Well if you have read my Arbitration thread then you know my husband and I have been round and round with Toyota over our 09 Matrix S. Well it was finally fixed the end of April after only 5 months of fighting with them to do what we suggested from the very beginning. Oh well. So to save miles on my 4R we decided to take our Matrix on vacation. 5/28/10 we start driving from Arkansas to Alabama at 5AM, at 12:45PM this happend.





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We were sitting dead stopped when we got rear ended, the car ran up under ours and pushed us into the back of a pick up. Our Matrix was totaled. Not a great way to start a vacation 400+ miles from home!

Wow...sorry to hear that. I guess that the Matrix did a decent job of protecting you guys. So, what next? What is your next vehicle?

Glad your ok.

Glad you're ok and the Matrix protected you and your family.

Yes we were definatly lucky. We both (my husband and I were the only one's in the car) walked away with me only having a really nasty bruised left arm from the seat belt and some minor bruises from where everywhere else the seat belt touched me I would definatly buy another Matrix simply based on how well it held up in the crash. Thankfully I have my 5th gen 4R and my husband has his toy car a 99 Honda Civic SI so we don't have to go out and buy another car right now. Insurance has paid it off and we're just dealing with everything else that goes along with having a wreck. There's a little more paperwork since it is a wreck that happend in a state other than where I live. Needless to say I don't want to go back to Mobile, AL anytime in my near future! I appreciate the well wishes. Only good thing that really comes out of it is that now we don't have a car payment and the insurance goes down.... so here's my question to all of you... what should our next car be? It would really only be used for road trips so good mpg is a must, any thoughts? : )

I think that a Camry is always a good option...it is safe, plenty of room, good on gas, and is a quiet comfy car for long road trips. It also comes in a hybrid which gets a little bit better mileage. Honda CRV is also a good mini-SUV with decent mileage...or a RAV4. But, neither one of these can hold a candle to the Camry for long distance comfort and efficiency. The ONE negative about the Camry is the lack of active headrests, which helps protect your neck from whiplash injury in a rear-end collision. Ford Fusion is also a good alternative and has active headrest, but it got only an average grade for roof strength. I would not recommend Honda cars simply because they are noisy on the highway. The one exception is the new Honda Crosstour which i hear is pretty good on the highway, but it is expensive...and if you were to consider this, then i would also consider the Toyota Venza or Highlander (if you want something bigger).

And if you really want efficiency and hatchback design, then consider the Toyota Prius. It does pretty well on the highway and gets 48-51 mpg. However, acceleration is not its strong point, but it does cruise very well.

Or if you can wait a little longer, Acura is coming out with the TSX Wagon. But, it is sporty and the ride comfort reflects that. Your husband may like this one, given that he has the Si.

I vote for the Camry.

I have a few cars in mind.

Addition to the 4Runner:
-Scion xB, if trying to spend as little as possible. It's the cheapest Toyota with a bigger 4-cylinder engine. IMO, the xB's utility should be on par with the Matrix sans AWD.
-Toyota Prius III, spending mid range for ultimate gas mileage.
-Toyota Sienna, if I need to carry more than four people.
-Infiniti G37 Journey, if it's just for two, for fun to drive and comfort.

Replacing the 4Runner:
-Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, for maximum utility and even off-roading.
-Toyota Sienna, for reason mentioned above and max versatility in owning the fewest number of cars.

Hmmm, forgot about the xB...that is a very nice little practical car. I hear that it is also pretty quiet on the highway. The only thing is that it is saddled with a 4-speed auto...so fuel economy is not all that great. I am also not sure how it will handle on windy days.