Scion xB - Hip to be square

odie6l

I'm guessing that the xB is a lost cause for me at this point, my wife wants something that will be able to handle 3+ inches of ground snow on roadways (before plowing). Being that we both work for a hospital and NEED to report for work regardless of weather, so the ground clearence with the front air dam will hurt this vehicle. And as anyone from PA northward knows we can get some serious snowfall, and PennDOT and Local Townships don't do the greatest of jobs clearing the roads.

Odie
Odie's Garage

aatherton

"... my wife wants something that will be able to handle 3+ inches of ground snow on roadways (before plowing)."

Ground clearances:
(Our) Buick LeSabre sedan = 5.4”
(Our) Scion xB wagon = 6.1” (8" at the front lip)
Honda Element SUV = 6.9"
Ford Escape and Explorer SUVs = 8.2”

qbrozen

ummmm... i don't think you really mean 3", do you? As aatherton has indicated, there are MANY vehicles that clear 3". Heck, the list of what doesn't clear that would be pretty small, as a matter of fact.

bigbutr

I just priced out an Xb on Edmunds and was wondering if Envy Green is the only color you can get with that Release 3.0 package? It seems to be a little too 'teenager' color for me (35 years old), but I like all of the other accessories, especially the DVD screens in the headrests (4 year old daughter). My wife's not to keen on them, but I like the look and want to get something to replace my 96 Beretta that gets similar mileage and is fun to drive. Also, does Scion not offer a factory sunroof for the Xb? I plan on purchasing something in a couple of months and want to research it as much as I can. Thanks for any info!
Steve
Panama City, FL

odie6l

glad you pointed that out. I meant to put 6-8 inches. Forbid the townships to remove snow until after it stops snowing. Hey maybe if they had an AWD version you could rig a small plow on the front of the xB.

Odie
Odie's Garage

tundradude

Envy green only for 3.0
Past ones were burnt orange for 1.0 and solar yellow for 2.0.

No factory sunroof on xB. However, you can always add one. Having said that, I wouldn't. I have an ASC on my Corolla and its nice, but its noisy the older it gets. Its just not like one from the factory.

Being 35 as well, the xB in any color is unique. Having mine for almost a year and a half, its a good commuter car and its fun to drive. However, it does have a limited trunk and its just ok for highway travel. The longest I ever taken mine is 4 hours and I needed to stretch.

aatherton

"... Also, does Scion not offer a factory sunroof for the Xb? "

Correct. You can have a Webasto sunroof installed by a specialist in your area. I had this one installed for $1200:
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/vintagefortytwo/xB%20Sliding%20Sunroof/
Same place installed Katzskin leather on the seats:
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/vintagefortytwo/xB%20Leather%20Seats/

aatherton

"... I have an ASC on my Corolla and its nice, but its noisy the older it gets. Its just not like one from the factory."

We had an add-on sunroof on a 1992 Buick Regal and it made a little noise at speed when closed. It did not vent. The Regal had a sloped windshield and rounded roofline, and the sunroof's lip was not perfectly flush with the roof.

The same company just installed a Webasto sunroof in our xB and it's quiet at speed both when closed and when in the venting position. I think the vertical windshield and the flat roof keeps air away from the lip, which is also very flush. See previous post for photos.

tundradude

I have gotten mind adjusted several times over the years. I have had the car for 10. You just have to perform maintenance on them (ASC). Mind does vent and is all automatic.

bprenderson

Al,

Is the map light above the mirror part of the sun roof or is it an add on? If it's an add on, where did you get it?
Thanks.....

Bubba

Karen_S

A national news magazine is looking to interview college students who has “pimped” out his/her ride Have you tricked out your car with big rims, outrageous stereos, wild paint jobs, spoilers, ground effects, neon lights, nitrous, the works . Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Friday, June 9, 2006 by 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and the make and model of the car you’ve “pimped” out.

Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

aatherton

"... I have gotten mind adjusted several times over the years. I have had the car for 10. You just have to perform maintenance on them (ASC)."

