I don't know if anyone ever posted this review before but:

Love it or hate it, I think this is the most accurate xB review yet. He pretty much hits every point there is to love and hate about the xB. It is a little old (since its about the 2005 xB... but I'm pretty sure everything still holds true for 2006)

http://www.automotive.com/2005/12/sc...ews/index.html

more in link...

 

wow, i didnt even think of the whole parent thing...i financed myown but many times the parents are shown as the buyer, so maybe toyota didnt miss the mark as much as everyone keeps saying

 

yeah true, i never thought of that either

 

Ya, I don't think he missed anything.

 

Scion xB rules!

 

I disagree:


Okay, I do agree with that!

Okay, this proves that this guy isn't paying attention to cars as a whole. This is a "safety feature" introduced about 10 years ago on ALL cars (I didn't say it made sense, I just said it was). We at the dealership have fielded this question since car companies started doing this on everything from Kias to Cadillacs.

At least he got that right.

And that's just ALL wrong. Here this guy is making assumptions based on his personal tastes. I freakin' LOVE the way the xB looks (AND enjoy the interior room). Who wants to drive a car that can be mistaken for something else? Also, I LOVE driving the thing. No other car I have owned has been such a CONSISTANT joy to drive.


I guess I feel he missed the point of the xB somewhat. He mentions accessories, but doesn't talk about accessorizing (ie MODDING) the car which is one of the best things about it. Also, several of his _____es can be solved with simple mods like a Rostra Cruise or a Scion Armrest.

So, accurate? No IMO. Comprehensive? Not entirely. He never hit MY biggest _____ about the '04 and '05 xB, lack of a volume ****! Opinionated? Oh yeah.

Thanks for the link Chimmy! It's always good to see another opinion from the press.

-Alex

 

The dash vent's leak on purpose, it's even mentioned in the manual (Gasp!).

I wanted one of these things before I even knew what it was, just from the 'looks' it had. When I eventually found that there were other major good points about the funny little box, they were all icing on the cake. :D

Good review, though, really!

Oh! Alex, I agree about the lack of a volume **** on the stock '04-'05 head units.

 

OK-----Great "review" however we probably threw the figures alittle off, as we recently purchased an xB (love it) and we are both 68 years young.

 

I agree, i have an auto (manual was too long of a weight back in july 04), with current set up i've been to 118mph on a straight highway. (little to no traffic in the mountains)

Other points i disagree with:
The xb is not as sluggish as one would think, if he actually timed the 0-60 he would know stock its 10sec, not 11. Also, with my set up and removing some interior things i've done 16.4 @ 83mph 1/4, so to make it sound like it can never be quick is wrong. Not to mention, you can get a lot faster than that with more mods.

Overall, i say its an okay review. The person that did it makes great points, but misses a lot of key things surrounding the car. His main points, strong points, was with payments, parents concern and who signs for the car. Age bracket in other words.

I can write more of an honest review, and more in detail about my points than this writer has done. Driving it for a few days, a week, two weeks doesn't give you the entire picture. It gives you first impressions, that is all.

Otherwise, good find.

Cya

 

to various people, pick the response that is appropriate to your post:

I didn't judge the review on the accuracy of his figures. I think most people who buy the xB aren't looking at the exact figures for 0-60... we just know its slow.
I think he's right about the passing power... on the highway it isn't so much of a big deal, but when you are on a two lane two-way country road, and you are trying to figure out how to pass the guy in front of you before you run out of line-of-sight.. it can be quite annoying.

BTW, aren't the OEM tires not rated for speeds past 110? (might be wrong, i'll check later) ... i think you should slow down if you are still on stock tires

and you're right, he did miss the bit about the volume **** on the HU.

and regardless of whether it was intentional or not... the vent leak has always been super annoying to me. And what exactly is the explanation behind this "safety feature"? I must have missed it in the manual.

