Hello to all! I am new here, but have been keeping an eye on the xB for quite some time. I have been toying with the idea of selling my TA and getting an xB. I just love the way they look and know I could have fun customizing it to my liking. However, my fear is I will buy one only to find out they are being changed for the better next year or will be getting a more powerful engine or something like that. I don't know much about Scion and what's to come, so I thought maybe you all could help me out.

Thanks in advance!
Jeremy

Also, let me know what you like about your xB; help talk me into it!

For one, the xB will be discontinued in 2007 and will be replaced with something
else which we are talking in some of our other forums.

We are thinking that the xB might get replaced by something like the Nslv
or the Porte.

There will be a 2nd generation xA, but we don't know what they will do to it.

Yea, the box is customizable in thousands of different ways and is fun for
everyone who has one.
and hopefully ill be gettin mine soon! :wink: :D

if you have any othwe questions im glad to help, along wuth alot of others here! :D

The xB will definetely be replaced by the 2007 model year. The replacement won't look like the current car -- it will be a ground-up design (as much as any "new" vehicle is a ground-up design). It WILL have the 2.4L that's currently in the tC/Camry. This may be the "dL" that is being alluded to on this site...

As far as I can tell, their won't be any new Scion models for 2006, but there will be a replacement for the xA (sounds like just an update), an all new car to replace the xB (won't look like the xB though), and the idea of a sedan based on the tC seems reasonable to me personally -- of course my personal opinion on this matter is pretty worthless.

The replacement for the xB WILL have the 2.4 -- I'm very sure of that.

How do you guys know this stuff? Replaced for sure in 07, will have the 2.7, won't look lik the xB...What's your source for this info?

2.4? . . . it will be very hard if the xB were to continue with a 2.4 and stay at the same price, while Toyota still tries to sell 1.8L Corolla's.

oh man i'd love to have the 2.4

me too. . . but unless they up the price, I doubt we will get anything larger than a 1.8L (which we would still be lucky to get for this price). I like our engine ok, as do most customers, but they need an option for a more powerful engine.

id love the 1.8 also even in the tame tuning

I think the 140hp 1.8 in the tune of the Celica GT would be sweet for the xB. Even if they were to update the xB's styling, how would you? :?

However, my fear is I will buy one only to find out they are being changed for the better next year or will be getting a more powerful engine or something like that.

I believe the only changes from 04 to 05 were a slightly different Pioneer head unit model and I think there was a slight plastic change behind the lower grills, not something readily noticed...

You can probably expect the same amounts of change in the next model year or two before they stop it as a model line. I highly doubt Toyota is spending valuable engineering time on something that's already slated to get axed. They are working on the next hot thing...

How do you guys know this stuff? Replaced for sure in 07, will have the 2.7, won't look lik the xB...What's your source for this info?
We have been on scionlife for quite some time and doing a search on the discontinuation of the xB helps too. It was discussed sometime in this year about te end of the xB. No more upgrades, maybe in the interior but not the motor. :sad:

Never say never.

One difference some have yet to post is the springs in the '05 are a tad bit softer for better ride quality than the '04.

I've been to a few focus groups, and Scion is very receptive about what is being said.

If the vehicle was still selling in 2007, why would the manufacturer drop it? They would have to be stupid too. They must assume the niche will be filled by then. But if they are still selling I couldn't see them just dropping it. It costs millions and millions to make all the tooling for a production run vehicle. Why throw it away? Sounds like salesman hype to me so they make sure you place your order now- if you think about it they'll all be gone. I put a deposit on the Lotus Elise yesterday and the sales guy was giving me a similar pitch.- "you have to get it now for 2005, because in 2006 they are going to have to restyle it, and put bumpers on it, and it's going to be heavier,.......

I've read the things that Jim Farley says, and who would know better than him? 2-3 years ago, the PiTy Cruiser was the hot car, then it passed. Same goes for the new Beetle, the Matrix, the Miata, etc., etc. Half the reason cars are "The hot new thing" is because they are new and unique. Once they are all over the place, the hotness wears off. There were a couple of cars I crossed off my list solely because I just see way too many of them.
They are doing some serious price slashing to get many of these "hot" models to move now. If you plan ahead and have the "New Hot Car" ready to come out as the hype over your last one is just dying off, you'll do better than trying to milk that last little bit out of a saturated market.

Also, the investment on the xB was pretty much paid for in the JDM market. It's not like they designed it just for us for a couple of years.

The other thing that Farley said is that they aren't looking to sell a ton of these vehicles. They are forecasting 125,000 for next year and said they don't expect to sell over 150,000 units a year for Scion.

I doubt they are losing money on Scion, but I also bet the other divisions make a lot more profit. They are also limited by production, why would you make fewer, higher-profitting cars to sell a few more low profit margin cars?

Mr. Farley also stated that he wants to keep the features unique in the Scion line, as well as looks. I could go into more, but I'll save it for later.

I' was surprised to read your post of moving fromt a TA to the xB. I just traded my '97 TA for an xB and haven't regretted a minute of it, aside from the initial heckling from my friends. Sure it doen't have the power or the curves of the TA, but I'll tell you this, I get more looks and people talking to me with my B than I EVER did with my TA. Plus, you can literally pick up more chicks with the xB.....it has a HUGE BACKSEAT!!!! :P

I traded my 96 TA for my xB and i have no regrets. Regardless of if they change it or not the xB is great in its current form.

The only change for next year that I know about is another upgrade to the radio. I heard something like an i-pod or some other mp3 player jacks accessible on the head unit.

marcelino

Here's what I know...

1) The last production year of the xB as it currently sits will be 2006-2007 -- I say 06-07 because Toyota is FAMOUS for ending production technically the year after they stop making any significant volume of the car. The best recent example of this is the Echo and Celica -- TECHNICALLY they're still available as a 2005 model, but production is so low GOOD LUCK finding one.

Numerous sources quoting Toyota have stated that the xB is a "polarizing" car, and just like all other "polarizing" vehicles the new will wear off soon...it makes sense that they will discontinue it. Also, as someone said earlier in this post, the xB design and spin-up costs have allready been earned back in the JDM -- no need to keep this thing going in the US market as far as financials are concerned...IMHO.

2) Whatever car it is that "replaces" the xB will have a 2.4L. My best guess on what this vehicle will be is a sedan, probably the "dL" that everyone is mentioning on this site. It makes sense from a market perspective -- the xA will continue with minor updates as a low volume niche vehicle that attracts first time buyers that like the Scion philosophy. The tC will be Toyota's low-end FWD sports coupe (Acura made a killing for years on the Integra, and continues to do so with the RSX -- the tC was built to compete with it and the Eclipse, and the Tiburon as well). A new sedan based on the tC/Camry platform will debut in 2007 to supplant the xB (as opposed to replace, which no vehicle really could REPLACE the xB) and it will be more than the current xB or Corolla, but not quite as much as a Camry (think $18-20) and will compete with the TSX, G6, Jetta, maybe even try and steal some Audi A4 business (if you supercharge a tC, you get comparable performance at a much better price than a 1.8T)...also, don't forget about Mercedes and Audi and their new smaller sedans hitting the US market 2005-2007...Toyota might be going after that business too.

3) The Scion vehicle line is going to grow for the 2007 model year. There is no doubt in my mind that Scion sales will justify adding another model to the Scion line-up in 2007 (making for a total of four). Toyota execs have indicated that Scion's are selling better than anticipated and Scion should grow as quickly as Toyota can provide models and produce them. I'm guessing from here on out, but I think we'll see another "polarizing" vehicle at about the same price point as the current "xB" and a tC/Camry based sport sedan to complement the sport coupe. I'm hoping for some kind of cheap 4x4 or combo Truck/SUV/crossover deal as the next "polarizer", but that is just a WAG.

Incidentally, all Scion stereos next year will have IPOD compatability.

Honestly, as much as I love the xB, the idea that everyone and their momma has one doesn't appeal to me. I wouldn't mind seeing it as a single generation model. So long as Scion keeps at least one funky/unorthodox designed vehicle in the market at any given time to keep them new/hip. Perhaps every four-five years axe the then funky vehicle in favor of the next new funky vehicle. I think that would be cool.

.02

I am considering a xb purchase real soon and am not sure if the 6cd changer is worth it if i want to attach my iPod. The santa monica dealer sells a ipod jack for $340 as the scion radios have no "in" connections (or so they told me). Anyone have ideas here or know when the new iPod ready radios are coing out?

any aftermarket radios?

seems a lot to pay for a stereo.

l

They sell radio frequency transmitters that plug into the headphone jack of your iPod/mp3 player. They're like $25. They work by transmitting a signal over a radio frequency (say 88.5 on your radio dial), and when you tune into that signal, if it is not already being broadcast to, it will pick up what is playing on your iPod. The sound quality isn't perfect, but neither is an mp3.

Never say never.

One difference some have yet to post is the springs in the '05 are a tad bit softer for better ride quality than the '04.

I've been to a few focus groups, and Scion is very receptive about what is being said.

And do you have any info to back this up?- If they changed that, Im now wondering what eles they changed!

They sell radio frequency transmitters that plug into the headphone jack of your iPod/mp3 player. They're like $25. They work by transmitting a signal over a radio frequency (say 88.5 on your radio dial), and when you tune into that signal, if it is not already being broadcast to, it will pick up what is playing on your iPod. The sound quality isn't perfect, but neither is an mp3.

If you are talking about the iTrip, it is $35 and it can broadcast on ANY FM station. Most people don't know this because they don't bother to read the instructions :?

who cares if the scion is discontinued or not. nobody knows because toyota has not released that info 2 1/2 years early.

it doesnt really matter now does it. if you want a scion buy one if you dont then dont. :roll:

06' model year will have the MP3 jacks accessible in the base unit-plus a new face plate/appearance. The upgraded unit will have iPod connections. XM will be joind by Sirrius (sp). 3 new wheel covers which will be shared with xA. xA changes will be more significant. Most are proposals and all are cosmetic.

when are these radio changes gonna happen? I need to make a purchase decision soon.

thanks,

l

06' model year-so around June of next year. Might as well buy now, and update with something else later.

here is what I found out on connecting Ipods:

http://www.mp3yourcar.com/search.asp

the Neo iOn costs $189

lets you switch songs via radio controls BUT you cannot see song info on the radio (read the faq)

this is definitely better and cheaper than the $300 plus dealer plug installation.

a new alpine radio plus connector box lets you see song info (http://www.alpine-usa.com/) but there you have to have a compatible alpine stereo and the $100 box.

Anyone try the Neo iOn?

l

The xB will definetely be replaced by the 2007 model year. ...

Does this mean that there will be '07 xBs or nothing after '06? I want one in the worst way, but may not be ready by '06 (bought an '04 Odyssey in March, kid in college, etc.)

I guess if I do miss the opportunity to buy a new one, there will be used xBs around...

monster makes a thing called the icruze thats out next week, it will allow you to see your ipod display on your head unit..


www.monstercable.com


its gonna be pimp as hell. but its 200 bucks.