Today, we drove out to Frontier Toyota to talk to their fleet manager, as we had a referral to them from the Auto Club Buying Service. This is a great service where the dealer has negotiated a set price above dealer invoice for vehicles, in exchange for AAA referrals. In this case, we are guaranteed $350 over invoice. We met with the fleet manager, and did a real test drive of the Toyota Matrix XR. We fell in love. Although the Honda Fit is nice, it just doesn’t have the power or the room that the Matrix has. Besides, what self-respecting Math/Computer Scientist doesn’t want a car called a Matrix (as long as folks don’t attempt to invert it, I’m happy. That’s a math joke, folks).
Unfortunately, Toyota seems to only deliver the Matrix in three ways: a bare-bones package, an “every option” package (the only way to get side air bags), and a moderate package that includes the Extra Value Package #2 (16-in. aluminum alloy wheels with P205/55R16 tires, power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade, cruise control, fog lamps, and color-keyed front and rear underbody spoilers), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Tire Pressure Monitor, and an AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with six speakers. We’re going with the moderate package, adding floor mats and a car alarm (which will be dealer added, if the vehicle isn’t pre-equipped). The moon roof doesn’t bother me, as I can pop it on hot days so the heat doesn’t build up.
What colors, you ask?
| 1st Choice |  Super White |
| 2nd Choice |  Cosmic Blue Metallic |
| or |  Silver Streak Mica |
| 3rd Choice |  Indigo Ink Pearl |
Right now, the fleet dealer is calling around to find the car to our specs. He should have it sometime Tuesday, and we’ll go get it Wednesday, when I’m working from home. This is *much* easier than the hassle we had with the Fit.
Expect the userpic you see now to change, once I know which color we’re getting.
