BlingSlade

But I didn't sell it, it was close though. Here's my story:

I've had my 06 XB since Oct 2005. White, automatic, tint, stock wheel covers. I bought it in Honolulu and the next year I shipped it Korea and drove it around there for about 4 years. The first year I installed a Panasonic 7" DVD player with amp/subwoofer plus an remote autostart(this certainly came in handy during the Korean winters!).

Last year I shipped my XB back to Honolulu and right now I've got just a tad over 32,000 miles on it. Can you believe I was thinking about selling it?

The reason I even contemplated selling my XB is that I'm moving back to the mainland(Vegas) next year and I thought I'd sell my XB here in Honolulu and buy a new XB when I get to Vegas. I did go by the dealer here and test drove the XB2 and I did like the extra room, softer ride and I just think they're still a great deal with the no haggle price and outstanding reliability.

After awhile I realized that the newer XB would get a lot less gas mileage in Vegas, esp if I live in town and just putter around sin city without getting on the highway much. I've read reports where people only get 16MPG City with the XB2, the worst I ever get with my 06' is 25! So, now I think it's best to just suck up the 1K shipping expense and ship the car to San Diego, then drive to Vegas and keep it for a few more years.

I still do love both versions of the XB, I know a lot of people complain about the newer version and although I don't completely blame them I think they're missing out on how much car you get for under 20K. You get a HUGE amount of room and a very high quality car that you won't have to worry about maintenance for many years. It's pretty obvious all of us are now very, very sensitive to MPG and just the mental challenge of going to the pump more than we used to is hard to overcome.

Some people have said Toyota/Scion is going to come out with a replacement for the XB/XD but this may or may not be true. I'm a little worried because I like to buy new instead of used and what else out there compares to an XB? I'm not big on the Soul or Cube AT ALL. Nor the Fit or the Yaris nor the IQ(NO way!). The Prius V gets my attention as I love the rear cargo space and the 40+MPG but I've read it's a loud/rough ride. Now if it consistently got 50MPG without having to keep the windows down in Vegas I'd think about it, however I just get the feeling now matter what I did the best I'd get out of a Prius V is 42 or 43.

In the end, I'm keeping my 06. It truly is a great car, it's got very low mileage and a DVD with sound system already installed. I even bought new Michelins about 6 months ago, they're not cheap and they'll go for at least 35,000 miles. I also put in a new battery and replaced the water pump and other than the fact the A/C converter makes a rattling noise(ever since 08, I think it's the clutch inside said converter) the car is tip top. If something came along that was any better than my XB I'd seriously look into buying it and honestly, the only thing that comes close is the newer version of the XB, faults and all.

Jan06xB

KEEP IT! got my White manual in Nov 05 and approaching 52k no problems at all but got the pirelli P4 tires cheap and love them, very quiet compared to factory and should last twice as long as stock Goodyear tires. The new xB2 is way too cramped, no leg room or head room, seriously what were they thinking?

Caprice0083

Good job on choosing to keep it! If I can get a good price on an first gen xB, I may trade my xA for one. Everyone says it's ugly but you can't beat the space and reliability on an xB1!

GQQSE13

glad you decided to keep. i'm still waiting fo rthe day someone has an rs1 with low miles they decide to get rid of so my tc can have a twin

BlingSlade

I didn't notice the prob with leg room when I test drove the XB2, is it cramped in the front or back or both? The reason I ask is that I often times change clothes in the back of my XB1. I just move the driver or passenger seat as far front as possible and I have a ton of room to change out of my sweaty tennis clothes. It's a major reason why I keep this car!

And yeah, I don't like that there's less head room either.

Still, if I had to change cars the XB2 would still be #1 on my list with the Prius V 2nd and I don't even know what 3rd would be.

Jan06xB

The center console in xb2 is what I am taking about, in the xB1 you can spin around in the driver seat, kneel on you right knee and step between the font seats into the back ... if you never tried it you will be surprised how easy it is. And yes there is also an incredible amount of red leg room as well as room under the front seats for your feet or small luggage.

AKgoalie7

I have an RS1 with 98k miles. Typical wear and tear for an 8 year old car. All receipts (dealer work) and maintenance logged (I do my own oil, air filter, cabin filter, spark plugs)

Make me an offer I can't refuse!

