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Performance Upgrades: Are They Worth It?

25 messages,  Last post on Dec 06, 2008 at 6:40 AM

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#6 of 25 Re: Performance upgrades--worth it? [aatherton] NOT THE HOST HERE by Mr_Shiftright HOST Jul 18, 2006 (2:29 pm)
Replying to: aatherton (Jul 14, 2006 6:11 am) If it's any help, I've driven both xB and xA with front strut bars and it's true the difference is subtle...what you'll notice is faster "turn in" on corners taken at high speed.   The rear sway bar is a definite good thing.   The sport muffler is one of preference. It won't give you "power" but if you like hearing the engine a bit more (like for downshifting feedback, etc.), it's fun to have it.   I also installed a keyless entry from Best Buy for only $129 vs. dealer ripoff price (without alarm).   I don't recommend the short shifter unless you are really doing some spirited driving...the stock shifter is easy to use and shifts softly in heavy traffic. I can just lay my elbow on the arm rest and shift.   The manual transmission cars are geared lower but definitely help performance 0-60. I found the automatic xB to be a little too anxiety producing in certain situations.   BETTER TIRES -- this is one thing I plan to do with my xA at some point. The OEM tires on xAs and xBx are too soft in the sidewall.   SYNTHETIC OIL --- with synthetic oil, premium gas and a manual transmission, my xA really scoots from the stoplight. There is no sense of "not enough power".
#7 of 25 TRD Muffler? by micweb Dec 27, 2004 (11:28 am)
Anyone have the TRD (Toyota Racing Design) muffler designed for the Scion xB/xA? The stock muffler on my xA is restrictive, but the after market (Dynomax, Magnaflow, Walker, etc.) ones I have tried so far drone a little too loud for me. The Customer Service rep at TRD claims the tone is lower, but not louder, with the TRD muffler, which is designed for the car and not interchangeable. On the other hand, the TRD muffler costs about as much as all the other mufflers I have tried to date, combined.
#8 of 25 cold air intake system... by mpalmer Jan 12, 2005 (6:54 am)
I am in the market for a new car, but was planning on purchasing a matrix. However, this little car caught my eye (cargo space and price), so now, it is a consideration.   About the CAI...Dealer wants around 300 or so for it. Are there any pros or cons to having it? Will it make this car perform closer to a Matrix engine? Will it improve gas mileage?? By how much? Thanks.
#9 of 25 cold air intake... by mpalmer Jan 13, 2005 (5:02 am)
I went to the Scion dealership and got approved for an xb. I test drove the Matrix again as well, and found that I liked the styling and the roominess of the xb better. One thing I didn't like about the xb (and the Matrix too for that matter) is the lack of power. Not that I need THAT much, but too me, the automatic was a little sluggish.   The salesman is trying to tell me that the CAI will give me 15 more horsepower without gaining gas mileage. From reading the posts on this forum, it seems the opposite is true. Any comments on this...   Marion
#10 of 25 by ateixeira Jan 13, 2005 (5:54 am)
Ask if you can drive one equipped that way. Some CAI systems create a lot more noise, and my concern would be that might get tiring on a long drive.   -juice
#11 of 25 CAI by micweb Jan 13, 2005 (8:59 am)
Most sports compact magazine tests of CAI on comparable sized engines indicate a very small increase in horsepower, about 1-2 horsepower, in exhange for which there is considerable noise increase, arguably poorer filtering (the oil soaked gauze cloth vs. a paper element), and a risk of wetting out the exposed filter element in heavy puddles etc. The one caveat to their dyno tests is they are on a dyno with no airflow (air pressure from freeway speeds) which might help the CAI; on the other hand they are comparing to stock airboxes with the same set up.   The biggest improvement in performance with the Scion, in my personal experience, comes from just breaking in the car; after about 6,000 miles of break in, the engine loosens up and drives well with a lot more power. In my experience, the engine also responds well to mid-grade gasoline, though it will run without obvious problems, like pinging, on regular.   Finally, try driving another xB. I was recently considering trading my stick shift xA in on an xB or xA automatic, and I took both out for a test drive. The xB was fast and responsive, WITH AN AUTOMATIC, while the xA with an automatic felt sluggish. The xB felt about responsive, in normal driving, as my stick shift xA. Later I realized it was how the automatic transmission was shifting in the two test drifes. The xB's held each gear a little longer to hit higher rpm, and downshifted more readily (one reasonable gear, not the usual "drop it too gears to hear it scream" that most automatics do), while the xA shifted a little earlier on the way up and a little later on the way down. So, based on two test drives within a few days of each other, I'd say the "tuning" on the automatic has a lot to do with the responsiveness of the car. And, yeah, no matter what, you'll have to work the engine harder, give it more throttle and make it stay in lower gears longer, if you want more performance.   BTW, I don't know if its true, but a friend told me today that how you drive the car initially is how the computer will learn your driving style. I do know the electronically controlled transmission in the Scion is supposed to be adaptive, learning when you are driving hard and when you are taking it easy and adjusting the upshift and downshift points on the fly. You could always try disconnecting the battery to reset all the computer modes and "retraining" your car, but I suspect the difference in the two Scions I test drove has more to do with variations between factory units than the way it was driven (don't all test rides get driven relatively hard?).   