[Guest]

Here is what I've found on the internet & message boards for non-fixed rear window. The Toyota Matrix seems to be the least expensive & has decent gas mileage.....why is it going out of production?????
~~~~~~~~~~
REAR WINDOW OPENS INDEPENDENTLY OF REAR DOOR:
Toyota Matrix MSRP Price Range: $15,410 - $17,720 last production year 30/36
kia sportage MSRP Price Range: $15,900 - $22,895 get extended warranty! 23-mpg /28-mpg
Pontiac Vibe MSRP Price Range: $16,760 last production year 30/36
Hyundai tucson MSRP Price Range: $16,995 - $23,845 23-mpg/28-mpg

Nissan pathfinder MSRP Price Range: $25,600 - $36,000
Jeep Cherokee Laredo MSRP Price Range: $27,990 - $43,015
chevrolet captiva EXPENSIVE
Jaguar X-Type Estate EXPENSIVE
Toyota 4Runner MSRP Price Range: $27,635 - $38,385
mazda tribute MSRP Price Range: $18,900 - $26,270
ford escape MSRP Price Range: $18,580 - $25,330
kia sorrento MSRP Price Range: $19,995 - $26,195
honda element MSRP Price Range: $18,900 - $23,495
honda s2000 MSRP Price Range: $34,250
jeep liberty MSRP Price Range: $21,600 - $26,745
gmc yukon MSRP Price Range: $34,675 - $47,780
toyota fj cruiser MSRP Price Range: $22,110 - $23,700

 

[Guest]

BTW, when I was doing internet searches, I came across the phrase:

"Fixed rear window".

I'm not experienced with car lingo....so I'm guessing that this means that the window doesn't open up at all.
:?:

Is that what it means??

Thanks!
pennsylvania_girl@hotmail.com

 

[The G Man]

Yup.

 

[TomT]

Did it break down a lot? Still does. The only reason I still own it is because:
1. It's paid for.
2. Insurance is cheap.
3. My son goes to a public school. No one would steal this vehicle and if he gets in a little mishap, no great loss.

Direct from Consumer Reports: "Reliability of the Sportage remains much worse than average"

 

[zaitcev]

Yeap, as a matter of fact, both front seats will fold down completely flat to meet the folded rear seat height if you remove the head rests.

This seems to be a matter of fantasy, not fact, because Captain is wrong. The front seat meets the rear seat only when the rear seat is not folded. Please refer to these pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/465673975/
-- Rear seat folded
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/465673977/
-- Rear seat not folded

 

[Guest]

That sounds like my situation....I have an old car & live in a bad area (because of school). I'm actually glad I have a bad car...because it's mostly left alone (& when it is occasionally vandalized, it doesn't hurt so much because there's not much of a loss...it's worth so little money).

ANYWAYS, I think I've figured out what I'm going to do when my clunker eventually dies.

I'm going to check to see if Toyota will modify the YARIS rear window (which is the best car when it comes to affordability + MPG) .....I'm sure they can easily retrofit a rear window that will open independently of the hatchback door because they already make it for the Matrix. I figure that if I get the cheapest Yaris ($10,000), I'll save so much money that I can afford to put $1,000 extra for a rear window that opens. (I'm guessing it can't cost much more than a grand to modify a rear window....right???)

3. My son goes to a public school. No one would steal this vehicle and if he gets in a little mishap, no great loss.

 

[Captain M]

Yeap, as a matter of fact, both front seats will fold down completely flat to meet the folded rear seat height if you remove the head rests.

This seems to be a matter of fantasy, not fact, because Captain is wrong. The front seat meets the rear seat only when the rear seat is not folded. Please refer to these pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/465673975/
-- Rear seat folded
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/465673977/
-- Rear seat not folded

Oopps! Must have been too much Captain Morgan the night I figured out that the front seats fold flat with the head rests removed. Yes, the front seat does fold flat to meet the "UNFOLDED" rear seat.

However, if you did need to transport something longer than the space provided by the rear cargo area and the rear folded seats, then moving the front passenger seat all the way forward, removing the head rest, and reclining the front passenger seat as far as it will go before it interferes with the folded rear seat (with the 6" high or so bump) can still give you an extra 2 to 3 feet of cargo capacity.

 

[RAYDAHS]

Yeap, as a matter of fact, both front seats will fold down completely flat to meet the folded rear seat height if you remove the head rests.

This seems to be a matter of fantasy, not fact, because Captain is wrong. The front seat meets the rear seat only when the rear seat is not folded. Please refer to these pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/465673975/
-- Rear seat folded
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaitcev/465673977/
-- Rear seat not folded

Yep, I’m guilty as well When I measured, I didn’t fold the rear seat down. I just assumed it would fold flat, but it actually slides forward a bit. Instead I reclined the rear seat to use the seatback as a guide for the tape measurer…sorry for the confusion :?

 

[X4runner]

Here is what I've found on the internet & message boards for non-fixed rear window. The Toyota Matrix seems to be the least expensive & has decent gas mileage.....why is it going out of production?????

The Matrix/Vibe is NOT being discontinued. It's being redesigned--there's a big difference.
http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/matrix/2008/review.html
and
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Ent...ts/Spy_Shots_and_Future_Cars/Spies_Catch_the_Next_Pontiac_Vibe.S178.A12072.html

FWIW, we have a Vibe (same as matrix). It gets 35 mpg highway, handles well and has a lot of space for a small car. It's also been very reliable. And yes the rear window opens separately.

 

[Captain M]

And yes the rear window opens separately.