VTEC_Thunder

fifty just posted a thread wanting to know if anyone has raced a matrix XRS and before I could respond, of course the thread was locked.....Before anybody locks this threat, this has NOTHING to do with street racing

A friend of mine has an 04 matrix XRS that dyno'd at 170+whp with its 2zz VVTL-i 1.8L engine.

I am part of the Matrix Owners car club and I have gone to a couple track and dyno days with them.

I have raced many XRS's from the club, LEGALLY!!! (don't close this thread plz) AT ST.THOMAS DRAGWAY, with my 00 SIR.

I thought for sure they'd be quicker, but what do you know, the mighty B16 was unbeaten the whole night!!!

Mainly I had them off the line, I could get a better launch. The matrix's either spun or bogged off the line. Once we were up and moving it was pretty much a draw. I would say the matrix has a better top end and they would slowly start to gain on me by the end but it wasn't enough...

The XRS is a great car, very quick and respectable on the track. There should be another track day coming up for the matrix owners club soon. If anyone is interested in tagging along, let me know.

Here's a vid of me and my buddy's 170whp XRS having a go at it at st.thomas....this was one of our closer finishes:

00 SiR vs. 04 XRS

imported_mikepasini

yeah, but what happened after the line??? there is like a whole other quarter mile to race on before slowing down and looping around... for me at cayuga, that's where its at... racing to 160km/hr is one thing, but see if it pulls on you to 190...

VTEC_Thunder

^^The matrix XRS does have a better top end, I found if i messed up my launch, and the trix's got ahead, I could only gain on them slightly but never catch them by the end.....They are a quicker car up top than the SiR.

Another thing, they are 6 speed and some of them would JUST kiss the rev limiter in 3rd at the end of the 1/4. In the SiR, I was into 4th a good 200ft before the finishline.....interesting.

nrg3k

I would have to agree about the top end. I touched redline (8200) in 4th gear around 180+ kph. 5th gear is gonna pull upto 240 (i've heard) and 6th is gonna slow down.

DJM:>

VTEC_Thunder

Yeah 6th gear in the xrs is mainly for cruising and fuel mileage. The xrs and SiR gears 1-5 are almost identical.....SiR possibly a bit shorter.......wish the SiR had one more gear!!!! lol.

imported_starboy869

The SiR would be a lot better if there was a 6th gear for Hwy.

I know the Matrix Xrs has a really good top end. On distance the Xrs would own the SiR.

VTEC_Thunder

You speak the truth.........

DumbasSi

I would think that the SiR's lighter weight and better aerodynamics would give it an edge.

I considered a Matrix as my next car before I bought the 06 Si. They are deceptively quick and have tons of room for hauling stuff.

imported_t_dot_SiR

how much torque does an XRS have?

the XRS is not that heavy as i recall, so you're lucky that the XRS didn't own you on torque as well...

top end, the XRS will take you out in a longer run. i believe what's still keeping you in is your weight and your aren't that much less torque than an XRS... with your good launches... its always gonna be a tight one (consider you both possess the same amount of skills and shifting accuracy/speed)

VTEC_Thunder

I too thought the sir had better aerodynamics....but the matrix surprisingly has a better drag coef. (talking about the 99-00 sir, EM1)

But yeah the power to weight definately helps the sir. The sir only has about 100ft-lbs torque at the wheels where as the XRS has about 126 at the wheels, thats one difference which helps the XRS.

VTEC_Thunder

I was powershifting every time. He was powershifting some of the time.....don't remember how he shifted in the race in the video clip i posted....

the thing is the honda shifts amaizingly no matter what cause of the huge beefy shift rods and bullit-proof tranny....the XRS has cables to do the shifting from the **** to the tranny, also the syncros are crap in the trix so it's a much more difficult car to shift....I'm sure if they shifted better I'd have been beaten more often (was only beaten once when I spun like mad off the line and lost traction).

toyotegra

sweeet post!!!

nrg3k

The matrix can carry 4'x8' plywood or sheetrock (barely). It can also hold the 3 Child seats I have in the back (barely again).

When i drove to a paintball match up in wasaga beach, i had a 6'9" passenger who sat in the backseat. He said it was the most roomy, comfortable trip he could remember.

I compared the width to a Dodge Magnum, and its amazing that the Matrix is only slightly narrower, but actually has more room in some directions... crazy...

Those things above, + the option of 35mph on the highway (18mpg if its revved up too often.... i'll prolly never sell my 03' xrs

only negative is the high center of gravity. when you need function, things get traded off.

DJM:>

imported_t_dot_SiR

matrix is just not a car for me
but needless to say, its not a bad car...
i would take a matrix over the mazda5 or the nissan something haha... for a subcompact (if that's what you call it)

FIT would be my choice... i love its fuel efficiency hahaha

VTEC_Thunder

Slam it man!!!

The black XRS you saw in the vid is now dropped 2" and it looks and handles amaizingly, you forget your driving in a wagon...

Bryce

Some XRS yesterday in the K/W area was trying to stay with me on the 401 but sadly he couldnt they dont pull very hard after 150 -160 or just not as hard as me?

imported_mikepasini

ek hatches own... that's all

Bryce

nrg3k

at 150km/h, XRS is in lift... so it would pull hard enough. 180+ its gonna shift to 5th, and pull again upto 238km/h... not sure what the other driver was doing, but he/she wasn't trying to stay with you... prolly got scared

DJM:>

imported_mikepasini

uuuuhhh... Bryce's setup is pretty bomb... not likely an xrs would come close to passing him other than the fact that his sir tranny might top out before the xrs does...