Hey guys(and gals). I'm currently driving a beat up 1990 Toyota Tercel. Between both my younger brothers, they have sold me on Toyota. This car has been taken offroading like crazy(and it's stock), and he couldn't make it stop running. My other brother rolled his Corolla and took that thing offroading many times(again stock) and they still couldn't kill them. So i've been sold on Toyota. If you can beat the crap out of a car and have it refuse to die, then imagine how well it'll work if you take care of it.

So anyhow, a couple months ago a friend told me that the Scion was made by Toyota(they didn't get them in my area until 6 months ago, and I didn't know this). So I was sold. I've been eyeing the xA since I've read some things about it, and last night I finally took one for a test drive. There was still some snow on a few of the roads from the recent storm, which is a big part of what counts. Since I live in Maine, poor road conditions are a big deciding factor in what new car I get. The xA seems to be a great price and already has lots of great features I'd have to pay more for, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get it. It's comfortable, a smooth ride, and the ___ end doesn't slide around corners like my Tercel. That little thing is so light that snow just sends the tail sideways when I corner, even at low speeds.

So anyhow, I have a few questions. The first being, are there any quirks about this machine I should know about? I've been perusing the front page, but I haven't seen anything in particular that stood out.

Also, I want a skid plate, but the dealer says they are not available so I guess somebody will have to custom make one for me huh? I suppose I could do that. I was just really hoping for one to be available given all the sportier accessories they have available. With Maine roads, a skid plate to protect the exhaust and other components is a must. Anyone know how much something like that usually runs for someone to make?

Also, I hear that snow and stuff flies up from the back tires regularly. The mudguards are about $105 I think. Is that for all four tires or just the rear ones? I don't neccesarily like the looks of them, but I HATE slush building up on the fender and then freezing into a chunk of ice that I have to try to kick off so it doesn't wear on the tires. Would the mudguards help protect this, or would the slush just build up on those and cause the same problems? I'm sure anyone in snowy areas knows what I'm talking about.

Another question... I prefer to drive a standard, but was going to get an auto for cruise until I found out cruise wasn't an option(and I think it should be). So I'm back to a standard. The thing is, this is Maine. It gets freaking cold in the winter, and when I'm only going on a 10 minute drive, it's a pain to have to wait for the car to warm up after going out and starting it, so I'm gonna need to get a remote starter installed. They said they don't do it on a standard because they can't bypass the clutch. Is this just legal BS so they don't get sued if I'm stupid? If that's the case, CAN the clutch be bypassed so I can install a remote starter and just leave my car in neutral with the handbrake on in the winter? One of the biggest things I want with a new car is remote starting, but I prefer to drive stick for the added control. Somebody please tell me the clutch can actually be bypassed and that was just legal BS so I don't sue them.

Oh, and how well does this car handle really bumpy roads. My fiance lives in an area with really crappy roads, especially with the frost heaves in the winter. I need to know that the suspension in this car isn't going to wear outin just a year or two.

Overall, I think this is going to be a great car for me, and so far I've liked what I've seen out of Toyota, but I just wanted to make sure that if there's anything I should really know about the car, then I'll know it before buying it, instead of after.

Ooh! One last question. How's the heat work on the floor? I've found that many cars don't heat well on the floor even if you set it to floor heat. Is this a problem with the Scion, or is the heating good whichever way I put it?

Hi and welcome to the forum!
First of all, let me say that you are considering a great car. I live in PA, and although it doesn't get quite as cold as Maine, it does get cold. And we get snow too. I really couldn't be any happier with my car.
The Scion xA is a Toyota (in Japan, it's the Toyota ist) so you know it's made well.
I wouldn't know about a skid plate. Maybe a custom metal fabricating shop?

It does go really well in the snow. I upgraded to 16" rims and a good all-season peformance tire. I haven't had a single problem with the car in the two months I've owned it. Everything seems solid and right.

The car does come with the front mudguards already on, but if you want the rear set, they are $108 like you said. That's crazy, but it's what they want for them.

I don't think you can install remote start on a manual, but I could be wrong. I got the manual and I like it alot.

The heater works great. It takes a while to get warm, but once it does, it's fine.

If you're worried about ride quality or being a miniture snowplow, I wouldn't lower the car. It looks a little better lowered, but it has drawbacks I didn't want to deal with.

Good luck!

The mudguards are about $105 I think.
The dealers all overprice on the parts. There are plenty of scion part sites that offer the mudguards for $50. The only purpose they serve is to protect the rear bumper from debris thrown by your tires. Recommended if you have aftermarket tires and rims, and if you drive a polar white xa :P

CAN the clutch be bypassed so I can install a remote starter and just leave my car in neutral with the handbrake on in the winter?
Yes, you can. I have one in my car =P Very useful for those cold mornings when you want to warm up in a pre toasted car ^.^ I would recommend bringing it in to a reputable audio shop and have them install it for you rather then doing it at a dealer (though they probably wouldn't)

Oh, and how well does this car handle really bumpy roads.
The suspension is more sport oriented compared to other cars in it's class. You'll feel the bumps, but hey~ It's a Toyota :P

How's the heat work on the floor?
The floor heat works great, no problems here. The rear passenger seats also have floor heater FYI ~

Overall, the xA is a great little car. Everyone that I know who own's one loves it to death ^.^

Cruise control is a port or dealer option. I can see no reason why it cannot be installed with the manual transmission. It costs $185 to $190 from Rostra factory authorized distributors so is much less expensive as a self install. Dealers, I have read, charge as much as $500 for installed cruise control. I think my dealer wanted $350 for cruise. It seems that the cruise control installed by the port in the South is the Rostra xA/xB version.

http://www.rostra.com/cruise-control.htm

The automatic transmission works OK. I am having difficulty adjusting to the vehicle brain control of throttle and shift on acceleration from a stop. My old auto F150 was never like this.

The ride is stiff. Just the thing for the boonies if one can find boonies which will work with such a low slung vehicle. I have no idea how well the xA will hold up on really rough roads. Personally I would go for something more rugged such as the HumVee for really rough roads. There are strut tower reinforcement bars available for front and rear and reinforcement units for the bottom front. Such reinforcement might be a good idea for washboard roads at speed.

I read a lot about the desirability of snow tires for this car in snow country. The stock tires are not great in snow and are really noisy. They handle OK for me on dry pavement.

In reality, the xA and xB are Third Generation Tercels... It's like our heritage, of course they've been improved...

for notes on the car, see my post in "My xA notes - Buying, Driving in Los Angeles".

Anyways, everything about the car is generally fine - it's a good city commuter.

Only noted bad things:
1) Gas milage on auto trans is <30 mpg for me and nowhere near the 38mpg on the sticker.

2) The ride on smooth streets is dreamy; on anything slightly bumpy, felt; on moderately bumpy roads, go get a new stomach and spine because this baby hops, rocks and bounces about like a fresh hot popcorn. Baby looks semi SUV because they designed it that way,but in reality, the target roads were the smooth Tokyo roads & freeways.

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Anyways w/o the mudflaps in back, the baby kicks up rain and dust like crazy. You'll be washing just that section far more often than the rest of the car.

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Underside? They've got a box and exposed lines under the rear seats, so don't expect this baby to survive anything rocky w/o serious protection. Wish they designed it to be more SUV tough....

MPG sucks on the auto. small interior.........slow to get on the freeway. other than that you got a decent car!! lol

In reality, the xA and xB are Third Generation Tercels... It's like our heritage, of course they've been improved...

I thought it seemed a lot like my Tercel. A lot of things in the interior reminded me of my Tercel, namely the heating vents. The dealer also told me it has the same engine, which I certainly don't mind at all. :)

Ok, so it's a little rough on bumpy roads? Well, my Tercel bounces all over the place on bumpy roads too, so it's nothing I'm not used to. My big concern is just wear and tear on the car really. I'm not worried about wear and tear on me. :)

So, I should get the mudguards on the back huh? Well, I'm already spending $13k... what's another $100 to have them already installed? I'm lazy...doh!

So, auto transmission is nothing like what the sticker says as far as mileage goes huh? Hrmm.... Well, I really want this car for the mileage plus the roominess inside. I feel like I"m up off the ground when I drive it, but I don't feel like I'm in something huge either. I think I'm going to like it.

I suppose I should go give it another test drive when I have the time and take it on some of those rougher roads where I would be travelling frequently. Even some of the roads in town need work. This is Maine after all.

So, some good all weather tires for the winter are something I should invest in? That's quite alright with me. I'm buying the car in the summer, so I don't mind putting some good tires on it for winter. After all, tires are the most important part of a car. They are the ONLY thing touching the road. Many people don't understand that though.

Are Yokohamas good on the xA? I've used Yokos on a couple of lightweight fuel efficient cars in the past, and they have held up very well on these streets. They really seemed to work on the road. They got poor reviews with mini-vans though, and with the xA probably between the two, I'm not sure how they are.

Anyone have Yokohamas on their xA?

The xA is NOT a mini van, It is NOT an SUV, It's an Economy car, It's an Echo with a better bodystyle.
The Echo is 10 inches longer than the xA, other than that every other external Dimension is within 1 Inch +/- of the xA.
The xA weighs about 300 lbs more. I think the extra weight helps it feel more grounded than my Echo did.
That being said. I don't know alot about tires but I had Yoko's on my Echo and loved them.

The "Box" and exposed wires are underneath the spare tire well, the only way anything is going to even come close to touching it is if A>you back into something and it goes right through your bumper, or B> you reach up under there and touch it.

I've had my xa stuck in the mud up to the bumpers (dont ask) and when I was cleaning up I spent about 1 hour underneath the car on a lift. Everything is very waterproof and tight.
On a side note the brakelines are all metal pipe almost the entire length except the last 6 inches or so before the brakes

Fuel mileage will vary from car to car and driver to driver, I've had an average MPG as low as 29 when I do alot of stop and go traffic, and as high as 40 on long highway trips.

I love my xA, I know it has a few things that I wish were different but overall its a wonderful car. I was going to replace my wrecked Echo with another Echo till I saw the xA.

Please dont be offended, I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just thought I would clear up some stuff that I keep hearing that isn't entirely true.

I know it's not a minivan. It's just heavier than most economy cars, which is where my concern was.

If Yokos worked fine on your Echo, then I'm sure they'll be fine for this too.

I think I've decided against a skid plate at this point. It would be too costly and too much of a pain to get one custom made.

I do know though that I want a standard, and I'll have to get remote start with it being so damn cold up here. I'll have to find someplace that will do it I suppose. I just don't know of any good places locally. I'll have to ask some friends I guess.

What would you be looking to protect with a skid plate? If it's just the front where you have the plastic underbody shield, they have aluminum underbody plates avail(look in the parts section)

Well, I haven't really looked at the underside of the car with me not wanting to crawl around in the snow, but my concern is protecting the exhaust system from damage since exhaust work isn't cheap.

i thought the xA automatic had good acceleration for getting on the freeway and such. i had a loaner one for a day and it accelerated great, got to 100 no problem. unlike the nissan sentra's i always get from enterprise

Just off the top of my head the Exhaust is pretty well tucked up under there. Nothing is 100% but I think you are more likely to get a hole in your floor pan than your muffler.

On a side note, What economy cars are you talking about? I know for a fact that the xA is lighter than a Mini, I also know it's heavier than a Miata but so is every other car on the road...
I always kind of thought the xA is right in the middle of it's weight class.

I guess it just felt a little heavier the way it handled. It didn't slide its ___ end all over like other cars I've driven. The ones I'm most experienced with are my current 90 Tercel, a 91 Pontiac Le Mans that I once owned, and a Pontiac Sunbird that I owned once upon a time.

It's probably just that it feels heavier because it holds onto the road like it's supposed to.