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Scion MPG-Real World Numbers

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Comments

  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    If the paintless dent folks can fix it you are better off. Down the road a re-painted car will be easy for most to spot and they will wonder if you were in a bad wreck or something. Properly done, the popped out dents can't be detected and the finish is still 100% factory.

    Dennis
  • nthenthe Member Posts: 414
    i haven't been to the shop, so i don't know what they will have to do. they may have to replace 1 panel though, cause there is 1 dent on the rear pillar that is right on a corner which looks to be impossible to pop out.

    but i do plan on keeping the car for a long time anyway, and since i made an insurance claim, it will go on carfax, but i'm keeping reciepts to show the next person down the line what was done and why.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    but i'm keeping receipts to show the next person down the line what was done and why

    Always a wise move - keep some "before" pictures to show that it was hail dings and not a wreck.

    When I sold my M5 the buyer quizzed me about the "accident" report on the CarFax he pulled. I had the before pictures and the body shop receipt showing a minor scrape that was not a problem (someone side-swiped me - barely). It was a non-issue for the sale since they could see how small the damage was and how inexpensive it was to repair.

    Dennis
  • nthenthe Member Posts: 414
    thank you for the advice, and i was thinking about taking pictures, but now i defintely will.
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    I just filled the tank on my 05 auto XB. MPG with a bottle of Shell V Power injector cleaner added was 34.88. Temps here in the outlying areas of Wash, DC were slightly warmer last week and I believe that it was a factor in my MPG. I add the injector cleaner about once every few months. Not bad for a Box with 81000 miles on the ODO. 70/30 mix of highway and city driving at speeds up to 80. I also did the 1st brake job on the front at 80,000 miles. I was going to replace the rear also but the tech said that there was still over half of the rear pads left so I skipped it for now.
    The Box has been a great car and I'll probably give it to my 16 yr. old in about 20K or so. I'm not a huge fan on the new body stlye so I'll probably pass on the XB for my next driver unless Scion does some major changes, The XD is not too bad style-wise, but I have not driven it yet either.
  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    I test drove the xD went it came out and I liked it. It doesn't have the room of our present vehicle, but nonetheless, it was very comfortable as long as you pack light. You could definitely tell the extra 15 HP (based off 05 xB with 108 HP) as well as the difference in torque. It was fun to drive. I thought the gauges were arranged nicely (meaning in one cluster like our cars).

    I really think that the xA and especially the first gen xB are going to be cult cars. Then you take gas prices into consideration and they will be more sought after.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I sold my 2006 Scion xA for a whoppin' good price with high miles, too. I am delighted that I got 36,000 miles of use for hardly any money out of pocket.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    Depending on where you check, my gen 1 xB has a trade in value of around $12k. I gave just under $14k for mine (auto, cruise, spoiler, mats, ipod stereo, etc) about a year and half back. I have no intention of selling or trading mine, but it is nice to know it has held value so well. I think the "classic" 1st gen will continue to do well on the used market, for sure since the 2nd gen has moved more upscale in price.

    If I could keep my foot out of the firewall I might be able to do better than 26-27mpg around town in mine :D .

    Dennis
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    You're dead on with the 12K pricing. I have seen the Gen 1 priced from $11.5 to $14999 in the classifieds within a 80 mile radius of DC. And those are 2004-2006 years. Resale has really been good with the spike in gas prices and I am thankful that I"m not paying $50 for a fill-up. I stopped for gas yesterday and a Tahoe was across from me filling up. He was over $100 and not full yet.

    The Toyota/Scion dealer near me is mostly selling TC's, XB's, Prius, Corolla's and Yaris from new inventory due to fuel economy. They have a lot full on Tacoma's, Tundra's, Highlanders, Sienna's RAV's and FJ's.

