i'll post pics in a few days to make it easier to believe. no it doesnt make it worth a lot more cause it's small, slow uncomfy car, but for a daily driver it does it's job. my other car is an e39 BMW 525i and it's not that reliable, but it's 3 times better car and i like it more.still very impressive engineering from toyota.

 

Interesting how that works no?

 

what works?

 

well done.. well done indeed!

This should be a lesson to all, especially those who say/think that German cars/engineering is superior to all! The Japanese produce some of the finest/ if not the finest bearings in the world (look at Shimano) ! Its all about durability and efficency , and Toyota knows how to do it better then anyone( Honda is close, speaking of late 1990's+), and GM/Ford US manufacturers have been doing better/well in the last 8-10 years (in the 1980's I heard too many horror stories of those makers full size truks, bad stories- real stories, but I mean tranny's taking a dump after 40K miles, etc!

Keep it well lubed brother.... and keep us updated on the progress !!!

 

well they(Japanese cars) are good when it comes to reliability, but everything else is done by the German better IMO, and it's not like they fall apart in first 3 years, they just require a bit more preventive maintenance and for me it's worth it(my BMW is at 115Kmiles and it already has new radiator, expansion tank,clutch,fuel pump...and all those are not Scion prices lol, but it's such a great car that I really think it's worth the money it requires..)

 

To each his own.

For me, give me a Scion xA/xB in terms of durability/reliability + efficency(heck, even a 1996-7 Geo Prizm, Toy. Paseo, Echo, etc)!

Now, if I could spend more $$ on a car(sports car), take it to the $35K+ mark.... 350z, 370z .... clean used E46 M3, Subaru WRX or STi, Nissan Skyline, ZO6, 911 (and/or GT2), etc. The only real Benz that , from what I've heard is worth a damn is the CLK 55 AMG(higher ticket Benz's $100K+) , even with a bunch of the other Benz models you can easiliy spend $35-50K and get a decent car... but not too much different then say a V6 Camery, TSX, (but these cars are a fraction of what the Benz is).

Otherwise, everything else in in between I'd rather not even go there.

Even if I hit the power ball, there is something great/special about rolling in a sub- $20K new car, that has many-many great attributes to it

 

its really worth it to go in between.so far I've spent about $13K on my BMW(including the price of the car) and it's still $2-3K cheaper than the cheapest new Scion, it's good for another 60-70K maintenance free miles.for me my car is not just an appliance, I spend a lot of time in it and I want to spend this time with comfort and luxury. A car today is a part of your image.it's sad but its a fact - people will take you more seriously if you show up in a more expensive looking car.

 

Thats funny bro!
I don't think anyone really takes anyone that seriously anymore. Sorry to say it, but some people think by putting way-way larger bling-bling wheels on there car also "helps their image"
I do agree that cars are a source of being a "status symbol" in many peoples eyes, but just because many think that way doesn't mean that it is the definitive way to go through life sizing people up

 

Thats funny bro!
I don't think anyone really takes anyone that seriously anymore. Sorry to say it, but some people think by putting way-way larger bling-bling wheels on there car also "helps their image"
I do agree that cars are a source of being a "status symbol" in many peoples eyes, but just because many think that way doesn't mean that it is the definitive way to go through life sizing people up [/quote]
I'm not saying that I like it but thats the way it is in a modern society. and while I dont want to use this advantage in personal life, if it helps at my job - why not make a better impression..

 

The kicker is no one knows exactly what kind of impression your going to make, by picking a specific car to roll up on (I mean I don't know how to read minds yet). Do you drive the larger V6 / V8 gas guzzler(maybe the employer looks down on that, as being a resource drain on society), or maybe they see it as a high class, luxury vehicle. If you roll up in a xA/ xB, the positive is that its energy efficent and its a newer car. However, the employer may see it as some Gen. X or Y car.... then who knows what they are gonna think.

Either way, its about being to work on time, so as long as you have a good/reliable vehicles, thats what should count. Thus, a xA/xB IMHO would be much more reliable then say a 1996 BMW 540i that may have LUXURY written all over it, but has drawbacks attached to the 12+ year old vehicle given its age, however many miles are on it, etc.

 

1996 bmw 5 series would cost you 3 times cheaper than a new Scion so they are not really comparable cars.

 

When bought NEW ??!
Your talking about on the used market after wear+tear/depreciation.

