i test drove the matrix xrs, the suzuki aerio sx wagon (140hp), and the honda civic si before buying my pr5

the matrix wasn't too bad and had a lot more interior room (much higher car)...but it had terrible handling...the engine was impressive over 5k rpms but getting to that point in the heavier car was the hard part...the matrix is no sports wagon

the suzuki was too tall and not wide enough = tons of body roll...the engine was a blessing with its 140hp 2.0 that had some down low grunt...but it sounded thrashy...after driving and thinking about this car it was like a 2nd draft of a suzuki sports wagon but not a finished product

the civic si has a great engine...it was really surprising b/c it had seamless power everywhere in the rev band and didn't taper off until redline (only this engine and the matrix were like that [though the matrix's engine had nothing until you at least hit 4k rpms)...the si though had the crapiest eco tires and the worst faux aluminum interior with red stitching in the seats i've ever seen...the engine kept me coming back but the interior is what really scared me away (could always solve the tires probs w/ some 16"/17" $1000 rotas with some decent rubber)

the pr5 had the weakest top end but had decent down low torque (not a big fan of engines tuned for low end torque)...but its composed handling (i've driven it several times at the track now) put those other posers to pasture...the pr5 is a real compact ff sports wagon where the civic si was a go between with a great engine and the matrix/aerio sx were sporty mini-minivans