    I may wait awhile before I turn the Box over to my daughter. I was thinking of buying my co-worker's 2006 Honda Accord EXL V6 when the lease is up. There are only 17k miles on it and it gets turned in around October. She said that it gets 31 mpg on the higway which is 75% of my driving. If gas prices go any higher I won't be buying anything.
  • little3little3 Member Posts: 31
    Am considering an 08 or 09 Xb with AT. What have been your average MPG city/hwy with an 08 Xb with AT. Please no Volvo, Ford SVT, 04 Xa with manual tranny, tCs with nuclear power plants as an aftermarket modification, 98 Buick LeSabres, etc. I'm just looking for information related to REAL WORLD MPG with newer model Scion Xb. Will appreciate your info. Thanks.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,669
    I've read several articles that got 25 mpg avg on long-term xB AT test vehicles. Take a look at the Edmunds long term write-up here
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    The EPA gives you an idea what to expect, but they also now have a "Real world" reporting feature on their web page. You pick the car and transmission and they show you the EPA numbers (22 city, 28 highway, 24 combined) and also the reported numbers from actual drivers (22 low, 30 high, 26.3 average). Only 5 reports so far for the 08 xB with auto.

    EPA find and compare page

    Dennis
  • little3little3 Member Posts: 31
    Just a note to say Thanks for your replies to my post re: Real World MPG.
  • hbgti1hbgti1 Member Posts: 16
    Recently finished a 1500+ mile trip on the open roads (New Mexico to Alabama). My average for all tank fill ups was 32.45 mpg (most of it cruising 70mph). During my normal commute (30%city / 70%hwy) in Albuquerque, NM, I'm still averaging 33-34 mpg (see post #412). I believe the reason for this is that my hwy speeds seldom exceed 65mph locally. Additionally, I try to anticipate slow downs in traffic and accelerate as smoothly as possible. I've observed that the gas mileage begins decreasing after 50 mph (on long flat roads, I've observed 36+ mpg); exponentially more beyond 65 mph due to the aerodynamics of the xB. During one leg of my trip, I cruised @ 80 mph and the average for the tank was only 28 mpg.
  • hbgti1hbgti1 Member Posts: 16
    Last update... Total roundtrip of 3000+ miles on interstate (70-75mph) returned 31.25mpg. Just finished a tank used mostly on my daily work commute and still got 33mpg. All calculations done by miles traveled/gallons filled (I can use the trip computer as an estimate as it's fairly consistent about being 5% optomistic).
  • sr8474sr8474 Member Posts: 6
    I recently purchased a used '06 with 5800 miles. I got a great price from a couple who used it as a pull along behind their RV. Purchase price was $10,000. I've liked the original body style since it first debuted. The ever increasing gas prices was good motivation for making the purchase. I've slightly over-inflated the tires from factory specs to maximize fuel efficiency (35 psi all around). My first tank delivered 37 mpg driving around locally on city streets with a few quick runs on the freeways (never more than 70 mph). My second tank which was consumed entirely on the highway (averaging 75-80mph) driving from Richmond to Baltimore delivered 32 mpg. I've been very pleased with the mileage...I'll try to maintain a more reasonable speed on my next highway trip for a more accurate reading on the mpg. 32 - 38 mpg and a fill-up costing less than $40 ($4 a gallon) is great!
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    Just returned from a 900 mile roundtrip, mostly interstates at 70+ mph. We averaged 31 mpg. The engine has plenty of power and we had no problems keeping up with the crazy drivers on the NJ Turnpike.
  • jodokesjodokes Member Posts: 1
    Kinda strange on the mileage. I bought a 2006 XA Stick shift car in Sprinfield, Mo and drove it home to a surprising 39 mpg. We bought the car for famed Toyota reliability and then got this great gas mileage. I knew it would be good but not that good.

    Have since made another long trip from Missouri to Chicago and the car continues in the 35 to 39 mpg range. And the Seating and vehicle height were a pleasant surprise also.

