Before buying this silver 2004 Matrix used from a local dealer I had never owned a Japanese designed car.  I'd had VW's and a Mercedes and plenty of American full sized cars.  I went shopping looking ONLY for a car that had a flat-straight in trunk and didn't really care what the car looked like as long as I could load heavy gear boxes into the back without killing my back.  When the salesman suggested this little number I looked skeptical.

I've never been able to sit upright in a car with a sunroof and when I sat down for the first time I was amazed that my head didn't it the headliner. ...