Thats just it, 90% of used cars on the market have been used + abused/ molested. If you've got the opportunity(can afford to) go for a new car.. do it!!!!

 

Sciondaily would you have any problems posting a pic of your odometer? I know of only one scion that has about 200k and that is the most I know if for sure without any doubt.

300K is just so much, you have only 12post and no one knows you here. You have no age or I do not want to cause a ruckus Just would LOVER some clarification this is not a "Big Fish Tale".

Sorry again if it seems offensive to ask, but a 2005 Xa with 300K in 3 years with the same engine and trans, no rebuilds. A pic would be great

 

72xxx on the old short block, 2500 on the new one. Scared? :D

 

aint skeerd

 

MOnday I will post a pic.I'm 23.

 

hey i believe him why would he give a specific amount you know 295K why not 165 or 235 or 224 you know so believe it but anywho a pic would be inspiration for all scion owners lol

 

290,000 + miles and counting. I'll take a picture tomorrow and try to post it.

Still running smooth. Replaced 3 bearings but other than that its been great.

 

I have a daily car that has 218,000 miles still runs great, its a stick also

 

290,373

I use mineral oil and change every 4000k miles. I also change the AT fluid every once in a while. I'll also clean my CAI filter when i have some time. Cleaning the filter is a pain since it gets pretty dirty because I've removed my driver fog light cover since the CAI sits right behind it. I've never taken it in to get inspected for a 100k checkup or anything like that. I've only taken the xA in if I knew there was a problem. The engine check light stopped bothering me once I disconnect the battery and reconnect it. It would come back occasionally when i was around 180,000 but ever since around 230,000 it just stopped bothering me all together. =)

Things replaced on the xA
Wheel Bearings
front driver side wheel bearing at around 50k and then my rear passenger side wheel bearing at around 150k. I actually drove on my rear passenger side wheel bearing for another 60k miles before actually taking it in and getting it changed. Thinking back that was probably dangerous... haha. At around 280k my rear driver side bearing went out as well.

Oil Pan
I over tightened the screw and stripped it. Oil started leaking out. No good.

Front Passenger Side Headlight Assembly
Hit a truck tire on the freeway. =( Its alright though, got a used assembly off Ebay for $90+ shipp.

The Usual Replacements
Headlight Bulbs (luminics 1 year my butt), Tires, Spark Plugs, a bunch of LED wedge bulbs for my parking lights and clear front side marker lights. Those wedge LED bulbs for the parking lights are no good with the heat from the headlight assembly, but they'll a good 6 months.
In Cabin Air Filter. When it was under warranty and I took it in to get changed and they removed it but forgot to put it back... what the... So i changed it again around 150k and found out it wasn't there and there were leaves and stuff in it. Way to go stealership.


Usual Wear and Tear
The front bumber and hood have a grip of rock chipps. =( Its very sad.
The cheap plastic used for the underpanel is and has been falling apart. I've zipped tied a lot of it back together.

The xA is still running great.

Engine and Transmission
The AT is still buttery smooth and the engine still pulls as much as the tiny 1.5 can. Like most of you I haven't exactly babied my car, even though getting near the 300k i have been doing a good job keeping it below 5000 RPMS. In the past i've constantly downshifted (OD button, 3, 2... and dont worry, i never shift down to 1) with the AT and still do so today. I still think the scion xa transmission is way smoother than my bros 04 corolla and it still is after the abuse and high mileage.

Suspension
My OEM struts are actually still fine after I replaced my springs with the Tein S-Tech. People said I would damage them and eventually blow them out if I didn't upgrade them after the drop but its been 250k since the drop and the xA still handles great.

Cooling
I did have to change my tubes since they were cracking a bit. Currently think i have a minor radiator leak so i'll probably take it in to get checked sometime next month.


I go snowboarding a good amount so I do a lot of mountain driving and driving in the snow. For 3 1/2 years I worked as a driver and thats how i put tons of miles on my car. I've driven it like crazy going down the roads from Big Bear and arrowhead really pushed my suspension to the limit. I even had a couple of weeks where my coolant was extremely low and even at one point ran almost dry where my car overheated thanks to the leaking hose. Even with that the Toyota Engine still held on and works great. Toyotas are amazing, thats all I can say. Sure some of the scion parts with the interior and exterior are a little cheap but the stuff that really matters like tranny and engine are built to last.

The xA has been good to me from the day i got it (june '03) and still is today. I love this car.