Hey guys, great forum. I have been reading for a while now and this place has been great, but i haven't exactly joined yet.

My Scion/Toyota Story:
My dad's old car was a 1991 Toyota Corolla (traded for a 2002 Daewoo Leganza in Summer 2003). It was a great car, nearly 200,000 miles before the first signs of trouble. So I always had trust in toyota. I was also an avid Car and Driver reader, where toyota had a good reputation. Then in 2003 I went to the Chicago Auto Show and saw the Scion xA (stock), xB (stock) and Pioneer xB. I have read a few review in C/D the month before. While at the show I climbed inside the xB and it was AMAZING. I am a tall guy, 6"2" (6'0 @ the time of the show) and I did not hit my head on the roof line! That was amazing. I sat in the front passanger seat for a while and it rocked! So huge on the inside, yet so small on the outside. If they were available in the midwest that summer, my family would already own one by now, but since they wasn't, this summer is the summer (my mom's 1999 Nissan Altima is approaching retirement..or rather, i'll be driving it when i am not "borrowing" the scion. btw..i am 16). So this summer (more like september when 2006 models come out) we'll be buying the 05 Scion xB, figured I'd get online and get researching.

As for the Actual post:

So after some research I found something that I might like and my mom will agree to. Keep in mind that I am trying to keep it under $20,000, or as close to that as possible.

At this time I am looking at a stock config (in silver or red) with:
Cargo Cover
Fog Lights
Spoiler (is it worth it?)
AEM cold air intake (how is the boost?)
TRD Exhaust (from the header to the tip)
Strut Bar (is it worth it?)
16" Alloys.

Everything inside and on the body stays pretty much stuck. I might opt for the different tail lights, maybe the logo if budget allows.

What do you think? What are your comments on the additions i am looking at, are they worth it, do i have anything extra on the list, should i add something?

How this Car will be used:
A middle-aged woman will be driving 8 miles a day 5 days a week. On the weekend it will be the family run-about (except for grocery shopping, that will be done in the Daewoo). It should be able to run on chicago's highways in the summer with A/C on and not die (thus the air and exhaust upgrades to give it more juice). On some nights it will be borrowed by a crazy 16 y/o (i am very responsible actually).

 

just to tell you, you can save alot of $$$ by getting alot of those options on ebay and installing them yourself. I got a spoiler for like 200 dollars when the dealer wanted 350.... same with my strut bar. dealer wanted 250, got my dc sport for like 79 dollars!

 

i am not much of a gear head...so unless installation is rather simple...i think i'd rather have the dealer do the work

 

This site has a very good how-to section
https://www.scionlife.com/tech/

about every mod that you wante to do is there.. U cant go wrong. If you do think that you still cant do it then please have your dealer help you out

 

are all the mods i have listed useful / practical?

 

hey,
I'm 16 also. my parents wanted to get me something safe, reliable, and cool at the same time. so, we all chose an xB.
it is my daily driver now, and I love it. one piece of advice is to get the 5 spd, especially if you plan on doing power mods. I've ridden motorcycles since I was 11 or 12, so I knew how to drive a stick already. I drove the auto, and it was a lot less peppy. it really isn't as slow as people make it out to be. it's not fast, but it's not that slow, IMO. I beat my friend's sentra and almost had my friend's stealth. PM me if you have any questions...

 

the thing is my mom will be the main driver, so it must be an auto

 

Go stock, and you will come in way under that price.

Cargo Cover - not needed, just a waste of money, and it doesnt work well.
Fog Lights - here again, not worth the money, and they dont serve the purpose. They are not reflective, just basically for show.
Spoiler (is it worth it?) - Look around the internet, or try the classifies here, you get one cheaper. Install isnt hard.
AEM cold air intake (how is the boost?) - here again, look around. Ebay, or one of our sponsors can give you a decent price. IMO .. InJen offered the best HP for the automatic. First gen InJen, the one that sits behind the headlight.
TRD Exhaust (from the header to the tip) - Moms not going to like the added noise. Save your money.
Strut Bar (is it worth it?) - again, look on Ebay, sponsors, or check the classifieds.
16" Alloys. - IMO ... 17s are worth their weight in gold. They look bigger then stock wheels, yet allow you to have a tire that has a decent side wall, so you wont be replacing tires everytime you hit a pothole. Ask anyone who has 18s or 19s and drives on a daily basis.
The only thing i would add, would be a set of springs. The stockers are too stiff. I would recommend the Tein H techs. Only an inch or so drop, and have the lowest ( softest ) ride out there. This and some 17s with 215/45R17 tires, and its like your riding on air.

