WHY DID I BOTHER BUYING THIS CHEAP HYUNDAI MATRIX FOR £350? 

In the municipality I work here in Greece, we have five of these. We bought them for free with an EU program, some 22 years ago. The four of them still run like a peach, the one waits to be repaired, as someone thought that it doesn’t need any oil at all in its life. They all have passed the 400.000km mark, one has more than 500.000. Their engines are ok, they have good punch, they accommodate five adults easily and luggage, the driving position has good view and they are easy to park. They have managed to survive lot easier than fiats and opels we also have at work. Yes, some trim fell off, some dirt here and there, they don’t have n easy life, but these old bungers start first time every day, whatever the weather. Well done Hyundai.

That would be on the road for another nineteen years in India 🇮🇳

Matt I love the way you are so enthusiastic about all cars whether a £350 Matrix or a very expensive Bentley. Your channel is both entertaining and informative. Thanks

£350, low mileage…. Surely that’s got to be worth a road trip to Pinin Farina head office in Cambiano to ask the design team what the hell they were thinking!😂

The Matrix was a better car than it looks. I bought mine when it was five years old as a cheap stop-gap; fifteen years later I still have it! I never keep my cars for more than three or four years, so it must do something right. It got slated when new because it was marketed as an MPV, and it really wasn't - it just didn't have the versatility of a Meriva or Picasso. But as a commodious, but compact, family hatchback it's brilliant. Mine's a 1.8 CDX auto, and apart from replacing the front subframe it has been faultless - serviced annually its still on the original exhaust and battery!

Ok.. first question.. the parking ticket in your door bin? 😂

I don't know what y'all are saying...my parents bought a 2006 matrix brand new,and we still daily it.160k kilometers,no service for THIRTEEN YEARS,now that me and my brother grew up and both are mechanics,we take care of it,but never had a single engine fault!

My Mum had a Hyundai Matrix many years ago. We got it second had - it was an absolute lemon - faulty engine but we absolutely loved it to bits. The upright seating, tray tables in the back, relatively rugged inside and huge windows that gave it a beautifully bright interior. We adored it, I really miss it! Big window cars are a lost art - they way to dark and claustrophobic these days. My Mum would have loved the automatic - ours was manual.

You can tell by the way it was parked in the bay that your employee wanted to get out of it as quick as possible 😂.

If you look carefully in the glove box, there's usually a balaclava supplied so the owner can drive around without being recognised.

The car I learnt to drive in. Parents had theirs for about 15 years. Good work horse. No sound proofing whatsoever, at 60 on the bypass you felt like you were in a soft top.

I went on holiday and my hire car was meant to be a Ranaut Megan, we were given the diesel one of those instead. So disappointed when we saw it. Took 2 adults and two children with loads of luggage. We did a lot of mileage and only had to fill up at the end of our two weeks. Adults and children alike were all really impressed with the comfort, and drive comfort. In particular the air con which could get to cold and we were in south of France during the peak of summer. A wonderful car and many fond memories

Hard to believe how far Hyundai have come styling wise from these and also hard to believe it’s a Pinnafarina design. Will do someone for cheap transport though. Great video.

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't even know what a Hyundai Matrix was until you showed it to us. Not the best looking car in the world, but for someone who just needs a car, I bet this would be fantastic. That interior and it's gadgets is perfect for kids. Shame it needs so much welding, it would probably do someone quite well for couple of years otherwise. Weirdly I don't hate it. It's the perfect example of a white goods car that fulfills the dictionary definition of a car, perfectly.

Funny isn't it - we get annoyed that this 19 year old car has come to the end of its life. But we forget that cars from the 1970s were never expected to get past 10 years of servicable life. Our expectations have changed so much in the past 50 years when it comes to cars. RIP Matrix 😔

You should really keep this as your daily driver because it really suits you😀

You missed the big storage bins under the sliding rear seats. I used to have one of these. They have a 3 speed box with a top gear lockout, anti hunting, button for around Town. They are a wide track short wheelbase car which means they are not as stable or relaxing to drive at Motorway speeds. There is a facelift version too but by this time Hyundai were getting more expensive and were not the bargains they used to be.