    If this is a young persons car, as touted by Toyota, then I and my wife are going through our second childhood as we are both in our late 60's and love this little traveler!!!!!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    If you drive under 65 mph and solely on the highway, you can get 35-39 mpg in an xA; but once you get home and drive mixed city/hwy, you'll get about 33-34 mpg, and if you drive over 65 mph, your mileage will drop significantly on this car, as it is not geared for high highway speeds.
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    My MPG is just fine in my XB. I just tallied the MPG on my 2005 XB with auto. 330.3 miles and filled 9.7 gal. right up to the top of the filler neck for 34.05 mpg. Travel is 75% highway and 25% city. Highway speeds during this tank were up to 70 mph on my 70 mile daily round tripper. MPG has been very consistant with the EPA figures since my 3rd tank way back in 2005.

    I usually run the defrost in the morning for the 35 mile run and run with the windows open on the afternoon return trip. Pennzoil 5w 30 full synthetic oil and tire pressure at 34 PSI. Current OD reading at 86,000 miles.
  • hbgti1hbgti1 Member Posts: 16
    With 9000 miles on the odo, my last two fill ups yielded my best mpg yet: 35.25mpg and 36.55mpg. My last fill up was 10.612 gal to 387.9 miles; the gas light hadn't come on yet, as my gas gauge was slightly below 1/8 tank. My tires are set to factory recommended 35fr/32rr, AC used 50% of the time, daily commute 42 miles roundtrip. My average speed on the last tank was 33mph. I plan on using synthetic oil in the fall. Without AC use and synthetic, I'm hoping to get close to 40mpg on a fill one day. This type of mileage has surprised me considering the size engine/weight of the car.
  • no_clutterno_clutter Member Posts: 8
    I have around 33K miles. With automatic transmission, driving ~50 miles daily with 2 adults, 2 children (both with heavy child car seats), and 2 30-40 pound bags, and sometimes a fully furnished golf bag. With 2 children in the car, the A/C is on contantly. I normally avoid interstate highway, as I have realized that my MPG suffers in the highway. Still riding on the OEM goodyear tires, often shift into neutral to time my speed to the next green light. I have been getting low 30's for the first 20K miles or so, but the MPG has been increasing since then. Now at 33K, I am getting 34-35 mpg consistently. My wife drives the car on some weekends. Then the MPG suffers. :) funny, but no kidding.

    I wish it was a manual, but my wife can't drive one. I have a Honda Element with manual transmission. The best I got from that vehicle is 34.5, the worse was 23, with reliable estimate of median MPG at about 26. Element, too, showed better MPG as it aged. It has just over 79K now.

    Both vehicles are amazngly reliable, low maintenance (neither had any maintenance expenses other than 5000-10000 mile oil change and a new set of BFG tires on the Honda), and retains their resales values. Paid just below 20K in 2003 and still fetches about 10-12K. The xb was just over 16K (including taxes, etc) in 2006 and still fetches about 13K. Local classified lists both vehicles at much higher prices. I am very please with these vehicles. These are unfathomable figures for any of the Detroit 3 vehicles.
  • cherishzmcherishzm Member Posts: 13
    I have 05 tC with 47k miles on it. I was trying to see how much difference is made when driving style is changed and the result was amazing.

    I never got more than 23~24 miles per gallon on city/suburban driving for the past three years. With the recent hikes in gas prices, I tried to maintain RPM's below 2500 except when necessary and not to exceed 65MPH on highways (when I had to take highways) and I was able to get 30 miles per gallon for the last two fill-ups. I did not think the difference would be this huge and was amazed with the result.

    Please try to do the same thing as I did and I believe you'll see the similiar result. 20% increase in MPG will make a big difference at the pump when you consider $4 gallon gas price these days.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    20% increase in MPG will make a big difference at the pump

    Too bad it will also result it a 100% decrease in your driving fun :D .

    Dennis
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    >"Please try to do the same thing as I did and I believe you'll see the similar result. 20% increase in MPG will make a big difference at the pump when you consider $4 gallon gas price these days. "

    Good Post!

    Another way to look at it, is that you are now paying $4.00 per gallon to go a given distance. Where before you were effectively paying 20% more, or $4.80 per gallon to go the same distance.

    Nothing says you can't "Red Line" it occasionally, for the "Fun" factor. Then have a second fun factor of beating the EPA sticker. ;)

    Kip
  • sci4funsci4fun Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed that with ethenol added to the gas that I use to buy, I was getting 29 mpg in my Xa automatic. Gas without ethenol gives me 32 miles per gallon, and that is with the air conditioner on all day. When gas prices were 3.00 a gallon and getting 30 mpg...did you know that is a cost of .10 per mile. I dont know what I would do with a car that got 15 mpg. It's also fun leaving vehicles 3 times bigger then mine in my mirror leaving stop lights. Zipping around the city does not mean giving up gas mileage.
  • dave594dave594 Member Posts: 218
    I've begun driving my 2009 xB with manual tranny on a 120 mile daily commute. 75% highway driving average speed 65 mph on the freeways, with some occasional stop and go (this is Washington DC area after all). I've been consistently getting 30-32 mpg, and this is with the AC on. It's not as good as my Corolla (which got nearly 40 mpg), but decent for a car this size.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Probably the aerodynamics are dragging down your MPG numbers. I have noticed on the xA and xBs that as soon as you go above 65 mph, the MPG starts to drop noticeably.
  • therealhboggstherealhboggs Member Posts: 2
    I found out long ago (I have 94K on my 2006 xA) that if you increase the air pressure your MPG will go up significantly. I am running 38 all around. I have my tires rotated and balance every 5k and I have 40K on the tires with no abnormal wear. Yes, the ride is more "bumpy", but you'll smile more at the pump!!
  • mcmaxmcmax Member Posts: 14
    New '09 xD automatic. First tank was 29 mixed driving. Several tanks later...latest mpg was 31+ with AC and 75+ highway speeds + city miles.
  • joseph07joseph07 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, I also have a 2006 xA with 36K mi. I bought it recently and I believe the dealer change the oil and filters. Yet I am not getting more than 240mi per tank/10.28 gal. I drove to East Stroudsburg from NYC and after 240 I needed to put more gas. Do you think this is normal? I expected at least 340 for this small car. My ex has a 6cyl 2005 Subaru Legacy and with 12 gal I've driven 400 miles. That is ~330 for 10gal, in a 6cyl car. What do you suggest? Should I check if the oil filter needs to be emptied out a little bit? Thank you for your help in advance.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well first off please excuse me but I find it really hard to believe that a 3.0 Subaru can achieve 33+ mpg, because that is 75% higher than it is rated to get. (EPA rating is 20 mpg) It's not my intention to be critical or to question your math skills, only to introduce the following suggestion:

    You really have to calculate mpg based on a number of fills-ups, not just one trip. Doing it for just one trip can be wildly inaccurate, because of variation in fill up technique, blends of gas, how the car sits, how fast you are driving that day, etc.

    Also, you may recall that many people here have mentioned that once little Scion engine gets over 65 mph, the gas mileage drops like a rock.

    So I'd say calculate at least 5-6 fillups and let us know how it's going.
  • joseph07joseph07 Member Posts: 3
    I have read your comment and thank you. Just to clarify, I drove in my ex's car to at least 4 different places this year and believe or not I calculated the amount of miles I got on each trip. From The Bronx to Washington, or to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Toronto I could calculate at least 340 gal each time I filled up the tank. Now, the reason I made this comparison is because I believed my Scion would let me go to East Stroudsburg (~110mi) and come back with only one tank. Well it didn't and I had to fill it up when I reached Fort Lee, NJ. I just put 10.5 gal after having put 10.28 last November 11. That is just one week for 225 mi driving from my house to Manhattan and a couple of times to Yonkers.

    I understand how MPG works, but you don't have to be a savvy to understand that by zeroing your odometer seeing that is has measured 225 mi when is time to put gas again this means your tank only gave you that amount for the 10.2 gallons you put the last time and in just 8 days. But I will make sure I do a couple of fueling to be able to provide you with more accurate information.

    One more thing, is it possible that when the filters were changed they were set to be filled up with a ratio higher than what's recommended?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I have no idea why the Subaru should exceed EPA estimates by nearly 100%. I guess driving it a certain way could do that---I dunno what to say. Subarus are notorious gas hogs for their engine size, as a rule--especially the 3.0. So what I'm saying is that don't judge your Scion by this rather miraculous result. It's some kind of anomaly.

    Regarding the Scion--one thing to keep in mind is that these little cars are geared (in the transaxle gearing) for acceleration, not for top speed. They are, in other words, not a "long-legged" car. This is why the 65mph + penalty kicks in.
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    I have an 05 XB with automatic. Is your XA auto or manual? The stick shift has a higher 5th gear RPM than the auto so it gets less mpg.

    Are the tires the stock 15" or are they upgraded to 16. 17, or 18"? Tire pressure at 35psi? Oversize rims and tires rob the Scion of mpg. I also get less MPG with the tire pressure set at the door sticker of 29psi. Oversize tires will make you lose mpg substantially as well as some oversize aftermarket exhausts. Some posters have complained that CAIs have robbed them of 8-10 mpg.
    My mpg drops from 32 to 28 when the stock 15" tires are rotated at the tire shop and they set the pressure back to 29psi.

    Have the plugs been changed with platinum tipped plugs as specified by Scion? I change the air filter every 10k miles and the oil is 5w-30 full synthetic.
    I have 101,000 on mine and it still gets 32-33 mpg and average about 330 miles per tank. I run it regularly from DC to NJ and back at speeds up to 80.

    I hope some of this helped.
  • joseph07joseph07 Member Posts: 3
    My 06 xA is automatic and came with 15" tires. Last time I tested for tire pressure was about two weeks ago and made sure these were at about 32psi each. Perhaps this have something to do with it.

    Regarding the plugs, I have no idea whether these are platinum or any other material. I just know that when I bought it last month I expected the auto dealer to perform a 26 points inspection (whatever this means) and assumed they would change oil and plugs or anything that is considered essential for good performance after some months being parked.

    It currently has 37150 and as I said before, not in this opportunity, for instance, I put $30.02/10.5 gal on November 19 and combined it with a fuel system cleaner I got from AutoZone. That day I got 50 miles for 1 gal according to the gas meter, but the day after began to decrease progressively. As for today, it shows 198 mi for about 7.5 out of 10 gal consumed.

    Another thing I've noticed is that the gas meter fluctuates a lot, even when I turn the car on the same day. The other day saw it marked 5 gal (I assume each line represents one gal since it hast 10 in total) during the night, and when I turned on the next morning it had dropped to 4.5 gal or less.

    To make it easier, I already know the car has some kind of filtration, although the guys from Toyota service told me there is no gas leaking. It might be the tank cap or something like that, but I am thinking of taking it to another shop for another check up.

    Thank you for your comment.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Subaru did not sell Legacy with 6 cylinder engine for 2005 model year.
    Outback was sold with a 6 cylinder. It will NOT achieve 33 mpg.
    Nope, not credible.

    For the xA, I suggest logging the fuel in gallons pumped and miles at each fill up for the next 5 fill ups, then determining the average mileage.
  • big_guybig_guy Member Posts: 372
    I've got an '05 xB and have averaged 32 mpg for the entire time I have owned it (purchase is back in '06). Very pleased with the mpg. It does suffer a mileage penalty with higher speeds. I try to keep highway speeds to 65 mpg as much as possible, lower if I can get away with it. I took a trip where I kept the speeds between 55 and 60 and got about 38 mpg on the highway.

    The xA should get better mpg than the xB. There is an online mileage tracking site that I have been using and there is an xA owner from Dubois Wyoming that is averaging close to 40 mpg in his car.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd be leery of any anecdotal evidence claiming a 40 mpg "average"----yes, you might get it now and then, but you'd have to be a pretty careful, perhaps fanatic, driver to get 40 mpg average in "normal" driving on an xA.

    It is my understanding that the automatic cars are geared better for economy--so I'd say, ironically, that automatic xAs have a better shot at good MPG than the 5-speeds.
  • big_guybig_guy Member Posts: 372
    Anecdotal? This is the vehicle in question '04 xA Economy

    This is the data from my xB '05 xB Economy
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    very nice records, well done, but still anecdotal because we haven't tested your car's odometer for accuracy, nor measured the amount of fuel prior to putting it in the tank, nor driving conditions or techniques etc. Anecdotal doesn't imply a criticism, it just means "not subjected to rigorous scientific testing".

    Also, you can't claim to be an impartial tester, even if you ARE impartial.

    Nonetheless, impressive #s for an xA
  • drxbdrxb Member Posts: 1
    With over 120,000 miles on my Scion Xb I can tell you that I typically get up to 36mpg combined in the summer with the A/C on full blast. This includes mostly suburban and high speed Interstate at 80mph. I was carrying heavy loads of several hundred pounds to boot. This little bugger with a manual transmission has been the greatest blessing to me. I am looking for another of the same specs but there are at most 9 available for sale in the entire country. If you get a chance to pick up one do it because it is money in the bank
  • anna_vanna_v Member Posts: 1
    I recently (like a little over a month ago) I was fortunate enough to be able to afford a new Scion xD. I adore my little car, but within the last two weeks, my gas mileage has gone from ~36 miles/gallon average to barely 33 mpg average(which is the EPA rating) on the highway. Also, the transmission seems to be a bit sticky, not shifting as freely and quickly as when it was a week or two old. I have put ~2100 miles on it so far.

    I tried experimenting with different grades of gas and found that I got 30 miles more with grade 89 than 91. Also, since I put in the grade 91, my car didn't seem quite as peppy/zippy. Also - the transmission "stickiness" i noticed started right about that time I put in the 91. Since then, I have put nothing but 89 into my car. (Yes, I am faithful with my oil changes and checking my tire pressure). I have yet to check if anything major has somehow found it's way into the air filter.

    What the heck is going on? I really don't want to have to go to the dealer completely angry that things are going wrong already. Please help... or explain.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Your car doesn't require 91 does it? If not, don't use it--it's a waste of money. As for mpg, that could depend a lot on what speeds you're traveling on the highway. The difference say, between 65 and 75 on a "boxy" car like yours could be considerable.
  • lostwrench1lostwrench1 Member Posts: 1,165
    Also, if you are driving the brick on wheels with the wind or into it.
  • terisatherterisather Member Posts: 1
    I have to agree with you, ours does very well on the trip from California to Arizona, even with the AC at 80 mph. I will try to buy another one someday.
  • drjjjjdrjjjj Member Posts: 25
    edited July 2013
    In the interest of continuous improvement, many if not most? of the Toyota dealers need to make the mental adjustment that they're putting in a little too much oil at oil change time! I bought a 12 camry 2.5 and twice they've put it what appears to be the max crankcase capacity, 4.7 quarts I believe. Problem is, the next morning on a flat surface, cold the dip stick shows about and extra 0.33 quarts of oil over the full mark. It's probably because they're pressured to do more work in less time, etc! You say I'm being a picky Engineer, well see forums, reads what extra oil does-foams and then doesn't lubricate properly, etc!

    Suggest Toyota Corp send memo to back off 1/4 quart at oil change which may improve engine problems stats in the long run, etc! Yes, I know you'll probably get complaints they didn't top it off-so what, it's better for the car/customer!

    Well done on the 2012 model-compact car mpg, quiet, refined engine/drive train, etc!
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