Here’s a question for the group… if the xA and xB are built off the Toyota Echo platform and share the SAME engine and transmission, why is the Echo’s mileage and performance rating so different from the xB? Just because it’s 345 lbs lighter?

What bugs me most is that Consumer Reports (who gave the xB great reviews)
said that the Echo's "engine provided spirited performance"
but the xB's "engine delivers poky performance"
:question:
Here is the "technicial" data from the Edmunds.com “Comparator”
Speed-data from: http://www.autos.com/autos/passenger_cars/compact_cars/acceleration

Car...................................ECHO.................xA..............................xB
Engine:............................1.5L 4cyl...........1.5L 4cyl.................1.5L 4cyl
Power:.............................108 HP...............108 HP...................108 HP
Transmission:................4 speed auto.......4 speed auto...........4 speed auto
Body Type:.....................4dr Sedan...........4dr Hatchback........4dr Wagon
Accel- ( 0 - 60 mph ).....8.8 secs.............9.1 sec.....................9.2 sec
Braking (60 - 0 mph)......N/A.....................23.55 ft....................N/A
Turning Circle:................32.8 ft.................34.8 ft......................36 ft.
Max. Cargo:.....................14 cu. Ft.............33 cu. ft...................43 cu. ft.
MPG-City.........................33 mpg...............31 mpg....................30 mpg.
Highway:...........................38 mpg...............35 mpg...................34 mpg.
Fuel Tank Capacity..........11.9 gal..............11.9 gal..................11.9 gal.
Length:..............................164.8 in..............154.1 in.................155.3 in.
Width..................................65.4 in.................66.7 in..................66.5 in.
Height................................59.4 in.................60.2 in..................64.6 in.
Weight................................2105 lbs.............2380 lbs...............2450 lbs.
Wheel Base........................93.3 in.................93.3 in..................98.4 in.
Ground Clearance.............4.7 in....................5.7 in...................6.1 in.

8)

Weight................................2105 lbs.............2380 lbs...............2450 lbs.

weight helps and shape of the car

also gear ratios. especially final drive

also base cost and base features and base everything missin

good wite up though. i didnt know the Echo was that light. now only if they made something like the Neon ACR

nice stats ... good stuff to know.. yeah the xb needs a diet... I'm thinking how to reduce weight...

remove spare tire?
lighter wheels?
I thnk someone said the stock batt was pretty heavy too.

oh yeah.. we also meet a lot of wind resistance due to the shape of the xB.. that cuts down on our performance some too

23.55ft 60-0 on the xA? Insurance rates must be nearly non-existant on that thing. ;)

i find it odd that the xb has the most ground clearance

the echo has no cargo space by comparison, thats sad.

I've Owned both an Echo and an xA and the xA is a bit Peppier on accleration,(dunno how they got a 0-60 less than an Echo...) as well as had ALOT less bodyroll in high speed corners, I think the reason they said the xb was Pokey is the final gear ratio makes it seem the xB is working harder at the same speed than the Echo

The whole thing can be summed up with "weight, aerodynamics, final drive ratio".

The Scions are porkier than the Echo, so Toyota gave them a (numerically) higher final drive ratio to improve off-the-line performance, which is the performance characteristic most perceived by drivers.

The combination of higher final drive ratio and bricklike aerodynamics hurts mileage and top speed.

Now, things would have been better if the xB was given different 1st-4th transmission gearsets to keep things peppier while maintaining the tall cruising ratio of the Echo, but it's a lot cheaper to replace one ring-and-pinion than it is four tranny gearsets.

The Scions also have much stiffer suspensions to keep those low-hanging skirts off the ground, which can help handling at the expense of sore kidneys after a long drive on rough roads.

So, I know nothing about manual transmissions, but are the gears swappable with an echo's manual transmission? I sure would like a taller 5th gear on the highway. One thru four are ok.

I'd like taller gears too, both for mileage and to eliminate that "shift in the middle of making a right turn" nonsense.

The Scion gearsets (1st through 5th) are the same as the Echo, but the final drive gears are different. I have no direct knowledge, but the gears and transmissions are probably swappable. However, the cost of pulling the transmission and swapping the gears would probably be more than that of simply buying an Echo transmission from a wrecking yard and installing it.

Perhaps someone with access to a parts book could enlighten us!

George

i find it odd that the xb has the most ground clearance

Add another 1" and you are very close to the (average) minimum ground clearance
(about 7") for an SUV. Very interesting. :ponder: