xB Bumpers Lack Inside Foam Fill
 

We have two xBs. Mine recently had a front corner accident and my wife's was rear ended at about 5 MPH or less, about 3 weeks apart. Nobody was hurt but I discovered the hard way that neither the front or rear bumper has any foam blocks inside of it like other cars do. They're nothing more than plastic shells mounted on to metal supports. The foam trays in the back of the xB spare tire area offer the only real absorbtion. I just thought that all of you xB owners should be aware of this, especially if you have a tendency to tailgate or move slowly in the left lane with someone tailgating you. I'd also suggest that you not pack to close to one of those big ugly gas sucking SUVs. But then again, what do you expect for about $15k.

pretty sure the xB has above average (or atleast average) crash test ratings...there's a thread somewhere...

The foam has more to do with maintinaing the shape of the bumper than providing any real shock absorbtion. There are a lot of cars that don;t have the foam behind the plastic cover. Toyota simply has the bumper supported in a manner that does not require styrofoam to hold the shape. A simple bump at 5mph in a parking lot is enough to destroy the foam behind the bumper yet leave the bumper possibly scratched but intact. Not a lot to worry about. One good thing though.... It's one less thing to replace if the bumper does get whacked.

hell... who cares about the foam... I had to remove the front crash beam on the orange one... *fingers crossed against a head-on!* lol.

I noticed that shortly after buying my box, but after crash test results I felt a little better. The crumple zones front and back worked pretty well.I just hope a 4000lb suv doesnt get me from the side :cry: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/3725.html

I had a front crash experience with an xB. I notice that the bumper was just plastic and there is no foam in it. I've talked to a Toyota dealer and he explained why Toyota has designed most of the vehicles that way.
In earlier production cars, foam was use just to maintain the shape of the bumper. Even with foam behind the bumper, foam has no effect in absorbing the impact of a crash. What realy takes most of the impact is the crumple zone of the vehicle. If you ever strip the front section any new Toyota vehicle (except trucks and SUV), you will notice that the frame (Some call it apron section) is akwardly designed but have key point supporting sections where if there were to be an impact, the frame section will fold thus absorbing the impact. The Echo, xA, and xB, share either the same or simlar designs of the fender apron frame. The front frame is also designed to shift the engine downwards during impact.
Another reason also is to reduce cost; you realy don't need foam for the bumper since the ABS plastic their using is considerbly sturdy. :wink: