Hyundai Matrix CRDi / Diesel Variant

[slamtaz]

hyundai's vgt crdi diesel engine really rocks

pound for pound, i think their hp, torque & mileage is currently better than toyota, isuzu, mitsubishi, ford, nissan.

[basti08]

actually the matrix before is a DOHC 16v 1.5L CRDi variant only with 80+ hp...then they upgraded the engine to a DOHC 16v 1.5L CRDi with VGT (Variable Geometry Turbo)...malakas talaga makina nyan... almost as powerful as equivalent gas 1.5L counterparts(Vios G has 108hp, City VTEC has 110hp)

[20vanda01]

Although I don't have a plan buying one (Matrix) now, I think I need to have a test drive this weekend. My officemate is buying 1 (Matrix) over a City and Vios.

[the_champ]

any feedback sa mga owners ng matrix crdi? kaya ba ang 20km/l sa highway? ilan konsumo sa city?
may luggage space pa ba sa likod ng rear seat? i was wondering kung magkakasya pa ang isang malaking maleta
plus 5 passengers hehe or is that asking too much. motioncars has a good review for this compact hatch mpv.
only quirk mentioned is it's odd shape/looks. i want to hear some reviews from real owners.
peace bro!

[orly_andico]

even though the matrix has less HP than the 1.5G Vios, it has a mountain of torque.

i don't think the accent is a good buy, it's too darn expensive. 740k is already Altis J territory (actually more expensive than an Altis J).

the Matrix is no lightweight, at 1400kg it weighs as much as a midsize sedan (Camry, Accord). Incidentally it weighs about as much as the Tucson. The Tucson, Elantra, and Matrix are all built on the same platform. So the engine is not overpowered for it. The torque is a huge help though.

I think the Innova 2.5 low-pressure turbo puts out about 240Nm of torque so about the same as the Matrix. The Innova weighs about 200kg more than the Matrix.

[mikey177]

We are thinking of buying a diesel Matrix as a second vehicle to give our Sedona some must needed rest from its daily 120-km drive regimen.

We're considering the Matrix because it appears to get good mileage per liter of diesel fuel and because there are usually only going to be two people riding it daily so a bigger vehicle (another van) would seem wasteful.

One of my concerns is if the savings we achieve from buying a diesel will not be lost in the long run when the time comes to replace those high-tech and expensive CRDi and other diesel engine components. Will the cost savings from fuel still be able to offset the overhaul or repair costs when our Matrix has racked up hundreds of thousands of kilometers in mileage already?

[niky]

Right now, overhaul and long-term maintenance of the Hyundai CRDi engines is unknown. In general, though, diesel engine blocks are stronger than gasoline blocks, so the overhaul interval should be longer. It's the turbos that are a cause for concern, as they require a lot of TLC (tender loving care).

In my opinion, as long as you practice adequate warm-up and cool-off time (or buy a turbo-timer, so you don't have to think too much about cool-off), the turbos should last the distance. You should always bear in mind that these are not regular engines that you can just start up and turn off any time you feel like it.

In the hands of careless drivers, I've seen merely three year old turbodiesels die an awful death. On the other hand, there are those that are still going strong after many years with no major problems It all depends on the cool off time, and a strict adherence to maintenance schedules.

I.E.: It's all up to you.

[mikey177]

Yes, I'm also a practitioner of turbodiesel TLC protocols since the Sedona is also a turbodiesel. Tinakot nga ako nung Wheels casa nung isang buwan nung sinabing kailangan na palitan yung turbocharger assembly ng Sedona (it's a 45 month old vehicle with 127,000-km on the odometer) to the tune of over 30,000 pesos. Buti na lang di ako kumagat at nakita ko na ang problema lang pala ay isang air filter hose na na-disconnect kaya sya maingay.

To top it off, I'm not always the person driving the vehicle since my wife has a driver on weekdays, although I explicitly repeat the turbo warmup and cooldown rituals to him every so often

I guess I have to bring out my calculator and compute for fuel savings vs long-term maintenance costs... pinaka-hate ko pa naman ang math

[happymeal]

Big leap talaga yong pagkakaroon ng common rail turbo diesel engine ng Hyundai Matrix. Sa interior space ang galing din. Ito ang nag-convince sa akin na kumuha ng Matrix. Nasubukan ko ng mag-load ng assembled stationary bike, mountain bike, malaking semi-auto washing machine, mahahabang pieces of wood (baseboards), at yong mga cabinets na almost 6ft ang taas na ikaw na ang mag-a-assemble sa bahay (habang naka-box pa na almost 6ft ang length). Kasya lahat. Nasa diskarte lang ng pag-slide, tumble, recline mo ng front at rear seats. Ang dami pang mga compartments, may food trays pa sa likod ng front seats. Di ka mauubusan ng cup holders hehe. Idol talaga! The best sa space kahit i-compare pa sa Jazz. Lakas pa ng makina.
Ang ayaw ko lang sa Matrix ay ang di magandang driving visibility. Napaka-lapad ng A-pillars tapos wala pang triangular na salamin sa bottom nito na katulad ng City, Jazz, Innova o Starex. Meron tuloy malaking blind spot during turning na kung matapat doon ang isang approaching na sasakyan o tao ay makaka-aksidente ka. Kailangan mo pa tuloy pahabain ang leeg mo na parang pagong para lang makasigurado. Yong side view mirrors naman, compared sa Honda ay di masyado wide angle ang view. May mga sasakyan na mag-o-overtake sa iyo na pwedeng mapunta sa blind spot at di mo makita. Hirap din mag-reverse parking kasi di agad makikita sa side mirrors ang mga katabing sasakyan na naka-park, unlike sa mga Honda. Kaya kung gabi at bagong lugar ang pupuntahan namin, Honda pa rin gamit namin. Pang-daylight lang ang Matrix sa familiar places (home - office). Yong pinagkakabitan din ng towing cable sa front chin ay ang baba. Madalas sumabit sa parking bumps kung facing the wall ka mag-park at kung mabilis ang takbo mo pa-descent sa incline. Di ito naging problema sa Honda. Madali ding matuklap ang undercoating - ang nipis kasi. Dapat magpa-undercoat ka habang bago pa.
Considering 3rd evolution na ang CRD-i Matrix sa Pinas, wala pang naging improvement sa driving visibility at yong iba ko pang nabanggit sa taas. Ito ang nakita kong poor sa design ng Matrix. Balik ako Honda next year o Toyota na siguro.

[mikey177]

Heretic and happymeal,

Kamusta naman ang top speed at ease of overtaking ng Matrix. Since I will do mostly highway driving with this vehicle, I am curious as to how it performs on the long open stretches of highway.

• Mayroon bang shudder or unusual noises at high speed?
• How's the ride comfort on long trips?
• How fast have you driven these babies and for how long (sustained speed)?
• How easily can they overtake other vehicles that around going at around 60-70 kph?
• Kumusta yung stock tires... pinalitan nyo ba kaagad at anong brand ang recommended nyo?