Scion xA

micweb

That's misleading. You probably saw "more compliant" in a description of the TRD suspension parts (offered by the excellent Toyota Racing Division parts performance wing of Toyota). All reports indicate the TRD parts are firmer, not more compliant.

I once replaced the stock shocks on the Echo (similar to Scion xA under the body), and improved the ride; I used Monroe shocks which were designed and made in Europe for their version of the Echo, and they worked well.

Unfortunately, the xA weighs considerably more than the Echo and the Monroe shocks designed for the Echo won't work here. The last time I checked, Monroe did not have any replacement shocks for the xA, but you could keep checking.

In any case, most aftermarket shocks are firmer, not softer.

iluvmysephia1

was the ride in your xA "firm" or fairly tolerable? I mean, over rough road surfaces it's gonna bounce around a lot, but was the ride reasonable? I'm taking a little bit of a look at the RS 2.0 xA in Blue Mica. I remember you posted a lot about the ride of your Scion xA but I can't remember the finer details. :confuse:

micweb

I should start out by saying that the handling on the xA, completely stock mechanically but with a slight upgrade in tires (to 195 Kumho Ecstas all season) was awesome; better than my original 2001 Golf, better than any of my Focus ZX3's, better than a Cavalier (don't laugh, they handle pretty well!), and better than my current 2004 Golf which has an Autotech rear sway bar (reduces the understeer and handles much better than stock). Better than Neon (which is traditionally good).

But, that is at the price of "firm" valving on the shocks, and a "firm" ride. Not harsh, like on lowered cars (Eibach springs) or with stiffer shocks (like Tokico's) but firm. Coupled with the short wheelbase, you are really going to know you are driving. It's a lot of fun to toss around, but during the initial few thousand miles of break in, you might find it a little to firm for comfort. After a few thousand miles, it loosens up a little. I ran my tires at 35 psi, some people run them a little softer which can also help. Also some tires have stiffer sidewalls, which on a car this close to the limit of comfort, can make a difference. The stock tires are soft sidewalls; V-rated tires will probably be too stiff; H-rated Bridgestone 950's would be what I'd use if I did it again.

If you are used to driving most small cars, you would probably consider this an "upgrade" over the stock suspension, but not harsh. If you drive a big car with a stock suspension, you would probably find this harsh. It's very subjective and depends on where you are coming from. Keep in mind that it will break in; and also keep in mind that it is nowhere near really harsh, like aftermarket suspensions. One mechanic told me there are three grades - soft from the factory; firm or sporty from the factory; and aftermarket. This is the middle grade, firm or sporty from the factory, but not really "harsh."

Good luck, try driving the car at several dealers over different road surfaces so you can spend more time in it. I find I am sort of glazed over learning the controls on my first test drive, and don't notice the nuances until later.

Also consider an automatic instead of a stick. The stick runs high rpm at freeway speeds, which is a little annoying. The automatic is still brisk, but you feel like you have more in reserve if you need to scoot into the 80's for a pass. Due to the high body profile and small size, I never took mine over 90, but some people have taken it close to the limit (100 or so). That is how well it handles - it doesn't feel insecure at speed or in crosswinds.

If you are willing to order (why not, they are all the same price!) you can get side curtain airbags for about $650, a great long term investment. Ordering takes about 30 days - they don't really order from Japan, from what I understand, they just grab one in transit headed towards the docks - it's the advantage of a car that only has two options, the automatic and the airbags. I think in a few years used cars with side curtain airbags will sell for a premium that will more than recoup your initial extra expense. While the xA won't take a side impact from an SUV or compact truck well, it will do quite well in terms of body integrity if a mid size passenger car bones you, and the side curtain airbags add a lot in that context. Check out www.iihs.org for the scary details of how important side curtains are.

iluvmysephia1

I stopped by a dealer in the town I'm working in now that has tC's and xA's out in the lot. They were closed so I just browsed around the cars and peeked in the windows for a bit. Here's some thoughts of mine minus the all-important test driving.

