peestandingup

Im gonna reserve total judgment until they actually unveil the xB2, but I must say, so far im not really liking this "new" model too much.

It seems like Scion/Toyota is holding on too tight from the last xB. The new one isnt THAT much different looking in shape than the old one. Its different yes, but its not crazy different like the original was for its time. Remember when you first saw the xB1? Remember how you said "Damn, now THATS different!" Im just not getting that same feeling here when I look at the sketches + spy shots.

For them to totally scrap the xA & leave the xB name intact shows that Toyota has lost some *****. They didnt wanna rock the boat again like with the first one, hence the reason they made it the xB part 2. If you are going to remake the xA into something totally different with a totally different name/body, then do that with your entire product line. Dont give us a "remastered" version of the current xB. Go crazy, do something totally different like you did before. I actually liked the T2B concept. They could have done that up right & made it shine. It was the same basic concept as xB1, but pretty different & unlike anything else on the road.

I mean, I think they could have followed the same basic rules as with the first xB, but develop something very different that make us all say "WOW, they did it again! Check out that crazy looking thing. I GOT to get me one!" Instead, they seemed like they punked out & took the safe road. Doesnt that go against everything Scion stands for?? Isnt that why they existed in the first place, to be different & buck the system??

Like I said, im not gonna judge it too much until we all see the actual product in all its glory, but so far, im not impressed. Am I the only one??

SquallLHeart

we all have our opinions..

i for one see it very differently... no punking out.. but renovating and improving on a known symbol of the scion brand and making it better.

this is the first step of scion being it's truely own unique line of vehicles...

no bringing over vehicles and just rebadging them.. but a stylish new design.. (granted there's always going to be similarities to other vehicles)

but whatever.. we'll see in a few days

Tomas

I believe the xB2 we saw in Miami is going to be another winner for Scion, though it may attract a slightly different audience than the xB Classic. With the slightly lower roof line, wider stance, longer body, more curves, more sophisticated chassis, larger engine, more complex interior it leans strongly toward it feeling more like a tC station wagon than anything else. The "feel" is different.

When I got my first glimpse of the tail end of the original xB commercial, my immediate comment was "I want one! What is it?"

I didn't feel that strong an attraction to the xB2. It's a nice machine, but not exciting to me like the box.

My only real objection to it is they are calling the new one an xB. It may be replacing the xB, but it is NOT an xB...

Tom

CBSIMONSEZ

Lets not loose sight that Scion is all about being on the cutting edge of what the younger buying market wants. Scion intailly got it wrong by thinking that the box would be a flop and the doorstop would be a hit. Not only did they learn from that mistake but they are making strides with it.

The box was a hit, so lets keep it, but make it just a tad different from the original.

The doorstop, just isnt functional IMO. For a couple of clams more you can have a car on the same platform with tons more room. The xA didnt sell, so why try and force it down the buyers mouths?

That being said, why not try something new, something different from the xA, but not like the box? Hence, the xD. From the looks of it it has lots more room over the xA but should be in the same price range. With the price of fuel only a hurricane away from being $3 a gallon here in the East little rice burners will be a hit for quite awhile.

I for one fell in love with the new design of the xB. I cant wait till Thrus and the "offical" unveiling. I already have my deposit on the new box, and im selling my mods off my original at a rapid pace. Gimme more space, better handinng, more power and a new car for just pennies more ... ill take it!

CanxB

I have not seen the xB2 in person, only in the pictures and drawing on this site, and I would say that the first xB is the one that started us all with your love for these boxes, and as people we don't deal with change very well. I think we are lucky to be able to have the model as long as we have as in the past, almost all auto makers used to change models every year. If you wanted a new 55 Chevy you better get it in 55 because the 56 was much different. We have had this model for the better part of four years!!!
I live in Vancouver BC Canada and we do not have Scion dealers and Toyota Canada does not carry the Scion line up here in Canada because the tC does not meet our requirements up here. There are a couple of dealers that have access to used stock and I was able to find one that was bring in new ones purchased in the States. I first saw the xB1 in early 04 when they were first being introduced to the States and I wanted one with out even seeing one in person. When I saw one in person I wanted it even more. When I heard that Scion was comeing out with a new model, I made my calls and in July 06 I purchased a brand new 06.5 TCM xB!!!!

I can't say if new new xB is a dissapointment or not with the bigger motor and all I guess we will have to wait till the 10th to find out for sure, but I am glad I own my xB1.
Who knows maybe my wife needs a new car in the next year or two

lufoxe

I've been reading all this and looking at what people are saying. Seems like the new xB2 is getting mixed reviews (understatement of the century LOL) I kinda agree with Tomas, except I like the new xB2. I do think the only thing they went wrong with was the simple fact that the named it an xB instead of something like tB. If you look at the car as a modified xB you'll be disapointed, but if you look at it as a whole new car that has TRAITS (the best of) the xB and tC you won't be. Almost everyone here (from what I've heard) wants a bigger engine on their xB so they gave it, some better handling, (supposedly) they gave it. Scion seems to have listened to consumers and given them what they wanted, except for the redesign. Wanting to make scion unique in the U.S. is understandable, while importing the Bb from Japan would have been nice, (I do like the way the new bB looks) it just would not have been a unique design. I'm sure it's possible to stick a 2.4 in the front of the xB but it would have been more difficult. Keep in mind one more thing. While scion is different there in nothing ORIGINAL in a scion (except for it's chassis) everything was taken from another vehicle in the Toyota lineup and stuck into a machine, it's done to keep costs down for us. For those who remember the first idea of making scion, it was to lure younger buyers into buying Toyota to create a stronger brand for the future. In order to do this they have to sell cars cheap, and to keep costs down they have to borrow from other vehicles. So, I guess in all this ranting I guess what I'm saying is don't be too hard on the new Scion, and to Scion, if you're reading this, listen to you consumers once more and rename the xB2 to something else.

