The gearshift is also right there, a few inches away from the steering wheel. It's conveniently located more than a foot off the floor in a position that's become fashionable in high-performance rally cars, such as the Subaru WRX, and it is used in the Lexus RX 300.
Behind the front seats is where the Matrix really shines. The rear seat is split 60/40 and folds down easily to provide a completely flat floor that is finished in a hard ribbed plastic. It comes with four slots that contain movable hooks that can be used to tie down goods. There are also several other tie-downs positioned along the sides. Storage compartments and cargo nets provide owners with maximum utility. All of this makes the interior as versatile as any station wagon and better than most SUVs. Even the front passenger seat can be folded down to provide another flat surface for storage, albeit at a higher level than the rest of the floor.
Thanks to the high roofline there is plenty of headroom, so tall drivers and passengers will be comfortable. Shorter passengers sitting in the rear seats might find the view slightly claustrophobic due to the small side windows, however.
One cool feature, which is standard on all but the base model, is a 115-volt power outlet located in the front dashboard alongside a regular 12-volt outlet. This is a great addition for all those people who like to power a laptop computer, TV, hairdryer or even a small refrigerator. Next Page