2008 Scion xB: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- You Can Blame Me
- Good Underhood
- Low Fuel Rant
- iPod Champ or Chump?
- Who Needs a Truck?
- DVDs. Cool, But Who Cares?
- Custom Sound Theater
- iPod interface couldn't be better
- Shifty McShifter
- Shut the Beep Up!
- Looking Good
- Time Change Made Simple
- A Good First Impression
- Dark Cabin
- Pre-Holiday Check? Low Psi
- Cargo Space
- Back In The Box
- Fuel Economy and Service
- Low-Slung Seats
- Thinking Inside the Box
- Nav System News
- Makes Sense in the City
- Which Would You Choose?
- Hauling it all
- Dark Cabin
- Covet Thy Carpet
- Car As Accessory
- Perfect for L.A.
- Boxed In?
- DIY Oil Change
- Arizona Rocks!
- Sedona bound
- The Best Laid Plans ...
- Whatcolorizat?
- Reboot for iPod
- Another Car on Crack
- Spin Me Right 'Round
- Sweat the Details
- Easy Ingress/Egress
- Where's My MPGs?
- I Can See My House from Here!
- Windshield Replacement
- Does it get any weirder than this?
- What Makes A Wagon?
- Another Service another Smile
- Flat Tire
- I Had No Idea Illuminated Cupholders Were This Cool
- Pointing Fingers
- These Doors Don't Slam
- It's the little things...
- Chivalry at a Price?
- Functional Lite Brite?
- Cargo Area
- I Hate the Tea Cups
- Putting Money Where Our Mouth Is
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
The 2008 Scion xB is the very definition of hip. After all, it's the successor of the 2004 Scion xB, which made "hip" and "econobox" usable in the same sentence. And while most manufacturers struggle to create this kind of cult following, Scion's unique box effortlessly draws the dollars of the fashionable and the utilitarian alike.
What we bought
Thanks to Scion's fixed pricing, every xB with a four-speed automatic transmission costs $17,180 with destination, and they all come equipped exactly the same way — four doors, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive.
Scion doesn't have options per se, but there exists an "Optomize" program that allows buyers to customize (modify) their Scion before it leaves the lot. Think of it as pieces of flair. You do want to express yourself, don't you?
We did. Any xB owner can tell you that the way your xB is accessorized is what determines how cool it looks when it travels in a pack of these boxy things. Checking the option boxes for illuminated doorsills ($249) and the 4-in-1 color interior light kit ($299) is sure to bump our xB into a higher echelon on the chic scale. Besides, it includes lighted cupholders. How have you gone so long without these? If you're thinking "what a waste of money," you're obviously not as ingrained in modern counterculture as we are.
We also dropped $1,950 for the sweet head unit we liked so much when we tested the 2008 xB in May. It has a user-friendly iPod interface, lets us play DVDs and packs a good navigation system. XM Satellite Radio also made the cut for another $449 and a sweet Razo shift knob cost us $74.
For $795 we replaced the steel wheels and hubcaps of the base xB with 16-inch alloys. These won't turn heads like the gigantic optional 19-inch TRD wheels, but they won't realign necks and lower backs, either. Carpeted floor and cargo mats cost $155 and the cargo net is another $65, which brings our out-the-door total to $21,216.
For color we went with Hypnotic Teal Mica. We're not sure why; none of us like it much. Although since we've bought the car, two staffers have stopped smoking.
Why we bought it
Scion's little boxes turn heads quicker than our long-term Ferrari 308. To own an xB is to be part of an underground cult — to know the secret handshake, bypass the bouncer and skip the cover charge.
This was all true of the first xB. But having noticed the success of its first box, Scion upped the ante with the 2008 xB. A completely redesigned "Want 2b Square" viral marketing campaign is designed to specifically target the nation's counterculture elite. The campaign draws users to an interactive Web site in which everything is square, like the xB — but pays no mention of the car, or for that matter, Scion.
But nothing's harder than making a good sequel — just ask the Wachowski brothers about The Matrix Reloaded. Much of the original xB's appeal was its uniqueness in a sea of anonymous sedans and minivans. The xB isn't nearly as rare anymore, with at least 60,000 units populating the streets annually. Seems the uncool have started to catch on.
On the other hand, being trendy in 2008 no longer means compromised ride comfort and gutless acceleration. In our full test, we added, "It's actually quiet inside the cabin of the 2008 xB, and the new cruise control makes for an effortless ride on the freeway."
So maybe Scion doesn't care whether the xB retains its cult following. The band that "sells out" by going mainstream isn't thinking about its most loyal fans when the big checks start rolling in. Has the kooky club kid become an over-the-hill suburbanite who enjoys the occasional Zima? Over the next 12 months, we'll find out if the 2008 xB is still as cool as it once was.
Current Odometer: 1,324
Best Fuel Economy: 27.1 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 21.8 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 24.1 mpg
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
In the long-term introduction to our 2008 Scion xB, it was mused that "We went with Hypnotic Teal Mica. We're not sure why; none of us like it much." Well, the answer to both of those can be "me." I happen to like it, and in fact I can take some of the credit (or blame) for us going with this unusual non-metallic color.
When I heard that we were getting a Scion xB, I was saddened by the initial silver color choice and barren options selections. This was a Scion, and the box to boot — the whole point is to load it up with oodles of mostly useless dealer-installed options like multi-color mood lighting and other items you'll hear about over the course of the year. As for the color, I thought it looked pretty nifty in pictures (it looks best in brighter light) and the Hypnotic Teal would certainly make it stand out (even more) amidst a sea of silver and metallic grey. Any way, having urged us to get this particular Hypnotic Teal oddity, I decided shortly after the xB showed up to see if my initial affection for this car would last over the course of a road trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix and back.
The xB proved to be an excellent travel companion. It desperately needs a telescoping steering column, but this is the first small Toyota I've driven that offers enough leg room and support for my long legs. The huge 69.9 cubic feet of trunk space (bigger than our Ford Edge) swallowed two sets of golf clubs, a full load of laundry, a Costco-sized pack of Charmin and thousands of car magazines I was donating to our library. The new torquey 2.4-liter four-cylinder is excellent, but the xB needs either a larger gas tank or better fuel economy (I got less than 25 mpg), as I needed to stop earlier than usual.
Another complaint surrounded the touchscreen navigation system's iPod interface (which I also lobbied for), but Dan Edmunds will cover that in full detail later in the week. In short, it should be fantastic, but Toyota's electronic nannies have ruined it. All in all, I'm a big fan of our Hypnotic Teal xB and am looking forward to more trips throughout the year.
Read the Introduction to the Scion xB on Edmunds.
I never expected to like the 2008 Scion xB as much as I do. Never mind that the new 2.4-liter engine is similar to that of the Toyota Camry. A 50-percent increase in horsepower and 2.4 liters of fury are good for the xB because:
Never again does one have to scribble "pass that truck" on one's Day Planner. Just roll onto the throttle and scoot ahead.
The automatic transmission isn't forced to constantly kick-down a gear for merging and other such tasks.
There is much less commotion coming from underhood... Driving the 2008 xB is a more serene experience.
But there is a dark side to all of this: Fuel economy drops. But the recent change in EPA measurement methods make the situation look worse than it really is.
Converting the old xB's ratings to 2008-equivalent figures, city mileage for the 2008 Scion xB with an automatic drops from 26 to 22 mpg. Highway economy falls from 31 to 28 mpg.
Simultaneous cake ownership and consumption are specifically prohibited.
As stated in our last episode, I'm enjoying the overall experience of driving our 2008 Scion xB much more than I'd predicted. But this morning the Scion has me P.O.'d. Maybe I'm just in a mood because I'm on the road early enough to be inspired by radio rantmaster Adam Carolla during my commute.
At some point during my 50 mile drive to the office the low fuel light winked on. I'm not sure when, exactly, because the dang center-mounted fuel gauge is waaaay out-of-sight, out-of-mind. When I do notice it, the trip odometer is displaying a mere 249 miles.
So the light is on and I've got 40 miles to go. I can still see daylight between the hash mark and the needle, and the fuel gauges in Toyotas I've owned were notoriously conservative. A car like this has to be able to get at least 300 miles out of a full tank, right? I decide to press on.
Closing in on downtown LA, things look more glum. The needle is firmly on "E", but all I know about the area is Skid Row. Our xB has a navigation system, but I don't figure out how to punch up gas station POIs straight away. (The manual later tells me they're conjured via a toggle under the Map View button.) General Motors bests the Scion here by linking their nav systems to the low-fuel warning to automatically issue an on-screen prompt along the lines of "Low fuel. Do you want gas stations displayed?"
With only 10 traffic-free freeway miles to go, I delicately continue - re-reminding myself about all of the crying-wolf fuel gauges I've owned. But now daylight is appearing on the WRONG side of the "E" hash mark.
I make it, with ease as it turns out. The 14 gallon tank takes but 12.5 gallons to fill. The 1.5 gallons that remain (corresponding to the needle position in the above photo) easily represents yet another 35 or 40 freeway miles. OK, I would never run a car that low, but the Scion has been chiding me to refuel for at least the last 40 miles. Let me get this straight: with 75 miles to go, about 20% of the xB's theoretical 392-mile range, I've got a fuel crisis?
And theoretical it turns out to be. Our Scion has been popular, racking up 6,000 miles in 2 months. Through 25 tanks the average fuel economy has been only 23.8 mpg and the average fill occurred at just 230 miles. Only one person has squeezed more than 300 miles out of a tank, and it wasn't me. This incident ended at 289.3 miles and 23.1 mpg.
Hindsight says I should have followed dad's sage advice to always fill-up at a quarter-tank. I might have done so if the fuel gauge wasn't banished to the periphery or if I knew how marginal the range really is. I suppose the familiarity of ownership would make this issue go away. But an overly-conservative gauge such as this only serves to over-emphasize the mediocre range and fuel economy we're getting from our Scion xB.
How about this: why not make "E" mean empty, and why not put the gauge somewhere where its easily seen without the prodding of a warning lamp?
I'm addicted to my iPod. I have music from over a 75 artists and a dozen episodic podcasts crammed into my 4-Gig Nano. Since our 2008 Scion xB boasts an all-singing, all-dancing true iPod connection, I made sure I had it for the long weekend. This car is marketed squarely at the iPod generation, so it had better be great, right?
Within 20-minutes of leaving the office, I was swearing at it. I disconnected from the integrated iPod jack and resorted to the generic "AUX" jack provided right next to it.
"You're crazy, Dan," you might be thinking, "The sound quality is much worse from the mini-jack and you have to use the iPod's own control interface instead." True on both counts. I'll take the hit on the first to get the second.
Yes, the iPod jack is fully integrated. I can choose from Albums, Artists, Genres, Songs, Playlist, etc., just like the menu choices on my iPod (except for Podcast, which is curiously AWOL). A few simple on-screen clicks allows me to drill down to find a selection of songs by, say, LCD Soundsystem.
And it is most excellent - but only when the car is sitting still. All of the rave reviews authored by Edmunds staffers must have been written after playing with the connection in a parking lot.
As soon as the car moves, the deactivation of the all-important Music Menu button transforms the interface into little more than an expensive iPod shuffle. You'd better like what you were listening to when you started moving, because making a specifc choice while underway is difficult and tedious.
Now I choose Direct, which still provides the top-level choices of Artist, Album, Genre, Song, etc. To get to LCD Soundsystem, I choose Artist. But instead of displaying pages of five or six artists at a time, the display goes straight into play mode, starting with the first artist beginning with "A". To get to LCD Soundsystem, I have to push an up/down toggle 27 times (I counted) to get to "LCD". And the screen I monitor to do this is harder to read than the page view provided when stationary.
For a German language podcast I listen to, things are worse. Podcast isn't a choice, but hunting around reveals my selection listed under Album. But it takes 46 button presses to run through the alphabetical list the list to "My Daily Phrase German". And the default is Lesson 1, so I've got 17 more button presses to get to where I left off at Lesson 18. I give up.
The really frustrating part is this: The Music Menu command is probably grayed-out to satisfy those in the driver distraction lobby. But I can make a strong case that the work-around is much more time consuming and distracting. Logic goes out the window when 27 or 63 button clicks is considered less distracting than 6 or 8 from a logical sub-directory structure. And don't get me started on the distractionless pair of hands available to any passenger.
If it were me, I'd buy the cheapest radio available (or a radio delete option if they had it) and buy something from the aftermarket. Even when OE stereos seem good, they can be fraught with limitations.
Here's the thing: you can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a 2008 Scion xB by its outside dimensions.
A few weeks ago I bought a twelve-foot kayak at a yard sale for seventy-five bucks. I drove it home in my Honda Fit. The next day I borrowed our 2007Chevrolet Silverado LT thinking it would be perfect for hauling the kayak to the beach... Well, a twelve-foot kayak in a six-foot bed leaves six feet of kayak ready to impale cars behind me. But in the Fit and the Scion there were only about two feet hanging out. Not only that but my two sons sat in the rear seat and we all took a turn on the water.
Our 2008 Scion xB can play DVDs on the nav screen. Okay. So what?
I had the Scion recently and my sons thought it would be cool to try the DVD player. They brought a favorite movie with them called "Blackballed; The Bobby Dukes Story." Of course, the video portion of the movie was blocked out... Since they had already seen the movie a bunch of times they didn't need the visual and laughed at their favorite lines all over again. But when we stopped we couldn't figure out how to make the video play. It was annoying to hear the movie and not get the picture (so to speak). While they were busy button-pushing and menu-surfing I acted like a real dork: I read the manual. That didn't help either.
Turned out, not only do you have to put the car in park, you also have to put the emergency brake on. Presto! There was Rob Corddry shooting people with paintballs. We watched it for five minutes and then went inside and played it on a larger screen.
Still, it's nice to know I can watch "Blackballed" if I get to an appointment early. Of course, that's why I always try to carry a book with me. But I guess that's pretty old school.
Scions are aggressively marketed to a young, style-conscious audience. With that in mind, the 2008 Scion xB pays very careful attention to that audience, and offers nearly endless customization of the sound coming from its stereo. The above screen shows several options for sound style. A mere button press on the touchscreen, and your sound can have more bass in the club setting or the boomy characteristics of a high-ceilinged cathedral... But wait. There's more. . .
Also included is the option to alter how the sound resonates and bounces through the car, and there are different settings for front and back speakers. The options list is quite comprehensive, with several different menus and touchscreens. Scion knows where its audience is coming from, and it wants to make absolutely sure that it caters to their needs. Good attention to detail. And the sound itself: very nice.
I love how the display copies the iPod control wheel. The screen isn't so great in bright sunlight though. Shuffle tracks is the best feature and about the only one I use. I never listen to Podcasts and rarely choose songs manually - although the shuffle albums is a nice feature too... Love the interface overall.
My only gripe is that the speakers seem to be lower quality than the first xB's Pioneer audio system.
To let you know the connection is complete, a Scion logo appears on the iPod screen. Ford's Sync does the same thing.
Overall, the xB is fine. It's a HUGE improvement over the previous version. One thing I can't stand it how the transmission kicks down even if I just brush the accelerator. Gets annoying real quick. The shift it yourself is useless too - it just holds at that gear - no real control...
I like the quiet ride - a road trip in the xB is quite doable.
Yay! I got it to shut up! After having to endure our Mitsu Lancer's beeping every time I changed the satellite radio station during a five-hour round-trip drive to and from Willow Springs, I couldn't stand it anymore when I realized our 2008 Scion xB had the same annoying feature, too. Fortunately, it didn't take long for me to figure out how to turn it off, and without the manual... I briefly contemplated the other two "beep" options, and, although comical, decided that silence was the best choice. Sweet , sweet silence. Hm, maybe I'm just too old for this car.
