a bit loud, particularly on acceleration. And when you're going up a hill with the automatic, the combination of the engine and the gearing would result in the car suddenly picking up speed with a bit of a jerk, and that was a little unsettling.

But the Corolla looks to stay at the top of the heap in the subcompact market.

The Matrix is Toyota's entry into the hot crossover market, and the styling is edgy, particularly for Toyota. It's got almost a brutish look to it, something like a street racer, and the roofline is especially interesting.

Ours was a beige XR version with a base price of $18,445; a sport package, fog and driving lamps, spoiler, CD and other items brought the price to $21,132.

The handling is aggressive, and I especially appreciate the sporty, small steering wheel that came with my example. It allows you to tackle corners more as you would with a sports car. It also felt better for performance driving than the one in the Pontiac Vibe.

As with the Vibe, practicality is the Matrix's middle name. There are lots of handy tie-downs in the rear, and you have plenty of storage space, flexible seating and other nifty things that make this three cars in one.

2003 Toyota Corolla S.

The car has the usual high degree of Toyota quality, and there is enough variation in styling and equipment that you won't feel as though it's the same car as the Vibe.

On the other hand, I think Toyota would be wise in providing the Matrix with its own instrument panel rather than the one coming from the Vibe. That would give it more individuality and personality and differentiate it more from the Vibe.

Problems? I thought the dials were hard to read when I wore sunglasses. Also there was a lot of glare around the instruments at night, particularly when using the turn signals. The chrome bezels flash green with the signal and set up a light show you may not want.

Another suggestion for Toyota: This car and the Corolla are chock full of performance potential. If you can introduce your own line of performance accessories a la BMW's M designation or Mercedes' AMG lineup, you might find yourself with a gold mine.