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Scion xA
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Comments
I don't think these cars were really meant for high school kids anyway. Not that many high school kids buy their own cars. Also they often have unrealistic dreams when it comes to the cars they think they are going to be able to own.
I think Scion is more for 20 some things and college kids. People who have taken care of their own financial situation long enough to realize that the Porsche, 350z, Corvette they thought was just around the corner might never come, and that it wouldn't fit their life style and budget anyway. So their desires adjust according to their situation.
Only the true car nuts are willing to live in the poor house to own a sexy sports car.
Unfortunately, the Scion web site has not been updated and those answering the Scion toll free number don't know any more than what's posted on the web site (that's what I was told by the customer service rep).
Not what I expected from Toyota...
Thanks for your comments!
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
This is a big disappointment to me.
Subsequently on May 7th, I received an email from Scion providing the link Scion.com/Tour that you mention. By that time the tour was already 2 weeks old.
Even if you go to the Scion site TODAY, the only thing mentioned is:
4/24/03 Behind the Wheel, California Tour (but there are few details posted other than to "stay tuned" and no mention of the Scion.com/Tour site)
Incidentally, at the event in San Jose last weekend (which I went to), apparently VERY few people showed up. I really doubt that more than a handful knew about this event. The marketing company which was managing the tour said that many potential customers must not have known of the tour.
Regardless, I'm happy that I had a chance to check out the xA and xB - both terrific cars. Can't say the same about the Scion website.
-Andrew L
Doesn't do much for us relatively old folk, either!
Back to xA: the only selling point is price. Which may be the main reason for most people. But add couple of grands and you can get Matrix, which is bigger but has the same gas mileage. What is the point in the car like xA with mileage less than 40 mpg? This is just a shame.
Here is some crash test scores for anybody interested. Seems to have done fairly well. Considering how lightweight and small it is, getting hit by an SUV could be disastrous. After looking at the crash test scores though, I've regained some confidence in its ability to at least protect the people inside if it hit by something much bigger than it. With side curtains and good crash test scores I would consider it.
http://www.osa.go.jp/anzen/html2003e/09.html
Also something that puzzled me was how a car so lightweight and with such a small engine could only have LEV emissions. Well found out that when converted to left-hand-drive the catalytic converter was moved and the exhaust system was redesigned. So maybe this had something to do with only LEV emissions, if not I have no clue why it isn't at least ULEV. Also the fuel mileage seems disappointing when a Corolla which has a more powerful engine and weighs more gets almost the same fuel mileage and also has ULEV emissions.
Scion is supposed to go national in a year, if everything goes well....
Both of them are great cars for the price, which had no additional dealer markup. They were both very quiet on the freeway, even at 80 mph. I took them on a country road (identical routes) and they were very quiet and solid over bumps. However, the Xa had poor visibility, especially when looking over the shoulder to change lanes. This might be improved by folding down the back seats. Rear seat room and comfort were very poor. The front seats were acceptable, but not great. At 6"2", I felt cramped in the Xa.
The Xb was very spacious and the view is great. But I worry about this light little boxy car in strong crosswinds.
Both cars were very slow, and I will try to drive the manual transmission models. If I were you, I wouldn't even consider the automatics unless you like really slow cars.
I don't think Toyota put its best engineering effort into the Xa. For its light weight, low horsepower, and good aerodynamics, the gas mileage should be better than a Civic and Corolla, not worse. Or it should be faster and sharper handling like the Mini Cooper. I like the styling of the Xa- like a Matrix crossed with a Mini.
The Xb is extremely practical around town for hauling people to work- sort of an ideal carpool or night out car. But I would love to find out how it does over mountain passes. Some people will love its slick boxiness, but it's just not for me. The stereos in both models are fantastic, though.
By the way, I popped in to the official Scion group on Yahoo, and I saw that almost all the owners there were in the process of buying HUGE wheel sets (like 19"!) for these things. I can't imagine how you can even fit a wheel that big on such a small car.
-Andrew L
Exactly. Not only is the gas mileage kind of bad considering its lightweight and engine, it only gets LEV emissions where as the Corolla and Civic with bigger engines and heavier weight get ULEV. And this is California we're talking about, the state where a PZEV Camry is available. Either there's some cost-cutting going on or something went wrong when it was made for the USA. As I said above though, when converted to left-hand-drive the catalytic converter was moved and the exhaust system was redesigned so maybe that's hurting the emissions and fuel mileage but not really sure.
I could go for that Element concept with the electronics hooked in,ut would not get one as it is today.
Amazingly everyone in here is dissing the xB. I like its styling. Toyota hits dead on with it. Its right on for their targeted market. The xA however, would not get. Too odd porportions, and too funky. Also looks like something that you go for just for its price and because its available.
I am not surprised with the xB outselling a xA, and I would like to see a report of how old their buyers are if anyone could find it?
Go to http://autos.msn.com/advice/standardart.aspx?contentid=4021974&am- p;am- p;src=News
Some interesting points in the article:
Sales: "As of June 26, 1,058 Scions have been sold, two thirds of which were the xB model."
Average buyers age:"The average buyer's age was 36, 64 percent were male, 59 percent were new to Toyota, and 54 percent of buyers were age 35 or younger"
Product: xB
"The xB's boxy nature is actually quite functional. The interior has plenty of headroom and legroom, and cargo space is plentiful for a car of its size. "
xA:
"The xA is a small 4-door hatchback with seating for five; however, rear seating is extremely tight. I'm not particularly tall (5'8"), but my legs were pressed against the front seatback. Unless they were of small stature and extremely comfortable with each other, three people would have a difficult time sitting back there. Cargo space is on the small side as well, with only 11.7 cu ft of room behind the rear seats. However, the front seating position was very comfortable. "
"Performance, however, is not very impressive. Even with a manual transmission, acceleration is quite poor. In the constant trade-off between performance and economy, Scion has opted for economy — the fuel mileage figures are much more impressive than the acceleration numbers"
Customization:
"Vehicle configuration can be accomplished at the Scion Web site, from any computer. The saved configuration can be recalled on terminals at the dealership for easy ordering. Since the cars all have the same basic equipment, half a dealer's Scion inventory remains at the port where they entered the country. Once a car has been configured online, accessories are added at the port, and the car is delivered to the dealership in a week or less. Accessories can also be added at the dealership. "
Check this out:
http://www.chron.com/cgi-bin/auth/story.mpl/content/chronicle/aut- o/03/07/22/nissan.html
They will use the Altima on a ten city tour which young'ns get to experience the Altima with nice electronics inside and the "young" look outside. That means we get to check out the cars while they play music and show movies to entertain the crowd.
"Along with booming music played by at-the-scene DJs, Nissan plans to entertain crowds by projecting unreleased movies onto the sides of buildings. Online broadcasts featuring in-car interviews with music artists also are planned. "
This is the approach Toyota should have tooken.