Another bit of personal experience. I recently had a PT Cruiser with auto and the non-turbo 2.5, and a Neon with auto and the stock 2.0 engine. Both have the same Chrysler 4 speed automatic. On the PT, the automatic upshifted early, unless I gave it a LOT of throttle, and if I gave it enough throttle to downshift, it would often drop two gears, leading to a lot of racket and an almost immediate upshift to the next gear up, the one it should have been in in the first place.   The Neon, on the other hand, is a peach, it throws easy downshifts, just one gear, with just a hint of more than normal throttle, and it stays in lower gear during acceleration longer with just a hint of more than normal throttle.   Apparently the first year out on the 4 speed on the Neon, people griped how sluggish the car was, so the retuned the automatic - no gear changes, just told the computer to respond to throttle inputs differently. I suspect the sluggish PT was the result of its older demographic (older drivers) and the desire to preseve quiet in the cabin and fuel economy (fuel economy on the PT stinks).   Anyway, try another xB, and try different throttle styles. I find that if I give the throttle a more aggressive start, I can trick the car into delaying the upshift, but if I want to save gas, I can back off the throttle slightly after I hit a certain rpm and the tranny will still delay the upshift (if you back off the throttle too much, it shifts immediately). In otherwords, tip in the throttle aggresively to alert the computer you want a delayed upshift, then back off slightly. Driving thse adaptive automatics requires learning how to use the throttle not only to govern the throttle body, but also to govern the shift points on the auto.   Good luck - I found the xB I test drove to be plenty zippy, and by the time I traded in my xA at 12,500 miles, it had gotten quite fast, with the stock muffler and stock intake - not even a K&N airfilter! Replies to this message: aatherton (Aug 10, 2006 7:02 pm) dwynne (Nov 20, 2006 8:04 am) aatherton (Nov 20, 2006 2:10 pm) aatherton (Nov 20, 2006 2:18 pm)
#12 of 25 Re: Performance upgrades--worth it? [aatherton] by newownerxb Aug 09, 2006 (3:50 pm)
Replying to: aatherton (Jul 14, 2006 6:11 am) Monroe Sensatracs #5987 for an Echo are $82 and some change right now at Sears. They are offering free installation, so of course, I jumped on it and special ordered the shocks. Should be here in 2-4 days. I believe that the free install ends this weekend or August 12th. After reading all the posts on how these shocks change the ride I couldn't resist and bought them. My car only has 126 miles on it. Thanks for all the info.
#13 of 25 Re: CAI [micweb] by aatherton Aug 10, 2006 (7:02 pm)
Replying to: micweb (Jan 13, 2005 8:59 am) The CAI makes a little more hp with quite a bit more noise. Many people have hydrolocked their engines by driving through deep puddles with CAIs that have low and unprotected intakes.   The xB makes 5 more HP on premium. The 2005 was rated at 108 hp on premium, and the 2006 was rated at 103 hp on regular. The difference is due to the knock sensor retarding the ignition at high load on regular gas.   The transmission will learn to shift where your habits dictate, but the engine ECU has nothing to learn. It responds to immediate data to manage the engine. If you disconnect its power, the ony thing it forgets (clears) are trouble codes.   At 400 miles I installed: 1. SensaTrac rear shocks. Fantastic improvement. A daily benefit. 2. Rear sway bar. Could feel the flatter cornering and more neutral steering in hard turns. A daily benefit. 3. Strut bar. Could immediately feel NO difference at all. It may have a purpose in racing. At 5,000 miles I am going to remove and sell it this weekend because it makes these more difficult: - air filter replacement (every 15,000 miles) - brake fluid changing (every two years). - cruise control installation (I bought a Rostra unit to install). Replies to this message: dwynne (Nov 20, 2006 8:04 am) aatherton (Nov 20, 2006 2:10 pm) aatherton (Nov 20, 2006 2:18 pm)
#14 of 25 IIRC the 2006 Scion has factory-installed by iluvmysephia1 Aug 10, 2006 (8:08 pm)
front and rear sway bars right from the get-go for purchasers. Is this true or false, then?   I mean, for the average Seattle Sonic fan driving a 2006 Scion xA in 5-speeds, EP-10 wheels and stock everywhere else, are extra-tought rear sway bars really a significant help at all? Replies to this message: aatherton (Aug 18, 2006 8:39 am)
#15 of 25 Re: IIRC the 2006 Scion has factory-installed [iluvmysephia1] by aatherton Aug 18, 2006 (8:39 am)
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Aug 10, 2006 8:08 pm) There are basically two kinds of bars. 1. Front and rear strut bars that rigidly lock the tops of the strut towers together. 2. Front and rear sway bars that flexibly connect right and left wheels to resist leaning.   Most people buy the front strut bar and the rear sway bar. They install easily, do not interfere with the interior of the car, and provide almost all the benefit. The front strut bar, however, does interfere with installation of cruise control, and servicing the brake fluid, air filter and power steering fluid.   The only time you feel the effect of these bars is immediately after installation or removal. After a day or so, you get used to any difference and don't notice it.   I felt the better cornering and neutral steering of the sway bar on the first hard fast corner. I felt nothing from the strut bar. After 5000 miles I removed the strut bar for better cruise control and service access, and again felt no difference.   The front strut bar assumes that the tops of the strut towers will move or flap, thereby changing the castor setting of the alignment with each flap. And it is also assumed that you will be able to feel the fluctuations in castor. Strut bars were often added to racing sedans on the old days, whose bodies were not computer designed for stiffness, but I don't know if these assumptions are valid for the xB.   If you like to take corners fast, you will appreciate a rear sway bar. If you drive hard and fast over twisty roads full of bumps, perhaps the front strut bar will make a difference you can feel. I never did.

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