I generally like things that reflect a certain free-spiritedness. Yet, I wasn't a fan of the very individualistic, previous-generation Scion xB (shown above). To my eyes, it was about as attractive as an ambulance.
What a difference a redesign makes... The 2008 Scion xB (shown above) is a foot longer than its predecessor, and 2 inches shorter in height. This lends it a more streamlined look; the xB has been transformed from a strange square into a somewhat less-strange rectangle. It's also 3 inches wider than the old xB, which gives it a more solid stance. Its edges are more rounded, too. The spirit of the wagon is obviously the same, but the tweaks add lots of improvement. I'm still not exactly in lust, but the xB has definitely grown on me.
The highlight of the xB's makeover, though, has got to be its torque-ier new engine. With 158 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, the eager little 2.4-liter inline four never failed to step up to the plate when I needed some back-up this weekend. And I loved hanging out in this Scion's comfortable, ridiculously roomy cabin.
The xB's unique looks may make it a turn-off to some, but most will be pretty impressed if they spend some time behind the wheel.
Unlike other cars in our long-term fleet , the xB was pretty acquiescent when the time came to set its clock back an hour for the end of Daylight Savings Time. I was fully prepared to have to fritter away my entire morning with my nose buried in the owner's manual, but cracking the manual wasn't necessary with this car's old-school, super-intuitive setup.
See that button labeled "Disp," as in "Display"? All I had to do was tap that button 'til the time display appeared, then hold it down and tap it some more 'til the numbers were changed... Refreshingly simple and straightforward.
For one reason or another I had yet to drive the xB up until last night. As one of the few editors who actually like the xB's new look, it was about time I got behind the wheel. First impression? Feels huge inside, even for my 6-foot-2 frame... I don't mind the low seating position either as it makes the xB feel less like an SUV and more like a small car. It gets up pretty good for a four-cylinder as you get a big surge of power from a stop. It runs out of steam pretty quickly, but given the relatively large size of the xB it's hard to complain.
The rubbery steering is the only real flaw that I found. It's typical economy car stuff so I wasn't surprised. I could do without the center-mount gauges too, but I think they'll bother me less after some additional seat time. Overall, a good first impression for a relatively inexpensive car.
One of the things I love about the Scion xB is the way my iPod interfaces with the car and allows me to control my music on the steering wheel.
One of the things I dislike about the Scion xB is that all the dials and meters are in the center of the car instead of in front of the driver.
I find it odd to glance to my right to check my speed.
But the worst part is at night the cabin is so dark in front of me... I don't like sitting in the pitch black. The photo above tries to illustrate the darkness but my camera made some adjustments to the lightness.
It's nice that no one in the outside world can see me singing as I drive. But the darkness kinda creeps me out.
Today is America's big travel day. I hope all of you hitting the road are checking your vehicle's tire pressures.
I hopped into our Scion xB yesterday morning and found the car's low tire pressure warning light illuminated. I didn't have a gauge on me, and no tire looked flat... After about 15 minutes of highway driving, the light winked out. "One of the tires is on the verge of hitting the sensor's low pressure threshold," I thought. But in checking the tires this morning, I found them all to be 5 to 9 psi below the cold recommended inflations.
Practice what you preach? Frankly, it was embarrassing to find them that low.
I used our 2008 Scion xB last week for the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend. This meant driving to the in-laws' house with my wife, a four-month-old baby in a reverse-facing carseat and a significant amount of stuff for 600 miles roundtrip.
By stuff, I mean two suitcases, the baby's Pack 'n Play play-yard, two duffel bags, a cooler, a garment bag, a computer laptop bag, a tennis racket, a backpack, an SLR camera bag, three tote bags, two cake holders, two pillows and other accoutrement.
The xB managed the load, though I did have to pack everything pretty tight... I don't like blocking the view through the rearview mirror, so I didn't fully utilize the 21.7 cubic feet of luggage space. Total interior volume is listed at 122.5 cubic feet.
I like the idea of being space efficient, but having something a bit bigger would have been nice. For comparison, a Toyota RAV4 has 36.4 cubic feet of luggage space and 144.6 cubic feet of interior volume.
I've been driving our 2008 Scion xB for almost two weeks now. And I'm still not quite sure what I think of it. Rationally, there's a lot to like. It looks distinctive, is roomy, can be fitted with a lot of customizing accessories and has decent pep from the 2.4-liter engine... And lots of people love their first-generation xBs.
Yet when I look at or drive our xB, I'm left feeling largely indifferent. If somebody secretly switched out our xB overnight for a Brand X Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser or Mazda 3, I certainly wouldn't be broken up about it.
Perhaps the xB lost some of its mojo at the generation switch. When it got bigger, roomier and more powerful, it became more like everything else.
I tallied up our 2008 Scion xB's fuel economy today. After 10,000 miles, we averaged 23.9 mpg. Our best tanks have typically been about 29 mpg while the worst drop down to about 19 mpg. The EPA estimate for this vehicle is 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway... The EPA combined average is 24 mpg.
Due to a smallish fuel tank and a Chicken Little gauge, the xB's range has been a little disappointing. We've exceeded 300 miles just once. And opting for the manual transmission in the xB makes no difference in fuel economy – the EPA says it's also 22/28 mpg.
Meanwhile, we took our xB in for its 10,000-mile service today. It included an oil change and tire rotation. We've yet to pick it up, but there should be no surprises – the first two services for the Scion (this one and our earlier 5K service) are complimentary.
The Scion xB's seating position is low — so low I could almost feel the tarmac scorching the backs of my thighs as I spent time behind the wheel this weekend. Every time I fired up the engine, I found myself reflexively trying to adjust the seat, to make it sit just a little bit higher. The low position felt strange at first, but I got used to it with no worries. Still, if you're the type of driver who likes having a perch with commanding views, the xB will leave you disappointed...
I'm just going to cut to the chase and say that I wish the interior bits of our xB were as unique as the rest of the car. The exterior styling is fresh and different. The center mounted gauge pod, though at first awkward, is unusual and fits the personality of the car. My issues are with the automatic transmission console and HVAC controls (lifted straight from the Toyota parts bin) as well as the button that changes the illumination on the floor and in the cupholders... That button looks like it came straight from an auto parts store.
I dig the quirky looks and the practicality, I just think Scion needs to work on the details to make the xB's interior experience more exclusive.
I've used our 2008 Scion xB's navigation system a couple of times in the past, and came away pretty impressed. The setup is incredibly intuitive, and I was able to get the information I needed without any puzzled frowns or head-scratching.
When I used the system yesterday, though, it did something weird. I was preparing to leave for a friend's New Year's Day party deep in the unfamiliar recesses of the Valley, and figured I'd use the nav to get a little help... I entered the address and got a message telling me that the street number I'd entered didn't exist on that street. I double-checked the address and tried again, making sure I hadn't mistyped. Got the same message.
I hadn't left my garage yet, so I shut the car off, went back to my apartment, and got my directions the old-fashioned way — MapQuest. I also grabbed my camera, so I could take a photo of the nav system's screen for this post. I fired up the engine and entered the address again. This time, though, the nav system was able to locate the address.
Strange. Maybe the nav system had too much champagne the night before, and just needed a little break. Or maybe it just needed a reboot, which it got via my having restarted the engine. Anyway, after that initial drama, it worked just fine in getting me on my way.
I drove our long-term 2008 Scion xB over the weekend, and it dutifully provided transportation to the farmers market, the movies and the laundromat. I find the xB comfortable to sit in for an hour or two, and the combination of a large interior and a low lift-over height makes it exceptionally easy to load vegetables and laundry.
I also take some joy in the novelty of driving a vehicle that looks and feels a bit like a delivery truck... That feeling lasts about 5 or 10 minutes, and then I begin to wish I was in something sportier. Or at least something with a manual transmission: The xB's 2.4-liter engine is smooth and reasonably torquey, but slow downshifts from the four-speed automatic chip away at the sensation of performance.
The electric steering isn't bad, though. Feedback is minimal, but there's more weighting to it than in the 2009 Toyota Corolla. And thanks to the light effort at low speeds and a tidy 34.8 turning circle, the xB is exceptionally easy to park.
The Scion xB falls into its own little category. Is it a wagon? Not really... Is it a hatchback? Sorta. Is it a crossover SUV? Certainly not. Whatever it is, though, it provides an interesting alternative to all those segments — especially the latter. Below, I've put the xB against several compact-ish crossovers, plus a midsize pair for fun. I included stats I figured were pretty important to a crossover purchase: maximum cargo volume (behind front seats), combined EPA fuel economy and base price for front-wheel-drive models with the smallest engine available and an automatic. I didn't have 0-60 times for all of them, so I left power out of the equation, but that is certainly a factor to consider.
What would you choose and which of the three criteria I've selected is most important to you?
* - Includes $1,550 federal tax credit
** - Includes $3,000 federal tax credit
(Update: The Murano's base price was announced yesterday to be $27,075)
Here's a shot of the xB's cargo area. And below is a list of everything I put in it this weekend...
Three mountain bikes. Big ones. Twenty-nine inch wheels and such. Loaded them at the same time, but couldn't stand them up as the xB's cargo area isn't tall enough — even with the front wheels removed. Few full-size SUVs can accommodate a load this tall so it's not surprising or disappointing. It's kinda ugly when they're stacked up with padding between them, but they do fit. Probably could have rammed another one in there if I was determined.
Then the wife and I went shopping for a bathroom remodel we're starting. The Scion swallowed two 15x18x12-inch sinks, two 20x26x6-inch mirror/medicine cabinets, two sizeable light fixtures and two towel racks. There was still enough room to fit a toilet and third passenger (no relation).
I'm impressed. Much as I don't like the goofy-box styling of this kind of car, I can't argue with its utility. The best part is that the xB provides this much utility without the unruly driving character of many SUVs which offer similar usable space. Minivans are really the only vehicles which can match the xB's usable space/decent-to-drive ratio. But I'm guessing there's a reason the kids don't swarm to the Chrysler Town and Country like the do the xB.
I've enjoyed driving the xB around town; it responds nicely to the road and has been comfortable for me and my family. One feature that has been somewhat frustrating is the lack of any light in the cabin. When I pull into my garage and remove the key from the ignition the cabin is all but pitch black minus the neon blue illumination under the driver's door, a nice style detail, but not nearly enough light to locate my phone and other accessories that I need to take inside. (The photo above is an accurate depiction, not just the result of a bad photographer!)
I've been coveting a red wool rug at Pier 1 for the past six weeks, patiently waiting for the floral beauty to go on sale.
On Sunday, after a month of watching me stalk the store, my husband had enough.
"Just buy the thing already, wouldja?" he begged. "Buy it now, today, while you have a car big enough to haul the rug, you, and your crazy obsessions home at the same time."
Just the words of encouragement I needed... In the Scion xB I raced to the store and forced the weary sales woman to remove the 6 x 9-foot area rug from the overhead display. (Of course I had waited so long, all that was left was the display model).
I easily dropped the xB's rear seat backs and loaded the rug into the car.
A pefect fit. Both in the Scion, and in my home office.
One of the best things about our Scion xB is its optional head unit with iPod interface.
You can hook up directly to an iPod connector that will charge your iPod as it plays or if you have another brand of music player, you also have the choice of using an AUX port.
The graphics in the xB's system mimic those on the iPod, that is, the older iPods at the time it was created. The navigation wheel is displayed on the screen... But now, a new generation of iPods look and function differently. I used to have an iPod mini, but now I have an iPod Touch.
I was interested to see how my new iPod would respond to the xB's iPod connection.
Well, both car and iPod were momentarily confused but the xB got over it. When I hooked up my iTouch, the Scion's audio system responded by telling me to check my connection. It took three tries of pushing the iPod button on the xB's display before it gave in and started to play music.
Likewise, my iTouch thinks that I hooked up an accessory to it, like a speaker system. It goes into accessory lockdown and I can no longer control music from the iTouch. I can still advance through songs from the xB display and steering wheel but I'm locked out of my iPod.
The Scion xB is, like the Kia Rondo, one of the long-termers that, although it doesn't give me heart flutters when I drive it, is nonetheless a nice car to take. The xB is peppy, and both easy to park and easy to drive in city traffic, thanks to its subcompact dimensions. Yet like the others of its ilk (e.g. Honda Element, Pontiac Vibe, Chevy HHR), it offers a large, comfortable cabin. A few other features endear it to me as well...
Like other folks with parking garage cards, an iPod and a cell phone, I appreciate storage cubbies. And the xB's got a couple that are perfectly shaped and located for those items, as shown in the pics. The compartment on the top left of the dash is ideal for my wallet — being in my line of site I don't forget to grab it as I exit the car, unlike if I stow it in the door pocket or console box. Thumbs-up also for the flip-down driver's armrest and the back seats that take but a few seconds to flip down (provided the front seats are up far enough that you don't need to remove the headrests). The latter feature is unlike some others that require you to also flip the bottom cushion forward before flipping the backrests down.
What don't I like? The two-step procedure for shutting off the stereo: there's no "off" button on the face plate — you have to press the "mode" button and then "audio off" on the touch screen. And the styling, which is similar but somewhat bloated compared to the first xB, doesn't strike me as being as being cool as the original.
Don't get me wrong, I dig the boxy dimensions of our Scion xB. Cool look on the outside (I think so, anyway), and lots of passenger room on the inside. But does Scion really need another eccentric-looking box in its lineup? At the New York Auto Show , the manufacturer revealed the concept shown above... It's called the Hako, and word on the street is that it will serve as the inspiration for the model that will replace the tC.
What do you think? Boxy good or boxy bad? Might be time for Scion to explore a few other shapes. Like triangles and circles, maybe. Or possibly octagons.
I'm on my way home from the office, about to spend the next few days on vacation with my family in our 2008 Scion xB, when I notice the "Maint Reqd" lamp was on. Oh dear. I hate it when my maint gets reqd.
A sticker in the top corner of the windshield indicates the next oil change is due at ... the exact same mileage now displayed on my odometer. What a co-inky-dink. Too late to turn back now. I guess I'll do it myself.
Just before I arrive home, I stop in at the auto parts store. For $19.14, I walk out with a filter, 4 quarts of the recommended 5w-20 motor oil and a 2-foot long receipt. (Why do they do that?) Since the Scion has just broken 15,000 miles, I'm going to do the other things on the maintenance schedule while I'm at it: rotate the tires and inspect the brakes, brake hoses, tie rod and axle boots, etc.
I've done this before. I've got the tools: a floor jack, jack stands, a 14mm box wrench for the drain plug, an oil filter wrench, a screwdriver for the wheel caps, a speed handle/breaking bar and 21mm socket to remove the wheels and a screw-top drain pan to get the waste oil to a disposal point without spilling.
It's going well. I find the filter on the front of the engine, just below the air-conditioning compressor. A flap in the splash guard needs to have three button-clips pried loose with the screwdriver before I can get my hand in there. The filter comes off easily with the oil-filter wrench.
The new filter I bought, however, is problematic. It only spins on 1 1/4 turns before the seal makes contact. Thats not enough. I recheck the old one I just took off. It spins 2 3/4 turns before the seal makes contact. I decide to go and buy a genuine Toyota filter for the xB.
The Toyota part costs just $5.19, and that includes a new drain plug washer. The Purolator that I'm now leery of, the cheapest of three options I had at the auto parts store, cost $4.99 — without a new drain plug washer. Not a bargain at all, really. And when I peer inside, the new Toyota filter has a visible check valve in there. The aftermarket filter has nothing of the sort.
