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Wagons Scion xB Scion xB Test Drive - What Did You Think?
42 messages, Last post on Oct 13, 2006 at 1:43 PM
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After reading all the info here and elsewhere on the net, I was really looking forward to test driving this car. It met all the specs we were wanting...most important being good MPG, utility, and price. The drive was a big let down. We have driven 4 cyclinder cars for 10 years, but the other 4-bangers have never sounded so loud(unrefined?) and felt so sluggish. The road feel was very vague and the ride was rough. Best part of the car is the very open and spacious interior. I was really hoping this would be the replacement for our gas guzzling Tundra which is my daily driver.
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Replying to: pepjrp (Sep 10, 2006 3:31 pm) It is important to change the rear shocks from the oddly stiff OEM KYBs to smoother SensaTracs made by Tenneco and sold by NAPA and Monroe. The SensaTracs are only $75/pair, and the change takes less than 30 minutes in the driveway with no jacking. |
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Replying to: aatherton (Sep 11, 2006 10:15 am) The front seats felt cheap and uncomfortable - so I bet it's no fun to drive this car over long distances. We ended up buying the 5-cyl 150hp Volkswagen Rabbit, which has more cargo space than the xB and you really can't beat the feel of solidness and crispness of a German car. It was cheaper, too. Sorry, but Toyota didn't make the cut. I guess one unpleasant experience about Toyota was also the arrogant sales people, who really did not care about my business. Good luck to all of you finding the right fit for wallet and meeting all your needs!
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Replying to: fromcolorado (Sep 20, 2006 10:40 am) A 5-speed xB has an MSRP of $14,600 to which is added delivery/prep of $500, dealer fees, and tax. A 4-door Rabbit has an MSRP of $17,000 to which is added delivery/prep of $600 plus the rest. If the Rabbit is cheaper, it must be because the dealer is discounting the price by $2,500. Is that possible? |
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I went with my daughter for an xB test drive the other day. She is looking at the Mazda3 and Civic EX and I pushed her into the Scion dealership to look at the xB. Why? I love the look, great mileage, cheaper to own and insure (she is mid 20's and single). Likes: I love the style, we loved the room inside, except as others noted the space behind the rear seats. If you can't fold them because of passengers you will not carry much back there. Seemed to be typical Toyota quality which is good. Cheap price. Pretty good OEM stereo with MP3 and aux in jack included. Rode fairly well. Handled decent. All in all, a lot of car for the money. I found the seats to be very comfy, but our test drive was only 45 minutes or so. Gobs of head room (wear a cowboy hat while you drive?), good shoulder room, lots of leg room. Back seat super for 2, tight for 3. Low beam headlights are super - see what happens when you have a large, flat lens? Dislikes: No cruise even as an option, cheapest wheel option is $669, no moonroof option, no side air bags (and gets so-so side impact ratings), 4 speed auto hunts a LOT at freeway speed. Way too much engine noise with OEM exhaust - if you want loud you could add it, OEM should be quieter. Seriously needs more power, but we knew that before we drove it. No interior lights except the one way back from the driver. Needs map lights, mirror lights or something. It is a cheap car and some bits show it - vanity mirrors, etc. Scion experience: The fixed price thing is OK, but they make a big deal out of "true price" or whatever then you find out they stick you with another $250-300 or more in "dealer fees" above MSRP. Seems like that is wrong on a fixed price car. Options from the dealer are expensive (and they say they don't negotiate them either) - you can find all the goodies at discount online stores for a lot less and install MOST of them yourself. Stereo stuff is way overpriced. Even tier one finance rates are higher than other sources. The folks we talk to and worked with that were Scion "specialists" were very nice and well informed, get a "Toyota" salesperson and they are little help. I don't care for one price cars, but in this case they are hard to get (around here) so having one price means they don't over-charge you. That also tends to keep resale high (along with the hard to get). The price difference between the xB and other cars is less than you think if you factor in many others can be had for invoice or less or maybe a little over - while you are stuck paying MSRP at Scion. That said, we didn't find anything at THIS price that we would rather have - only something that costs MORE was better. In the end, my daughter has decided that the other cars are just nicer - and they are - and she can afford them so she is willing to pay more for a nicer ride. Probably will not get as good gas mileage and will pay more for insurance, and if she needs to haul stuff she will have to get me to bring the pickup over  I would have had no problem with her getting it, and if one of my other kids wanted one I would feel the same way. Too bad the xB run ends this year. We don't know yet if the replacement will be a better xB of something completely different when we get it next year (as a 2008). But I love the style and love the how you see so few on the road. Would *I* drive one? Probably not, way too little power for me (even with manual) but I have an RX-8 and an S-2000. Dennis
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Replying to: fromcolorado (Sep 20, 2006 10:40 am)
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Replying to: crazedcommuter (Sep 21, 2006 3:55 pm) I had one of the original pocket-rocket econobox cars - a new '83 Rabbit GTI. I had few troubles with mine but the resale value was bad. I traded it for a 89 Civic Si which was a much better car - and retained a ton more value when it was time to sell or trade it. The prior VW car, the Golf has a pretty terrible track record. So the "good news" is the Rabbit is new - the bad news is if they couldn't get it right during the Golf run do we expect they can make the Rabbit BETTER for 05? I hope so, but I would not bet my money on it. I can understand why someone would want more power or a different look, but the VW shop would not be MY first stop (or second or third). With the xB going away at the end of this year, the resale on xB's (which is already strong) should stay that way. Dennis |
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Replying to: dwynne (Sep 20, 2006 6:53 pm) Cruise can be bought through the dealer. I bought mine online, and had it installed by the place the dealer used. Likewise the moonroof. I went to the shop that the dealers use, and had a Webasto moonroof installed. I have 8,000 miles on a manual transmission, which revs higher than the auto, and just completed a 2,500 mile trip. I have not thought the engine noise or exhaust is too loud. I like the faint sounds they make.
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Replying to: aatherton (Sep 22, 2006 5:37 pm) As I said, I love the xB but it does have some issues - but is a heck or a bargain as it sits. Dennis
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