Down the Road

Photographs and stories by Jim Grey

Since 2007

Tag: Toyota

  • More sunsets over the Toyota dealer

    We get some spectacular sunsets in central Indiana. From my back door I have a mostly unobstructed view, but for the Toyota dealer.

  • A few more Toyota sunsets

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  • single frame: Supra

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  • single frame: Wet Matrix

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  • Ich habe einen Volkswagen gekauft

    Translated: I bought a Volkswagen.

  • single frame: Speeding

    SpeedingiPhone 6s2017 One of the cool features of my Toyota Matrix is how its gauges are invisible until you turn the car on. I think the display looks especially cool at night. Astute readers may be curious as to why my car’s redline is so high, 7,800 RPM. It’s a feature of Toyota’s 2ZZ-GE four-cylinder…

  • Requiem for a Toyota

    I love cars, but I probably loved my 2003 Toyota Matrix XRS most of all. It had become a beater in recent years, and it had a lot of miles on it, but I kept driving it anyway. But now I have to say goodbye.

  • Photo: An evening shot of my car parked on the street in front of my house.

  • When do you give up on your car?

    I’ve had a run of bad luck with my two little cars this year. The Ford Focus has seen my mechanic three times. In February, the power-steering pump failed. In March, a check-engine light led to replacing the thermostat and its housing. And then in April, the alternator died – in 65 mph Interstate traffic at 9:30…

  • Why do so many modern sedans look alike?

    A version of this post appeared at Curbside Classic a couple weeks ago. I contribute there from time to time. Its primary mission is to document the old cars still rolling on the road, but we consider all things automotive. Check it out here. Are the world’s automakers all smoking from the same pipe? Recently Chrysler…

  • Cars of a Lifetime: 2003 Toyota Matrix XRS

    My Cars of a Lifetime series ends today over at Curbside Classic, and it makes me a little sad. My last story is about the second Toyota Matrix I’ve owned, this one a top-of-the-line model with a more powerful engine. This is the same car that got rear-ended twice last year and had several other…

  • Cars of a Lifetime: 2003 Toyota Matrix

    My Cars of a Lifetime series over at Curbside Classic is quickly reaching the present day. Today I write about my little red Toyota Matrix. I ended up with this car in my divorce, and it turned out to be a great little hauler. Well, except for the multi-thousand dollar repair, which came a few…