Scion xB - Hip to be square

cgreene

It's interesting reading posts concerned with xB pick-up and highway merging/passing speed. I've had my xB for 7 months and have found that speed off the line at red lights is more than adequate and that in highway driving merging and passing has been no problem. I should add that I drive a manual not an automatic.

Unrelatedly this cars looks really good when it's clean but it doesn't wear dirt well I've noticed.

crazedcommuter

My last fill up got me 34 miles/gal. I stopped for refuel with 341.3 miles on the odometer and it took 10.1 gal. and that was topping it off. The reserve does seem to be about 1.5-2 gallons. My wife drove to Pittsburgh this weekend so I'll check the mileage when she gets back. At the rate she's driving the Xb, I'll have to get her one too.

newkid

My xB just past 1000 mile last night. I have noticed that the rpm dropped rapidly compare with first few hundred miles. Right now, it is ~3000 rpm between 65 to 70 mph. Overall, I am very satisfied with my new "Toy" (this is my son calls it). The price I paid was a little over 16k (everything included) with upgraded 6CD stereo in the central Jersey.
One thing I would like to ask is the car seems generate a small humming sound under the dash when I speed up. The sound only exist between 35 to 50 mph. Past 50, then everything back to normal. Does anyone has similar condition? (Mine is auto trans.)

aatherton

What do you mean by "rpm dropped rapidly compared with the first few hundred miles"? Does this mean the transmission produced 3500 rpm at 65 mpn and later produced 3000 rpm at the same speed? I wonder what would cause that.
Previous posts either here or on Scion World have noted a buzz under the dash. I think the dealers have a fix for it.

newkid

My record shows in the first 500 miles or so, the RPM was about 3300 for 60MPH. And, after I passed 900 miles, the RPM dropped to about 3000. Right now, at about 1200 miles, the RPM only reach 2800~2900 at 60MPH. May be this is so called break-in?

geekay

There is a buzz from the front area that I have experienced and yes the RPM even in my 5 speed is lower at 60 mph now that I have done about 1500 miles. But you did get a nice deal on the overall price.

tpat3

One bike will fit easily by turning the front wheel so it is perpendicular to the floor. I just turn the handle bars so the front wheel will slide behind the front seats. I have fit three in it before (two mountain bikes and one cruiser) but had to remove the front wheels.

aatherton

<<... in the first 500 miles or so, the RPM was about 3300 for 60MPH. And, after I passed 900 miles, the RPM dropped to about 3000. Right now, at about 1200 miles, the RPM only reach 2800~2900 at 60MPH. May be this is so called break-in?>>

It is a change in the gear ratio , a tightening of the rpms in vs out, a reduction of the slippage within the fluid coupling of the automatic transmission. If this is breaking-in, it seems like a new twist. At least the change is in a desirable direction.

tundradude

Its amazing how many xb's have been sold since I got one around here.

crazedcommuter

It's sad but true. A Solar Yellow Xb pulled up to me at a stop light in my city yesterday. This morning a TCM and a BSP Xb flashed lights at me. They're getting quite popular. This afternoon my 75 yr. old neighbor came over to explore my Xb. He owns at least 9 vehicles that I know of, MB, Saab, Volvo, Toyota, GMC, Dodge, etc. Now he says he might have to "check out" the Box. My wife takes the Xb on every errand and has just departed for a 2nd weekend trip to Pittsburgh. At least I have her tracking the mileage. Last week she got 35 mpg. At this rate I'll have to float a home equity loan and but her an Xb too.

geekay

They are getting attention, I went to a retirement apartment complex in Sterling Va and I had quite a few of the old dears check my Xb out. At least two said :I want one of those"

jezidi

Hey I just wanted to let you know that I decided to go for the xb...the ride is awesome and it looks toooooo cool. I'm getting the black one. I can't wait

jezidi

How is the traction on snow? I live in chicago and there are times the roads can be pretty bad....

crazedcommuter

Cograts on your decision to but the Xb. I think it's a wise choice and you'll be happy with your decision.

crazedcommuter

I don't know how the traction is in snow, but it does have traction control and stability control. I live in Eastern WV and commute to Wash. DC daily and I plan to put 4 snows on the XB. I think traction should be fine with the snows.

