I basically agree with this, but come to a slightly different conclusion. Since I hate most car repair people anyway, and since I especially hate dealer repair people, I'd get a car that someone like Consumer Reports rates as needing the least amount of service (FF>> to answer == Honda, Toyota, Nissan), and then find the one technician in the area I felt I could trust (which I have -- he's down in Waldorf, unfortunately). And hope and prey that I don't need any dealer service.
So if you think you have a technician you think you can trust, go ahead and get a G3/Vibe, since yes, it is basically a rebadged Matrix.
Or you could just get a Matrix, but good luck finding a new one for under $10K. I'm thinking you'll have to stick to used for that, and not lightly -- at least middlin'. But I haven't been watching car prices -- neither new nor used -- since the crash...uh, the auto industry crash, not an actual car crash.