Anyhow I didn't say the review was perfect.. but it is the best one i've seen so far...

anyhow thanks for the comments

 

We're getting an '06 for the wife, and she's 40! Opps, was I supposed to mention her age without permission?

 

I don't know about you or anyone else, but i have zero problem passing people on country roads/highways. I can pass going any speed just fine, so that completely rules out that.

Also, the xb is sluggish stock but it can be pretty quick if you build it up, reasonably fast 0-60 runs boosted. He made it sound like the xb will never see speed ever. lol

In conclusing, out of a possible score of a 100 i give his entire review, everything he has said, word for word, a 75. I have read better, and i can make better. As i said before, driving any car for a week or less doesn't give you enough information to do a write up on how it is. It gives you a first impression, and that is it. Thats all it can give you therefore his write up is totalled based on first impressions only. However, he did make very few strong points that i did like.

Cya

 

If you bought it for the gas mileage, the price, the features, you were not cheated, you've got that in the xB. But what you got in addition to that is a unique car , a painter's blank canvas, a graffiti artist's blank wall, a writer's empty page. The opportunity to express yourself in your vehicle. Have fun with it, and enjoy the BOX.

 

You also have a car that is very well made for autocross, with some money in suspension and motor, you can have a great autocrosser.

I autox, and with my set up right now i'm fairly happy, i just need to work on getting some more whp for the straight aways. I've so far done it 6 times (with the box, i've been doing it longer than that) and 4 out of 6 i've won in my class, and all times i've beat most of my class if not all in total times and a lot of cars out of my class.

http://dpcars.aprsworld.com/

Go there, this is not my site but this guy is really cool. Hes a professional, he has a few different videos of him in his xb on road courses. (i also do this) Most of his videos are with stock suspension, zero mods period. Watch the videos completely if you begin one, the corners will give you an idea as to what the box can do.

What i'm getting at is, the box is very underestimated and i'm kind of annoyed how very few of us realize the true strong points of the box. Most think it can never be a track car, and its made just to get you to point a to b. Now i admit, its a great daily as well, but keep an open mind. You can't let first impression reviews get to you.

Cya

 

Besides hating the center pod (which I absolutely love), saying it has no looks, uncomfortable to drive and not fun to drive. He hit the point kinda like throwing the dart at the board and hitting the bartender.

Killxromances, Love the link to those track pics Bro! That xB going around that corner on 2 wheels made my freakin day I'm makin that pic a wallpaper. THANKS!!!

 

Heheheheheheh... From the site: "...highlights of this particular outing were harassing a C6 Vette in the corners..."

Yes he was, and I'll bet that vette felt a litle bit uncomfortable with the box gaining on him in the corners... (Of course the vette scurried away at the first straight, but imagine driving a hot vette and having a BOX catching up in the corners.)

The video is nice and shows how calmly the box handles the track! He was able to pic a really good line except for when he had to avoid the Bimmer sitting sideways in that one corner...

If you listen carefully you can hear his Scion VSC complaining a couple of times. (BeBeBeBeBeep!)

(Wish I were young enough and crazy enough to do that stuff again. )

 

You hear the traction control beep go off in one of those corners?

 

Im glad everyone enjoyed the link. Next spring after i wrap up the motor project and a few other things i plan to hit autox again, i will hopefully find someone to vid me and post up here my tracks. I also will rig up a interior-cam to record. I'm not the absolute best, but i know my skills lay within these kinds of tracks. Its very fun and i recommend anyone to go out and try it sometime at a legal event, its fun, and you can really find out what the box can do.

I'm even thinking about going to college to become an instructor, thats how i fun i find these events. Maybe next spring i could organize a spring scion event where we all can get together and track it up. That would be pretty fun.

Once enough power can be put to the wheels for straight aways, i know the xb would be a autox/road course killer.

Cya

 

Couldn't have said it better.

 

i've hit 125 on stock tires too slow for my tastes but i dont need top end . i need a faster than 15.8 1/4 mile.