BTW: sorry for the long post that makes no sense

lonestar

Speaking of price, have they announced how much the price of the new models will go up over the old ones?

ElChupacabra

Pricing executives from Toyota were in the US last week negotiating the final pricing on both new models. Hopefully they will having pricing nailed down by launch but possibly not til after launch. We'll have to wait and see. Initial estimates were about $1500 more than the old models...

Max

Pure speculation here, but since the vehicles, and specifically the xB2, have not yet been released, couldn't they still change the name of the xB? Just a thought.

ElChupacabra

^^^ Probably not gonna happen.... wishful thinking though

CBSIMONSEZ

Pricing ( IMO ) there are a couple of things going on here IMO. The fact that the unveiling in Miami was mixed and not a 100% bum rush to get one ... that coupled with the fact that it is Scion will help keep the price down on the new model. I have heard from my sources that the $1500 additional is where its goinng to be. Heck, thats what Scion is charging for a RS model now-a-days anway.

The name thing .... man i didnt know that so many die-hards would be opposed to having the second gen share the same name. If you look out in the car market car makers usually keep the same name and change the car. Look at the 2nd gen Dodge Neon, it was not only a 2nd gen but it was ( for a year and a half ) was also a Plymouth Neon. You have everything from the Toyota Camery to the Hyndai Accent to the Dodge Durrango ... they all keep the name and change the look of the car.

munkymonkjr

i am with cbs on this...cars change looks all the time. hell...compare the 05 and 06 Sonata...and its a night and day difference...about the only thing they share is the hyundai logo and sonata badge, the fact that they have 4 doors, and 4 wheels.

CBSIMONSEZ

I also forgot to mention, Scion has probably spent a lot of money on advertising for the new B. If they are keeping it up to this point ( and i remember Mr. Templin stating ... " here is your new xB! " ) then they have way too much time and money invested in the name to change it this late in the game. Who ever was in charge of making that decision has made it a long time ago. 1st genners are just gonna have to deal. =)

peestandingup

Its not that us 1st gen xB owners are upset simply because they are going to use the same name. I can only speak for myself of course, but to me, the Scion brand isn't like any other, so comparing it to so-and-so's brand or how this-or-that company does things is irrelevant. Scion isn't (or at least wasn't) supposed to be that. They were doing things different, which im sure is why a lot of us got into them. I know thats why I did. I don't care what the other companies are doing.

Remember when Scion first came about? They said they weren't gonna focus too much on the same models & that to expect them to bring out completely new models about every 4 years or so, replacing them with totally different models with different names & they were gonna retire the old names. This was so the youth market wouldn't get tired/board of the same ol' same ol'. Yes, that was 3-4 years ago & things do change, but still. The xA & probably the tC is gonna retire, so why not the xB?? It sorta makes them look like hypocrites in a way & just conforming to what the other guys do.

If I wanted that, I wouldn't have bought a Scion in the first place. I dont think current xB owners are whining because we feel that the xB name is "ours" or anything like that. Its the fact that Scion has kinda led us to believe they were gonna do things in a different way & then end up reneging. It seems like since xB is their money-maker, they are rolling over & conforming. Grow some *****.

I dont want an xB part 2. I feel like they just aren't trying hard enough. Give us something NEW like you promised. Dont just change the body style a bit & put a different engine in the thing with an updated interior& expect us all to be gaga over it. Wow us! Make the first affordable hybrid engine & put that in there. They could do it, they're Toyota. Make a minivan-esque sliding door on one side or those pop-out doors like the T2B had.

In other words, stick to your guns & be different like you were before. Take it in a totally different direction, instead of being scared you might lose your current market. The xB market is people who like change, obviously. Affordable, economical & different. Thats what brought me to Scion. But, it seems we can scratch that last one off the list & maybe even the other 2 as well, depending on what we learn in the coming weeks.

Max

CBSIMONSEZ, You are right. Theres a lot of time and money already invested.

However, Wasn't Toyota completely ready to release the new Corolla, as in, it was completely designed and production-ready, but out came the new Civic, and the Corolla went back to the drawing board? If Toyota can have a production-ready car and nix it, they can certainly afford to change the name on a car.

Personally, I would like a new name, but I am not gonna hate on them for keeping the name. They could name is poopsicle and I would buy one.

Iride_xB04

Well I hope they still make the old (current) version so I can buy another one when my current one goes out

munkymonkjr

this is the thing about the xB....much to Toyota's surprise it became the face of the scion brand. so they are keeping it the name in the lineup. simply so that the model can keep playing that role. think of it this way, if Honda one day axed the civic, you'd be like "wtf mate?" ... same thing here.

peestandingup

Bah, thats a cop out.

For one, Honda didnt tell everyone they were gonna retire all their models every 4 years or so to make way for the new. Scion was built around the "if it ain't new, its thru" concept. Well, they sure threw that notion out the window.

And again, Scion isn't Honda (or anyone else). Scion's brand loyalty come from just that, the brand. Not the models.

ScionXBrent

Not happening. Production's either already over, or ending soon.

RBasil

Scion stopped manufacturing the xB (first generation) in December.