It's funny – I keep reading about how some of the car magazines really like the xB but they say the xA is "simply a repackaged Echo with sporty ambitions more likely to become a poor man’s Toyota than a choice pocket rocket," to quote Autoweek.com.

Excuse me, but isn't the xB on the Echo chassis, too? Granted, I haven't driven either car, but aren't they more similar than they are different? I don't get the negativity towards the xA …

just some people haven't gotten the mood of the xA... I love it, it handles great (that's why I chose it over an XRS Matrix even though in Texas I can get both at nearly the same price $1.5k diff), fits people comfortably (unlike my mustang), is a great platform to start performance modifications (light as hell so any power boost you give it will be useful), and looks good (granted beauty in the eye of beholder but especially with the Eibachs the stance on my car I love IT!!!)

i think the xA doesn't get good feed back because it is so small, but you know what you are getting you buy the car. i like them both a lot.

I can care less if auto journalists always seem to give the xA a bad rap. I love my xA and the styling.

auto journalists are just idiots. at first, car and driver was trashing the xB saying it will be an immediate failure, and the only chance scion has is the xA. now they are loving the xB after seeing initial sales results and talking crap about the xA. how about this: can they just pick an opinion and stick with it? geez.

I deal (in the background) with automotive press and if you dont give them a bunch of free stuff and feed them your not going to get a positive review. One guy was mad about getting Mexican food when he expected steak. He was a prick to everybody that day. His review was picky about little things that nobody else even mentioned.

Hey, I like the xA. You can have fun with it when its customized. Dont forget the great price and good gas mileage.

Theres always going to be people that won't like the xA, but for the most part it looks like the public is taking well to the xA.

Yes,it is true that the Scion XA and XB r basically a Toyota Echo.They both share basically the same engine. I know that they share basically the same gas,speed,and tach guages.1 thing they don't share of course is the body styles.

I have the 2006 Consumer Reports Buying Guide as bathroom material and can't get over the fact that the only Toyota/Scion they don't recommend is the xA. I must say that for a hatchback(and that is basically all I have ever owned) the cargo area is small, but, they go on and recommend the ECHO? WTF?

We have both an xA and an xB in the family. They really are the same chassis (very minor differences) and running gear wearing different bodies.

In some ways the xA is the better, much more 'refined' design of the two. The xB is a more 'functional' - a more basic design.

Both are excellent cars, especially for their price in the US.

I'm the xB owner, and while I can recognize how complete and clean a design the xA is (and how well the design is integrated), I must stick with my box - love at first sight.

On the other hand, the xA owner loves her little car, and wouldn't even consider having an xB. :P

I think the 'problem' the trade rags have with the xA is they don't know where it fits. There are many other small, light, efficient cars on the market, and they keep trying to force the xA into the pigeonhole with the others. Problem is, it doesn't quite fit. It's better in some ways (many ways) and worse in others. It's NOT a Kia or Mazda or Honda.

The xB is obviously, at very first glance, in it's own class - there is nothing else on the US market like it. The xA looks more conventional, and they have tremendous difficulty admitting it really is different, and as much a 'class of one' as the xB.

You folks have a very limited production, rather rare vehicle that reflects the personality of those who choose it.

The xA is a good girl, she just needs more love. :)

(Short form: The automotive press just doesn 'get' the xA.)

Tom

http://tijil.org/xAxB01.jpg
Our 'pair.'

since the gas is pretty high over here... I can say that the XA works out pretty good in Gas while other cars suck up sooo much gas... now a days people are looking for an economical car and there is one the XA