I get a more-reassuring 2 3/4 turns on the new Toyota filter before it seats and I crank it down the required 3/4 turn more. With a new washer on the drain plug, the oil poured-in and the "Maint Reqd" lamp reset (a one minute procedure found on page 99 of the owner's manual,) I'm done with part A.
Rotating the tires is simple enough, as my "real" floor jack can lift the side of the car up high enough to allow me to make a direct front-to-back swap. During the process, I check the brakes and all of the rubber boots and hoses on the list. No leaks, nothing is loose or cracked. Everything looks new.
Like just about every car these days, the Scion has TPMS sensors in the wheels. Rotating the tires moves the sensors around, but the system is smart enough to deal with that. I don't have to reset anything.
I'm done in 50 minutes, with photo breaks included. If you count the time trudging to the nearest Toyota dealer to get the second filter, add 39 more. While at the dealership, I asked how much they charged for an oil change and tire rotation: $39.99 and $20.00, respectively.
How much does my dealer charge for a 15,000 mile service? $159.99. But that includes a lot of stuff NOT listed in the Scion scheduled maintenance guide. A new air filter was one of several premature items on the list. In fact, the maintenance guide only requires an air filter inspection at 15,000 miles, and only if the car was subject to severe service.
Lessons learned? Always buy your filters from the dealer. Buy several at once to cut down on future trips. If you'll have the dealer do your service, know what the maintenance schedule really says and order your service a la carte if the package price seems too high or includes too many premature or ambiguous items.
Total Cost:
$24.73 (Subtract $5.38 for the second filter and chalk it up to experience for a total of $19.35)
50 minutes of time (add 39 for the trip to the dealer for the second filter)
1 drop of blood (I always smash my knuckles on something)
5 drops of oil on my driveway (I keep kitty litter handy)
1 drop of oil on my jeans (I wear old ones)
4 quarts of oil to dispose of properly
Day one of our Arizona Spring Break tour ended with a bang and an expletive. We were travelling North on Loop 101 in Glendale, Az, within 5 miles of our first stop, when a loud "crack" sounding like an over-enthusiastic billiard shot startled the four of us.
A plumber's van a car-length ahead in the next lane had kicked up a stone. There was no avoiding it. I guess now we'll get to see how much a new 2008 Scion xB windshield costs.
Throughout the day we'd been cruising Interstate 10 from SoCal to Phoenix, and the Scion's windshield (and grille, and bumper, and headlights) had proved to be the final resting place for hundreds of bugs. I'm not sure if our ersatz entomology collection was so complete because of it being Spring or because of the xB's snub nose and somewhat upright windshield. The rock sure hit it a ton.
We had been cruising the freeway at 75 mph all day. Other than a bit of wind noise and a somewhat "short" and busy freeway ride, the xB garnered no serious complaints from the crew. Three stops dragged our average speed down to an even 70 mph. At the 261.0-mile mark, we added 9.32 gallons for a 28.0 mpg average. 30 mpg fuel economy seems possible, but we'd have to cruise at 65 mph to get that, I think.
No, we weren't on a mission to see a Korean-made minivan. We left Phoenix in our 2008 Scion xB and headed north on Interstate 17 to Sedona, Arizona, otherwise known as red rock country. This freeway climbs up several grades, so we weren't expecting to set any fuel economy records.
But it did turn out to be a good test of the enlarged xB's 2.4-liter engine. In a word, it was great (in the dimminutive family-hauler sense of the word.) Even with 4 people and luggage stuffed into every nook, the Scion was able to blast up 6% grades at 75 mph, the speed limit for much of the way. Pulling out to pass semis was never an issue, and the Sport mode on the xB's automatic worked like a champ.
Luggage space seems to be OK for short trips like this, but the Scion would be too small for our annual Christmas trip. It'll hold 4 carry-on suitcases, my laptop case, my wife's bag of "products" and a couple of pillows, but not much else. The girls are used to surrounding themselves with a lot of stuff on trips like this, but Shelby, my oldest, said she felt cramped.
Still, the Scion xB is working out well for this trip.
For our last day of our spring break trip to Arizona in the 2008 Scion xB, I thought we'd cruise back in search the elusive 30 mpg mark. That would be an accomplishment, as the EPA rating for the 2008 xB with an automatic transmission is 22 city / 28 highway. We'd equalled the highway rating while cruising to Arizona at 75 mph along the interstate. Could we beat it by staying closer to 65 mph on the way back to SoCal?
Things were going very well for the first hundred miles or so, as the instant readout hovered between 36 and 40 mpg while cruising the two-lane Highway 60 from Wickenburg at 60 mph. And then we crossed into California and ran into a brick wall.
Well, not an actual brick wall, but the next best thing when you're going for mileage: a 30 to 40 mph headwind. It persisted for the next 150 miles — half the entire distance. At 65 to 70 mph on Interstate 10, it wasn't unusual to see the instant readout below 20 mpg.
The boxy xB got tossed around mercilessly, as did semis, motorhomes, Expeditions and the like. Don't get me wrong, I had no trouble controlling it, but a relaxed driving posture was not in the cards, and my wife was munching Fritos — her personal carsickness cure — despite the arrow-straight roads.
At the end of the day, the xB used an even 11.0 gallons over the 305.2 mile return trip — a 27.7 mpg performance. Despite the wind, that's still about equal to our xB's 28 mph highway rating.
The entire 5-day trip covered 961 miles and consumed 35.84 gallons of fuel. Our overall fuel economy, including lots of stops, some steep grades, highish speeds (at times) and high winds (at times) works out to 26.8 mpg.
Some of you have expressed concern over this alleged lackluster performance. I'm not sure I see it. Here are two reasons why:
1) The old 2006 xB automatic was originally rated at 31 city / 35 highway. But in 2008 a new EPA rating formula was put into place to make window stickers more accurate. The EPA has applied the new formula to the 2006 xB automatic, downrating it to 26 city / 31 highway. Our 2008 xB was originally tested using the new method, so it's 22 city / 28 highway rating, while lower than the old car, isn't off by a ton. And we were able to match the highway rating twice in less than economical conditions: once while going more or less 75 mph for a whole tank, and again while maintaining a roughly 65 mph average into a stout headwind. I'd say the new EPA rating system has it about right.
2) The 2008 Scion xB's 2.4-liter engine is much larger than the 1.5-liter engine found in the old box. Merging and passing are no longer something that requires strategic timing. It goes up grades with authority — even when loaded with 4 people and their luggage — and it doesn't dither between gears in the process. And it stayed resolutely in top gear when faced with a 30 mph headwind at 65 mph on the freeway. In short, it's quite suitable for interstate travel in the mountainous west.
But I can see why fans of the old xB might not like it: it is a different car. Only the name and basic vibe remain the same. But I think the Scion xB will win new fans who thought the old wasn't substantial enough. Besides, if maximum mpg were the goal, why buy something shaped like a refrigerator?
And I still say we would have broken 30 mpg if that monster headwind hadn't been smacking us in the face for two hours.
So last weekend I'm in a parking lot unloading a bike out of the xB when...
A guy in a car clear across the street screams this unsolicited commentary at me:
"Hey, what color is that? Blecht Green?"
I looked at the ugly box, looked back at him and screamed back "Yup, Blecht Green. With orange peel."
It was one of those weekends.
Oops, there I go again. I mean, the xB has a crack. Like our Mini Cooper's, the Scion xB's upright windshield has become victim of some errant road debris...
This one is more like the Edge's, but it's more of a web-like mini shatter pattern than the Ford's less severe-looking spider-crack. I'm not sure what caused the xB's, it was there when I got in it. We'll add it to our shopping list at Apple Autoglass.
It's been a good many months and at least 8,000 miles since we last gave an update on our Scion xB's long-term fuel economy. I have to report that we haven't improved our numbers. In fact, we've done a little worse than our last reported figures. Lifetime average is now at 23.5 mpg (down from 23.9), just half a point below the EPA combined estimate of 24...
Not great, not bad, just what's expected.
I also wanted to take a moment to praise the xB's air conditioning/heating vents on the dash. They’ve won my HVAC heart for the following reasons:
> They can be closed completely.
> They can rotate 360 degrees, making directional airflow fantastically adjustable.
> Operation is smooth and the plastic feels high-quality.
It's a seemingly small thing, but getting the cold or hot air blowing in just the right direction can be the difference between a comfortable, road-focused driver and a road-weary grouch. Plus it's fun to spin the vents 'round and 'round at stoplights to pass the time. Like a record, baby...
There's plenty to like about the redesigned xB - Toyota knows there's beauty in the details. I like how the Scion logo on each wheel has a sculpted metal look. It doesn't bother me that the center piece is really plastic but I'd be really bummed as a Scion owner if the paint began flaking off that plastic piece with just 19,000 miles on the clock like it is on our car. Every center cap but one on our long termer is doing the same thing to some degree...
Hopefully Scion will replace at no charge.
One of the things I've come to really appreciate about our 2008 Scion xB is its low step-in height. I just step in over the short door sill and the xB floor is just right there. Consequently, there's no having to jump down from a high seat or having to scramble out of a low seat. Just so easy that I'd even go so far as to say it should be included on this top 10 list of vehicles for shorter drivers...
And it would probably also be useful for those with weak ankles, bad backs or acrophobia. I know I'm especially grateful for it when I'm wearing skirts and/or skyscraper-tall heels. Yikes.
I know it's barely been a month since the last fuel economy update for our long-term 2008 Scion xB — but with California gas prices having increased by about 34 cents during June alone, MPGs were on my mind as I puttered around in the xB this weekend. While our lifetime average is holding steady at about 23.5 mpg, I recorded a meager 20.75 mpg when I filled up this morning. Remarkably, aside from one rogue 32 mpg tank way back in October, we've never gotten over 30 mpg in the xB. And it's not like we haven't tried — Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds racked up 261 miles at an average speed of 70 mph en route to Arizona, and he only saw an even 28 mpg (which is exactly what the EPA predicts).
Granted, the xB can haul a lot of stuff — those 69.9 cubic feet of cargo volume make our 23.5 mpg average easier to swallow. But it's still a little disappointing that this four-cylinder econowagon can't do better on gas. The primary culprit is Toyota's torquey 2.4-liter four; I bet a lot of xB owners would gladly sacrifice some of that underhood punch for a few extra MPGs. Alternatively, Toyota could produce its own version of Mini's turbocharged 1.6-liter four-banger for best-of-both-worlds performance, though that probably wouldn't come cheap.
I Can See My House from Here!
As I pulled into my parking garage last night, I was struck by this image on the nav screen. The Toyota/Scion/Lexus system features truly amazing map detail, displaying the outlines of large buildings that Google Maps only recently began doing. Some are more accurate than others, though. That building outline is exactly what my apartment complex looks like, although curiously, the 30-story building located directly south on Wilshire is M.I.A. Also, that blue spot isn't some random rectangular urban lake, it's an apartment — not sure why they get a special color.
I was also struck by how ridiculously accurate GPS is — that is exactly where my car was located inside the building (and with four floors above me). Having said that, though, please don't rob me. If you plan on burgling someone, try that long rectangular building north of mine — Magrath lives there. He drives home much nicer cars and keeps large stashes of gold bouillon in his closet.
Just about a month ago, James Riswick made it known that the Scion Xb's giant nearly vertical windshield had cracked. It was a dime-sized chip with some spider-webbing that was most likely caused by an errant rock...that or a jealous ex-girlfriend with a ball-peen hammer and limited arm strength.
Recently the Mini Cooper S, which is a loaner from the manufacturer, had its window replaced by the dealer at the fantastic cost of 1,231.67 USD. We own the Xb so we ditched the dealer (who quoted us $1,300) and called Glass Doctor. Not only did they come to us, something the Mini dealer surely did not, but they were done quicker and only charged $443.73.
Seriously, can you think of weirder dashboard than the one found in our second-generation Scion xB? This isn't what the inside of a car is supposed to look like. The huge monolithic slab of plastic that stretches from door to door. The center console that juts out like a urinal. The gauges that look like the Audi emblem that are placed toward the center for no particular reason. The touchscreen and its tiny icons. The jumbo airvents placed asymetrically all over the place. The faraway upright windshield. The steering wheel that almost looks out of place. Come to think of it, with that green mood lighting, I sorta feel like I'm piloting a Borg cube rather than a car.
This is truly weird. Is there anything weirder?
The Scion xB is kind of like the automotive equivalent of the Rorschach inkblot test . Different people see different things when they look at it. This became clear to me after a conversation I had with my neighbor this weekend.
We'd crossed paths in my apartment building's carport. He'd asked about the xB, and I was telling him how roomy its interior is. He described the xB as a "really cool SUV." That threw me. I mean, sure, it makes sense that people would cross-shop the xB against compact SUVs, because it's of a similar size and offers similar amounts of cargo room — we even published a post that offered some relevant specs for those interested in running comparisons. But I didn't think that people looking at the boxy little Scion would ever actually mistake it for a sport utility vehicle.
When the members of the Edmunds.com data team look at the xB, they see a compact wagon — that's how this Scion is categorized on the Edmunds site. I mentioned this to my neighbor, and his jaw dropped; clearly, the xB doesn't fit his definition of a wagon. Our data team defines a wagon as "a car with a roof line that extends past the rear doors in addition to having four doors and rear quarter windows." To make the SUV cut, a vehicle needs to have higher ground clearance — a minimum of 5.7 inches. The xB comes in at 5.1 inches.
Others consider the Scion xB a hatchback. What do you see when you look at the xB?
I'm two-for-two today. First the BMW X5 service went off without a hitch and now the Scion is back from its appointment at Scion of Santa Monica good as new.
The appointment was made last night for an 8am drop. The maintenance light was on and the left brake was squealing a bit. We also had that bothersome issue with the caps on the wheels.
Two hours after we dropped it off I got the call that the Xb was ready. The service called for a tire rotation, oil change, fluid top-offs, and general inspection. The charge for that was $94.95. Slightly more than Edmunds Maintenance calulator estimates.
When I got the call I had a confession to make, I'd forgotten to mention the peeling plastic parts over the lug nuts. Turns out my advisor had noticed the bad plastic and had replaced them without being asked to. Nice!
All things considered it was a great experience.
This is not the latest in xB wheel customization. This is the spare tire that came with our long-term Scion xB. It is yellow and reminds us of the Denver boot, but in kind of a good way. The xB is rockin' the donut because we recently flatted while on the mean streets of west Los Angeles. Those tire pressure warning lights really work. Before I could feel the bumpity-bump of the flat, the little helpful light caught my eye as I rolled down Venice Boulevard and gave me enough time to turn into a nearby service station before things got too dicey. Wish I had a shot of the flat when I did finally see it. Looked like a vintage cartoon flat, the kind that appears to have melted onto the asphalt.
We took the xB to Stokes Tire Pros in Santa Monica to get a replacement the next day. Our bill came to $154.50 for one 205/55/R16 Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02, installed after one night's stay, since Stokes didn't have the tire in stock and had to order it.
A couple nights ago I was busy being all mundane and I treated myself to a bottle of Clearly Canadian (I absolutely love this beverage). The previous driver of our 2008 Scion xB had evidently set the illuminated cupholders to blue, and when I set the bottle down, this is what I saw: Unspeakable beauty.
And at that moment, this scene made me like our xB just a little bit more. If we were all in Europe and could drive around in Renault Kangoos and Fiat Multiplas, the Scion xB would probably be pretty unremarkable. But in the U.S., it's a pretty neat package — huge space and a reasonably cool shape for not much money. Indeed, the interior is plasticky and the driving experience rather dull, but if you think of it like a utility van, this matters a bit less.
Hop into a Scion (or Toyota, for that matter) and you'll typically find most controls easy to use. But our xB has one annoying misstep — the trip computer button. Instead of being located on the easily-reached center stack (as in a Ford or GM product), it's next to the trip meter button within the instrument cluster, requiring you to awkwardly reach over the steering wheel to prod with your finger.
Not cool for something you might want to toggle through to see what the outside temp is, what your average mileage is or how many miles you've got left in the tank. Chalk one up for the American car makers here.
Something that isn't a big deal to most but that I'm not too keen on on our 2008 Scion xB: the doors sound tinny when slammed shut. You don't get that reassuring solid thunk but one that echos and seems to reverberate the car's frame. I have a Corolla and have been in other Toyotas and Scions before, but this is the first time I've noticed this characteristic. I can't chalk this up to the xB being an economy car as other econocars I've tried before don't sound/feel this cheap. In any case, it makes me wonder what exactly causes it to be like that.
But really, there's nothing like a good door-slamming car.
Like having three knob/three button HVAC controls and...
...an armrest that gets out of the way when you don't need it that make the Scion xB experience a pleasant one. Because it sure isn't the styling.
Of all the cars in our lot, the Scion xB is one of the best in terms of easy ingress/egress. The door opening is huge — big enough for a Yeti with a glandular problem, I'd say. The step-up is low, nearly at curb height, but therein lies the problem...
When opening the door for my passenger (yes, gentlemen, you should still be opening the car door for a lady), the low-slung door unceremoniously scrapes along almost any sidewalk. Even with the weight of my waif-like sprite of a passenger, the door still acted more like a kickstand, forcing me to give the door handle a bit of a lift to pivot it shut. I'm guessing this is a bad idea, since the plastic door handle could only support so much weight, but what's a guy to do?
Parking further away from the curb would earn me a ticket in the People's Republic of California. Adding a few hundred pounds of ballast under the driver's seat is, well, just plain stupid. Taking a grinder to the corner of the door would cure it, but I think that would get me banned from future car access. Had Scion created a radius on the corner this probably wouldn't be such a problem. I suppose after a few thousand openings like this, it will develop a dog ear anyways, albeit a much less atrractive solution.
With the winter solstice nearly upon us, the short days create more darkness in which to approach the Scion xB, helping its nifty illuminated door sills stand out (a $249 option if you want to pay to help advertise the brand). Our xB has a number of luminous options, but the standard digital speedo turns out to be the one of the few welcome and functional items.
The multi-market friendly, center-mounted gauges mounted high on the church-pew dash puts the digital speedo in a perfect spot for keeping an eye on your velocity. The digital fad that erupted in the eighties thankfully disappeared for a while as real gauges made a comeback. It didn't help that those early fluorescent setups, especially at night, tended to be more blinding than informative. They might find some purchase again if they're half as legible and well placed as the xB's.
Not that the xB, with its armored-car looks and foamy seats, inspires wild bursts of speed, but this speedometer's legibility and placement could serve as model for a new wave of LCD gauges. I'll still take a set of VDO clocks, but is it heresy to like this crisp and concise non-analog display?
Our giant jogging stroller spent much of my holiday break in the back of the xB, partly because we needed it for various outings and partly because I was too lazy to take it out. I was impressed by how well the stroller fit in the 21.7 cubic feet of cargo space that's available with the rear seats up. Just had to take the front wheel off (which we have to do with most of the cars we put it in) and slide it into the nice, tall space. It tucked right in there with no groaning, angling or cursing necessary. As you can probably see, there wasn't a millimeter to spare, but the rear hatch didn't crunch it at all. And we were able to store plenty of additional cargo in the nooks and crannies in and around the stroller when necessary. Trips to the grocery store and carrying unexpected holiday gifts weren't a problem, as long as they weren't very large or long. Overall, a very convenient companion for our family of three.
I Hate the Tea Cups
My sister and her kids decided to come to LA at the last minute to spend a couple of days at Disneyland. Just because I live in LA doesn't mean I know my way around Anaheim.
I readily grabbed the keys to the xB not only because it was the only car available, but it had a nav system to help me get around D-Land. I know how to get to the park, but how to get to my sister's hotel and places around it I have no clue.
Getting there was a snap. I had a lot of fun and I took a spin on the Tea Cups with my niece after she begged me for a really long time. I'm not a fan of the ride but I couldn't refuse her. After a few nauseating spins the torture was over and I had a great rest of the afternoon. Until I had to leave, that is.
I exited the park into an area I didn't know and I was supposed to meet my family at the Denny's next to their hotel. At that moment the nav system decided to go Tea Cups on me. It spund around and around even though I was driving straight. It had me driving through buildings and on roads that didn't exist. I had to navigate the old fashioned way: I stopped and asked for directions.
Technology is great until it breaks. Nothing can replace a good map in my opinion.
Some of you may remember the 2008 Scion xB we had in the Edmunds long term fleet between 4 and 5 years ago. My wife sure did.
Until now she'd been driving a 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan we'd bought "used" with 672 miles on the clock. She never loved it, but it did the job when the kids were small and the need for three rows of seating was great. For me it was often a better choice than a pickup truck, in that I often used it to haul things like 10-foot lumber and bundles of conduit from Home Depot with the hatch closed and with four seats in full operation.
But a couple of weeks ago its life ended after a coming-together with a nearby palm tree. All I can say about that is AAA auto insurance (ACSC here in SoCal) is outstanding. We received a very fair settlement check under friendly circumstances in a short amount of time.
And so Tracy and I went car shopping, which of course included a trip down memory lane with the long term tests.
With three enjoyable Oregon trips under our belt the Ford Flex was high on the short list. We liked its functionality, the convenience of Sync (pre-My Ford Touch) and the non-traditional styling. But the driving position never quite worked for Tracy.
Lately, our financial priorities include saving for college and not wanting much of a car payment (we were quite happy with zero before this), so we set ourselves a $20k price limit. That was all she wrote for the Flex.
Besides, Tracy wanted something smaller, more maneuverable, sized right for her. We also wanted a decent-sized back seat with adult amounts of rear legroom because the kids are almost as tall as their mom now. And my oldest daughter has gotten into guide-dog puppy raising, which means the rear seat floor area needed to have enough space for a curled-up labrador retriever. For this a low rear step-in height wouldn't hurt.
We strongly considered a Honda Fit with its boatloads of room in back and that flip-up magic seat in the middle. It's cavernous back there with the rear seat bottom folded up, but even when the seat is occupied there's room for a dog underneath.
But the Fit's unfortunate lack of a front seat height adjuster ultimately sealed its fate. My wife figured she needed about an inch more seat height to feel comfortable with the forward view. It took but 30 seconds at a dealer showroom to nix this idea.
A few others briefly caught our eye: the Chevrolet Cruze, the Suzuki Kizashi, the Volkswagen Jetta and the current Mazda 3 Skyactiv. But none of those quite had the backseat interior space we wanted, and none looked "different" enough. Friends over at Mazda suggested the Mazda 5, and it does seem to check off many of the boxes — except for the fact that my wife was dead-set against another minivan.
At the end of the day the 2008 Scion xB jumped out. We've frankly never understood the resentment bB fanboys tend to harbor against this second-generation version. Sure, the fuel economy isn't as good, but we've always thought the redesigned model's 2.4-liter Camry engine and chunkier chopped-top styling were clear improvements over the old wheezy 1.5-liter 1st-gen phone booth.
The four of us had taken the Edmunds long-term test example on a multi-day road trip to Phoenix and we came home digging its utility and the logic of its interior, center-mounted gauges notwithstanding. Along the way I distinctly remember my wife saying, "I'd drive one of these."
And so a certain gravity was created once Tracy started thinking about it again and she was drawn into orbit. A confirmation drive at a local dealer made up her mind.
Sure, the 4-speed automatic seems painfully old-school today, the fuel economy isn't wonderful and the current 2012 xB "color" palette is laughably boring and inconspicuous. But with our minivan now the shape of a tree at an undisclosed junkyard we had no time to wait for the next generation, which will probably arrive about a year from now as a 2014 model with the latest 2.5-liter Camry engine, a 6-speed automatic and significantly better MPG.
Scion dealers are bound by something called Pure Pricing. There's no haggling. The number on the factory window sticker is the price you pay. As such, Edmunds TMV and factory MSRP are one in the same.
Our "Black Sand Pearl" 2012 Scion xB Base automatic carried a base price of $17,980, including destination charges. Two low-cost options, floor and cargo mats ($184) and a protective rear bumper step applique ($69) brought the final sticker up to $18,233, and that's precisely what we paid. California state sales tax and vehicle license fees are an unavoidable reality, of course, so the out-the-door price came out to $19,902.26.
Wrap-Up
Why We Bought It
Durability
Performance and Fuel Economy
Retained Value
Summing Up
Question: What do Fall Out Boy, Green Day, pro snowboarder/skateboarder Shawn White and the 2008 Scion xB have in common?
Answer: They all sold out and were massively successful because of it.
When the 2008 Scion xB debuted, replacing the first-generation xB that surprised us all with its boxy utility, those loyal to the Church of SCIONtology were aghast. The xB no longer looked like the box the Camry could be shipped in. Pieces of the exterior were rounded. The windshield wasn't an old department store window. The interior layout proved tolerable for those born outside of Japan. The engine not only had power, but also featured cruise control.
The loyalists were mad. The 2008 Scion xB had sold out to mainstream sensibilities; it had become a real car.
Why We Bought It
Part of becoming a real car means getting a real engine. And so the old 108-horsepower 1.5-liter was ditched in favor of a 158-hp 2.4-liter inline-4. The rest of the xB was also new. No longer did one need to sacrifice modernity for hipster acceptance. And that's where the problems began.
The casual critics never gave the 2008 Scion xB a fair shake. It wasn't as square or as awkward as the first xB and somehow that was a bad thing. Well, the truth was, the first xB's boxy look signified function, and it was this anti-fashion utility that gave the xB its hipness.
Did the second-gen xB understand this essential aspect of Scion character? Did it still have anti-establishment function even though it had a grown-up powertrain and packaging?
Durability
Issues with our xB were few and far between. It is, after all, a Toyota. The "I"s were dotted, the "T"s crossed. We had five routine services performed, most of them at Toyota of Santa Monica, and the price was always around $75. This is the kind of nontraditional thinking to which we can relate.
In fact, when Dan Edmunds, our director of vehicle testing, found himself surprised with a maintenance reminder light before a trek to Arizona with his family, he did not scuttle off to a dealership for the required routine oil change and vehicle inspection. Instead he went into his own garage, rolled up his sleeves and pulled out his floor jack. "I'm done in 50 minutes, with photo breaks included," he blogged. "If you count the time trudging to the nearest Toyota dealer to get the second oil filter, add 39 more. While at the dealership, I asked how much they charged for an oil change and tire rotation: $39.99 and $20.00, respectively." Mr. Edmunds, on the other hand, accomplished the same tasks for a grand total of $19.99 and the satisfaction of a job well done.
The plastic center caps, covering the lug nuts, started to peel around the six-month mark. Our dealer noticed this and replaced the items without our asking. It is a known issue for the xB and Toyota is, as usual, keeping that information on the DL.
Broken windshields seem to be getting more common here these days, and the upright expanse of the Scion's windshield was just as vulnerable as the upright windshield of the Toyota FJ Cruiser. One quick call to Glass Doctor and a few hours of wet glue and we were on our way. Of course, we were out $443.78, but on our way nonetheless.
Immediately before its exit, our xB received one final service with one — literal — twist. The 30,000-mile service — which includes an oil change, coolant change, new air filter, the normal checks and a tire rotation — is a big expense from Scion. The Edmunds Maintenance Calculator lists the service at $201. Scion of Santa Monica follows the same service routine set out there but charges an astounding $343.95.
While we were there we also mentioned the squealing front brakes. They were worn just past the reminder and pads would be required. New front pads cost $60 and machining the old rotors and other labor adds up to $236.96. Add it all up, plus three bucks for brake cleaner, and the grand total for that job was $299.95.
The final line-item on the list was a glitch in the navigation system. Scott Jacobs reported the incident: "The nav system decided to go Tea Cups on me. It spun around and around even though I was driving straight. It had me driving through buildings and on roads that didn't exist. I had to navigate the old-fashioned way: I stopped and asked for directions."
This was a one-time happening — so far — and the dealership could not replicate it. When dealerships can't replicate a problem they just ignore it completely so our xB remains unpredictably lost.
There was no charge for failing to fix our GPS, but that doesn't help the sting of the final total for this dealer visit: $657.25.
Total Body Repair Costs: None
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over [15] months): $1,080.22
Additional Maintenance Costs: $443.73
Warranty Repairs: 1
Non-Warranty Repairs: None
Scheduled Dealer Visits: 6
Unscheduled Dealer Visits: None
Days Out of Service: None
Breakdowns Stranding Driver: None
Performance and Fuel Economy
With its Camry-specification 2.4-liter engine and simple four-speed automatic transmission, the 2008 Scion xB didn't exactly burn down the drag strip. At the conclusion of its time with us, the xB hit 60 mph in 8.2 seconds and reached the quarter-mile in 16.5 seconds at 83.1 mph. This is slightly better than the first test and had something to do with just the right amount of wear done to the P205/55R16 Bridgestone Potenza EL400s, which let them generate just enough wheelspin at the starting line to reach the timing marks relatively quickly.
The xB's braking performance also showed a marked improvement during its time with us. The Scion came to a halt from 60 mph in 124 feet when it first came to us, yet this number dropped to 117 feet once the tires had worn to an optimum tread depth.
The xB's performance in our handling tests improved as well. The xB's initial pass at the slalom produced a 64.8-mph run, and then its final test featured a 65.5-mph blast. As Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton noted in his comments, "A remarkable performance where I didn't expect one. Excellent feel and precision from the chassis offset the numb and lifeless steering. The rear of the car rotates just enough to make the xB feel sporty without getting spooky — unlike your typical Toyota."
Also unlike a Toyota was the xB's fuel economy. The EPA rates the xB at 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway. Our best tank of 32 mpg beat the EPA's highway estimate, but this proved to be an anomaly, as most of our runs matched the EPA's 28 mpg estimate for the highway. Our urban driving recorded mileage much worse than the EPA estimates, as the mid-teens were as good as we could get.
Best Fuel Economy: 32 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 23 mpg
Retained Value
Another case of poor timing for the departure of our 2008 Scion xB. The economy is in freefall right now, so there are fewer car shoppers than usual. Meanwhile there are bargain-priced new cars spread across dealer lots with wild abandon, plus gas is cheap. It's a hard time to be a used entry-level economy car with 30,000 miles. Edmunds TMV® appraises our Scion at $13,336, $7,880 less than what we paid.
True Market Value at service end: $13,336
Depreciation: $7,880 or 37 percent of original paid price
Final Odometer Reading: 32,471
Hip To Be (a) Square
Scenesters, hipsters and 'zine writers do not burn effigies of the sellout; instead they ignore them. We, on the other hand, embrace any move in engineering, performance or marketing that reaps something better, stronger, cooler. The 2008 Scion xB proved itself to be all of these things over the life of this test. Dead reliable. Solid, comfortable and spacious. Our xB was even praised for its mobster-esque styling, even if the choice of paint (thanks, Riswick) threw some of us off.
It's terrible to see the ultracool sell out. You can't help but feel abandoned when the car/band/author moves on, denying those times when your fan-boy interest nurtured its identity when no one else understood its alternative point of view. It's tough to see that artistic awkwardness exchanged for polished success.
Yet the 2008 Scion xB has proven to us that it's simply grown up. It doesn't look as different, yet it offers more function, more simplicity, not less. We like this box more, not less.
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.