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Scion xB - Hip to be square

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Comments

  • stevengordonstevengordon Member Posts: 130
    A couple recreation questions...

    Can a mtn. bike or two fit inside with the rear seats down or removed and once there, can they be secured (with bungee cords, I suppose)?

    Can you use it as a makeshift tent to sleep in when you and your kid move into the xB from the tent during the Boy Scout campout and heavy thunderstorm?

    Anybody using the xB like a Honda Element?
  • trex212426trex212426 Member Posts: 2
    I live in New York a.k.a the pot hole capitol of the world! As I was driving I felt some of the bumps but its suspension is pretty impressive for the size and weight
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    Yakima Fullswing and Backswing are two models I found that offer swing-away functionality when loaded. Also Thule Trailblazer.

    I thought RhodeGear offered a pantograph drop-down model, but I just checked their web site and could not find anything.

    Yakima and Thule products seems to be pretty well price protected, so it doesn't seem to matter where you go and the price is the same. (If anyone can recommend a discount on-line site, however, please chime in.) Your best bet might be to purchase with a retailer coupon.
  • stevengordonstevengordon Member Posts: 130
    Got it! Thanks so much.

    Since we're on the xB forum, can you tell me if a regular 26" mtn. bike will fit inside the xB? I don't want to haul one down to the dealership and scratch the bumper or inside plastics.

    Thanks in advance.
  • maeinmaein Member Posts: 3
    What about an aX?
  • stevengordonstevengordon Member Posts: 130
    My Scion dealer low-balled my trade in ($4300 on a '99 Accord LX with average miles, good quality, and Honda powertrain coverage for a couple more years). After I left, I went to my Honda dealer to look at CR-Vs. $7000 for my Accord and Edmunds' TMV for an '04 CR-V LX with side airbags.

    By the time we were done, the difference between the xB and CR-V was a couple grand, and so I chose the CR-V.

    Thanks to all who answered my questions. I look forward to seeing Scion succeed and create more interesting and versatile vehicles.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Congrats, enjoy the CR-V.

    -juice
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Lowballing trades is how dealers make money. I got lowballed on my Civic trade in on my xA.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm not sure what the Scion margins are like, but if they are like Saturn's you'd expect plenty of leeway for the trades.

    -juice
  • stevengordonstevengordon Member Posts: 130
    That seems to be where the action is, for the dealer, that is.

    I was surprised by such a low offer and decided to try my local Honda dealer. I had told the Scion salesman that I'd provide my maintenance paperwork as well as showed the salesman that the vehicle was certified by Honda until the summer of 2006. Oh well...

    I thought about selling but seeing that the CR-Vs were at the end of the model year and getting good prices, I decided to go ahead and let the Honda dealer do a trade deal on my Accord.

    I'm satisfied. I like driving it. I also liked driving the xB. I'm afraid I fall into the older-than-the-target-group market for the xB. But I appreciate it when a company puts some clever touches into their products, and Scion certainly does that.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, a Honda dealer probably wants clean used Hondas to sell, it only makes sense that it would be worth more to them (and cost more to buy from them).

    All other things being equal, any how.

    -juice
  • stevengordonstevengordon Member Posts: 130
    You're right. One factor is that my dealer can re-certify it but only before the end of the year (which sounds like Honda will only certify within 5 calendar years or some mileage total).

    When shopping the Scions, I wondered why they didn't take the stretched wheelbase of the xB and put the xA on it. That might have settled the ride down a little, as well as put more "crumple zone" behind the rear seats, for safety sake.

    The best thing about the xB, in my experience, was the volume of space between the driver's seat and the front windshield. I could hardly grab the rearview mirror to adjust it, it was so far away. But you felt like you were in a giant vehicle and very safely back from the front of the vehicle.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Passenger space is basically enormous. If it were wider it would match a full-size car, never mind a mid-sizer.

