In our last review, we countered the automotive press’ criticism of a model with the actual sales numbers. We’ll probably end up doing the opposite here. We love the xB, but it has one deal-breaker.
Scion loaned us an xB for a week. The vehicle’s EPA class is “small wagon,” but its height gives it much more utility, without feeling all top-heavy in the handling.
More so at its birth, the xB has been a proud box, bringing us sharper angles than some refrigerators. Our tester had a smoother outline than the original. We actually liked the more dramatic styling. Our photos let you decide for yourself—we predict you love the xB or hate it. If you’re ho-hum, that’d be news, so post a comment.
We love the idea that a car can be a small, cheap, hauler and still be special. The xB has always been a niche vehicle, and if it appealed to everyone, then it wouldn’t be so special. The inoffensively-styled Corolla has sold more than 203,000 units already this year, while fewer than 15,000 of us put an xB in our garage in 2011 so far.
The Scion xB has some kind of urban-street rep, but we don’t get it. Sure, the urban-street kids love to hop up xBs, so we took a different tack—the country. Our video shows the xB on the narrow lanes of Hyde Park, Utah. It can drive past horses as well as it drives past hip nightspots.
It gets 22/28 mpg, and has 122.5 cubic feet of interior volume. That’s 20 more than a Honda Crosstour wagon, and a coupla miles per gallon more.
Rear seat room shows your passengers respect, and the rear doors are huge.
It does a good job of covering the bases on features, but once they’re covered, it adds a few accents and stops before its price gets too high. The 2011 added some size to its schnoz, and $150 to its pricetag. It now starts at $16,000 for the shift-it-yourself, or $16,950 for the pansy automatic.
Our loaner added TRD tailpipe, sway bar, and wheels and tires. The Alpine stereo was 450 bucks. Any customizer can do all this more special and economically. At least Scion understands this and accommodates the aftermarket people.
For us, the dealbreaker is the center-mounted instrument panel. It gives a unique look, but the cost is turning your head and eyes every time you want to check your speed, temp, gas, etc. Straight ahead of the steering wheel is…nothing. We just can’t get used to it.
But forget us and our stiff-necked driving ways; why don’t more Utahns opt for such a practical, special car? Isn’t Utah itself practical and special in its own way? Our state has little of the urban cruising areas, but as our slideshow and video show, the xB need not spend its life prowling nightspots.
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