crazedcommuter

I stopped into the Dulles Town Center last week and 2 senior citizens started to ask me questions about my Xb. They were quite interested in it. Also my in-laws are impressed with it and they are in their late 70's. They don't like the Avalon or the Camry. They are now driving a Chrysler Concorde but want to move down to the Xb. The Xb seems to have appeal across all age groups, something that Toyota had not planned on when they launched Scion.

jamesgang

Each of the sales reps at the dealerships I spoke with said it was folks like myself and older who were buying these kids cars.
Also business are replacing Chevy Astro vans.
There is a flower shop in my town, and a computer center down the road.
The day before I picked up my 'Camo-Box' the dealership sold their 2005 Yellow release to a 50's something couple. The lady spotted it - said "I want it" - and they took it right then and there.
They let the tC go as a trade for my xB. This could be a product of our area. There is, however, a 'tricked-out' silver one about 4 miles from my house.
ThanksMuch
Chris of the JamesGang

aatherton

I am 62 yrs and 6'-2" tall, and have been thinking about getting the xB for some months, for its practicality, fun driving, low cost and good mileage. Wishes:
- A little bigger engine for carrying people with the automatic, and to drop the rpms some more.
- Sound deadening mats in the roof and doors.
- A little redesign of the front end, to reduce the horizontality and the fat lower lip.

I was surprised at how tight the engine is against the grille. As I remember, there is no radiator in front of the engine. The radiator and the air conditioning condenser are below the grille, stretched across the inside of the bumper. It may not be possible to redesign the front with mechanicals in the bumper.

geekay

I think it is the total package at a time of high gas prices that has broken the age barrier, and who minds being a little (or a lot) trendier than one's ge group?

pjl52

I live in Rochester NY. I can report that the car operates well in snow. We had our usual 100+ inches this season and I never had a problem getting anywhere. The auto stability control did kick in sometimes and I can say helps a lot, in reducing skidding and swerving.

Phil

crazedcommuter

Thanks for the snow update Phil. This is the 1st report on snow operations that I've read in this forum. It's good to see that the Xb runs well in the white stuff. In Japan the Xb has 4x4 as an option. Did you put snow tires on it or did you drive it with the stock tires?

waiholo

I am about to buy a xB and would like more road clearance for getting over bumps and curbs. Is there any way to raise the chassis or remove the bottom 4 inches of the body?

crazedcommuter

I'm just ready to turn 4k on my Xb. My mileage on my last fill-up was 357.9 miles,and I squeezed in 10.1 gals., for 35.4 miles/gal. with an automatic. I'm extremely pleased with the Xb so far. No problems and no issues. The windshield is tough to keep bugs off though. It seems to work like a giant plow through the swarms of spring bugs. The popularity of the Xb is increasing and dealers are pricing used Xbs at the $18k mark in the Wash, DC area.

grania

The salesman who sold us our XB suggested replacing the 15" wheels with 17"wheels for more clearance. We haven't gotten the car yet and we are really looking forward to it. Everyone here sounds pleased with their XBs.

micweb

Usually if you use bigger wheels you have to use smaller tires, so the total package remains the same diameter. There is no clearance change. The only way you'd get more clearance would be to put spacers on your shocks, and that type of change is rare these days. Most clearance changes are to lower the cars these days, which results, of course, in less clearance.

On the xB there are side skirts and air dams front and rear. Theoretically you could remove these to improve clearance, but you'd probably damage the car. The xA has more clearance because it doesn't have these skirts.

I'd add that 17" aftermarket wheels and tires are usually sold in about $2,000 packages, of which about 50% is dealer profit, so the salesman is just trying to make money or terribly informed. The most clearance you'll ever have is to stay stock (no lowering springs). You can Plus 1 - go to 16" wheels and tires - which gives crisper handling and a slightly harder ride. the 17" are mostly for look, there is very little tire to protect the rim and they ride very hard.

geekay

Hi Crazedcomuter, My son (you were right, he has it now) is getting about 35 with 5 spd. I was going to post the same question about bugs. They just will not come off with regular glass cleaners. I guess the flat windshield is responsible. Have a good one. GK

johnnyb11

Crazed Commuter, did you get that mileage when you first bought the car? I have 1500 miles, and I can't get more than 30 mpg, with the automatic and no real hard driving. I was really hoping to average at least 32 or 33, and I keep ending up with 29.5 or so.

crazedcommuter

Johnnyb11--
I avg'd about 30-31 mpg when I first got the Xb. I broke it in for the 1st 1000 miles according to regular breakin practices. My mileage seemed to gain by 4 mpg after I changed the oil at 3k. I also top off the tank with as much fuel as the neck will handle due to the amount of driving that I do. Also check your tire pressure. The tag on the door says 29 psi, but I use 32 psi. The ride is a bit stiffer, but I believe handling and mileage are better.

tundradude

Had its first oil change at 3000. Still gets low to mid 30's. Last tank was 33.4.

artycat

Can anyone tell me about the flat sides and possible dents? It looks to me like those sides are just asking for parking lot dents. Can you put anything on the sides like strips to help prevent them? Just curious Arty :confuse:

crazedcommuter

Arty,
there are options for the sides. I have read posts on Xb forums where others have purchased magnetic door moldings. Apparently when they park the Xb they pull these out and stick them on the sides. Now they could get stolen or they may scratch your paint. Another option is to buy body side moldings for another type of car and place them on your Xb. You can order them from various parts web sites or from an auto body shop near your house. and are inexpensive. They are simple to install. You peel the backing off the double sided tape and press on the clean car. A body shop will also paint them to match your Xb.

dbletrbl

We have two xB's and live in Colorado. I just had my first snow experience. I came out of a theater to about seven inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling. I did 25 mph. all the way home with absolutely no problems.

dbletrbl

I had the same concerns as you. I live in a very hilly and rolling area and I thought for sure I would be picking up pieces of my car everywhere. To my happy surprise it has not been an issue once. In fact their is a guy down the block who lowered his and swears he has had no problems either.

rossm2

You can thank the short wheelbase and narrow track for that. I drove very small cars with limited ground clearance for years on logging roads with no problems for the same reason. Increase the wheelbase and you get hung-up in the middle.



Ross

skabetty

Has anyone heard anything about side airbags being offered in the xB? I am looking for an inexpensive but roomy car, but won't buy one without the side airbags. Thanks

moparbad

The xA is offered with side airbags. The xB is not scheduled to r'cv side airbags prior to the end of produciton of the current design.

radiodude

I have had my box 14 months and just hit 22K miles... which is about average for texas drivers.... my personal best is a 28K mile yr in a vehicle... I take maybe one trip a year.

No problematic issues to note with the exception of the transmission (man) occasionally being pissy about going into 2nd, 3rd and reverse.

I have had 17 inch wheels on my car since mile 50. I originally opted for the Nanking 205/40R17 that are H rated. I went with H composite because the closer you are to Z the softer the composite and the poorer the tread life. To get that longer tread life you sacrifice max mph (which is no biggie... the xb tops out @ 120, and the H is rate to 134), but more importantly you sacrifice so grip... softer the rubber, the stickier it is to the road.

THE NANKINGS WERE A MISTAKE! By 18K miles I had to replace all 4 tires... luckily discount tire worked with me to get some z rated Falkens (215/40R17). The Falkens have a prorata 30K mile warranty so I'm happy, but it still puzzels me how a Z rated is expected to out perform a H rated on treadlife.

Since last update I have lowered it 2 inches and added a generic aftermarket sport muffler and new exhaust pipe minus the resonater. I have seen at least a 1-2 mpg increase in fuel efficentcy. I average about 28.8MPG (70%HWY)... and i still see better MPG when I drive city vs. highway.

Again my door is open to questions or info sirradiodude@yahoo.com

-will

jamesgang

I've got about 2,300 miles on my 05 CamoBox. The worst mpg was 36 even - this when driving mostly highway. The best was 39 - this with absolutely no highway miles. It was during the 'break-in' period so I stayed at or below 55 mph for the entire tank. Now, with mixed driving it looks as if it is going to settle in at about 38+ mpg. These are accurate numbers as I 'top off' the tank every time. Normally I can't even round off to the nearest dime. You should see the clerks look at me when I buy $13.08 or &18.57.
I was hoping to exceed 40 mpg - but you can't have everything

johnnyb11

I don't get some of these mileage numbers. I have about 1600 on my automatic xb and can't seem to get better than about 29.5 mpg, with mild driving, half local half hiway. I love the car but kind of disappointed in the mileage - hoping with more break in that it will get better. How are some people getting over 30+ mpg all the time???

strager

My auto xB gets about 23-26 mpg for 90% city driving (depending on air conditioning use), and around 35-36 for freeway trips. So your 29.5 mpg for 50% city sounds about the same as what I'm getting.

I don't know of many cars besides hybrids that get better gas mileage than the xB.

moparbad

I don't know of many cars besides hybrids that get better gas mileage than the xB.

VW diesels at 47-50 mpg are about the only ones I can think of. And they are more expensive than xB by about $5000 on average.

rossm2

Well, the ECHO HB gets quite a bit better mileage.


Ross

waiholo

Hey, I got my xB on Saturday and I love it!!! For the past 17 years, I have been driving a 1975 Mercedes Benz 450SE. It felt like a boat. Now I feel like I am driving a jet ski!

I've heard there are places on-line that sell replacement front grills in all sorts of styles and materials. Any recommendations?

P.S. Clearance is no problem like I was told. Thanks.

madvibez

I bought a brand new 05 Scion xB a month ago. I am in preparation to move from Colorado to Florida. This car would be perfect for pack my things in and drive across the states, I thought. As excited as I was to get it then I am equally, if not more, disappointed with it now. From the very beginning things have gone awry.

1st, I was promised the car with the color and features I wanted was ready to be driven off the lott early one day. Later that same day the sales person tells me that the car was no longer available and on top of that that it will take weeks to get one like it. It took almost 2 weeks and one was found for me. I waited that long because I wasnt in a hurry and Toyota makes cars worth the wait. Right?

2nd, when I drove the car off of the lot it was pulling severely to the right. A week after that I dropped it off at one of the local Toyota service departments here in the Denver area. They said that the alignment was found to be a little off and it was fixed. The car was still pulling to the right, not as bad. I delt with it because I was busy.

3rd, a month passed, the weather got really warm and when I went to turn on the A/C. It did not work. I decided to take the car in to get both the alignment and the A/C checked. They called back to say that the condenser was punctured because a rock apparently flew in through the grill and did the damage. I was shocked to find this out, the car had less than 3k miles and already I have to shell out $1000 on getting it fixed!!!!!! From looking at the grill its apparent that its opennings are large, wide, close to the surface of the road, and begging for debris to fly in to do some damage. Colorado is known for it high amount of gravel on its roads.

4th, I have protested the whole deal with the service department's management and was told that they wont do anything for me. I contacted the people at Scion's customer experience (head quarters). Went back and forth with them for over 3 days and eventually they agreed to cover half of the cost in good will. Although I am not really happy with paying a cent, half is better than nothing. So I set up an appointment to have the car fixed first thing in the morning (7am) next day. I was told the part was in stock and was quoted for 3 hrs of labor so I figured that by noon it should get done. 1pm came along and I hadnt heard from them. So I called (I was always calling them when I was promised a call) and was told that by 2pm it will be ready. No call from them at 2 so I called again and this time to find out that the part they had in stock wasn't the right part. I spoke with the manager and he looked into the matter but only to find that the condenser is nowhere to be found in the US!!!!! It will take weeks to get one imported.

If this were you, what would you do???? Its Friday and come Monday I have to drive this A/C-less brand new car to Florida!!!! :mad:

94gp

Sorry to hear about the problems with the dealer. Any chance a Toyota condenser would work? If so, maybe you could locate one from a junk yard and have a local mechanic install?

moparbad

What is the part # of the condenser? Is it OEM 8845052130? $186.00.
In stock.

Why are you paying $1,000 for this?

ems1

Regarding the stone damage on your condenser: Your insurance should cover most of the cost to replace it under the comprehensive provisions. Not much different than stone damage to your windshield. How much is your deductible?

escapeowner2

Most insurance polices provide coverage for "Foreign object damage"

I would look into that.

jezidi

Hi,

I live in chicago and I'm about to purchase my new xb in a couple of days. I was told by the sales rep that the price of the xb is only at MRSP, $15,045...Is this true? I've checked the net and it's the price I've been getting, I was wondering if anyone in my area have been quoted a cheaper price and where?

escapeowner2

Get on line and go to www.scion.com

There you can price a Scion. Walk into your dealership. Your price sounds spot-on.

Your dealership may add a documentation fee, ranging from $50 to $300.

They are allowed to do this as long as they post that publically and charge the same thing to everyone.

Don't waste your time trying to get alower price. Scion uses a "one price" system.