Strader

Just read the October issue of Consumer Reports, which says that the 08 xB gets 16 mpg in the city, about 35% less than what I get (24 mpg in the city w/auto) with my 04 xB. Consumer Reports also says that's the same gas mileage as the 4WD RAV 4.

The original xB was a terrific success for Scion. So Scion bulked up the exterior, made it heavier, gave it a more powerful engine, and made it into a REAL American vehicle. Way to go Scion!

What was probably the most fuel efficient and genuine JDM car on the US market now has become certified gas guzzler (relative to to the old xB) and a bloated vehicle stripped of its Japanese personality. Just what you would expect from one of the Detroit Big 3.

THE_DON

Wow!





-THE DON

Kiiski

Hmmmm.
The worst I have had is 22.8, all city driving and through actual calculations. I normally get 24ish in the city with some rural mixed in.
Kiiski

L4rry_B1rd

I hate the xB2 but Im 100% sure people arent getting 16mpg in city. My dad's 5.7L V8 Tundra gets 15-16mpg city... seems like Consumer Reports is trying to inadvertently slam the xB2 and Scion for increasing the size so much compared to the original box.

Zlog

LOL @ 16mpg

They need to hire smarter monkies at CR.

I've only just today dipped below 23mpg for the first time. I drive myself about 1 mile to work ROUND TRIP.

optikinescant

maybe if I floor it at the red light and you average only the time it takes me to start and get to speed... but on average, city drivings not THAT bad. 20-22 sounds much much more accurate. Seems to be almost as good as my old 2 liter focus in the city, better on the highway.

Zlog

^^^^

Also, i should add that on the beach and camping trips I've gone on, i've gotten 30+ freeway EVERY time, and thats traveling over mountains.

danos_XBox

I'm averaging about 24 now not even broken in. My 05 Ford sport trac got about 13 average. I see in my CR new car mag cars getting the thumbs up with black circles. CR was always top notch when evaluating a car. Now I have to wonder. Maybe they drive them nothing but up hill with the wind in the face windows open a/c blasting and oh ya! pulling 1500 lbs. in it. I'm happy with what I get knowing it is getting a little better as it breaks in. So there!!! CR

jsa3mm

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the 2nd gen xB is the new Corolla "Rumion" Wagon in Japan. So, it is Japanese and it will have JDM parts.
Check out the topic Tomas started over at Postapolooza: here

TriOpticon

I am currently getting 30mpg. I do about 50/50 city/interstate. I've only had my 08 xB for about a month and so I have only filled up about 4 times now. I also have manual transmission so that may be helping me out.

I calculated the mpg using a calculator. The console says I am getting an avg of 31.1 mpg.

THE_DON

It may have a Japanese counterpart soon, but it still lost it's JDM appeal. Of all the Japanese cars that "Cool, youthful SCION" could bring to American young people, the Corolla Wagon would not be my first choice. Especially with a perfectly good new bB in production.

-THE DON

Bigfieroman

Holy crap...all of you haters complain CONSTANTLY about how it is americanized and has no JDM cred blah blah cry cry sniff sniff...and now that it is coming out in Japan, none of you know how to make sense with your "arguments" anymore. It lost it's JDM appeal? What does that mean? Do you mean the Rumion won't sell well in the Japanese Domestic Market?


As for CR getting 16 mpg, they need to break in the engine or get a driver with a lighter foot. When I was hauling the max payload around, with the AC blasting, 70 miles on the odo, and 100% hilly city driving, I got 21 mpg (light foot on the pedal though. 50/50 mix of city/highway, now that it is broken in, I get 31.5 (pump verified, meter said 31.9)

ominousinc

Boy, the new XB has been getting a serious slamming in the press. I have read so many articles about how much the XB2 sucks. It's such a shame really, the new model to me is exactly how this vehicle should evolve. Personally I think it looks great, it's good on gas, and has kept it's appeal, and even refined it a little bit. If you tally all of the refinements made to the new model, one would expect to pay a ton m ore for so many improvements. I dunno, I like my new ride, to hell with the haters, and the critics. The sales will end up telling the tale here anyhow.

SoldUYourSkyon

CR is often WAY off. I dunno how they calculate their "real-life" numbers or how real owners seem to get so much better mpg. Gen-2 xB is not as gas-efficient as the first xB, true, but 16? You can seriously get that mileage in a 5.7 liter V8 Tundra. No freaking way are they accurate... It's the same engine as TC, RAV4, and Camry! It's not so boxy that the aerodynamics would affect the mpg that much.

tkanaz

I just traded in my 06 XB that I was getting 23 MPG in the city. I was getting about 27.5 out on the highway. I just filled up and I got 23.3 mpg this tank on my 08 all in town. Which is pretty close to what I was getting in my 06. I honestly don't believe anyone is getting more than 32-35 out of the 1st gen XB. I am willing to sacrifice a few mpg for the extra power. It's really just a few dollars in gas if that. I think Scion really did their homework and released an XB that people want. I love everything about my 08. It's 100 times more quite driving down the road. It has an abundant amount of power. And just because it has more power doesn't mean get in and mash the gas the whole time your driving it. It ranks 2nd in safest vehicle under 20k. Just a great car. Not even the same vehicle. I say thank you to Scion for listening to what the customers wanted. I can't wait for the RS to come out. Or even the next generation. All it can do is improve. You can find something to complain about on any car you buy. Rather it be a Caddy or a Scion. They will never build a car that satisfies everyone. I can honestly say that the only good thing that came out of me owning an 06 is.... to be easier on the gas pedal. It taught me better gas consumption methods. Really changed my driving style. But not by choice... Because it had so little power. I was starting to hate my 06.

soki-orb

Just so we're all clear on this, CR's bottom line was that they recommended the xB2.

toronado

Here's the thing I don't understand about the CR report...

They say they predict reliability for the new xB to be "above average". And yet it is a new model for which they have no data. I've been reading Consumer Reports for years. Normally, they would just say "new model, no data". Why do they give a reliability prediction based on the reliability of the previous gen xB which has virtually nothing in common with the new xB? Seems odd for them to do that.

For example, how do they know it will be "above average" and not be only "average" like the tC? Are they going to give the xD a prediction based on the xA too? I doubt it.

Rayman

It's probably based on their research regarding the engine. They know it comes from the Camry/TC so based on that they are probably predicting good reliability.

XD is a Corolla engine right? or similar? So they might give it a predicted good reliability also.

toronado

Yeah, but CR doesn't base the overall rating on just the engine alone - there are many different areas which contribute to that overall rating. The tC also has that same motor and yet it gets only an "average" not an "above average". And the reason for that seems to be due to the paint and body integrity issues on the tC. And based on comments here in SL by xB2 owners, there seems to be a fair amount of paint quality and body integrity issues (interior rattles) on the xB2 as well.

Pojodan

I have a 370 mile round-trip journey that I take for work once a month or-so that my '06 xB would use up almost exactly 10 gallons on. This trip being .1% city driving, 80% flat freeway driving, and 19.9% steep mountainous freeway driving.

Hardly typical, but I still got 37 mph.

I look forward to when I can see what my new marshmellow will do on the same journey.