im sorry.. but i dislike it when people compare the scion with other cars.. to be straightforward.. in my opinion.. if you are considering in buying a civic or an echo.. then go buy the civic or the echo..
scion was created to attract a young and older age group. my purpose for buying my ssm xa was simply because.. its unique.. Of course with 16000 dollars, i could have bought the 240 sx ive always wanted or the 93 prelude vtec that ive been searching for..
i bought the xa because it was unique.. many drivers believe it is ugly are too boxy or weird.. if you dont like the looks.. then dont buy it.. if you dont like how it sits.. dont buy it..
but if you're looking for a fuel economical, unique, which is quick.. then go for it.. the scion is not the best looking vehicle.. i'll admit that.. but it is moving up and it is attracting many people.. hell you guys are here because you love your scion.
The cars may not be the fastest in regards to numbers but with its short gearbox, it is just as fast as many other cars with 20 more hp than it. I'll let you know that civics are quicker but they have a longer gear box, which wont be that great when coming up against "us".
So if you want to be a different and have a new, nice (IMO) looking car.. then get your damn scion already and join the rest of us..


so what was your reason? :P

there is nothing wrong with comparing any of these cars to the competitor, because of all the features and specs sometimes people get overboard and compare them to other cars, competition is very important and to buy something without comparing it actually pretty stupid. so for all you cry babies lay off the people who compare the tC, xB, xA to all the cars they like, it's competition and people like to know how their car compares to others. You said that your car was unique, it's unique compared to other cars like the echo, and civic; so technically you are comparing your car to others just like everyone else

When I decided to sell my full-size truck to get a small, economy car, I had several cars in mind: Toyota Corolla, Suzuki Forenza, Suzuki Aerio, Kia Spectra and a few other contenders. I decided on the xA for several reasons.

1. It's a Toyota. Toyota = Quality and reliability

2. Price. I couldn't get any of those other cars for $12,995 with the same stuff.

3. Gas Milage. The Scion xA does WAY better than some of those.

4. Style. Unlike some people, I happen to love the looks of the xA. I think it's cool.

5. Interior room. For a tiny little car, it's amazingly roomy inside.

6. Exterior size. This car is 7" shorter from front to back than a VW Beetle! You can park it anywhere.

7. Driving position. For a small car, I don't feel like I'm sitting on the ground looking up at everyone else.

I had an Echo that I had to trade in due to high mileage and high depreciation due to the mileage. Just about two years old with 55,000 miles... I too was shopping around was considerring the Suzuki Aerio, Chevy Aveo, Mazda 3, the tC and xA. The Aerio and Mazda were a bit out of my price range. (I knew I would have to roll in lots of money from my current loan...) The tC wasn't spacious enough to comfortably fit my tall friends and if I didi buy it it would be the 3rd coupe in my selection of cars... (I have a Trans Am and a Monte Carlo SS) So then it boiled down to the Aveo and xA. I found a Yellow Aveo 5 door with 15" alloy wheels, abs and moonroof. The price was just under the xA RS1. But when I went to see it, I realized why non of the advertising for this car really shows the front end, just different side and rear angle shots... The darn thing just screams; "Hey I'm a rentel car!" (I have to thank my fiancee Meghan and friend Ricardo for slapping me around a little to point this out to me!) Then it was time to see the xA. (Again, thanks Meghan and Ricardo for waking me up...) For just a little more than the Aveo, I could have 17" alloy wheels, abs, power locks windows etc, better stereo, moonroof, and a limited production car. The red was just as eye catching as the yellow and this car I know would hold its value a lot better than the rycycled Daewoo...! So the decision was made. Then the next task was finding an RS1 with out all the options that I didn't want. The first dealer didn't have one at all. The second tried telling my that the only way to get one was with the $3,900.00+ in extras that were on the one in the showroom. (See review on Clair Toyota-Scion in West Roxbury, MA) And the third dealer had one sitting right in front with just floor mats added to the list. The rest is history... 8)

P.S.
Here are links to my dealer reviews:

Clair:
http://www.scionlife.com/dealers/?dealer=777

Expressway Toyota-Scion in Dorchester, MA:
http://www.scionlife.com/dealers/?dealer=778

Yeah, I'm with reasons 4, 2, 5, 1, 3, and 6. I was also looking at a Mazda3 and a tC, but I needed 4 doors so ixnay on the tC. And for such a basic car, the xA is REALLY fun to drive. It's slow, but the way the car handles is just soo smooth, it puts a pricelss smile on my face. The Mazda felt good, but not as good. I can't really describe it.
Secondly, the xA looks weird, and I love it. The first time I saw an xA, I couldn't stop staring. I held up traffic just to get a better look. And at first I thought to myself, wow, what the heck is it? Then I thought, wow, when do I ever give such a cheap car so much attention? These cars get a lot of attention for such cheap cars. . . the fact that there is commrodarie and waving and smiling and honking at other Scions shows how unique these things are. I'm happy with the car, and even more happy with the ownership experience. Everything from this very forum to free sponsored events like Exprescion and ScionNight at Marine World are things you'll NEVER find with other cars and brands.
The only thing I find myself thinking, is that I really have grown to love the xB (which I used to hate), and the tC gets a special place too. I wish I owned 1 of each.

the scion is not the best looking vehicle.. i'll admit that..

The xA is a great looking car. I havent heard many people call it ugly. Thats more of an xB thing.

Nothing wrong with comparing these vehicles against competitors. People should make an educated decision. It took me 3 months to decide what car I wanted to buy and Scion wasn't even on the list until the very end.

and for what it's worth, I've never heard anyone call the xA ugly, only the xB.

The reason I choose the xB had nothing to do with how it looks. In fact the controversial, attention-getting looks were a slight negative for me, if anything. My decision had everything to do with best meeting my needs. No other small car could match it for passenger room, cargo room and overall value. That's what made the decision for me. The fact I've owned 3 Toyota's prior to this one established my trust in the brand and the quality of their products so I had no problem buying another.

from the first time i was it at the auto show i knew i had to have one

i said what the hell is scion, but they really do have some awsome looking cars though and the next year, i bought one :) think god i had that divorce :crazy: or i wouldn't be able to get my xA

cute car, inexpensive, and rare. Wife loves her! :)

yeah i went to the dallas auto show last febuary and saw the xB on this turning platform. i was like what the hell is that i like it! i went to the dealership the next day and wanted to test drive one. they said sorry you have to be 21 to drive (i was still 3 months from 21). so i talked to the scion guy and he thougth i was just another kid lookin at new cars. when i showed up a week later i brought my uncle. i drove the xA and fell in love. i drove off the lot with it 2 weeks later and i still have the smile on my face.

..i went to the dealership the next day and wanted to test drive one. they said sorry you have to be 21 to drive... Are you serious? I've never heard of that. Is that the case in other states too? Seems pretty stupid to me. As long as you're a lincenced driver and a salesperson rides along, what's the big deal? When I was a teenager living in SC, I used to testdrive new cars all the time.

It may be their insurance company or a policy of the dealership, but it is NOT the law in any state. I don't buy that for a second. Dealers and salesmen lie and lie and lie and lie. That is all they are good at.

i think it was just the dealership or the sales person just thought i was just wasting his time. i went with a friend and we would test drive at other dealerships all the time

funny but true....dad came home from the San Francisco Auto Show with a keychain telling me " this car is made for you. Most rice rocket potential ive seen". So i looked at the brochure and decided why spend 25K for a mini cooper S when i can buy a Scion and make it how i want. So with a lil research i found a dealer. Test drove one night, came back the next rolled off the lot.

My wife and I just bought a polar white 05 xA yesterday. Price was a big factor in choosing the car but more importantly its a car that my wife really liked and was excited about. The style is great and how the seats are set with that feel of being somewhat higher up makes it easy for my small wife to drive comfortably. She hates driving my civic beacause she has trouble being so low. And its just a fun car to drive, more fun than my civic, and with extras the price is still hard to beat.

i dont know if its just me then.. i get alot of comments on how ugly my car is.. but they usually change their mind when they sit in it

i dont know if its just me then.. i get alot of comments on how ugly my car is.. but they usually change their mind when they sit in it

Not me, I get compliments all the time. The only thing I get bad remarks is on how small the car is, but I only get this from typical fat SUV owners :roll:

in terms of interior room, we are on par with most compacts (ie Civic, Corolla, Sentra). But if you compare exterior dimensions or trunk capacity, this is where the xA falls behind.

The xA(Ist) is closer in size/class to the Honda Jazz and Nissan March.

The Civic, Corolla and Sentra are a size/class higher.

in terms of interior room, we are on par with most compacts (ie Civic, Corolla, Sentra). But if you compare exterior dimensions or trunk capacity, this is where the xA falls behind.I don't look at it as falling behind. I look at it as an advantage. The xA is very roomy inside (where it matters), yet is very compact on the outside. That's a real plus for parking and extra garage space.

The xA(Ist) is closer in size/class to the Honda Jazz and Nissan March.

The Civic, Corolla and Sentra are a size/class higher.


that's true.. and i think our cars look better than the jazz and the march.. ive seen the jazz.. and its like a Xa but with a little honda touch in it..

You just cant beat the gauge cluster in the middle like the xA's.. its so convienent =]

The xA(Ist) is closer in size/class to the Honda Jazz and Nissan March.

The Civic, Corolla and Sentra are a size/class higher.


that's true.. and i think our cars look better than the jazz and the march..


I agree! :clap:

i have been staring at that unique body for 4 years now

i never dreamed it would come to the states
they said the same for the beetle, but i work for VW(i should know better)

as to the purchase........
i luckily sold my custom Tacoma to a friend on Friday night and picked up my shiny Blue box on Saturday morning cash in hand
I had ordered it the Tuesday of that week

A real otaku dream come true!

^^^ lol~ Otaku!

The reason I bought mine? I wanted a reliable, daily driver that didn't scream "boring!" everytime I got into it. The xA was the perfect candidate :D

in terms of interior room, we are on par with most compacts (ie Civic, Corolla, Sentra). But if you compare exterior dimensions or trunk capacity, this is where the xA falls behind.I don't look at it as falling behind. I look at it as an advantage. The xA is very roomy inside (where it matters), yet is very compact on the outside. That's a real plus for parking and extra garage space.

the size part I didn't mean in as a negative quality, but the trunk space for sure is behind. . . we don't have any!

The xA(Ist) is closer in size/class to the Honda Jazz and Nissan March.

The Civic, Corolla and Sentra are a size/class higher.

Yes, but you missed the point entirely. I was stating that we have roughly the same interior dimensions as a Civic, Corolla, or Sentra. And yes, they are a higher size/class, so that's a GOOD thing for the xA. Furthermore the Jazz and March aren't available in the US. Many people compare the interior room of an xB to a Ford Explorer. Just because it is a completely different size/class/type, doesn't mean you can't reference it for interior dimension comparisons.

Actually I didn't...I'm certain the xA does not have the interior room of any of those cars. It definitely does NOT have the legroom of the Corolla, especially in the rear. I sat in an xA and felt positively claustrophobic and the back seats are suitable only for children or adults under 5'7" and 150 lbs IMO. The xB is the one with the tiny outside and big inside. The xA is just little bitty all the way. Nothing wrong with that though, if that is what you're looking for.

How were the seats adjusted? I dunno, I'm basing my information off of the figures a bunch of different online sources gave me. . . their measurements were within inches, with the xA exceeding in hip room, I believe. Maybe my memory is off on that one, but I remember it being a big deal when I bought mine. I've had five full adults in my car, with me up front (5'9" @ 220lbs) and my brother (5"8" @ 360lbs, yes 360, he's FAT FAT FAT), my parents in the back, and my 15 year old cousin.

And I've also driven from Sacramento to Las Vegas with 4 people (that's 10 hours of driving). We all made it without a problem.

(in order: F headroom, R headroom, F leg, R Lef, F shoulder, R shoulder, F hip, R hip)

xA:
39.6, 38.8, 41.3, 37.6, 50.9, 50.4, 54.6, 53.4
Civic:
38, 36.3, 42.2, 36, 52.6, 52, 51.2, 49.8
Corolla:
39.1, 37.1, 41.3, 35.4, 53.1, 53.5, 51.9, 46.2

(courtesy of carpoint.com)

xA leads in headroom, has more rear legroom than Corolla, equal front legroom to Corolla, more rear legroom than civic, is within an inch of the Civic for front legroom, Falls behind Civic (by less than 2 inches) for shoulder room (front and rear), and has more hip room (front and rear) than both Civic and Corolla.

Therefore the Corolla is ONLY larger in shoulder room than the xA. The Civic is ONLY larger than the xA in front legroom (not rear) and shoulder room, both by narrow margins.

Are these figures wrong? Maybe. . . you take it up with them. Just do a side by side comparison. Here's an url for what I did (although sometimes a copy paste doesn't work, you can do it yourself, if you don't believe me).
http://autos.msn.com/research/compare/default.aspx?&c=0&n=3&i=0&tb=0&ph1=t0&ph2=t0&dt=1&v=t99381&v=t100060&v=t99003
If these numbers are anywhere near accurate, then you missed my point entirely.

The xA fits all my friends just perfect. They all used to fit in my Echo without a problem thus the xA was the same only easier to get in and out of because my Echo was a two door. However the head room sufferred a little due to the sunroof but at least we're all done growing and getting taller...

Are these figures wrong? Maybe. . . you take it up with them. Just do a side by side comparison. Here's an url for what I did (although sometimes a copy paste doesn't work, you can do it yourself, if you don't believe me).
http://autos.msn.com/research/compare/default.aspx?&c=0&n=3&i=0&tb=0&ph1=t0&ph2=t0&dt=1&v=t99381&v=t100060&v=t99003
If these numbers are anywhere near accurate, then you missed my point entirely.


Wow. I stand corrected then, I guess.

It must be some kind of optical illusion because the xA just felt teeny to me. It might be that I sat in an xB first and the high roof threw me off.

When I went car shopping there, I honestly did not have my heart set on either one. I sat in the xB first, then checked out the xA, because I liked the way it looks better, but it felt scary small to me. I felt a little vulnerable in it like I'd be creamed in an accident. Then I sat in the back seat (which is a big deal for me, I carry passengers frequently) and that ruled it out, it felt really cramped back there to me, I wasn't lacking for legroom, per se, it just felt like there was no extra room (I'm 5' 6" and 175lb +/-)

Anyway, that ruled it out for me personally, but I still love the way the xA looks and the fact that they are pretty rare while xB's seem to be popping up like mushrooms.

Yeah, usually what happens is that people in the front will adjust their seats far back, as to be farther from the dash/windshield, when in fact there is ample legroom to move the seat forward. . . I have this problem. Secondly, the car is small. . . the exterior that is. Honestly I am a bit concerned about it. But in terms of the interior, Toyota did a good job of maximizing the most amount of room (mainly by eliminating the trunk space). I just figured that the VW beetle and the Mini Cooper were similar in size, and that people weren't dying left and right in those vehicles.

Then again, I'm a good driver, so I'm not so worried. Would I recommend an inexperience driver to own an xA. . . probably not. Experience or no, risk is risk. But I can confidently say that this car saved my life, not because of safety equipment or size, but because of maneuverability. I do have TRD springs which probably helped as well. . .

What happened was that I was driving on a 55mph road at 2AM. Some idiot pulled out of a parking lot heading a perpendicular direction, turning left into the lanes heading the opposite direction as me. It was close, but not so close that I had to slow down. Well, there happened to be a Ford Expedition following him who decided to follow the guy ahead without looking. Oops! Now there is a giant SUV in my lane, directly in front of me. The moron sees me and slams the brake. . . and now he is stopped in my lane, and I'm going 55mph. Last second maneuvers, I swerve around him, coming within inches of hitting him ( my friend is a valet parking attendant and was riding in the passenger seat ). I thought I was going to hit him, he thought I was going to hit him. . . it looked like I hit him! My friend parks for a living and knows distances, and both he and I knew it was seriously within inches.
If I had been in any other car in this class, I would be dead now. In fact, had I been driving my Lexus (heavy and slow to maneuver) I'd be dead. 55-60mph going into a t-bone with a stopped Expedition? There is no survivng that. It would take a miracle, in most any car.

But I am a good driver. If I had been a normal driver and had hit the damn SUV, I would have had better chances in a larger vehicle. But with what I am capable of, I escaped both damage and injury.

I sold my WRX and need something to drive to and from school to finish up my 10 year program...lol Drving 100 miles a day in a WRX wasn't cutting it on gas, so i needed something more fuel efficient. My bro bought a Xb so i decided I can't get the same car int he same color, so i found this:












http://www.fabulous.co.jp/domestic_car/toyota/popup/ist/images/04.jpg

Then I said that's what I want.....and with 37 mpg to boot around...that'll be great.

Drving 100 miles a day in a WRX wasn't cutting it on gas, so i needed something more fuel efficient. ....and with 37 mpg to boot around...that'll be great.Just keep in mind that the posted 37 or 38 MPG that Scion puts on the window sticker is with the stock 15" steelies. If you slap a set of 18" chrome wheels on a xA, you won't get anywhere near that.

Drving 100 miles a day in a WRX wasn't cutting it on gas, so i needed something more fuel efficient. ....and with 37 mpg to boot around...that'll be great.Just keep in mind that the posted 37 or 38 MPG that Scion puts on the window sticker is with the stock 15" steelies. If you slap a set of 18" chrome wheels on a xA, you won't get anywhere near that.

well the wrx was suppose to be giving me 25mpg, and with my full kit, stereo system, and the 18's work wheels, i was getting noware near 25mpg. I was getting in the ball park of 19mpg. so even if I get 30mpg, I'm happy.

Ron

Drving 100 miles a day in a WRX wasn't cutting it on gas, so i needed something more fuel efficient. ....and with 37 mpg to boot around...that'll be great.Just keep in mind that the posted 37 or 38 MPG that Scion puts on the window sticker is with the stock 15" steelies. If you slap a set of 18" chrome wheels on a xA, you won't get anywhere near that.
well the wrx was suppose to be giving me 25mpg, and with my full kit, stereo system, and the 18's work wheels, i was getting noware near 25mpg. I was getting in the ball park of 19mpg. so even if I get 30mpg, I'm happy.
Yeah, that's true. Some mods may lower the MPG, but if you start out with a car that gets great milage, it's better than starting with a car that doesn't.

I saw the XB in a magazine before they were even released, and I said I have to have one. Then I saw some body kits for the XA and I said I need that one instead. I love getting in my little car.