wsup everyone, hopefully the people here can help me out with my questions about the xB. i recently went to a scion dealership and test drove the tC hoping thatll be the car that ill soon be getting but the headroom is kinda too small for me. im about 6' 2" and i had to hunch over to drive, ppl were staring like what the hell. neways, just wanted to know if the 108hp on an automatic xB is enough for some passing power and daily freeway and local driving. seems like the cars pretty light at 2450 lbs but that 108hp is makin me worry. thanks to everyone who read this. peace

freeway & street you're cool to drive, but you might get mad @ the power to pass people. Dont get me wrong there some cars out there you can pass on the street or freeway, but you could have problems passing certain cars.

Kind of depends on what you are used to driving. The xb has passing power IMO because I'm used to driving a early 90's nissan truck, so it's about the same and I'm used to not having much acceleration.

I don't have a problem passing people at all in my box. I have an automatic and I just punch it - the RPM's go up to about 5000 and it is fine. In my opinion, the xB just doesn't WANT to go fast - but it will if you force it to - of course I don't get the gas mileage as some people on here do!!!

Oh, my DH is 6'4" and he has TONS of head and leg room even in the back.

I traded in a 99 accord coupe with the V6 for my xB and the hp is half of what I use to have.... I realize this though and drive accordingly. You might want to get a manual at any rate just to feel the car. I know there are times I want to shift, but the AT tells me to wait for it. :no:

Passing in town for me is pretty decent with the average car ahead. ON the freeway it takes a little momentum and room. Ya just kind of build some speed and drive on by. I have a manual trans and am very happy with it. If your looking for something thats great transportation the XB is awsome ! But if your kind of a speed hound forget it. TEST DRIVE ! You'll know what to do ...

Kind of depends on what you are used to driving. The xb has passing power IMO because I'm used to driving a early 90's nissan truck, so it's about the same and I'm used to not having much acceleration.

word. I had an early 90's Isuzu, so I dig the xB.

I have a 5 spd and an Injen intake in the box - plus, I've had people I wanna pass slow a little just so I could pass them and they could scope my ride.

I find the performance of the auto xB quite adequate.

True, it takes some forethough and planning sometimes, but that's part of the 'charm' of driving the vehicle.

Heck, way back when I had a '57 Porsche Speedster, my MG's, my Volvo P122, or my Honda Z600 coupe I had to do that sort of driving.

(Yes, even in the Porsche - the 'normal' Speedster was only 60 HP...)

http://tijil.org/speedster06.jpg

it might be a bit scary on the freeways if its windy... like it could topple over but otherwise the xb is ok for passin cars. you just gotta plan it out since it really doesnt have much acceleration
going 100 on the 118 was easy for me

The power is more than adequate for the average driver I think. A good test is driving up I-17 here in Arizona. It's a rural highway, 75 mph speed limits, you climb 4000 feet in a few miles with lots of steady uphill grades. Plenty of giant V8 SUV driving fools here blast up hill and I'm usually right behind them in the fast lane. It takes everything the car has to maintain 80+ mph with a full load of passengers in it, but the fact it can even do that, much less in 5th gear most of the time, really impresses me. Plenty of lesser vehicles struggle in the slow lane on that road and not all of them are old beaters.

However, if you are an aggressive driver used to having spades of torque on tap from idle, then I can see how it could be frustrating to drive. For example, if you're the guy who is always driving the fastest down the road and you feel the need to swerve around someone going the speed limit and flex past them then this is not the car for you. Get something with a V6.

But if you are a typical driver you'll have no trouble. The 5 speed at least, can reach over 100 mph and maintain it quite easily, even on a slight incline. 0-60 for the manual is about 9.5 seconds, which is about average across the board and faster than many SUV's, including the H2.

Side winds affect the car at speed, but not as much as you might think from how it looks. A lowered suspension and/or wider tires will help this noticably, but it's never so much a problem as to be dangerous, it's more of a minor nuisance than anything.

I recently bought a box and I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with the motor. It certainly helps that it's dragging around less than 2500 pounds.

The motor is very flexible, and I do not feel the need to downshift to accelerate. It seems like it has a broad power band compared to my 98 Civic with a peaky motor that maks more noise than power at less than 4000 rpm.

-Justin