2009 Scion xB Expert Review: Autoblog
Autoblog
In the latter part of the 1990s, Toyota realized it had a problem on its hands. Although its sales had been climbing steadily for years, the average age of its customers was also climbing. That's fine in the short term, but over the long haul if a company isn't attracting some younger clientele into its showrooms, sales will eventually begin to dry up. After several years of unsuccessfully trying to attract more youthful customers with cars like the Echo, the Japanese behemoth tried a new tack in early 2003.
That was when Toyota announced a new brand called Scion that would be targeted at the so-called Generation Y crowd. Unlike Lexus, Scions would be sold in existing Toyota showrooms. The Scion roll-out kicked off in California and a few other markets in the Southwest and eventually spread throughout the country. The first two Scions were the xA and xB, which were both based on the previous generation Yaris/Vitz platform. By late 2006, the xA and xB were ready to be replaced as the first second generation Scions made their debut at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show in February. The new xB started appearing at Scion stores in early summer and landed in the Autoblog Garage in September. Find out what we thought of the xB Rev. 2 after the jump.
All photos ©2007 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
The first thing anyone familiar with the original xB will notice upon walking up to the new one is its size. While the car is still recognizable as an xB, it has clearly hit puberty and the growth hormones have kicked in. The new dimensions are due largely to the model trading in its little Yaris platform for the larger Corolla architecture.
The new xB still has a wagon-like shape but the details and proportions are very different. The car is a full twelve inches longer and almost three inches wider, but loses an inch and a half in stature. The nose looks longer and the roof-line now has a chopped look to it. The glass in the D-Pillars has also been replaced by solid steel. Where the original had an almost delicate look to it, the second generation model has far more visual heft. Unfortunately, the heft is not purely visual. The curb weight of the xB has ballooned by 636 lbs to 3,086 lbs. You might think all that extra girth would translate into increased interior volume. You would be thinking wrong. The only major interior dimensions that grow are shoulder and hip room. Head room drops by six inches in the front seats and four and a half in back. Front leg room also drops by six inches. Cargo room behind the rear seats, however, does grow by half a cubic foot to 21.7 cu. ft.
Styling as always is highly subjective and the new xB is no exception. The lower and wider stance of the wagonette certainly looks more aggressive and the flares around the wheel wells with their adjoining sills have a hint of PT Cruiser and HHR. The new look will probably be a good starting point for those who want to customize their rides. The base of the windshield has moved forward but maintains the fairly upright angle of the original, meaning it sits pretty far out in front of the driver. That enhances the impression of room inside, although it also means that the driver has a really long reach to adjust the mirror.
The more diminutive original was propelled by a 1.5L four-cylinder that just wouldn't cut it in the 2008 model, especially an extra 600 lbs. to carry around. So the Corolla architecture brings with it the 2.4L four-cylinder used in the tC coupe and the larger Camry sedan. Output jumps from 103 to 158 HP and twist goes from 101 lb-ft to 162 lb-ft. Whatever else we may think of the new xB, it can certainly get out of it's own way. Unfortunately, it's not all that refined in doing so. The initial throttle tip-in feels way too aggressive. Launching in any kind of dignified manner requires a very gentle toe on the accelerator. While some people may like the idea of chirping the front tires at every intersection, on wet or slippery surfaces the standard traction control will kick in regularly, but back to that later.
The automatic transmission only has four forward gear ratios that can be activated by the now almost obligatory sequential tap-shift mechanism, although this seems pretty pointless. Then there is the enclosure for the shift mechanism. It sits in a pod that protrudes from the center of the dash. A very wide pod! A pod much to wide to be necessary for the shifter. Upon noticing this pod (as if it could be missed!), I looked for a storage bin or something useful on the underside. Alas, it appears to serve no real useful purpose other than consuming an inordinate amount of space adjacent to the drivers right knee. While front seat occupants of the new xB may have more hip and shoulder room, thanks to the shifter they have less knee room.
Let us make this perfectly clear to anyone and everyone who designs vehicle interiors. Instruments (especially primary ones like the speedometer and tach) belong in front of the driver. In the era of MySpace, Facebook and Digg, it may seem like the social thing to do is share vital information with the passengers, but functionality must come first and foremost in a car. Another dubious decision was combining the clock display into the trip information display. If you want to monitor your fuel mileage, you can't see the clock. You have to toggle through all the bits of information to get back to Father Time. The lower half of the fuel and temperature gauges remains glaringly blank, so why didn't they just stick a dedicated clock into one of those. Again, the task of switching display modes is made worse because of the long reach to the switch.
The center position of the gauges is said to have a safety benefit, as you're not taking your eyes quite as far off the road, and noticed that it might indeed be true. The other nice touch about having the gauges in the center of the dash is that the panel is not shrouded at all by the steering wheel. The HVAC controls are wonderfully simple and elegant, and they are positioned well.
Our example had a premium sound system that was also iPod capable; a $389 dollar expenditure. There are dual auxiliary inputs, so you can interface directly with your iPod, via a specific jack, or you can use another flavor of player via the 1/8" mini jack. Once you do manage to figure out the Pioneer's control scheme, it's not difficult to operate. Unfortunately, the LCD display of the stereo doesn't play nice with polarized sunglasses.
Although we liked the direct control of the iPod through the head unit, our main complaint had to do with pausing. After a previous post, it became apparent that pressing the power button on the head unit would pause the iPod. The joystick controller on the right side of the head unit generally mimics the iPod click wheel with an upward push bringing up the menu and left and right being back and forward. So why not have a downward push be play/pause? Odd choice.
The xB we drove was also equipped with a dealer installed TRD drone amplifier. The accessory list labels it as a sport muffler, but any performance impact was probably negligible while the audible impact was just annoying.
The idle of the four banger was lumpy, but it loved to rev. A hard stab of the accelerator would keep the automatic in the same gear almost to red-line and acceleration was therefore adequate. The added torque of the bigger engine was much appreciated. As always though, it comes at a cost. What started out as an economy car is now anything but. While the environmental groups have been ripping Toyota lately for its "duplicity" on CAFE standards and bringing out big thirsty trucks like the Tundra, they apparently haven't yet noticed the change from xB Rev.1 to Rev.2. The original xB had EPA ratings of 26/31 mpg (after the adjustment for the new 2008 procedures, originally they were even higher). The 2008 model is rated at 22/28 and we averaged 23.4 mpg over our week with the car. My '05 Mustang averages 24 mpg over the same driving cycle.
On the road the xB does have reasonable grip when equipped with the larger 16-inch wheel/tire combination, and it now comes standard with electronic stability control. Stability control systems can be a good thing if done right. Maybe someday Toyota will get one right. I haven't driven every Toyota so-equipped, but every one I've tried so far from the first Avalon that had ESC in the late '90s to the current Tundra and xB has been downright awful. I know Toyota likes to stick by its suppliers that its mantra includes Kaizen or continuous improvement. But when it comes to slip control systems it might be time for Toyota to look elsewhere. When you have a stability control system as noisy as this one (and the Tundra, as well), there is absolutely no need to have a warning alarm going off, too. The Toyota engineers responsible for this system need to go try out a General Motors or Honda vehicle equipped with stability control. The system should not be jerking the steering wheel around in your hands to keep the car going where the driver intends. The ABS and traction control that share the same hardware also suffer from the same excess noise.
The original xB was based on the JDM bB, which also underwent a redesign recently. Unlike the US market xB the bB is still based on the smaller Yaris architecture and is comparable in size to the original. The car we get as the xB will also be sold as the Corolla Rumion in Japan. I suspect most fans of the first xB would have preferred that Toyota stuck with the new bB instead of growing the car. The 2008 xB that we get starts at $15,650 with a manual transmission and adds another $950 for the self-shifting unit. The exterior design has some nice details if you're partial to the overall look.
If Toyota sets the interior team to work on a revamp, it would probably be a big improvement. Following Volkswagen's lead with a smaller direct injected turbo under the hood and swapping the 4-speed torque converter box for a 6-speed DCT would probably do wonders for the mileage without hurting performance, as well. If you're after something closer in size to the original, the xD is now available and the Honda Fit offers lots of utility and a vastly more attractive and comfortable interior.
All photos ©2007 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
New Car Test Drive
Inside the bigger, better box.
Introduction
After four years in its original form, the boxy Scion xB was totally redesigned for 2008. Scion said that owners wanted their xBs to be bigger. Since it takes three years to produce a new car, the requests to expand the box must have started coming early. In any case, the only additional change for 2009 is to the paint chart, where Stingray Metallic replaces Nautical Blue Metallic.
This latest xB is indeed a bigger box, but it doesn't look so much like a box any more. And it isn't, as the increased length reduces the squareness. The styling is considerably improved. Plastic surgery on the chin has made a huge difference, and the other edges and angles are much softer, making the xB more attractive and less funny looking.
It's also less distinctive than before, but it's still distinctive compared to other cars of this size. Utility-wise, it's like the Honda Fit (front-wheel drive, five-door with good cargo space), but it looks more like the Honda Element.
The current xB is 12 inches longer than the original, on a wheelbase that's just 4 inches longer; this means bigger overhangs, which goes against the trend, as most new vehicles increase the wheelbase more than the length, efficient packaging that increases stability. The current xB is 2.8 inches wider, though, and that adds stability. And the wheels have been increased in size to 16 inches, allowing larger disc brakes, front and rear. The xB's brakes are very good.
The xB features electric power steering, which does away with belts, pulleys and fluid. It's quite nimble and fun to drive around town.
The bigger box provides an increase in cargo capacity, but 4.6 inches of legroom has been lost in the front seat, from 45.3 inches down to 40.7; in the rear, the legroom remains the same. So if Scion redesigned the xB to satisfy customers, it must have been those buyers who use the xB as cute little utility vans, not those who carry passengers. The front seats recline almost fully, and the 60/40 rear seats drop flat with one easy pull of a lever.
Not visible, but just as significant, is the whopping 50 percent increase in power. The xB now uses the same 2.4-liter engine that powers the quick tC Coupe. It makes 158 horsepower, an increase of no less than 55 over the 1.5-liter engine in the 2004-2007 xB. The engine employs all of Toyota's considerable variable valve timing technology (VVT-i), and gets 22/28 miles per gallon, at the EPA's ULEV-II (ultra-low) emissions ratings. The old xB got 30/34, but comparisons are difficult to make because the 2.4-liter engine has so much more horsepower, and because now the mileage is measured by the new 2008 EPA standards, which are more realistic than before.
Two transmissions are available, a four-speed automatic with manual shifting, and a five-speed manual. The automatic shifts well, but with only four speeds it kicks down a lot, especially from fourth to third. The xB would be smoother with a five-speed automatic, but that's not available.
Lineup
With all Scions, there is just one model but a million options. That's the Scion personalization theme. The xB with manual transmission is $15,750; with automatic it's $16,700.
Standard equipment on the xB includes charcoal fabric interior, air conditioning, cruise control, information display, 160-watt Pioneer audio system with iPod and auxiliary connection, tilt steering wheel with audio controls, remote keyless entry, power side mirrors with turn signal indicators, power windows, and door locks, halogen headlamps, tinted glass, 16-inch steel wheels with wheelcovers.
Options include alloy wheels in 16-inch ($795), 17-inch ($1,595), and 19-inch ($2,150) sizes, a rear spoiler ($423), Pioneer premium audio ($389), a navigation system ($1,800), and a rear seat DVD entertainment system with 7-inch screens in the back of the front headrests ($1,599). For those desiring high performance, Scion dealers sell many TRD (Toyota Racing Development) parts, from superchargers to suspension items to aerodynamic kits.
Safety features include Vehicle Stability Control with Traction Control, anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, a tire pressure monitor, frontal and front side airbags, and side curtain airbags.
Walkaround
Believe it or not, the Scion xB sort of has the limo look going for it. Maybe even a gangster look, like a sedan from the '20s. It's that new roofline with the thick C-pillar that's located all the way at the back of the car, and the uninterrupted dark tinted windows. The roof-to-floor B-pillar is hidden between the doors, covered by parts of the black frames around the windows.
There's also a subtle 1.5-inch taper from the height of the windows at the front of the front window to the rear of the rear window, adding to the effect of reducing the squareness and making the xB look longer. The optional rear spoiler, as on our test xB, extends the roofline even more.
Last year's new face vastly improves the looks of the xB from head-on, the three-quarter front angle, or side view. The old chin stuck out from under a thin grille, but the new unit is cohesive, still with a thin black grille but it's almost flush with the bumper below it. The headlamps are more shapely now, swept back, although they stick out at the sides, like bubbles. Below the thick plastic bumper under the grille, there's another black grille that sucks in air for the bottom of the radiator. At each side there are thin vertical black rubber things, apparently meant to be faux air intakes for brakes. They lend depth to the otherwise massive and flat valance.
The longer body, wide C-pillar, rounded fender flares and loss of the protruding chin make the xB look less square, from any angle.
Interior
Compared to the original, the interior of the latest Scion xB feels as changed as the exterior looks. There might have been a big loss in front seat legroom, but the driver still has a commanding view of the road. That's exceptional if not unique, for a car of this size. The short nose, big windshield, elevatable driver's seat, and far-away dashboard create this feel. You become aware of the distance to the windshield when you reach to adjust the rearview mirror, which is quite a stretch from your shoulder. The glass is upright, it doesn't sweep back.
There's less of a stretch from the front-seat passenger's knees to the good-sized glovebox. It's mounted low so it folds down, possibly on the passenger's shins. Above the glovebox there is a long thin tray which might be useful if it had a liner that offered some grip, instead of the hard slick vinyl.
Charcoal is the only color for the fabric seats, which are comfortable and well bolstered, although they're shapeless and light on padding in the rear. The fabric isn't as sturdy, outdoorsy or cool as that in the Mazda3, but charcoal makes the most of the cloth. The xB seats five. The three kids who rode in the rear seat of our xB didn't have a problem, but three adults would. Two adults wouldn't be uncomfortable though, because you can easily slide your feet up under the front seats.
For rear seat passengers, there are two cupholders that pop out of the back of the console between the front seats, a bottle holder in each door, and clever trays under the rear seats for storage of flat things like books and portfolios.
That wide C-pillar that enhances the exterior styling creates a blind spot when pulling out onto the highway at a 45-degree angle. Even knowing it was there and trying to peer around it, we managed to pull out in front of a car we couldn't see.
There are no gauges directly in front of the driver, which is a bit weird; but the row of four of them on the dashboard just to the right of the steering wheel makes up for it, because they're good. At the far left, is the information display, revealing things like fuel mileage and range. Then comes the clock, which is highly readable, unlike so many, the color is orange and it has an eave to reduce being washed out by sunlight. The digital speedometer is excellent, with big numbers that are, like the clock, eminently readable. Beyond these are the gas gauge and temperature gauge.
The new design has added a lot of sound dampening material to the xB, and it seems like most of it must be in the firewall. Or else the engine is just quiet. You can't hear much engine noise, maybe because it's drowned out by the tire noise. You have to turn the volume of the 160-watt Pioneer sound system up, running at higher speeds.
Our xB was equipped with the $1,800 navigation system, which incorporated the audio system. We longed for simpler controls. But we were thankful for the steering wheel controls for the audio system, which could adjust volume, set the band or mode, and move between the preset stations.
We were also thankful for the halogen high beams during two fast one-hour runs on a dark, winding and lonely freeway. But the flipside was that the projector low beams are treacherously weak. And for some reason there's only one backup light, on the driver's side. Is it a Scion styling thing, like one earring or something?
Scion has put special effort into the air conditioning, and it shows. Four round vents on the dash quietly and quickly blast out cold air.
The automatic shift lever comes out of the center stack at a 45-degree angle, an ergonomic improvement introduced by Honda. The door handles, however, show little thought about ergonomics. They're horizontal, thin, barely two inches long, and tapered to a point.
Most of the slim space between the seats is taken by two fixed cupholders, a slot for a cellphone, and the parking brake lever, leaving room for only a small console compartment rearward between the seats.
The 60/40 rear seats fold flat in a heartbeat, creating good cargo space behind the front seats. Scion says it's 8 cubic feet bigger than in the original model, which would bring the current maximum cargo capacity up to 51.4 cubic feet; but the only number Scion publishes is 21.7 cubic feet behind a second-row seat that's deployed for passengers. The front passenger seat reclines, and that's good for naps, but with the passenger seat down there isn't any more practical cargo space because it reclines right on top of the folded rear seat, so it sticks way up there. The Honda Fit and Mazda5 remain the masters of cargo space in a small vehicle.
Driving Impression
The 2.4-liter engine borrowed from the sporty Scion tC might not move the xB out of econobox territory, but it certainly powers the xB to the front of the field. Just think, all you owners of 2004-2007 xBs: 50 percent more horsepower.
In terms of fuel economy, our average was 26.0 miles per gallon over 420 miles, most of it leadfoot running on the freeway. The latest EPA measurements say 22/28 mpg City/Highway for the xB, so we were right on the money. (That, and the current test procedures are closer to reality than the pre-2008 system.)
Throttle response is excellent, and, unlike the xD, it's steady. You get a lot of smooth acceleration out of just a little bit of pressing down of your foot. The revs climb right up through the numbers on the tach, until the transmission upshifts at 6100 or 6200 rpm (even if it's in manual mode). The engine doesn't feel like it's working hard, it feels like it's loving every chance it gets to leap between 3000 rpm and 6000 rpm.
Just don't forget that the Scion xB is not a sports car. We passed a truck going uphill on a two-lane, and with our foot on the floor we wished for even more quickness. Or maybe it was the five-speed manual transmission we were wishing for. Or a five-speed automatic.
The four-speed automatic kicks down a lot. This might be an annoyance if the xB weren't so eager about wanting to zoom forward. Every time it kicks down to third, it's happy. Give it a bit more gas at 75 mph on the freeway, and it kicks down to third and tries to get you up to 85, even if you hadn't quite intended to go that fast.
Seventy miles per hour in fourth gear is a comfortably low rev range, so there's lots of room for the engine to play, without screaming. The engine makes its peak torque of 162 pound-feet at 4000 rpm, and you can feel the engine come on there.
It's fun and nimble to drive around town. The electric power steering gives good feedback to the steering wheel, and the extra 12 inches of length is not an issue.
The great brakes add to the around-town fun, not because you use them hard in the city, but because they're smooth, tight and responsive, with pedal pressure that's just right. And when you need them, they'll be there. The front and rear rotors are both big for a small car, about 11 inches, and the front rotors are ventilated so they stay cooler under hard use. The rear brakes on the former xB were drums, so four-wheel discs are an upgrade. They're equipped with ABS, of course, and with EBD, which balances the front and rear forces, and Brake Assist, which gives more braking than you asked for. Basically, sensors read your foot and overrule your brain.
But if you take the xB out on back roads to play, don't expect the transmission's manual mode to be very manual; about half the time it doesn't listen to the driver. Also, if you plan to drive the corners hard, you'll want to invest in TRD suspension components from your Scion dealer. The xB wasn't made for that. The wheels jounce around on bumpy surfaces.
But worse than that, the ride isn't quite up to sharp spots on the freeway. There's a stretch we often drive that has a row of steel expansion strips over some uphill-downhill curves, and at 75 mph the xB had us going oomph over the worst of them. These sharp jolts occurred in other places. It wears on you, in short order.
Summary
All-new last year, the latest Scion xB is very different than the previous model. It's longer, wider, faster, and less quirky looking. It offers some fine features, including a good fabric interior and 60/40 rear seats that easily fold flat, creating an excellent cargo compartment behind the front seats. From the driver's seat, the xB provides an unusually high feeling of command for a small car. It's nimble, fun to drive, and the brakes are outstanding, although the ride can be jagged over certain types of bumps.
Sam Moses drove the xB in the Columbia River Gorge before filing this report to NewCarTestDrive.com.
Model Lineup
Scion xB with manual transmission ($15,750); with automatic ($16,700).
Assembled In
Tasumi, Japan.
Options As Tested
16-inch alloy wheels ($795), rear spoiler ($423), illuminated door sills ($290), rear bumper appliqué ($69), carpeted floor mats ($155), navigation system ($1,800), C-pillar storage with nets ($129), Scion security ($469), DVD headrests with monitors ($1,599)
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Model Tested
Scion xB automatic ($16,700).
2009 Scion xB Information
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MSRP: $17,995
