I'm considering a Scion xA. I originally went in with my eye on the tC (azure pearl), but after driving them both, I don't know why, but I much prefer the xA. The tC may be more 'powerful', but I feel more powerful in the xA (if that makes any sense). I'm a girl and don't know much, or care much about engines. Anyway, I'm really liking the RS 1.0 xA, with a 6 Disc changer, side curtain airbags, auto-dimming mirror illuminated cup holders, fog lights, Scion security and maybe a nice shift knob? My basic reason for posting is that a. I wanted to know how easy shifting is on the xA. I love the sunroof and the only way to get that is to get the RS, and that's only a manual! I don't drive manual! b. How is acceleration? Is it peppy enough for highway driving? and c. Any other problems or things I should know or add on?

Thanks.

auto feels alittle sluggish. but not that bad for a girl car.

your a girll weel cool, i like girls...but uhhh yeah the xA is a great car its handle really well its not peppy but thats not what the cars about, sheeeet im trading in my spec-v for an xA but because i love the way it looks, a nice hatchback with a great motor and tight handling, going fast is way overrated, although i am gonna tune it but having the 'fastes car ' on the track is not my perogative. shifting is pretty easy and this is a good car tyo learn to drive manual....DO NOT get automatic unless you have one arm,...no offensive to the ppl with one arm... manual is the way to go because you get more of a peppy felling....ok there too much alky in my system gnight.

I'll tell you this, driving an xA manual is one of the easiest cars to drive stick in. Much better than a Civic or Sentra, both of which I have driven. It's very easy to learn.

And, don't get an auto. It's much more fun with manual.

RS comes in auto. the only 2 they have down here are auto's, which is why I think they havent sold :). xA is a great manual car to learn in. just remember when starting out that you have to push the clutch in to do everythign :)

I just bought an xA, I've always owned Jeeps that were stick, and one Honda, (CRX Si). The stick I have is very easy to drive, feels very tight (thats good to me), u can always go aftermarket with the sunroof. The automatic I drove made me want to get a stick, u can tach it out to get up those hills, the acceleration seems great for the size motor. As far as problems, the only one was trying to get an xA in stick with the color I wanted, Good Luck :D

I dont know why people complain about auto, its got enough power to zoom past slower traffic. It may not accelerate the fastest from a stop, but you'll eventually catch up and it coasts along nicely at high speeds. Just remember to turn off the o/d when going up a long hill.

i wish the HP were alittle higher, maybe around 130.......

Is it a big deal? I'm not to rough on cars, a lot of highway driving, but I don't race or whatever. My current car is an 03 Nissan Altima. I just want enough power to handle 65-70 and be able to pass other cars.

you can pass cars on the highway without problems, not gonna be as easy as an altima though.........my auto is abit sluggish, so a 5speed maybe your best bet.

My current car is 175 hp...is the 108-175 a huge difference?

Its not really total Horsepower, It's Torque and Power to weight..

What are the xA stats on that?

The xA has a top torque at 4200 RPM. Max RPM about 6500 and that is where the horsepower is. But the operating range for power will be about 3500 to 4500 RPM. No problem getting it there and using the power with the manual transmission, but the automatic does not go where I want it. It works off some electronic brain and picks the RPM it wants. If I for sure want power I switch off overdrive. For economy the automatic runs about 500 RPM slower, when in overdrive, at legal road speed than the manual transmission in 5th gear.

I've heard a stock xA's HP anywhere from 85 to 98 HP at the wheels.
Generally it looks like peak HP happens about 5600-6000 RPMs with Peak Torque from 3600-4200 RPMs.
With a curb weight of 2340Lbs and going off the top end of 98HP this gives you 23.88 Lbs per HP.

The 03 Nissan Altima has a Curb weight of 2983 and a peak HP of 175 this gives you about 17.5lbs per HP

but that is just numbers and mostly doesnt reflect the real world.

Is it better to have more lbs per hp or less?

Is it better to have more lbs per hp or less?
basically thats how may LBS each "horse" has to carry, however I know for a fact my xA is "Peppier" than the Malibu LS that I had for a rental while my xA was in the shop but the Malibu had a similar HP to weight ratio as the Altima

nooooo.....get a tC, unless it's a price issue...this car is awesome! i love my SSM tC, i've had it for almost a month now. but the xA is also nice...i guess that as long as it's a scion and a manual transmission (no offense to auto's) you will kick ___! just do your thing

Asking xA/tC owners to give you reasons why each car is better is just asking for trouble ;) With that, I drove a tC when they came out (about a month before my xA finally came in). I thought the shifting on the xA was smoother, not as choppy as on the tC. As for power, go for the tC if you're seriously concerned. I used to own a '96 Tercel, then a '95 Mitsubishi Galant, and now the '05 xA, and I love it the most. It's quick, light, fun as hell to drive... I don't even care about the power/speed issue, as it holds its own all around.

Thanks y'all, I feel good about the xA now!

let's just say that i just came back from a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back and not once did I feel that my car did not have enough power. i have the xA RS 1.0 and love it to death. The moonroof was a big sell there. The auto dimming mirror i'd think twice about. Lot of money for not all that big a difference. i have an automatic for two reasons. one is living in LA i deal with a lot more stop and go traffic than most other places and i don't have to worry about bad weather, and two it was what the dealer had on the lot at the time. having driven stick previously, i must say that i miss it immensely now but stand by my decision. although, i have been told that the clutch on the manual xA is really easy to learn on... good luck on owning a 1 out of 1550 car...

I just spoke with my dealership.....my Indigo Ink Pearl 2005 Scion xA arrived at the dealership today!!! YAY!!! :D :D :D

But the frikkin TRD parts (short shifter, clutch & muffler) aren't, so I have to wait!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! :x :x :x

He said I can drive it (they have the AEM intake in stock) and come back for the TRDs.

Sorry.....just needed to rant. I hate waiting. :( :( :(

To anyone thinking about getting the xA Release 1.0;

I test drove several vehicles in my search for a reasonably priced econobox. I went with the intention of NOT spending more than 16k-17k (total, taxes, tags, etc.), while getting good fuel economy and a sporty look and feel. The regular xA (while a good car) just seemed like a 1/2 baked Echo (which in a way, it is). Then I test drove the xA Release 1.0 (deciding to give the Scion brand another shot). Needless to say the option package for this car made all the difference. I'm not going on pure looks, I'm talking about the all around feel and "fun factor" as well. Tight suspension, an above average wheel and tire package, and a reasonably nimble motor. Scion essentially added the "base mods" to this car and made it into a daily driver worth owning.

If you're on the fence about getting one, take it from a very satisfied owner, don't wait until they are all gone. And, skip the automatic...this car should have a mandatory 5-Speed :D

-Aaron-

I can have my baby on Thursday (minus the TRD parts for now), but I got to see her today.....she's mighty purrty :lol:

The only thing bad about the RS1 is that it is red and made by Toyota. Which means the paint will be pink by the time the car is 4-5 years old.