The Scion tC they had on the lot in Azure Pearl is quite striking. They also had a RS 1.0 tC but I don't like it's factory wheels much. I do like the Red. There is just something about that design that says "Hey, look, I'm a modern day '72 Celica!" I love it! The car just looks like a little slotcar, not just any slotcar, but your favorite. The kind you carried around with you, not just raced on the track. I would like 4 doors, so there's my quasi-dilemna. Get the Blue Streak Mica xA RS 2.0(ordered) for a bargain price of $14,745, OR, get the Silver Streak Mica tC 5-speed right off the dealer's lot in Sioux Falls, SD. I'm moving to South Dakota next month and want to purchase my Scion in that state. The dealer was telling me of a "tent sale" there this weekend but I'm 800 miles SE of him right now in mid-Missouri so that won't work.

The stock xA's I peeked in the windows at looked awfully small. Do they seem roomier once you've plopped your fanny down inside, micweb? If they do, and I like the ride, the RS 2.0 is up there neck and neck with the tC. If they do seem too small for us(wife and I)the xA will be immediately scratched from my (our, but mostly mine!) list. My wife doesn't really wanna part with our Sportage 4x4 at all.

Which brings me towards the conclusion of this long and rambling post. The Sioux Falls dealer(the largest car dealer in SD)also sells Kia's. Our fun wouldn't be complete without a new Kia Sportage test drive, but 3 in one day is pushing it and we will live some 200 miles west of the dealer! Gonna be interesting. Oh, if decent Sportage trade-in isn't possible, we'll be keeping our Sportage and I"ll keep trying to win a 2006 Hyundai Sonata online. You know that feeling ahead of time that you get though when you kinda know your dealer is going to make a good deal "just for you" that will work for you? I'm picking up that kind of a wavelength. I will "get up and walk out of the showroom" if I don't have my pre-selected sales/trade-in criteria met by them. I won't hesitate a tad. At least not much of a tad. You know what I mean. Used vehicles won't do, either. Go figure. Oh, Scion offers a $400 college gard discount that I will get if we go with their financing. Neato. First 3 LOF's free, too. Cool.

Anyhoo, before this turns into a sellable short story worthy of being on the Oprah show or something, here's a brief summary: I love the Scion tC, but I want four doors. The Blue Streak Mica xA RS 2.0 fits that bill, has illuminated cupholders and dash, foglights and sporty grille, and nice, sporty alloy wheels available (yep, I'd order them, they look nice). Dealer is hinting at lots of rebates and incentives(with Scions?)available right now. The 2005 Kia Sportage looks bold and ornery and agressive in person and we love our 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4. Actually, there's no huge reason to trade-in right now, save for this writer's strange, nutty obsession withthis new Scion tC and xA RS lineup, and better gas mileage with both the xA and tC.

Whatever we do will be taken care of in the 3rd week of May or so, after we settle in for a day or two in South Dakota. You better believe it I'll post the results in here. micweb, anyhing else you can add about the stock xA would be great. I know you've posted extensively about the little gas-miser, and I've read 'em all!

Oh, did I mention yet that I'd love to get my grubby paws on a Revell-type plastic model of a Scion tC? :P

iluvmysephia1

I'm just curious. I know you've traded in your xA and you've discussed the Scion xB before, too, just in general. Actually, you were going to buy one but you guys bought a Honda CRV instead. Here's my curiosity: how come you never mention the Scion tC? Not your cup a tea?

I just re-read all of the posts in this thread (you've got to like the xA to re-read all of the posts in this thread!)and your knowledge of the xA has been extremely helpful to people like myself who want buying information on cars. I also like the Scion tC along with the xA but you have never mentioned it? Whaddup?

I think the tC is a real knockout to look at and also a great value IMHO.

204meca

Micweb I DID read the old posts! I thought I deserved the prize for the guy who buys a perfectly good new car and the tinkers around with it (changing tires, exhaust, shocks...) in attempt to make the car I really want (and probably the car is was never designed to be ). However, I believe you deserve the title! CONGRATULATIONS and thanks for all your insight on the xA.