 

some good stuff CBS...thanks, i'll make sure to check it out when i have the time.

so if i am getting you right:
stock auto config --- factory
fog lights (for show) -- factory
spoler -- ebay / self install
cold air -- ebay / self install
springs -- :-\
strut bar -- ebay/ self install
grab 17" alloys if possible -- PRICELESS
exhaust -- questionable. it just seems logical to me by improving total air circulation in the engine (intake and exhaust) it would provide overall better power. How effective is the intake w/o the exhuast (based on the stock 108 hp rating) ?

whats the deal with tinted windows? are they stock? optional? factory option? i just think it would be really nice to have the back (front is illegal) tinted not too dark, but still tinted a little.

right?

 

definately do the mods yourself. before i bought this car, i had never even changed my oil. this car is super simple to work on.

 

It's cool that your Mom is letting you pick the options on her car.

 

Look for any of the above parts here first. Keep a close eye out on the classifieds. From there, you can also look into Ebay, or one of the listed sponsors. The exhaust, i would wait till you have the intake first. Add that, put some miles on it, and then look into getting the exhaust done. I have an InJen intake, and stock exhaust. My box has learned my driving habits, and i can say that i have plenty of power when i need it. Granted, im not a sports car, but damned if my box doesnt get up and go, to the point where my GF was even impressed. ( BTW.. she has a box too, but doesnt drive hers as hard as i drive mine. )

The window come with a factory tint in them. I believe that it is the equavilant to 20% from the rear passengers doors back.

 

so as far the factory goes, i should only get the fogs and trd springs on top of the stock?

(thus leaving 17" alloys, strut bar, spoiler and intake up for sponsor/ebay shopping and self install)

 

Ditch the fogs, if you are going to get anything pickup a set of the JDM ones from Carson Toyota.

 

don't buy nothing but the xb from the dealer ,they will rob you on options,buy online

 

^^^^^ What he said, just buy stock, unless you want to spring for options in a package, like the RS2 ( the yellow one ).

 

I would add the cargo liner (not cover) to protect the back if you plan on hauling stuff (trdsparks.com) easy to install yourself. it has been one of the best items for me. ditch the 6 cd radio (if you consider it at all..not worth it)

I add the strut bar and I believe I feel a different, not quite as flimsy up front.

 

CARGO COVER: I've heard mixed reviews on it, some like, some don't

FOG LIGHTS: Waste of money IMO since they serve no useful purpose except appearance, stock lighting is excellent. Unless you live in the Scottish moors, your don't need foglights.

SPOILER: Lamest possible mod IMO, especially on a box shaped car. Looks dumb/does nothing

AEM cold air intake: Expensive, but you'll get 5-6 more hp, if that is worth it to you.

TRD Exhaust: Less hp gain per dollar than a CAI, but it will sound cool. Anything less than a full system including headers isn't going to make a big difference you can feel.

STRUT BAR: A thicker rear anti-sway bar will do MUCH MORE for handling. Strut bars are mostly to show off when you open the hood. Sway bars actually improve handling measurably, which I think is more valuable than impressing ricers ;)

16" ALLOYS: Sure, why not. They look nice and lower unsprung weight improving handling. I think anything larger than a 17" is absurd for a car this small though. I recommend 16's unless the older people driving this car don't mind a bone jarring, teeth chattering stiff-___ ride.


In Summary: I'd get the cold air intake (with a bypass for rain/puddles), thicker rear anti sway bar and the alloy wheels and leave it at that. The rest of those things are not worth the money IMO.

 

the 2.0 does sound hot, and for less than $1500 over stock...sounds cool.

my main objective for this scion is to add a few more ponies, give it some bigger wheels, and maybe somewhat alter it's "stock" appearance!


btw...how's the sound system. is it all good, or would you recommend ripping out the speakers in favor for some aftermarket parts?

 

^^^^^ your gonna get so many answers to this question. Bascially, the stock works well, im not changing mine just yet. But what you have to do is sit in a couple with different systems and judge for yourself.