Scion xB - Is It Still Hip to Be Square?

A few years ago, when Toyota launched the Scion brand, they hoped to stake a claim on a very large, very young, car-buying audience. They marketed on the down-low. They offered a huge array of customizable options. A buyer could build his car on-line and pick it up at the dealership with a no-haggle price. Those first generation Scions were a big hit and the xB was a grand slam. Four years later, I have to ask the question: is it still hip to be square?

If anything, the xB is a beefier square. It’s bigger both inside and out. It’s got more power. It has chiseled fender bulges that give it a more significant road presence. And now it stands on the road with a reputation all its own. If that weren’t enough, it’s got the reliability of Toyota engineering backing it up.

Let’s start with its new look. As I drove it, people either loved it or hated it, but everybody looked. People too old for it, but familiar with it nonetheless, liked the remake better than the original. Someone commented, “They Americanized it. It looks much better now.” Most people also agreed that the single reverse lamp was a bit odd, but at least it gave them something to talk about.

Inside, the xB is roomier. The back seat is almost cavernous – my eight-year-old was too short to see out of the window. My four-year-old in a booster seat couldn’t see out the window. But I have to keep in mind that the xB isn’t meant for a thirty-something suburban mom, no matter how hip she thinks she is. I took it on a four-hour road trip, and after the first hour I started feeling it in my back. Either I’m definitely too old for this car or the seats could use a little more lumbar support. Scion means cool gadgets and my favorite is the iPod hook-up that links your iPod via an included cable directly to an incredible touch-screen Pioneer sound system. While there is a small learning curve to controlling the iPod on the touch screen, it is just plain fun. It sounds great and charges it for you while it’s plugged in.

The improved power is instantly recognizable in the new xB. Freeway merging is a lot less teeth gritting and much more normal. This comes thanks to tC’s 2.4-liter, 158-horsepower engine. It’s got a lot of zip and if you care at all about the law, you’ll find yourself easing off the gas pedal quite often. The five-speed manual gearbox is user-friendly, especially living in hilly terrain like I do. One feature of note is that the new xB is easier to see out of than the previous model. This is especially important to us hip people who happen to also be short.

Perhaps the best feature of all is the price. Starting in the mid-teens, you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Combine that with excellent fuel economy and the xB becomes downright practical. Saving money is definitely a hip thing to do, no matter how old you are; but let’s keep that on the down low.

by Cindy Stagg
www.car-data.com