    -juice
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    http://www.autoblog.com/entry/7280853642917386/

    $3500 for an aftermarket supercharger. Not a wise use of money IMO. Better off to buy a faster car.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    only 300 cc bigger, but 22 horsepower stronger. Same gas mileage! If only they could make it fit....
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    I'm sure it would cost more than $3500 to custom fit a 1zz into a xB, but it would produce MUCH less power than a supercharger.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    Well, it would be interesting. But since it wouldn't easily fit, a supercharger or a turbo still makes more sense.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A new Scion Owners Club is now available on Edmunds.com Owners Club board. Please stop by and introduce yourself in Meet the Members and let me know how I can help build your club. I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Wagons.

    Looking forward to meeting everyone!

    KarenS/Senior Host/Owners Clubs
  • wispwisp Member Posts: 6
    Hey all, new to this posting here. I currently have a volvo 850, which i love. However, I am schlepping kids all over town,and knowing that gas is just going to be going higher (and paying for plus octane), I am thinking about something more fuel efficient.

    First thought of the TDI Jetta wagon---I don't want to give up the roominess of my wagon. I am getting 24 in town with the Volvo, 35 or so on the hwy for the once a year trips. Plus safety and turbo and high hp.

    So---what would I be giving up if I traded down in price to the ScionB? My kids are blase about this--I think they think I am too old to drive one--though I bet the older one would be happy to take it in another year or so.

    I live where it snows, would most likely put snow tires on it---fwd is plenty good enough for me, which helps the mileage factor, as would a a manual transmission.

    Are you all seeing high 30's in town,and hopefully higher on the highway? (Not that this would be a highway car)....

    I don't know if my kids want to lose the leather and heated seats---I want reliability, good/great mileage w/o being a diesel or a hybrid...and something that has some room.

    What do you think? I noticed that our local Toyota dealer now is the Toyota/Scion dealer. I may have to go see them tomorrow.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You're giving up cargo space, power, and some luxury.

    You gain some reliability and low cost of operation.

    It is a pretty big change.

    -juice
  • stragerstrager Member Posts: 308
    With an automatic, I don't get more than 25 in the city and 37 on the freeway. I really doubt that the manual is more than 1-2 mpg better than the automatic.

    I say get the xB if you like it more than the Volvo, not because it's going to save you $ on gas.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    37 freeway! With an automatic! On an xB! Egads, I thought 35 on an xA with a stick was good....

    "With an automatic, I don't get more than 25 in the city and 37 on the freeway. I really doubt that the manual is more than 1-2 mpg better than the automatic.

    I say get the xB if you like it more than the Volvo, not because it's going to save you $ on gas."
  • davkendavken Member Posts: 2
    Just got my 2005 Thundercloud with 5 speed manual against my wife's request to buy an auto. I test drove both cars, and the 5 speed was the clear choice for torque and power. My dealer also installed a power moonroof that covers both front and back seats, along with aftermarket 17" chromes with low profile Falkens. I've driven alot of cars including a 67 Mustang to a 62 VW bug. The Xb beats any car I've ever owned. It is truly a fun car to drive, and whenever another Scion is spotted on the road, the drivers give each other a thumbs up like we all belonged to some kind of fraternity. The only other accesory I plan to add is cat back exhaust system. I here that the cold air induction does'nt make much difference in power. If you all want to get in a race at every stop light, don't get an Xb. Maybe a Tc is the better choice, but if you want a commuter that gets great gas mileage (32 in city w/ manual for all you guys who bought the auto) and turns alot of heads, get the Xb. By the way, Toyota markets the Xb as Bb in Japan. They are available with all wheel drive as an option. I read their website. Anyways whatever you get, drive safe. DavKen
  • john_wjohn_w Member Posts: 72
    "I'm not sure what the Scion margins are like . . . "

    According to edmunds.com, the MSRP for a base Scion xA or xB is also the TMV, and, as you can compute from the figures, runs about 5.3% more than the invoice (which is what the dealer paid for the car, unless there are dealer incentives or holdbacks--which seems unlikely with the Scions).

