BPG

I'm 60 years old and love my new xB. It's a great little car and not just for the younger folks. I'll bet that there are more of us old farts out there driving xBs than people believe. I once read that Toyota Motors started marketing the Scion line in the USA to attract the younger first time new car buyer to Toyota autos. It worked for Lexis retaining long time Toyota owners to their up-scale luxury products. BMW has done the same with the Mini. Once you get a customer in the showroom and they purchase your product chances are they will continue to come back. If your father or grandfather is a Chevy or Ford man, chances are you will follow in their foot steps. Except if you are a retiree and over 65. I think that there is an unwritten law requiring those folks to drive Buicks, Caddys or Town Cars. So why did I jump ship and buy my first Japanese car? 1) I love the look of the xB. 2) Can't beat The price. Being on a budget, where are you going to find such a cool vehicle from a proven high quality manufacturer for 15K+. Having fixed pricing and making the selling price attractive to the younger buyer is a bonus for us older folks. 3) Getting in and out. Having the mind of a kid and the bones of a 60 year old it's great being able to plant my butt on the seat and get out of my xB without having to use the door frame as a hoist. 4) Every one that rides with me can't believe how roomy the interior really is. Fold the back seats down and you've got tons of room to cart stuff around. 5) I love all of the great web sites, including this one, and the sellers of interesting products available for the xB. I've already added cruise control, fog lights, alloy wheels and my new Boomerang armrest is on it's way. No, most of us old farts will not be adding Ipod radios, High power amps and speakers, radical exterior mods or LED lighting. It's fun to see all of the mods that have been done. 6) The ride is great! I love the handling.

But, come on you Scion Marketing guys. Let's have some accessories/options for the over 40 set. How about factory cruise control, a dome light over the dash (just try and read a map in the dark), bright incandesent lights in the front footwells, heated front seats or maybe better/more instrumentation.

I'm sure you guys can think of many more items that would inhance your xB, young or old. I would love to hear about your ideas.

loserjohnny

great to hear!

Shizznid

I hear ya - Toyota has the ability to offer more factory options, other than disco lighting and overpriced fog lights. Welcome! As a new XB owner myself, I'm just as excited as you are. Regardless of age, the box isn't for everyone - but when it's right, it's sooooo right!

Easyoboe2

To BPG; You are telling like it is young man, (I'm 75). You can easily have cruise control installed, Search around and you can find dome lights for the front, and a ScanGaugeII will give you just about all the instruments you want, except oil pressure. If you do any driving of an hour or more you should put in an armrest. You can't wish for a lot more standard equipment or the initial price will exceed what some people are willing to pay. And adding things is fun. My xB is my serious transportation, but it is also my hobby.

pooder

I HEAR ya, man!

-Grumpy Old Man (two of the three -- for now ;^) from MN

PBflorida

7 years ago the Toyota Echo was inteneded for younger buyers, but young people wouldn't touch it. Mostly middle-aged people bought the car. Now the xB is popular among younger people, and among some of us older folks too. The economic reality is many young people cannot afford new cars. When I was young all my friends were buying cheap used cars.

I remember the follow-up phone survey from Scion. They asked me my age, my hobbies and then asked me some weird psychological questions. Seems they are compiling a profile of Scion buyers.

zberch

In seattle area I would say 9 out of 10 xB I see on the road are drivin by 40 year olds or older. When I test drove a xB on the lot there was a couple test driving one as well and they must have been at least 75

BPG

You can easily have cruise control installed, Search around and you can find dome lights for the front, and a ScanGaugeII

As you reviewed my thread you read that I already self installed a Rostra cruise control, fog lights and that I have a Boomerang Arm rest on the way. My thoughts are simply that Toyota's marketing should offer more options from the factory rather than allowing aftermarket suppliers offer stuff. I think that the cruise control, which is standard in the Corolla LE is perfect in location and operation. And... it comes with Toyota's three year warranty. Our aftermarket CCs don't! I'm a DIYer and in time I will be adding many conveinence items to my BOX. I'll do a right up on some of them. Stay tuned

boro_box

Hey BPG...

Don't go stereotyping us geezers....

okay so maybe I'm like a semi-old fart (fartess?)

I have red LED lights, an iPod thingy, I even have floor mats with red orange and yellow flames, plus a bobble head hula cat on the dash!!! I am thinking about getting one of those gazillion colors light kits for under the car too!!!

Gettin old is so much FUN!!!

woooooohoooooo!!!!

BPG

Cool, Go For It!!!

Rodek

I agree with you. I think more options should be available. 2 that I could think of right off the bat would be extenders on the sunvisors and lighted doorlock/window buttons at each door.

Oh yeah, let's add map lights, a rear cargo area light and about 30 more HP.

Easyoboe2

They already make a car with all those things, it's called an AVALON.

redfins

yea i am one of those old farts...love my xb...got a kick as- ...sound system in it also....

Rodek

yes, but c'mon how much would those small "attentiojn to detail" items add to the xB's price tag? 200.00??? Certainly not double the price of the xB (The Base Avalon's pricetag).

brini

Cool .... a thread with my fellow old farts posting !
Thanks BPG for starting this.
For all the reasons you list - I totally agree our xB's are just great cars.
I swear I haven't had this much FUN driving any car in years (if ever).
I find myself thinking up excuses to go somewhere all the time -- just so I can take my baby out for another drive.

I had my first experience driving my xB in heavy rain/slippery road conditions yesterday ... man, this car hugs the road tight.
I can tell this is gonna be a great car for driving in the snow in a few months.

Hi PBflorida.
That "after sale phone survey" was full of odd questions I agree.
They caught me off guard when they called and I was thinking ... "what the heck are they asking me that for ?"
Definately doing some psychological profiling of who is purchasing Scions.

Hey boro-box .....
another 40-something female here.
I'm having my under-dash/under seat cold cathode lighting installed tomorrow, and I LOVE the iPod hook-up.
Your bobble-head hula cat makes me chuckle.

I'm not getting old ... I'm aging like fine wine.

LittleBigRed

Just a note to say that this 54+ year old loves his (wife's) Scion xB. The only option I really had to have was the cruise control, which is offered in the Southeast as a Scion option. We have not had an opportunity to really take a trip with it yet, but local driving around on the interstate highway with the cruise on is really nice. We also got floor mats, arm rest, and tinted front windows. My wife picks up our grandson from kindergarten with it, and he loves it too. I bought him a "Matchbox" version, same Salsa Red color. (I bought me one also!)

PAPAS_RIDE

Had mind for 1 1/2 years and love it and drive it all the time

I like it my grandson can't kick my seat while in the back like 98 % of cars out their


Rand

MikeC

iTrader: (1)

It's funny, when I first started looking at the xB in California (when I was home) I thought "Man, that is deffinately going to grab the youth market". Now that I am in Florida whenever I see another box driving towards me I always throw up the deuces (whippersnapper talk for "give the peace sign" [to the unaware]). But many times what I receive in return is not dueces in kind, but instead a warm, sometimes confused smile. The reason, most the buyers in my area seem to be those above forty years old. I won't say these people are "old", just older than me. And this is all good in my book, but a surprise to see where the market is ending up. I like it this way, sort of bridging the generational gap to some extent. Heck, most of my close friends are close because we love cars. So perhaps this one vehicle is doing it's social part to unify in a small manner. Either way, welcome, and glad to have your company!

saddlesore

Same reasons as above for buying....
only miss-step was letting the wife drive it (3 times!)
now we have 2.


and I'm 16 (with 40 years experience!).....does that make me an old fart?

OldYeller

Hey BPG--read my post about getting my oil changed for a laugh:

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...109&highlight=