In ten years, we never had to have the aftermarket sunroof in the 1994 Buick Regal adjusted. I don't know what sunroof maintenance would involve.

tundradude

It basically involves putting some lubrication on it and lining it up on where it (the glass) needs to be.

PF_Flyer

The recent set of posts make a great starter for a discussion of their own, so I've moved them to the new Performance Upgrades: Are They Worth It? discussion.

We're moving away from the large catch-all discussions where users coming in have to wade through hundreds or thousands of posts to find the info they're after, so occasionally I'll be pulling out posts from here to start new more sharply focused discussions. And by all means, feel free to start discussions on xB issues if we don't have a specific one underway at the moment.

Have a great weekend everyone!

escaladeviper

This is the coolest car since the cadillac escalade.

aatherton

The map light is a Sylvania Dot-It, available in silver or black from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=br_ss_hs/103-7701812-2705417?platform=gurupa&url=ind- ex%3Dblended&keywords=sylvania+dot-it&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

It has battery-powered LEDs, is turned on and off by pressing the face of the lens, and sticks with 3M adhesive that stays with the light, not on the car's surface. However, the adhesive works fine on a vertical surface (sides of the cargo area), but not so well on an upside down surface like the roof of the car. My silver one fell off the roof every week or so I transferred it to the cargo area to join the black one there - one on each side.

aatherton

After 8 years, we had to have a little work done on the aftermarket sunroof in our 1992 Buick Regal LTD. The headliner material became loose the sliding panel. The place that installed it took the sunroof panel out, recovered it with new material, and charged me 50% of the bill.

After 10 years, the headliner of the Regal became loose over the rear window. The headliner is part of a sunroof installation. The looseness was barely noticeable and we sold the car at that time. The installer would have just tucked it back in and charged us 50% again.

On my xB, the headliner is now my main concern. The OEM headliner is a rigid shell to which is bonded a carpet-like headliner material. In the installation of a sunroof, the shell is removed, the headliner stripped off, and the shell is cut to receive the sunroof frame and motor which extends way back to the rear. A new thin fabric headliner is then stretched over everything and the shell is reinstalled. Looks great, but the headliner is mostly stretched over air space, as it cannot be bonded to all the cut outs and mechanicals. The stretched headliner can be poked through, and it flutters at high speed with the sunroof open. I think in a few years some maintenance will be required on the headliner.

PF_Flyer

You may have noticed that new discussion are popping up all over the boards. What's going on is that we're moving away from verylarge, everything in one basket kind of discussions, and towards smaller more focused discussions. This will help folks find information faster without having to dig through thousands of posts.

Here inthe Scion xB Group, among the new discussions you'll find are:

Scion xB - Hip to be square
Scion xB: Problems & Solutions
New Scion xB Owners - Give Us Your Report
Scion xB Safety & Crash Test Results
Scion xB: Audio & Entertainment Questions
Scion xB: Accessories & Modifications

So when you're getting ready to post, please check the discyussion list tofind the approriate discussion. If you have a topic that doesn't seem to have a discussion readyto go, feel free tostart one up or contact me with the suggestion for a new discussion. (Just click on my username and drop me an email)
Old habits are tough to break, so I'll be moving posts and posting reminders now and then while we all adjust.

Thanks for your help and understanding as we move the furniture around a bit!

allcarsrcool

how cool would it be to have a 2-door xB? minicooper compettitor.... just throwing that idea out there... respond with you thoughts!

shayadave

Yes, I have two children, one is 3 years old and the other is 4 months old, and the car works excellent. I also have a 05 toyota camry as well, the xb seems to have alot more room though.

nowakj66

Thanks! I got an Odyssey but I am trying to talk my sister in law into getting an xB. She does drive with our kids from time to time.

my_meowmobile

My new 2006 has just today arrived at the dealers and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo excited! I was thinking of adding a sunroof and see that there are at least two kinds the Toyota one and the Webasto one which the dealer can install for me. Which is yours? Do you have any advice re sunroofs to share?
Thanks!!! :shades:
MsMeow

my_meowmobile

Here's the brand of sunroof that the toyota/scion dealer usually puts in their xB's: INALFA asi 840 SERIES INBUILTS

Any opinions? :confuse:

aatherton

Inalfa is made in Europe with the US distributor in Michigan. That one looks good, like my Webasto 640 inbuilt but with the fancy controls of the Webasto 740:
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/vintagefortytwo/xB%20Sunroof%20and%20Dash- /
I guess the dealer's choice of sunroof depends on the installer, whether there is an Inalfa or a Webasto installer nearby. The installer is so important. One thing bothers me about these sunroofs - the loose headliner. The factory headliner is carpet bonded to a rigid shell. After the sunroof installation, the headliner is fabric stretched over air to hide the mechanisms. The fabric can flutter and be poked through. On the Inalfa site, I see that is called a "floating" headliner. For some cars Inalfa is making a solid headliner which is a big improvement:
"... The EVO has Inalfa’s new patented Headliner Safety System, which allows for the creation of a solid one piece headliner (OEM appearance, no floating headliners)."

wrxtc

Hi All,

Searching for a reliable, functional, fuel efficient car has been consuming me! My friends, family, and girlfriend are sick of hearing me talk about which care to get, and not to mention the countless hours spent internet researching and Excel spreadsheets! :confuse:

I currently drive a '05 Subaru WRX wagon with 55k miles! My commute to work is killer. I want to lower my car loan, insurance, and monthly gas bill but still want a car that is functional and fun to drive!

I've narrowed my choices down to:
1999-2001 Honda CR-V for around $9-10k
2003 Honda Element for around $11k
2005 Scion xB for around $12k

My dilema? With the Hondas I get cruise control, more horesepower, and all wheel drive (CR-V) and they cost a bit less. But the Scion gets better mileage AND IS SO COOL! I'm an adult (32) and I can't base my decision purely on emotion, so please help me rationalize why I should get an xB. :P

Thanks in advance!

my_meowmobile

If I may....

Life is short my friend, go for the fun, go for the passion, go for the xB! I have had mine for approx 45 days and I've never had so much fun driving. yeah sure it could use a little more horsepower for merging and that...but the fuel economy is phenomenal! I'm getting 34 mpg in city driving! I love my xB, I love my sunroof and my xm radio. It's kinda hard not to want to be in my car ALL the time!

Oh yeah...I'm over forty y/o, allegedly an adult...but the xB makes me feel like a kid again...pretty good deal, I'd say! :shades:

qbrozen

My sister's AWD CR-V does NOT get better mileage than a WRX, and considering the element isn't rated much higher, i'd guess that will be almost the same deal. so you may want to revisit this list if one of your goals continues to be lowering your gas bill.

so that leaves only the Scion. 1st, can you really handle going from one of the fastest hatches on the road to one of the slowest?

How much do you owe on the WRX? Is it considerably more than $12k? Do you have any equity in the vehicle? Being an '05, its possible you have NEGATIVE EQUITY which you'd have to carry over to the next vehicle, which will drive your payments up higher than you are expecting.

Have you called your insurance company for quotes on these vehicles? My guess is you're looking at very little savings. Maybe a few hundred a year?

I have a feeling you are going to be saving far less than you think all around. You drive how much? 25k-30k per year? I estimate you'd save about $500 per year in gas with an xB (I'm estimating 2.30/gallon over 27k per year at 24 mpg in the WRX and 30 in the xB ... mostly because i think you'll be flogging the hell out of the xB). Add the few hundred from the insurance and, for now, I'm guessing the payment would be about a wash. So $800 per year. Is it really worth it?

wrxtc

Thanks qbrozen for your insight...

To address a few of your points:

I originally bought the WRX because at the time in my life, everything was about speed, handling, performance, style, etc. As I've gotten a little older (not necessarily more mature ) I've settled down a bit. I should also mention I'm an avid motorcyclist for the past 10 years, so I can always go for a ride or head out to the race track when I'm feeling that 'need for speed'. Sometimes my car seems a bit overkill for my traffic jammed commute. Plus driving bum with a 5-speed manual gets tiresome.

Sad fact, I am negative on my WRX. Low finance rate combined with long term loan and piling on the miles did me in, not to mention some poor decision making (chalk another one up for being young and careless). I would most likely end up rolling over the negative equity into whatever I buy but I'm trying to minimize the damage.

I've done the math (loan payment, gas, insurance) and it looks like $179 savings per month or $2148 per year going from the WRX to the xB. I can provide the numbers if you're curious, I just didn't want to bore anyone with the nitty gritty

Does it seem more worth it?

Thanks!

qbrozen

actually, i really am curious as to the numbers, if you don't mind.

i'd also like to know the payoff on your current ride and how many months left. Did your calculations take refinancing into consideration?

wrxtc

I just emailed you my calculations.

I've included the payoff.

My calculation did take refinancing into consideration. I used the Auto loan calculator here on Edmunds so I filled out everything to get my numbers.

Also, I should mention I'm looked for a used xB for under $12000.

Thanks!

micweb

Keeping the WRX is the smart move. Subies last a long time so in your hands the 55k miles are irrelevant. For trade-in or resale, however, you'll get killed.

If you want to change for fun, go ahead I do it all the time. But there is absolutely no way you'll save money by downgrading. Any way you look at it, you'll owe a lot more money on the xB than you should. xB's don't go down much in price, so you sure aren't saving money there....

joesbar

My son has one and my Scion has this "aux. input" for MP3 players but the guy said it doesn't work "directly" with the iPod and I would have to buy a convertor or something to put between the iPod and the Aux plug-in. What is it I'm expected to get? What is it called? Is this true?

micweb

Go to Radio Shack, they'll set you up with a cable. There's no mystery or big $$ to it. You can also feed a CD player or cassette player through an AUX input.

What you can't do, is control the iPod through your car's radio controls. There are some hook-ups that allow this. But what's the big deal? Your iPod alread has it's own controls. (BTW, the Aux cable hookup won't allow you to operate the iPod through the car radio no matter what cable you buy; I think the "guy" you mentioned probably only mean you need a "stereo to stereo minijack plug, male both ends.")

joesbar

Thank you!! I love this ca.. er, van.. um... box!!! Best car I have ever owned. And yes I've had a Civic:)

Welcome me to your family!!

Thunder Cloud. Automatic. 06. 30/34. Like driving a piece of heaven. I hope it stays this way!

joesbar

My friend has an xB that came with a boom tube in the back. It makes a HUGE difference in the sound. I have also noticed his Scion "Pioneer" cd player has a button or two in different places.

My questions are: Are there different models of the cd players for the xB's?

Or does his sound THAT much better and seem to have that much more power solely based on the TUBE?

The xB's that come with the tubes do they also come with amps or something? Because his xB Pioneer sounds A HELL of a lot louder than mine, hard to believe it's based on the tube alone. And does the dealer install now after I bought it? (Just bought it a week ago:)

killerpiece

Yes I wish they were color, but at least they're something!

Killerpiece :shades:

darthclutch

if you want more power, just wait until April... Toyota finally had an official press release and states that the new xB with a 2.4L engine should hit the showroom in late spring. No official date yet, no official price yet, but there are plenty of pics to see.

http://www.carscoop.autoblog.com/photos/2008-scion-xb/

trip2

I was coasting down a hill for about a half a mile when my scion xb shut off. Now during the coasting i didnt touch the break, clutch, or gas pedal. I was also cruising at an avg. speed of about 55. when i reach the about a half a mile every time the car shuts off. Now is this a malfunction or a safety feature??

tundradude

I just converted to the 195 60 15 size and it rides much better. Having said that, about anything is better than the Goodyear tires that came on it.

uncle_shlomo

i'm trying to get a clear answer but it's tough. is 3 year/36k all there is? or is there a longer powertrain warranty standard?

i'm considering buying an 05 with only 6k miles but 'as-is' at a dealer. original owner bought it in sept. 04, so the three years are up. if it's completely uncovered i won't get it, but if it is, i might. when i went to test drive it, the battery was dead, but it recharged enough after a 10-minute drive to restart.

experian autocheck shows no odo issues. dealer has it marked at $13,990 but i'd offer 10,500, maybe 11. it's been sitting on his lot in long beach, ca., a couple months at least.

thanks for any and all help,
david

dreasdad

The comp coverage is 3yr/36,000 miles but the powertrain is 5 years 60,000 miles
you also get a factory extended as well

sciontrapper

I use my 05 Scion Xb like a truck in a way. I laid forward the rear seats and cut a piece of plywood to fit the back. I am a cat trapper. I trap feral cats for spay/neuter. I believe so far the most cats in traps I've had in the back of my Scion is 22. 22 feral cats in traps. Not bad. I also often sleep in the back of my Scion, sprawled out on blankets and a sleeping bag, when travelling. I have a photo of the back loaded in feral cats in traps, if anyone is interested.

mkmc1

Anyone know where these are sold?....- I've seen them online in the hundreds of dollars(!?). Just bought a used 06 and I need an OM. Thanks - great forum. Mike

micweb

Try searching the owner's section of scion.com - I believe Toyota puts its normal owners manuals on line, available to read or download for free. The only manuals that should cost close to $100 are shop manuals, not owner's manuals....

jlh355113

I am considering purchasing a 2009 Scion Xb and have a question concerning the radio's ability to play MP3 files. Can anyone tell me if, when playing an MP3 file and turning off the radio (either by its own power switch or by the ignition switch), will the file resume playing at the same point when the power is turn on again. I listen to books on "tape" and this is a very important feature for me.

I test drove a 2009 Scion Xb with the upgraded radio and the upgrade did have the resume feature when playing MP3 files.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

micweb

Could you work around this problem by using a cheap mp3 player and plugging it into the auxiliary input jack on the dashboard? Do mp3 players have the "resume" feature you are looking for? I used to have some DVD players that would "resume" if I powered off during a play (of a DVD), but the ones I've used lately don't have "resume." Unless you use pause of course, which isn't really an option for more than a short break (and probably isn't an option at all for a car stereo).

jlh355113

Yes most inexpensive MP3 players do have the resume feature. Having the resume feature in the CD player would be very nice as I would not have to fool around with an external player, cables, etc. Also, the CD player can be controlled by the standard radio control buttons on the steering wheel - a nice feature for saver driving.

Thanks.

micweb

In my experience, car stereos are really backwards when it comes to features. For example my 2003 Civic came with a cassette player instead of CD player. Our 2007 Odyssey won't play MP3's at all and doesn't have an auxiliarly jack.

Consumer electronics, on the other hand, is way ahead in terms of introducing new features.

Don't even get me started on the cost of factory GPS systems vs. portable systems from Best Buy.

jlh355113

I picked up a new Scion Xb today - NICE CAR. I checked out the MP3 CD Player which is standard equipment in the Scion and IT DOES HAVE THE RESUME feature. This is very nice if you listen to audio books while driving because when the car (or radio) is turned off, the CD player remembers where it was playing. Upon turning the radio back on the story picks up just where it had left off. Nice Feature!

So far I am very impressed with the Xb. I hope to be able to say that a week, a month, and a year from now.

djswift26

I got a 06 scion XB and yeah i barely tried to use my MP3 player and for some odd reason it doesn't work i tried the mode function and pushing the AUX button but nothing I called the dealer and they told me to check the male jacks i might have the wrong ones but i got them from best buy the guy told me these would work so is it the MP3 player i got I got a Phillips GoGear 8GB and the only output it has is the head phones output and the usb output for the computer so my question is is there a special jack that I need or does Ipod the only thing that works on this car please let me know so i can get it working or take it to the dealer thanks. :mad: :confuse: