I honestly think there are two types of people who own xAs:

-People who really couln't afford anything else (new) and will drive the xA until they can.
-People who can afford lots of other cars, but chose the xA because it's what they wanted.

I fall into the second group. This little car is so much fun to drive, and it's exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a small, inexpensive, dependable car that was good on gas. There are many cars that would fit that description, but the xA has more personality than the average "econo-box" small car. I've done the expensive, loaded-up car thing, and I'm enjoying my xA more than any car I've owned yet. I'll probably keep it for a very long time.

My girlfriend is kind of in between both categories. If a little more $$$ was available, she would have considered a Mazda3 or Subaru Impreza. However, she is very happy with her xA so far.

I wanted it, I needed it and had to have it. Coulda had anything (within reason) but the xA is actually what I wanted since I saw the comercial in my local theatre about a year and a half ago. I finally got mine in August of 04.

my grandfather bought me my car as a graduation present. i'll admit, he's loaded. i chose the xA RS1 because as soon as i saw it on the scion site, i knew i wanted it and i knew it was my car. the prices of these cars arent that high, but they are definitely worth more than what we bought them for!

Both reasons are why this car is so freakin sweet. Its affordable to younger drivers such as myself, durable cause its toyota, original and stylish, and did I mention affordable?

for me it was ether a sequoia or an xb/xa my wife chose th xb
for the practicality the fun to drive and styleing but after driveing and thinking about it the scion made more sense
btw the car i got rid of was an 02 camry v6 xle

I am kinda in both groups. The scion was my first choice to go look at. Iam not a big fan of the xB(dont attack me i like the car but dident want one), so i went right to the xA. walking right past the tC , After i Looked at the sticker and drove the car i knew there wasent an F150 in my future.. and i couldent be happyer .

i chose the xA over the xB...i knew i wanted a Scion but after driving the xA i likes it a little better and was willing to sacrifice the extra room, for a little more fun.

i got mine as my first new car cause its one of my ideal dream cars i'll drive it for a very long long time i'd buy another one too when the time comes... toyota got me to stray away from the new crappy mopars (i'd never dis the classics mopars)

I'm part of the hard core gangsta xA owners from the west side yo

The people who have REAL money, do so because they spend and invest wisely. After doing tons of comparisons, reading nearly everything I could find and test driving. My clear choice was xA. Several guys I work with own Prius' and I was leaning that way but for the difference in price, they will never save that much more in fuel. Same gas engine, same reliable manufacturer, compare the interior dimensions, why spend that extra money on a car that may be harder to sell when the battery pack goes? Paid cash and no regrets!

Coulda paid cash for just about anything on the market... got the xA cause I thought it was cool.... AND IT IS!

I love it as much as anything I've owned. Now, I wasn't exactly planning on the xA... heck I never heard of Scion until the day I bought... but I was buying something that day and I made the right choice.

I'll be the first to pipe up and say that I bought my Scion because it is what I could afford. I was a first-time car buyer, and the Credit Union would only give me a $12,000 loan. That left me with precious few choices: a new Kia, *maybe* a new Hyundai, and whatever I could scrounge up at the local used car dealerships. I've driven a Korean car before, and I will never waste money on one again; and as for used cars, you just don't know what kind of problems you are buying. Fortunately, I had been reading about Scions in Car and Driver since their American debut, so I headed over to the dealership to check one out. xB and tC were too expensive, but I liked the xA better, anyway. I test drove it once, told the dealer to get me one in blue, and handed him a check. I don't regret it one bit.

- Category 3 -

People who want a reliable, low maintanance, tunable, and affordable platform that doesn't shout "ricer" the second people see it.

I love JDM cars so naturally the first time I saw the Ist I instantly knew that I would own one one way or another :D

good question!

I could have bought anything I wanted, but I limited my budget to ~$20,000. I began searching for cars around that price range, and this was the best one I could find, so it's what I bought...in full :) Now I'm driving it until I get a career started, and then I'll probably still drive it and just sell the Integra and buy an NSX.

I'm in the "yet to buy an xA group".
This is for several reasons. Two most important any more seems to be the talk of a new xA coming out, a new Echo, and of course, and more importantly the new Golf V.

group #2. . . and it was a smarter financial move(money saved was invested).

I almost bought a Mazda3 and was super close to gettin an IS300

I thought it would would be fun to start this thread because I figured there were lots of other people out there who were in the same boat as me. People who didn't have to get an xA because it was inexpensive, but who chose an xA because they like them. I actually sold a MUCH more expensive vehicle to get the xA. I had a few good "sensible" reasons for doing it...(put me in a better financial position, xA is better on gas and easier to park..ect), but I also did it because the xA is FUN. I look forward to driving this little car every chance I get. I also figured that those people who got it because it was all they could afford, might feel better about it if they see how many other people could have had lots of other cars, but picked the xA. :)

I bought mine as a second car. Toyota and price were the major factors for my purchase. Add that the XA is an econobox that has just enough style and in the garage it went. I could have bough anything, great second car.

i bought myne cause its lot cheaper then a brand new dodge neon :roll: and the it comes fully loaded too neon does not with the window cranks and other stuff :roll:

group #2. . . and it was a smarter financial move(money saved was invested).

I almost bought a Mazda3 and was super close to gettin an IS300
i think i shouldda got a mazda 3 but too late now i suppose. darn. soo much faster and i couldda got leather too. damn. i still love my xb tho. i just like speed way too god damn

Yeah. . . I don't quite trust Mazda for reliability just yet. That and I have always worked on Toyota cars (and Lexus) and am way more comfortable.

Secondly, the Mazda will likely depreciate like a mother, as well as MUCH higher insurance premiums, and horrible mileage for the type of car I need

I sit in the second group. People that could afford it or another but kinda can't at the same time. I'm looking at all the hop ups for my truck and quad. with those I could buy another xa or get my wife one and keep my toys faster.

cheap & low insurance because its got such a tiny engine and 4 doors :D :D

This car is good for me in this period of my life... its a good thing its slow, because i used to speed way too much!!

someone i know falls into the group of their parents buying it for them.

We will be buying our xA tomorrow. It's the only decent 4-door hatchback than gets 30+ in the city. It's also cheap. I just wish you could get ESC without the RS. The xB doesn't really get 30+ from what I read from posters. It's also loud on the freeway, tinny, and cheap inside. The Prius is way overpriced.

The Mazda 3 gets poor fuel economy, though it is nice.

If fuel economy were no problem, I'd have gotten an RX-8.