I recently drove an xA and found it much as you said: Peppy enough, comfortable enough though a bit rough riding, and a bit quirky. Also drove the TC which is much more refined and has a very nice balance of performance and comfort. All things considered though, for my daily driver/ghetto cruiser, I would probably opt for the xA for the the much better gas mileage. When comfort is the order of the day, I'll drive our A4. However, I think I'll hang in there with the ol' 92 Civic Si for up to another year wishing and hoping that the Jazz makes to our shores in the next year.

micweb

Glad you liked the xA. If you can wait a little longer, the 06 Civics will have stronger bodies (think: severe IIHS side crash test) and side curtain air bags standard, a big step up in safety. I suspect Toyota will follow at some point; at least more xA's are coming through with side curtain bags, although the xA is on an older platform. As an older platform, it passes the NHTSA govt. side impact test even without side curtain air bags (but NHTSA doesn't score for head impacts, which are the killing part of the equation) and should be pretty safe with the side curtain bags (which will protect your head). But the NEW xA, due in spring 06 as an 07 model (if rumors hold true) MAY have a stronger structure to pass the IIHS side test. Fun, huh?

BUT no matter how you slice and dice it, the '92 Civic is in another galaxy at this point - an unsafe galaxy - for front, offset, and side impacts, so it is probably a nifty idea to upgrade at some point rather than holding on to an otherwise serviceable vehicle. The last decade has seen VAST improvements in safety...

Happy hunting, let us know what you end up with!

204meca

Micweb, now you sound like my mother! Actually I am sure you are correct.. Anything pre-2000 compared to the 2003-2006 crowd probably qualifies for Ralph Nader's famous quote "unsafe at any speed" -- at least in a relabive sense. Still I know personally know people who walked away from major crashes with large vehicles in a 87 Ply Colt, 89 Ford Festiva... Interesting how our concern for personal safety seems to have racheted up these days. I guess most people don't feel particularily comfortable in meeting their Maker!

So far I have survived, but won't mind having a safer box when I buy again!

iluvmysephia1

are you missing your little xA Mini-fighter?

micweb

Yes, actually, I miss it, it had really taut handling and a build quality I can't believe. Word is out on the detailed changes for '06 which sound nice, but no word on the major revamp Toyota talked about earlier this year. I'd like to see it slot in larger than it is now, but smaller than the Matrix, which seems gargantuan in comparison.

Any word from our carrier-route driver? He must be mid-teens on his xA by now.

iluvmysephia1

the route-driver. The xA would fit his bill very nicely. I'm still considering an xA, or a Kia Spectra5, or a Kia Sportage 2WD FWD 5-speed. 5-speed stick in each and every rig I get from here on out, actually. I'll definitely post in here what I eventually decide to do.

I followed a great tip on windshield wiper squirter operation. Mine were plugged and not squirting bug juice correctly onto my windshield, so I went online to try and get some answers. Turns out a simple pin needle cleans them out fairly well. They can get wax build-up that plugs them up. At least it opened up one of mine well and I can squirt bug juice happily onto my windshield again! Whoo-hoo!

not2savvy

My ex-wife is seriously into buying an xA. She was told she has an option to upgrade to 17 inch wheels from 15 inch wneels? Do you, or anyone out there, have comments on "upgrading" to 17 inch wheels? Particularly interested in safety, handling, comfort. thanks for your comments in advance.

micweb

It's not in any way, shape or form an "upgrade." It's purely stylistics. You won't have enough rubber to really protect the rims. I had the stock 15" wheels on my former xA and the car handled better than almost any other cars I had owned before (cars like the Neon and Focus ZX3). Look at the pricing on 17" inch wheels and tires. This is only an upgrade to the dealer's profit.

Keep in mind that ultra low profile tires on a car designed for them, like a BMW 3 series, are not the same as such tires on a subcompact commuter car. This is a Scion xA, not a Ford Focus SVT, or a Cobalt SS, or a Neon SRT; the suspension on the xA is not set up to take advantage of racing tires/wheels, and the downside - easy rim damage - isn't worth it.

Some newspapers (NY Times) and auto press has also reported on the dangers of heavier rims (larger rims) on cars - the suspension may break, breaking is not as effective.