When those rear screens popped up my mouth dropped open 😂😂😂

After I started working as a handyman 12 years ago I was looking for a car which I could use as a van, and that little car would have been just the ticket. Take the seats out and you've got a great workhorse!

That explains why many of these multi-name models never reached North America. Toyota would have sued them for using the same Matrix badge (We've had a Toyota Matrix for years).

Been using a 2005 model. 1.6 A. reliable. spacious. visibility very good. supple ride. full tank can get you 600km range.

It's functional, comfortable, great do it all except for racing down the road. Great sitting position and visibility I might add. A great town run-around car for sure. Hyundai parts can be pricy for this level of cars and they're not very long lasting. Interior panels may be plasticy but they last longer than many conti stuff. And i do like the over all styling of it except for the front grill.

I have a 2007 Matrix and I LOVE IT 😊 Tall, roomy, windscreen like a small conservatory, tray tables which I never use but just like the idea of 😂 ..did I mention the front seats lie flat to make near beds if you remove the headrests and slide them forward? There are so few around we owners greet each other, someone in one let me out into traffic the other day and we both laughed. Happy days 😅

This makes a Multipla look like a masterpiece

Might have been ugly but it was the best family car we ever had. It never let us down and was like a van when the seats were down.

Being written off at one year old could explain why it's going through tyres rapidly, as mentioned on Car Vertical MOT history, the alignment will be out. It's also frequently going through CV joints and has suffered corroded brake pipes from quite a young age. And finally structural rot affecting the suspension and sills since five years ago.

Would love to see a catch up video, of all the cars you've had an either sold on or scrapped.

Locking nut for those wheels seems as useful as Telly Savalas having a comb. Thanks for the video.

I remember I was ±12 years old and my dad was shopping for a brand new car. We went to look at matrix. As a child I remember I was really excited for big windows in the back, plush seats and folding tables. Thank god my dad haven't bought one. Instead he bought Mazda 6. And since I drove that car in my first year of university I was thanking in my mind that he did buy Mazda instead of Matrix.

I know this is a car channel, but damn I love that Explorer II 216570 😍

I had 2008 1.5 Diesel with manual gearbox for three years. Great car, the rear seats ar so easy to get into. Perfect if you have older parents or in-laws who you often take somewhere on a trip with you. You can also slide them back seats back and forward and adjust the angle of back support. Lots of options to trasnform the boot to load stuff. Was very handy when i ised to carry my wifes paintings to exhibitions. Mine was also in black which looks 200% better that all other color options on this car. Miss it very much.

I had one of these on a 07 plate,used it for tip runs and building work etc....everyone took the piss out of it ,but I loved driving around in it.😂

Hope you pick this up Matt. I like your style, honest, direct, practical and humourous. I am just off to view a Hyundai Matrix 1.8CDX auto '04. It's 1k, looks and sounds genuine. Elderly owners etc. MOT checks out well. Just for use as a runaround Portsmouth. So good to have a heads up from you. I don't normally spend 18 minutes of my time watching car videos so that's my compliment to you! Regards. Russell

Well, you didn't overspend on this one Matt. So yay for that silver lining.

I've seen them around, they're a fun looking compact people-mover slash young-family car. I've smiled when clocking the Pininfarina badge! That may well be worth more than the car if its the same spec as those on vintage Ferrari cars!

When I was growing up, an older couple who lived locally had a Matrix in a pale metallic green. I never thought it was hideous, just a little unusual - perhaps the colour helped. Shame this one couldn't be saved as, in many respects, it presents as quite a practical, well-equipped vehicle.

Just watched the video and as usual checked with DVLA. It's still on the road MOT till November. So it still done someone proud. Thanks for another entertaining video. Keep up a great work.

Just 3 vids back we were all enjoying the bentley dream.....😂...now this! ..you really know how to cover all the bases!🤣👍

Another day at the office for our intrepid car warrier! Good fun watching your thought process for each car you buy!

Another great video, did notice the penalty notice in the door though Matt.

I would never slag off Hyundai's as I ended up with a Lantra (that was before the Elantra) after having a series of blue oval products as a company car. Everyone tried to break them but the 1.8 manual was bomb proof. In fact I never had enough road to see how quick it was. One of the guys got 126 mph with a aircraft GPS unit onboard. The air-con was awesome, should have had a warning sticker on it. it would make your fingers shrivel up as if you had been in the bath for a couple of hours. Unfortunately on switching it on you could feel the engine struggling but I have never driven anything since that had that degree of cooling. Nearly passed out when I got home and opened the door to find out how warm it really was outside. That was obviously before we started worrying about global warming. it was never hot in the past was it!

Bought one as a cheap stopgap car when my old Renault needed some work. Honestly they're good cheap little workhorses and I definitely would buy another if I needed to.

I had one from 2005 to 2011. It was a high spec 1.8 petrol. Thirsty but super reliable small city mpv. Miss my Matrix.

The EOL on the plate should have been a clue! (End Of Life)

Quite many here back then in early 2000. Some people bought it because this model was the more affordable model to a larger one Hyundai Trajet.

Matt love the parking ticket in your door pocket 😂

No rust in Thailand, so with maintenance the càrs last but much more expensive to buy second hànd.bet you needed to know that.❤

Its like an S600 back there, 🤣 rear media 😯 I'm surprised it hasn't got heated/cooled reclining rear seat option as well 😂

It's a car It will get someone from a to b, rather than it sit on a scrap heap You saved another one🎉 Have to say though it looks better pixilated than in the metal

Seen the auto box and also thought there was wages in this car regardless, anything auto under 2k is gold currently. Would of been interesting to see how much welding was needed as it would take a lot to put me off breaking out the welder. Great video as always 👍👍👍👍

I knew about the Toyota Matrix, but not about the Hyundai Matrix. That's one thing about silver cars: it's hard to get the exact color match. One thing is sure, it's worthy of the title of Low Peak Auto. :)

I really like the way they look, I honestly struggle to tell cars apart these days, these have a certain individuality. I’m from a design background and in my experience folk are very conservative when it comes to car design and I find people interested in design tend to like the looks of different cars. Popularity of opinion really is no judge of design, I love design based around functionality, some of my favourite cars of recent times are Fiat Panda mk 1+2, Nissan Cube, Mk 1 and the last Espace😆

I thought the subframe corrosion would make this a write-off. The problem with a walk around is you can't see the chassis corrosion until you get it up on a ramp. When the previous owner knows it has bad subframe corrosion. That's why they traded it in. If it was OK they'd have driven it for another 7 years.

The clue was in the license plate.. EOL stands for 'end of life' in medical patient notes... but yes TBF to it, it did drive well!

You’ve quickly become one of my favourite channels to watch. You speak with class and intelligence. Can listen to you all day. Keep it up 👏🏼

Nearly bought a Matrix in 2003 but opted for a Mk1 Phase 2 Renault Scènic instead. The Renault, despite having a interior and design 5 years older than the Hyundai, felt more modern and just nicer.

Would love to see a Mitsubishi Space Star somtime on the channel. Not the newer model but the older one from the late 90's to early 20's.

i still own a 2003 hyundai matrix. it's done almost 300k kilometers. as in any car, it just needs regular maintenance. the gearbox was replaced at abt 160k km and the alternator and radiator were changed recently. the gas shocks give a comfortable ride but they don't last that long.

It is a real shame that this car isn’t going to live on for a while longer, granted it is hideous, and it isn’t prestige in any way(save for the infotainment system). However it could have been a cheap runaround for someone. As always great video Matt, I really enjoyed it😊.

You know what? I’m presently surprised with this car… like yeah the outside is rough… but there was some seriously cool technology in this car… especially for one made in 2004 at this price point..

All their cars until recently including Kia were just a mishmash nightmare of copying everything on the road. This one’s a lovely example though! 😂🎉

I loved my matrix...awful economy but was so comfortable to drive i really hated having to get rid if it when its radiator rotted and during covid lockdown i was told they couldnt get a replacement. I wishl they still made them id have one in an instant if replacement parts werent an issue

Sure there will be a little bit of profit in there, someone can use it until the end of its MOT then decide if they want to cough up for the welding. Once welded someone could probably get another few years trouble free motoring out of it.

Had one of those. Strange looking, but practical. Inside it was actually quite a nice place to be. Roomy, comfortable and it drove fairly well. I had it for 1,5 years and no trouble beside that the wiperarms base rottet like h....

Better than a Sh!troen C4 Picasso! Speaking of which, an auto blue one is sat across the road from my house now and sounds broken 😂

"they obviously don't know I'm in a 1.6 SE Matrix automatic with rear screens do they? Get some respect." hahaha had me in stitches! Also, this matrix is the reason why I have 37 layers of undercoat on my 23 year old Toyota which was sold new in Japan, you just know it'd have bubbly arches and soft sills within a month of british roads.

They might not be the most desirable car about but my misses had a 1.8 CDX auto and apart from being criminally thirsty it was not a bad car to actually own, never went wrong and they are really spacious for the footprint of the car. CDX is the better one with the full leather, but the diesel isn't a bad thing and much better on fuel than the petrol.

Ken Barlow has one in Corro, look out for it!

This thing's perfect, especially for the price! It would be the ideal first car for someone who took their driver's license recently.

I was amazed to see rear TV screens!! I want it just for that

Brilliant video. These undesirable cars tend to be the cars that are most reliable.

I can't believe how far Hyundai have come i have a Hyundai i20n never thought i would ever have a Hyundai at 21 years old

The squeak of excitement in Matts voice when he saw the screens in the headrests, palpable! 😂

When you look at the latest generation of Hyundai's, its amazing how far they have come from the days of the matrix!

I watched the whole video, and failed to answer the question in the title. Entertaining regardless 😂

How does it go from ‘no advisories’ at the last MOT to now needing a load of welding? The inconsistency between mechanics is astounding. I get my cars MOT’d at a different garage to where I get them serviced. Both passed with no advisories but at the service were flagged Red for corroded brake discs. Currently contemplating whether it’s my MOT tester or mechanic that’s dodgy 😅

Came for your top 10 first car video Stayed for your storytelling.

I love that the car's plate ie EOL - End Of Life!

Fond memories of riding in the back of a Matrix in Cairo, Egypt 2010. Five big blokes crammed in with lugguage, suited and booted in 27 'C heat being driven around. The air-con was so maxed that the car electrics gave way often so we had to be jumped/bump started roadside. And then.... there was the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption that blocked us travelling home for 2 weeks. Happy Days! Cars = memories

I have the diesel one with only 48.000km...leather seats......needless to say it only gets driven in summer months due to salt drenched roads...Great car (i would avoid auto-box and petrol though!) It has NO DPF (diesel patriculate filter) and camchain insted of belt. Rear drum brakes are great too....no issues with rusting like disc brakes after sitting for awhile.

Cheap, compact and roomy car with higher roof, I used Matrix to transport gravel bikes to spot outside of city.

You should include the scrap yard in the vid (full circle) and include the amount you received for it. Would be interesting to see/know.

Wouldn’t worry about the Colour match on the panels as I seem to remember Audi selling brand new cars that didn’t have two panels that matched ( unless you brought ten of them and got your spanner’s out).

Quite like the interior. In its home market the Matrix was called the Lavita - would you be seen in a lavvy? There was a facelifted version which fixed the awkward rear side glass. Next time try a Daewoo Tacuma or that other great Pinifarina small MPV the Peugeot 1007 (design suspiciously similar to a Japanese market Toyota)....

Now your talking! Bare in mind I still own a 2007 Amica Mk2 with 13k on the clock and two Mk1's. I use the Amica for hauling stock around London as they are tiny but hold tons of beer crates. We glutens for punishment in our family but the truth is that older Hyundai cars seem to last longer than the newer ones. Right on to the Matrix, I had one or should I say may parents had one. They look utter rubbish, but they are really practical. We had the same spec and ours came with the "Media Pack" that had the same rear screens and airplane style tables. I think they got theirs from Bishop and Bishop in Leicester. In fact the one we had was identical but in deeper blue colour. To be honest, it was brilliant. I hauled my parents from Leicester (at the time) to Norfolk and then to Barmouth on a regular basis. It was fairly comfy, spacious and the seats could be twiddled with to make a large carrier. I think ours came out ala Citroen Dyane to make a bigger load area. The truth was it was utterly reliable, Never ever went wrong except on glitch and was still perfect when my dad sold it for a Peugeot 3008 (original one with the split tailgate) that was utterly rubbish compared to the Matrix. (See earlier post) They look dire, but they were not that expensive when newish. The auto box had one issue that was sorted with a service as the "P" lock had jammed off but that was it. I do seem to recall. As for the headphone things, I think they were either infra red or some sort of wireless. But my dad converted them directly into the unit in the boot space using 3.5 jacks and phones. You can buy the kit even now I think. But the reality is that it's a £350 banger so don't expect a Merc S500!

The same name as Arnie's character in Commando, which makes it great!

Nice to see you showing crappers as well as the normal ones Matt.

"mmm, I can do worse than that…" Funyy, very funny 😂

You said it all at the end Matt ..... Japanese / Korean cars of this era just went on and on and on ...... which is why they are loved by certain members of the public, BUT their Achilles heel is the metal, or chocolate as you say, Ugly? most definitely, but reliable? most definitely, and that's why the old Nissan Micras / Bluebirds / Accord etc etc of the 1980's and 90's were so incredibly nice to sell, they never broke down ( or so rarely you never heard of it ) but you know that of course ..... Cat D, Short MOT, and more holes underneath than some swiss cheese, but I reckon you still made a profit or got your money back at least ..... cant ask for more, and certainly worth taking the gamble, the cheapie car flippers could learn a little from this video, wise words spoken !

Reminds me of my Daihatsu Grand Move I use as my second car for taking the dog around in. An automatic in an MPV like that makes it such a good cheap round about.

When you pointed at the Pininfarina badge then took a step back to admire the design 😂😂

My late Uncle had one it went for years it even out lived him it never went wrong simplistic cars you can't beat em 😂

5:40 we can see the parking ticket😂

I had one. Nice & comfortable Korean vehicle.

You are right, it is quite ugly, but I also find it adorable and practical!! Almost a classic, and probably smooth to drive with petrol and automatic plus all the equipment. Perfect for an elderly person or someone fancying old asian cars...

Not sure if you’ve done it already but I’d love to see a review on the 2013 era Hyundai i30 if you could get your hands on it. It’s a car I’m looking to hopefully get one day but there’s not many reviews of it on YT especially none that are up to date.

I am using this car for more than 15 years and its still in good condition. Just a normal maint and no major down. My kids grow up with this car still not allowed me to sell this car. They want me to keep this car for them. Big space, passenger sit can fold to create a big space. I can carry my MTB 29er without take out the tyre and seat even without fold the sit. Just how big this space for this price of car. Easy spare part and maint. Love it.

I actually like these as i think they are a bit left field..i actually looked at some with heated leather and sunroof but wanted an automatic.....

So love your optimistic views I was in the trade and would be having sleepless nights over this 😂

I feel sad when I watch videos like this. It's a working car, with loads of great features, but if it's rotten as a pear, you can't trust your nearest and dearest in it.