    However, the TMV on the optional stuff runs about 40% more than invoice. This is one reason why if I bought an xB, I'd buy a base xB with nothing extra. The car already has what I need or want, except cruise control and side air bags, which aren't available.

    --John
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    I went to a scion dealer last week, and was told that cruise control could be added, but at a whopping $575. Also was told rear seat could be removed by taking out 4 bolts, probably not that easy to change back and forth.
    Niels
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I added cruise to my '98 Forester, the only year is was not standard. IIRC it was between $200 and $300, with factory parts done at a dealer.

    $575 sounds way high.

    -juice
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,891
    what a coincidence. i also did it to our forester. got the unit from JC Whitney for, IIRC, $40. Installed it myself. Granted, it didn't look stock and it worked a bit funky, but, hey, it DID work. :)

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • john_wjohn_w Member Posts: 72
    The extras for a Scion are pricey, unlike the base price, which is a good deal. Sounds like the cruise control would be added by the dealer. As far as I know, you can’t get cruise control on a 2004 or 2005 Scion xA or xB as a factory-installed option.

    Does anyone know for a fact how easy or hard it is to remove the rear seats in either a 2004 or 2005 xB?

    Thanks,
    John
  • phil_landanphil_landan Member Posts: 8
    I have a '05 Scion xB with manual. I am 6' tall and did actually sleep in my xB a few times: the front passenger seat folds back to a slight 10 degree angle (from the horizontal) to match up with the back cargo area (with the back seats folded flat) and fit with oodles of room to spare, but please note that you will want to have a small 1" mat to put down to reduce the effective high spots in the back of the seats due to the child seat anchors.
    Also, I installed the front strut tower brace and the body lean has been greatly reduced. The traction control and stability control are very effective in heavy rain storms, but I will better know how these systems react once the winter comes to Michigan...expect a report then.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Yes, I would really like to hear about stability control on snow...I've heard it's much better than none, not quite as good as snow tires or 4 wheel drive.
  • hsandyhsandy Member Posts: 4
    Sorry to hear that you're living in your car! :) Seriously, could you give a measurement of the length of the cargo floor area with the back seats folded down? I haven't been able to find this anywhere. Thanks, HS
  • jazzplyrjazzplyr Member Posts: 1
    Greetings, xBoxx Fans!

    Does anybody out there know if you can
    get a roof rack on an xB? (Stock or not)

    Does anyone currently have a roof rack?

    Does anybody really care?

    I just drove an xB (auto) and I am
    ready to give up my lil' red ECHO,
    which I really dig.....
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    A newspaper reporter is looking for vehicle shoppers and recent buyers age 20-29 who live in either the Atlanta or Raleigh-Durham area. If you're willing to talk about your vehicle preferences and shopping experience, please send an e-mail to jfallon@edmunds.com with your age, location, and contact info by December 13, 2004. Thanks!

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    Hi.
    You can get a Yakima roof rack through Scion. It cost $200 plus. I have seen one on an xb with bicycles on top.
    Niels
  • beakerbeaker Member Posts: 5
    I am currently the owner of a small landscape company, with the seats removed from the Xb, would this be a good vehicle to put bags of dirt, small plants, flowers, a shovel, rake, etc. into?

    Would this greatly affect the power of the engine?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Look at torque, not power, when you're talking about carrying weight.

    If you throw 20 bags of top soil in there, you're talking about 1000 lbs. You're gonna need torque to pull that safely.

    I would recommend an Element but payload is actually weaker with that model, it's just the hose-out interior would come in handy.

    Vibe and Matrix also have a non-carpeted cargo area I believe.

    Or just get a sturdy liner for an xB, should do the trick.

    -juice
  • beakerbeaker Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the info, I usually don't carry more than 10 bags of dirt (approximately 500 pounds), 3-5 flats of flowers, 3-5 shrubs, shovel, rake, broom, etc. Would the Xb cargo space be sufficient or would I have a difficult time getting all of that to fit? Also, do you know of a manufacturer that makes a liner for the Xb?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's not too heavy a load, you should be fine in that case.