If you really want to upgrade, buy the car with stock tires and wheels then order a set of 16" rims with tires from Tirerack.com - you'll get much better pricing, a better choice of tires, better balancing (Hunter Road Force), and can choose from true lightweight rims like Kosei; weights on rims can vary from 13 pounds for ultralight to 20 pounds, which is heavier than stock steel wheels.

Scion.com only offers 15" alloy wheels, I believe. Go there and try "build your scion" then click on "wheels" at the top. What the dealer is offering you is pure aftermarket.

iluvmysephia1

an xA's wheel size, micweb. Spoken from one who has owned and enjoyed their xA already. I was not comfortable with the idea of "upgrading" to 17" wheels on a small car with a short wheelbase like the xA. Also you would be asking for poor handling, rim damage and also very probable miscalculations from your xA's odometer because of the wheel size to wheelbase and FWD dynamics going on. Some simple physics state that the move is not a smart one for the xA.

I can't wait for the RS 3.0 to come out! Still driving and enjoying my '01 Sportage 4x4 and watching the xA world go around in the meantime.

iluvmysephia1

1.0



or 2.0



Now that is taking the jelly bean or the egg and styling it up! Which one would you choose?

The angle of the 2.0 picture makes the car look bigger than the 1.0, sorta, eh?

muffin_man

the red paint on the 1.0 really made the car stand out - it was a very nice color. The blue 2.0 looks like just another blue car - very ordinary. (and I like blue)

nippononly

it shows how much snap (a lot) alloys give this car. It is too bad they can't figure out a way to make alloys standard, maybe bump up the price a couple of hundred $$.

qbrozen

Are you just looking for opinion on color?

I see VERY little difference in these 2 pics aside from color, wheels, foglights, and a slightly larger grille on the blue one.

By the way, i prefer the red.

iluvmysephia1

you like the best, the RS 1.0 in Absolutely Red, or the RS 2.0 in Blue Streak Mica. I like them both, though the red gets the slight nod because it just looks so...hot! They picked a great shade of red for the 1.0 IMO.

Yeah, the alloys would be a must for me if I pulled the trigger on an xA. I would want to see the RS 2.0 in person to get the true affect of that blue color in the daylight. Both rigs have great wheels, I like them both. The RS 2.0 does have a metallic paint finish and I love metallic paint jobs. The interior special lights both rigs have are not a big deal to me, but I do love the foglights against the blue paint, the crystal against solid look that is very cool.

I remain very interested in either one of these Scion's.

doohickie

The color of my next car is going to be A.B.R. (anything but red)! My Ford Aspire is red, and after ten years I want something different.

As for the discussion about 17 inch wheels a few posts back: I test drove a Scion xA with the lowered springs and 17 inch wheels and it totally put me off the xA. The ride was so harsh, it was like the Princess and the Pea; you could feel every imperfection in the road. Yesterday I noticed they had a different xA out there- one with stock wheels. It was still a little harsher than the other cars I drove, but was in the pack with them... and had a nice sporty feel. For a tall car, it cornered nice; much better than, say, the Aveo, which leans quite a bit.

I had pretty much dismissed the xA as a reasonable option with the 17's, but after driving it with the stock 15's, it moved back up on my list; it's neck-and-neck between the xA and the Suzuki Reno. I like the Reno a lot based on driving impression, but it's a Suzuki made by Daewoo and gets almost 10 mpg less than the xA (which tranlates to almost $30/month in gas). And the two cars are virtually the same price, at least online. From what I hear, Scion dealers don't haggle, but the Suzuki dealer may come down, especially after the 06s arrive. If I can talk them down enough, it will be the Reno, I think; otherwise, the xA is a decent alternative. I just wish it was a little bigger.

tundradude

Its going to be interesting if Toyota releases a Echo HB (or whatever they name it)to compete with the xA, because the Echo will be slighlty bigger

doohickie

The salesman said the Toyota Echo is done and they're not getting any more. Ever. (Don't know about a replacement.)

muffin_man

rossm2

Wrong! The new Echo hatch is 150.6" long, still a bit shorter than the xA. It will also be lighter (heaviest version is 2,385 lbs.). I have posted most of the specs on the "2006 Echo" Forum if you are interested. The figures are for the Canadian Echo, but are almost identical to the JDM Vitz.

tundradude

I was in Montreal about two weeks ago, and I saw Echo HB's running around everywhere. Thats interesting that it is shorter then the xA or xB. I thought it was a much nicer alternative to the Echo Sedan. But being 14 inches shorter is a big difference. Thats even smaller than a MR2. I know having one of these in Montreal would be much nicer than my Tundra I had to park there. That was an experience.

chrisducati

I asked the same thing as was told that the Echo was removed for the US line up because of lack of sales. So, Toyota should have had the hatchback here the whole time. I hope the Yaris comes to the States.

nippononly

Echo arrives next summer in the United States - not sure what Canada is getting. If it follows the general rule of car model updates, it will be bigger, and might outsize the xA at that point. Of course, who knows what the future holds for the xA. And I figure they might not call the next model "Echo" in the U.S. due to its loud and unceremonious crash in the marketplace when it was here before.

They will bring the hatch here next time, I bet. By then a direct competitor will have emerged - the Fit. Not to mention the micro-Nissan that is coming within two years.

rossm2

Check my posting on the 2006 Echo thread for the information on the Canadian Hatchback. It is smaller than the current xA, but larger than the current HB. In Canada it will continue to be the "Echo" as it is one of the top 10 selling cars - I have the latest spec sheet for the 2006.

Ross

nippononly

the car I am referring to will debut next summer as a 2007 model.

iluvmysephia1

for looks at the small car Toyota future, though. Yaris or Echo or xA or whatever the Echo-replacement will be called in the U.S. in 2006, you'll find pictures in that thread that will resemble what you're gonna see here next year. I've added the 2006 Toyota Echo to my Edmund's searches now and have benefited from them.

iluvmysephia1

here's the Vitz for 2006.



Will we get a design like this in 2006 to replace the Toyota Echo? The 2006 Scion xA is already out and it is not this design. Scion and the xA is another monster altogether than the small car Toyota plans for the U.S. to replace the Echo.

sophocles

From The Car Connection---

Daily Edition: Jul. 26, 2005

Nissan Plotting Scion Fighters

Nissan's plans to challenge the success of the Scion brand will take the shape of a new sedan and a new hatchback, according to a report in Automotive News. The industry weekly says that a new sedan will slot in beneath the existing Sentra compact sometime in 2007; the Sentra itself will be replaced in the summer of 2006. The new entry-level sedan will be joined by a three-door hatchback; both are expected to be built at the Nissan plant inMexico, though Nissan did not confirm that in the report. Nissan hopes to take some sales away from Toyota's Scion brand, which is on track to sell about 160,000 xB, xA and tC models this year.

Spy Shots: '07 Nissan Teana by KGP Photography (7/25/2005)
Is it a mule or an Avalon fighter?


Flint: Character Counts More than Cheap

Americans don't like small cars or cheap cars. That's a generalization - but it's generally true. So if a car company wants to sell Americans a cheap car, and cheap cars generally are small, they should sell it as something else. Even cheap cars can sizzle. So sell the sizzle.

The most recent examples are the Toyota Scion cars. There really are cheap, and by that I mean low-priced. People actually pay $15,000 and $16,000 for an xA (the hatchback) or an xB (the box). But they aren't sold as cheap cars and people don't think of them that way. They sold 74,862 Scions in six months, on the way to 150,000 this year. It won't be long before they pass 200,000 a year. And I thought the Scion would flop when it came out. How wrong I was.

Now look at another cheap car, the Chevy Aveo, made by Daewoo in Korea and sold by Chevy dealers. They sold 35,245 in six months, on the way to 70,000.

Here's the difference: Toyota sells them as youth cars, but the buyers aren't particularly young. But that Chevy Aveo is just a cheap car.

