View Full Version : Did I buy an old lady car?


stas
02-23-2004, 05:51 PM
Heh, I was stopped twice by older ladies asking me what I was driving... That is the reaction I am getting in NJ (I'm in Cresskill, Bergent County). One asked if this was a mini G500, no joke.

Drove out to NYC yesterday, Greenwich Village... It is funny to watch people react to this box. I didn't get that any thumbs ups, more like stunned looks and raised eyebrows, some people chased the car down the street to look at the make. Not that it matters, I love the box.

DJ_X_Trodinaire
02-23-2004, 05:59 PM
enjoy it before everyone drives one :lol:

Pablo_xB
02-23-2004, 06:08 PM
That's funny! :lol:

satchell77
02-23-2004, 07:02 PM
When i bought my XB a few weeks ago. In the show room was a black cherry and a blue XB with signs on the front ....waiting to be delivered to .... I asked my scion sales person about them and he said they are killing the age curb. The soon to be owners were two ladies ages 69 and 73.

Chris

scionaraxb
02-23-2004, 07:05 PM
tons of old folks in 'em around by me!

jatt
02-23-2004, 07:29 PM
Heh, I was stopped twice by older ladies asking me what I was driving... That is the reaction I am getting in NJ (I'm in Cresskill, Bergent County). One asked if this was a mini G500, no joke.

Drove out to NYC yesterday, Greenwich Village... It is funny to watch people react to this box. I didn't get that any thumbs ups, more like stunned looks and raised eyebrows, some people chased the car down the street to look at the make. Not that it matters, I love the box.

i got that it was g-wagon too. strait pimp yo

qualityscion
02-23-2004, 07:39 PM
When i bought my XB a few weeks ago. In the show room was a black cherry and a blue XB with signs on the front ....waiting to be delivered to .... I asked my scion sales person about them and he said they are killing the age curb. The soon to be owners were two ladies ages 69 and 73.

Chris


I hate it when the age curve gets skewd. :shock: :shock: I did it. They just had to have it. :cry: :cry:

silkywilson
02-23-2004, 07:44 PM
Speaking of the G500s I do some work with a rather well of family down here and the guys two daughters both drive G500s black.. and I went by the office the other day and parked my black xB between both of them...now that was one od sight.. looks like they had a baby Gwagon.. actualy one of those Gs is a AMG and its friggin nice..

SciJen
02-23-2004, 08:38 PM
When I went to the dealership to test drive the xB, I had to wait for an old couple to get through test driving it... I never would have thought that it would appeal to them! :?:

George
02-23-2004, 09:19 PM
When I went to the dealership to test drive the xB, I had to wait for an old couple to get through test driving it... I never would have thought that it would appeal to them! :?:

Strip away the hip-hop advertising BS and what is an xB? It's a well-made, but cheap little econobox that is easy to get in and out of, easy to park, and economical to drive. Just the thing for the Sun City set, particularly those on fixed incomes!

The thing that I find reallly amusing is that all the Gen-Y folk seem to have bought the advertising hook, line, and sinker, thinking that the xB was built _just_ for you! :)

George

Love_My_Hotbox
02-23-2004, 11:45 PM
No hatin' on the seniors! If they got love for the box, let's all respect that. My grandma is cool. She loves it. She's a very tiny woman and can't move very quickly and she has trouble just stepping onto a curb. So when I took her for a spin, she loved how she had no trouble at all getting in and out of the box. If she wasn't getting a little too old to drive, I think she would get one.

Max2k
02-24-2004, 02:53 AM
Let's face it: the xb was designed and built to be a car for the younger set. This isn't to say that older people shouldn't drive it, but nobody selling to the general public includes purple interior lighting as an option (along with lots of other tuner-esque stuff standard, i.e. the semi-clear tail lights).

There's a reason the engine in this thing is small: so kids' parents won't be worried about their kids drag racing in muscle cars. There's also a reason for the lack of luxury features: keeping the price low enough so your average burger flipper will be able to afford the payments (alternately, it's a pretty nice car for the sweet sixteen present, without a really big price tag).