    Not sure about liners, I don't own an xB. :-)

    Anyone have one or seen one?

    -juice
  • iteach2iteach2 Member Posts: 1
    Davken, did you say you have gotten a sunroof installed on your xB? If so, how is it working, (leaks, etc?) and about how much did you pay? Did you get a warranty on it? That has been my hold-out on getting an xB...when I contacted Scion about this issue, they told me the car wasn't designed to handle a sunroof. I love sunroofs, so this held me back from a purchase.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    A newspaper reporter is hoping to speak with a Scion xB owner - particularly anyone who was attracted by the spare, Japanese-type styling.

    Please send your daytime contact info to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Monday, January 10, 2005.

     

    Thanks,

    Jeannine Fallon

    PR Director

    Edmunds.com
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Press release is out. Not much for $1300 extra.

    http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050110/lam039_1.html
  • stragerstrager Member Posts: 308
    So did you buy the xB?
  • mpalmermpalmer Member Posts: 20
    Strager, I was waiting for the check for my downpayment to come in and it came today. Yey! So, yeah, I'm going to buy the xb, probably in the silver color. I do like the black cherry just as much, but I'm thinking it may be a little too hard to keep clean.

     

    Micweb, thanks for all of that great info :)It makes a lot of sense.

     

    Funny thing is, I test drove the Santa fe, the tuscon and the Honda crv today, but I liked NONE of them better than the xb--even though they all had more power. So power is definitely not everything, and I agree Micweb, I really do think the xb has enough. So, I'm not going for the CAI. As an aside, the Pioneer stereo on the xb blows all of the above vehicles out of the water! I'm going with the 6-cd changer upgrade.

     

    The salesperson and his assistant manager tried to talk me into leather seats. They quoted me a whopping $1500. Thought about it briefly, but, Nah, I won't get it. The xb dosen't need it. The seats are stylish and comfy enough :)

     

    The scion sales dept. was so totally different from the Hyundai guys. Scion was pleasant, helpful and no pressure. On the other hand, the Hyundai people were ridiculous. Obnoxious, sleezy and pushy. I couldn't wait to get out of their fast enough.

     

    Anyway, can't wait for my check to clear so I can get my box!! :)
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Congratulations! I think you'll love it. Are you going to get the $50 cargo cover? It's pretty useful looking, so you don't get stuff in your trunk ripped off. I couldn't believe it was only $50 until I saw it, then I understood. :-) It's only a sheet with elastic loops to ties in across the top of the cargo area, not one of those "wind up" covers like on the xA. But, it gets the job done.
  • mpalmermpalmer Member Posts: 20
    Micweb, I'm probably going to get the cargo cover at some point. I live in a pretty safe area, so I can wait on that. Do you think I need the foglights, though? I live in Southern California.

     

    Marion
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    You said:

     

    "Micweb, I'm probably going to get the cargo cover at some point. I live in a pretty safe area, so I can wait on that. Do you think I need the foglights, though? I live in Southern California."

      

    The only time I had foglamps, they were pretty useless the only two times I ran into fog. Fog is fog. Foglamps are supposed to reflect less back into your eyes than regular headlamps, but they can't "see" into the fog any better.

     

    I think they look neat, but I wouldn't get them except on a car where if you leave them off it looks like something is missing (like the Subarus). Otherwise I'd spend my money elsewhere. But hey, if you like them, that's all that really matters (like oversize wheels!).
  • mpalmermpalmer Member Posts: 20
    Micweb,

        Your reply makes a lot of sense to me as I'm a practical kind of person. If I don't really need 'em, think I'll take your suggestion and spend the money on something else :)

     

    Marion
  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    Fog lights are nice when the eyesight gets worst.

    LOL
  • marimbaleamarimbalea Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone! I am thinking of purchasing a Scion, either xA or xB. I'd like to know what kind of gas mileage everyone has been getting on their Scions, especially if you have an automatic. This is my primary concern when choosing a car. Any insights?

     

    Thanks!
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