Flint: Character Counts More Than Cheap by Jerry Flint (7/25/2005)
The key to getting people into them is making them special.

muffin_man

Why do they compare the combined sales of the xA and xB to the Aveo? I think the actual breakdown would probably show the xB as #1, the Aveo as #2, and the xA as #3 - which would make the article completely pointless.

chrisducati

I am assuming that the number includes tc's also. It makes the brand sound as if it is doing better than others. As to the Aveo, I like the look but can't get past the gray interior. To me the front seat room actually seemed larger than the xA but I will trade some room for details. I also have some suspicions to the quality of the Holden engine in the Aveo. I have had good luck and bad with Toyota. For the most part you hear good. At this point the xA has my vote.

linfar

I am in the US and want to buy a 2005 echo in the next month or so. Is there anyone willing to provide dealer info and also best on-line used car lists.

Also any and all information/assistance in this effort would be incredibly appreciated

Lin Farley

nippononly

new Echo on a dealer lot in well over a year. Were any new ones sold this year?

the xA makes a very nice substitute for the Echo...

iluvmysephia1

seem like a Yugo. The xA is a really nice car, with distinct looks to it that looks absolutely awesome in Release Series form. Those cars are great looking, plus you would be getting great resale value and legendary Toyota build quality.

I am still watching Scion but am sorta interested in what Toyota brings to the table next year for the Echo, or Yaris, or Vitz, or whatever they decide. In Canada the Echo is a winner and great seller. I love my Sportage 4x4 so much that it's gonna be hard to not go for a new world order Sportage when the time comes. I love that new Sportage design and am becoming more enamored with it with each passing month as we head into the second half of 2005.

Sylvia

let's stick to that. If you are interested in an Echo, please search/browse for discussions related to that vehicle and post there.

doohickie

As to the Aveo, I like the look but can't get past the gray interior.

As opposed to the dark gray/black interior in the xA that absorbs boatloads of heat on a car with not nearly enough engine power to have a healthy level of a/c cooling?

To me the front seat room actually seemed larger than the xA but I will trade some room for details.

Front seat room seemed bigger in the Aveo than the xA to me as well. I think it is more about the sloping A-pillar near my head as much as any measurable dimensions, though. The back seat on the Aveo is much smaller than in the xA, though. In my case, I may need to stick my son back there from time to time, and he's already 6-2. He wouldn't fit in the Aveo.

chrisducati

Yep, I would much rather have the dark interior of the xA. When a car sets in the sun here in St.Louis the insides are going to be hot no matter what. The interior thermometer in my car always says like 145 after setting in the parking lot all day. So even if a light color gets me 20 degrees of temp relief it still is going to be HOT. I dislike tupperware gray. I have that in our Hyundai and I will not get that color again. If the dash were two tone dark on top light on bottom maybe I would like the Aveo's as much as the xA. As for hp, I have have no need for high hp engines. I get by just fine on 75-130 hp as long as the car is a stick shift.. A car with 130 hp is great if you live on a two lane rural highway and have to pass people. I do not live anywhere near those conditions. I am either in heavy stop and go or moving at 50-65 on the expressway in heavy traffic. I rarely get to blast the gas. I have learned to live with out it.
The back seat of the Aveo seems higher up to me. The leg room was skimpy but the head room was where I fault it. Stadium seating? The xA is just nicer in the back. Still not like the xB but for a short car it is fine. How about putting xA styling on the xB chassis..

doohickie

The back seat of the Aveo seems higher up to me. The leg room was skimpy but the head room was where I fault it. Stadium seating?

Exactly my impression.

The xA is just nicer in the back. Still not like the xB but for a short car it is fine. How about putting xA styling on the xB chassis..

Actually, xA & xB *are* on the same chassis; the same one as the Echo. The xA slopes in, though, while the xB goes straight up. But I know what you mean: If the xA had some of the interior room of the xB it would be much better.

I would actually like the xB styling if the front bumper didn't stick out so far in front of the grill. If they extended the grill so it was within, say, and inch of the bumper, it would look much better I think.

cindery

The 2006 xA information has posted on the Scion website, Yahoo Autos and this site (Edmunds).

The iPod connection option is just another reason why Scion sells so well, without 'employee pricing' and gimics - imagine if you declared you would sell 80,000 $13k cars with 103hp just a few years ago...

micweb

The Scion sells well because it is priced close to selling price - actually there are no discounts available. This worked for Saturn until people figured out you could by the equivalent vehicle from Chevy with a big discount. The Scion isn't really inexpensive, it's just that other brands, such as the Honda Civic, are priced high to allow discounting and overallowing on trades. Plus, theScions are smaller with smaller engines than are usual now.

Let's see what happens if other small cars are MSRP'd closer to selling price.

And oh yeah, the Scions are pretty neat, too, that seems to help!

chablis3

I purchased a Scion XA on August 8 and experienced an immediate intermittent problem. While the car drives great and is a blast to scoot around town in, the shifter sticks and the car will not go into gear. After three attempts to have this fixed I now carry a screwdriver with me at all times so I can engage the release button next to the shifter. This experience is akin to driving a car you would find in the cracker jax popcorn box and a huge inconvenience. Has anyone else had this problem? Scion/Toyota are now deciding what their next steps will be to resolve this situation since there are not many 2006 Scions on the road as yet.

raychuang00

...Toyota just today released in Japan the new Ractis tall wagon:



This vehicle really makes me wonder could this become the second-generation Scion xA, given that it can use the same xA drivetrain.

iluvmysephia1

of the 2006 Scion xA and the 2007 Toyota Echo/Yaris/Vitz combination, so, why not?

Toyota's been mysterious enough disclosing or not disclosing their plans for the U.S. market 2007 Echo/Yaris/Vitz, so why not throw a bit more drama into the mix. No, it's really a wait-and-see for new small cars from Toyota. The picture above has that taillght and rear end getup that looks a tad like their new Yaris. The front end grille of the Ractis tall wagon above looks sorta like the new crop of small Mazda's, like the Mazda3, for instance, in the grille area.

It's funny, because the Ractis tall wagon's look is growing on me. The Scion xA's look also grew on me, to the point I was gonna go snag one of my own. I also like the new Echo/Vitz/Yaris design, and want to compare it to what's coming down the road in the future for the Scion xA.

raychuang00

I have this feeling right now that the Ractis is Scion's xA successor. It's certainly aimed at a more affluent buyer than the upcoming Yaris, and unlike the current xA this new model looks it it could attract a large number of buyers, especially those what want a Scion but don't want the breadbox-shaped xB model. Also, Toyota needs a model to blunt the potential impact of the arrival of the Honda Fit in March 2006.

I wouldn't be surprised Toyota shows this car in Federalized form badged as a Scion as early as the Detroit Auto Show in Janaury 2006.

iluvmysephia1

will have a lot of American eyes on them waiting for these Auto Shows to go on and reveal what they're gonna sell here. I agree, I think the Ractis tall wagon may indeed become the new Scion xA for import to America.

raychuang00

...One of the main selling points of the Toyota Ractis is the fact the car has a low floor, which means a low center of gravity, ease of entering/exiting the car and ease of loading/unloading cargo. That could make the potential Scion version a very popular car among the aging Baby Boomer crowd, to say the least.

(By the way, much to Toyota's surprise the Scion xA and xB have sold quite well to older drivers.)

iluvmysephia1

models interesting. The xB is too weird for me, I'd rather leave it than take it, any day.

The tC is very nice and the xA is cool, especially in Release Series form. That xA RS 1.0 in Absolutely Red still looks so much cooler than stock xA's to me, those wheels are nice, the different sport grille looks good, etc.

I think that boomers like Scion products because they appeal to their sense of value. They offer a lot of automobile feature for the money and they are Toyota products. Nuff said about that, eh?

About the Ractis, a low floor for ease of entry and exit and loading is fine, if the driver sits up high enough in their seat. Since it's the Ractis "tall wagon" I'm gonna figure that that will be the case. Keep on looking for new world order Scion xA future looks in the meantime...the Ractis fully loaded with a 5-speed tranny, air conditioning, a great stereo, power W/D/M's and side airbags or traction control as added safety comfort selling for around $13,999 would grab my instant attention.