Miami, Fl...

BlingSlade

I just tried and accomplished the spin around! I had a little problem as I have an after market center arm rest but I just took my time and got over it and into the back seat. It's a good trick to know and it will prolly come in handy many times in the future, thanks!!

Jan06xB

You're welcome! Its great for those rainy snowy days when you don't want to go outside or the door is stuck or blocked. Now if there was a rear hatch inside release ...
Another thing is I stand up and bend from the hips without even bumping into the ceiling as I walk between the seats and going back into the front seat is just as easy.

smokeydadog

I thought I was the only 1st gen owner who likes the newer xB better! Actually I almost traded last year but the dealership wanted to play games so we couldn't reach an agreement. Now I think I'll just keep mine for the long haul. My box is about 5.5 years old with only 38,000 miles. It's never had a repair and averages 34 mpg in the city so it's hard to give that up.

BlingSlade

Wow, you really get 34MPG in the city?!! I wonder what I'm doing wrong as I seem to get about 25 in the city and maybe 31 on the highway.

But yes, I really do think the XB2 is a very good car for the money. I'd like to rent one for a month just to see how the gas mileage is and I'd also like to see if having a bigger XB would be a better thing or not. When I get to Vegas I'll try to find a way to drive one around for more than just a test drive. Plus, gas is about 50 cents cheaper per gallon than here in Hawaii which will be really nice all around.

smokeydadog

Yeah but my "city" driving is in a rural area, so it would be more like suburban driving for most people. I have the stock wheel size and a 5 speed which helps. I also installed an Ultragauge and have become more conscious of gas mileage by keeping an eye on it when I drive. Here's a thread about it: http://www.clubxb.com/forums/showthr...ght=ultragauge

BlingSlade

Yep, a 5 speed and that Ultragauge can make quite a difference. I'm going to go super light on the pedal next month to see what I can max out MPG wise. I only drive about 20 miles a day and it usually on the highway near my house. I think if I try real hard I can get 33.

Just a note that my water pump went out at almost exactly the 5.5 year(25K miles) point. My engine starting making a rattling/grinding noise and the mechanic couldn't positively diagnose it. We first thought it could be the alternator. I even bought a refurb alternator but I kept on driving the car for a month to see if it'd go completely out or not. Finally, one day at a stop light the belt broke and the engine went from being noisy to completely quiet and the battery light went on immediately. I tried to make it to a mechanic but the car went only about 2 or 3 miles before the car died. Got a free tow to the mechanic and to my surprise he said it was the water pump the whole stinkin' time! Didn't cost too much to repair because he felt bad he didn't diagnose it right the first time.

Battery died right at the 6.5 year (28K miles)point. Funny, I just had mentioned to my friend that very week that I couldn't believe my battery was still going strong.

Replaced tires also around the same time, 6.5 yrs, 28K point. The tread started to look kinda bad and I didn't want to skid around since I could easily prevent that by buying new tires. Hard to find cheap tires here in Hawaii so I just went with Michelin's cause I knew they were the best tires and if/when I resold the car it would be just one more great selling point. they're Michelin Harmony's, which is all they had in stock. They are a little quieter than the old tires but they do seem a little jittery/bouncy.

I've scrapped a concrete barrier and I've also smashed a bumper. Both times they were me being stupid and not paying attention. No one was hurt and the concrete barrier smash was fixed by insurance. I smashed the bumper when I was in Korea and I was able to get a bB bumper shipped from Japan for about $150.

My upcoming plans for my XBox is to get some car seat covers and replace the wheel covers. Other than that I can't think of anything else I need.

smokeydadog

You might want to check out these steering wheel covers too: http://www.wheelskins.com/

I went with a black/light grey cover shortly after getting my car and it looks great. I prefer a thicker wheel (that's what she said! haha) and a little more grip. So far so good.

BlingSlade

Thanks for the link, I'll def bookmark it.

I actually did buy an aftermarket steering wheel for my XB1 but I've never installed it. I'll prob try to sell it on this site or on craigslist. I need to take a pic of it since I don't remember where I bought it from. It's kinda sporty but a little smaller than the stock steering wheel.