The reasons why the older set likes the xb are the same reasons the kids like 'em: they're practical, stylish, and not too fast (the parents like this part at least). The last point is extremely important- when was the last time you spotted gramps at the drag strip?

Yes, the scion is extraordinarily well marketed to kids. Look at the promotional magazine covers; they hired an internationally respected graffiti writer to do one, and the rest are extremely slick.

Why are they doing this? Because toyota knows that if a teenager wants something bad enough, they're probably going to get it. Thats why the engine is small (the parents are the ones with the money). That's why the le parkour ads are shown. That's why the LED lights are avaliable.

Toyota also wants to build brand loyalty, so kids will come back to them when they get older and start buying family cars.

jjp
02-24-2004, 07:02 AM
I guess your parents are buying you an xB eh? It does seem like a car parents would't mind having their kids drive. In fact, a friend of my Girlfriend had his mom buy an xB for him and a v6 camry for herself... she eventually took the xB away and gave him the Camry because she liked the scion more. LOL!


I agree with George, strip away the advertising and Toyota's efforts to bring aftermarket modification to a happy-homogenous-corporate-ordained locus, and the xB would appear to be geared for an older crowd in th US market.

XION
02-24-2004, 08:44 AM
I stole my xb from an old lady. I found a gilligan hat and a pair of sunglasses that fit over my eyeglasses in the glove box. It had a few dope mods including an "always on" blinker (left side, in my case) and a dvd player mounted in the dash that plays a continuous loop of these 2 kids playing in a sandbox (I am assuming grandkids). One problem, and I could use some suggestions here; when I pulled her out of the car I accidentally ripped the mothball air freshener off the rearview and it dropped into a vent. Frickin car reeks! Lil' help?

foxSCION
02-24-2004, 11:20 AM
Speaking of the G500s I do some work with a rather well of family down here and the guys two daughters both drive G500s black.. and I went by the office the other day and parked my black xB between both of them...now that was one od sight.. looks like they had a baby Gwagon.. actualy one of those Gs is a AMG and its friggin nice..

Try to get a pic next time...LOL

George
02-24-2004, 03:38 PM
Let's face it: the xb was designed and built to be a car for the younger set. This isn't to say that older people shouldn't drive it, but nobody selling to the general public includes purple interior lighting as an option (along with lots of other tuner-esque stuff standard, i.e. the semi-clear tail lights).

Those clear taillights are also popping up on pedestrian Chevys and Mercurys, too. The "tuners" are busily making red overlays for the xB! Nobody is every satisfied with the status quo. :)

All of the "bling" accessories for the Scions are port- or dealer- installed. It's likely that none of the stuff was designed by the engineers that designed the car.

The one thing that might turn the seniors off on the xB is that it rides rough as a cob. Other than that, it's the perfect car for the senior lifestyle.

njbox
02-24-2004, 03:39 PM
Stas wrote:

Drove out to NYC yesterday, Greenwich Village... It is funny to watch people react to this box. I didn't get that any thumbs ups, more like stunned looks and raised eyebrows, some people chased the car down the street to look at the make. Not that it matters, I love the box.


I was all over the NYC from Soho to Midtown on sunday...same reactions

dulcimoo
02-24-2004, 04:28 PM
[quote=Max2k]

The one thing that might turn the seniors off on the xB is that it rides rough as a cob. Other than that, it's the perfect car for the senior lifestyle.

Yah ... that is why MOMCO will not be gettin one. Needs to have a "cush" ride option.

215scion
02-24-2004, 05:17 PM
Heh, I was stopped twice by older ladies asking me what I was driving... That is the reaction I am getting in NJ (I'm in Cresskill, Bergent County). One asked if this was a mini G500, no joke.

Drove out to NYC yesterday, Greenwich Village... It is funny to watch people react to this box. I didn't get that any thumbs ups, more like stunned looks and raised eyebrows, some people chased the car down the street to look at the make. Not that it matters, I love the box.



enjoy it while it lasts thats the way it used to be here in cali now they are everywhere !

