Road review 2009 Scion XD: the Portuguese water puppy of cars small cute and loud

April 17, 3:03 PMRoad & Driver ExaminerRoman Mica

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                                    Is the Scion XD the Lil' Kim or the Portuguese water puppy of the car world?

A few years before I turned sixteen my wise father purchased the second generation Honda Civic. At the time it was certainly the cheapest and perhaps smallest car you could buy in the America.

He bought the Civic because he knew that I'd be driving soon, so he wanted something small, cheap, and easy for me to to drive when it was my turn to get my license.

Today that may not seem so wise because the old Honda Civic CVCC was an flea of a car in the world of mid-sized Ford LTDs , Pontiac Grand Prixs and massive Cadillac Coupe de Villes. But keep in mind that he was very European so much so that he also refused to wear his seat belt because in the case of a car accident, "he needed to be free so that he could rescue the rest of the family"

I know, I know, I know.

But he tough me to drive safely, and eventually that tiny Civic became my car.

I'm telling you all of this because I have a soft spot in my heart for tiny cars, and while the new Scion XD is not tiny by Japaneses or even European standards, it is indeed a tiny car in the land of Ford F150 pick-ups.

Best of all, just like my old Civic, the Scion has the unique Japaneses quality of being bigger on the inside than on the outside.

This could of course just be an sensory illusion because almost everything else on the road is bigger when compared to the Scion. But you'll note that when parked next to second smallest car on American road these days, the Mini, the Scion XB all but dwarfs the English car.

BTW: In case you are wondering the smallest car on American roads is now officially the Smart Car.

One characteristic the the Scion also has in spades is cuteness. The Scion seems to be the new Portuguese water puppy of the car world.

A word to the wise single men. If you are looking for that special girl to date forget about your dreams of owning a Porsche or Ferrari. The Scion XD is the ride for you.

In the week that I spent with the car I had at least ten women tell me how cute the car was. One young lady with a pierced nose even crossed a busy Denver street to ask me what I was driving. Before I knew it she was in the car checking out the interior and saying that it reminded her of all of the cute cars she liked so much in London.

And while the seventeen thousand dollar Scion is certainly not Porsche or Ferrari fast or expensive, it feels fast which, as long as you don't plan on racing a Porsche or a Ferrari, can be just as fun. 

Check out this video as I race a small plane in the Scion:

Another outstanding feature of the car is the radio. It looks cool, it sounds cool, and the best party trick is you can adjust the radio sound to fit your mood. I liked the "feel" setting which cranks up the base and makes for a good imitation of an expensive blinged out ride with a more powerful subwoofer. 

Which is great unless you happen to be on the highway. That's when it all goes terribly South in the Scion XD.

At highway speeds the combination of wind howling, tire and road thumping, and engine droning makes it all but impossible to enjoy the radio. The car's interior seems to amplify all of this drama into a cacophony of noise that makes it almost impossible to have a conversation with a backseat passenger without resorting to raising your voice to an uncomfortable level.

The other issue that your passenger might immediately find a bit disturbing is the choppy ride based at least in part on the car's diminutive wheel base. The Scion XD does not float over bumps, it hops over them like a very cute but very hyper bunny.

Would this car be my choice of a long distant traveling highway companion?

Of course not, but it would be my first choice of a great city/suburban run around ride. It simple excels in the urban landscape. Not only is it a joy to park, but it just darts in and out of city traffic making it the new Usian Bolt of impromptu city stoplight races.

At least in the city, with its snappy throttle response it will put any Porsche or Ferrari crazy enough to compete with the Scion XD in a crowded stoplight sprint to shame.

And that is something I could only dream of in my very red and very under powered Honda Civic when I was learning to drive.

2009 Scion XD

Price as Tested: $17,394.00

Engine, Transmission: 108 Liter 16-valve Duel VVT-i 4-Speed Automatic

Horsepower: 128

PocketDyno Test Data

1/4 Mile: 18.03 second at 78.98 mph

0-60 mph: 10.72

Max Acceleration: 0.38 g's

EPA Fuel Economy Estimates

City: 26 mpg

Highway: 32 mpg

Combined: 28 mpg

As tested: 28.3 mpg

CO₂ per year: 8,095 lbs

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