BobBy
02-24-2004, 05:21 PM
Heh, I was stopped twice by older ladies asking me what I was driving... That is the reaction I am getting in NJ (I'm in Cresskill, Bergent County). One asked if this was a mini G500, no joke.

:lol:

Hell no, you didn't buy an old lady car!

I just finalized my xB purchase today (although financing a portion of it)! I can't wait to get it this weekend and hit the streets!

I'm living between Haworth and Bergenfield and until arriving at school this morning, after finalizing the deal, I had never seen an xB in our area. When I got to school, Bergen Community College, I saw a white xB parked in the lot! I was disappointed for a split second, but then it clicked in. I have one, too! Only difference is, the one I bought is MINE!

I was suprised to see your post, seeing that you live smack in the middle of the two towns I drift between. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the road, congrats on your purchase!

Bergen County taking over! We're going to have to start our own Scion Club! :D

stas
02-24-2004, 07:34 PM
Heh, I was stopped twice by older ladies asking me what I was driving... That is the reaction I am getting in NJ (I'm in Cresskill, Bergent County). One asked if this was a mini G500, no joke.

:lol:

I was suprised to see your post, seeing that you live smack in the middle of the two towns I drift between. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the road, congrats on your purchase!

Bergen County taking over! We're going to have to start our own Scion Club! :D

Heh... well, I usually park by the court near Tenafly PD... let set up a race :D

I also have a GTI 1.8T and a 528 wagon - the box is slowest, but right now it's the funnest. Although I haven't taken it past 3K RPM yet... only 200miles on it. BTW, I get a lot of looks from chicks in Newe Beetles, too bad I am married1

BobBy
02-25-2004, 05:10 AM
I'd be a bit worried about racing you, seeing that you park next to the Tenafly PD. :wink:

softrider
03-05-2004, 04:58 AM
History repeats itself. Originally the PT Cruiser was also targeted towards the Gen Y crowd. But because of its retro look and practicality, the majority of the buyers were baby boomers.

Here on the East Coast, there are limitations on how we can modify the xB due to the road conditions. After one week, I'm having second thoughts about getting 17in alloy wheels since I know that it the lower profile tires will only make an already harsh ride even harsher. As for lowering--forget about it.

I wonder if anyone has considered the advantages of 14in wheels with a high profile tire?

Hennob
03-05-2004, 11:12 AM
All of the "bling" accessories for the Scions are port- or dealer- installed. It's likely that none of the stuff was designed by the engineers that designed the car.

True, most of the "bling" is port or dealer installed, but when we install anything here at the port it is ALL approved by TMS (Toyota Motor Sales) We can't install any type of accessories on ANYTHING without first having approval and STRICT guidelines from TMS.

But... with the main target being the younger crowd, I'm sure this car was designed so that it could easily be accessorized. Atleast, that's what I would think. It would make more sense. ;)

superjeer
03-05-2004, 11:34 AM
History repeats itself. Originally the PT Cruiser was also targeted towards the Gen Y crowd. But because of its retro look and practicality, the majority of the buyers were baby boomers.

Here on the East Coast, there are limitations on how we can modify the xB due to the road conditions. After one week, I'm having second thoughts about getting 17in alloy wheels since I know that it the lower profile tires will only make an already harsh ride even harsher. As for lowering--forget about it.

I wonder if anyone has considered the advantages of 14in wheels with a high profile tire?

LEts hope that the xB remains cool for more than 6 months. :)

I'm on the east coast too.. I still got the goldlines, but I opted for 16" rims. HAVE to get some rubber between the gaping holes in the road and the rims. The goldlines are supposed to drive smoother than stock.

ON topic: The day we got our cherry, I drove it to autozone to get the floor mats and a young guy in there was all excited.. because his GRAMMA wants one but doesn't know where to get one. I punched him in the gut and stole the floor mats.