Well, I have reached 3200 miles on the box. Here are my impressions so far:

The box has the typical Toyota refinement. It lacks some sound insulation and it rides a bit stiff, but thats a great trade off for the nimble handling and great gas mileage.
I usually average 31+ mpg. My worst so far is 29. I have the automatic.The AC works great and it doesn't seem to affect idle or acceleration at all. The auto shifts very smooth, you can only tell it shifts by the engine tone, not by feel.
I changed the oil myself at 3K and it was very easy! I would rather spend 20 minutes doing it myself then spend an hour waiting for the dealer to screw something else up.
The seats are comfortable for short trips... I don't think I would opt to take this car on a long trip.. the noise factor would also make it less desireable.
I find the acceleration to be adequate in most driving conditions. When I drive normal its more than fine. Of course you can always use more power. The box handles very well and corners better than you would expect. I always take the clover leafs very fast when traffic allows... I am very surprised how well the box takes these ramps.. it doesn't lean much and the tires don't fold or feel squishy. The box is very easy to park and maneuver in all situations.
The interior is a bit bland and some of the plastics feel rather flimsy, but its fine for this class of car. It would be nice to have better interior lighting as standard.
I have a few minor buzzes and crackles, but everything seems buttoned down and tight.
So far so good.. with the solid reliability and resale value. The box is a great value and a good choice for those that need room to carry people and objects.

 

I agree......now if it didn't have such cheap paint !!

 

I think this is a very well written report

paint: has been carped about since day one. But I tell you what: I see no OEM paint jobs as consistantly smooth and free of orange peel as the paints on Scions and other current Toyota products.

I see Elements (because I scan for them). Most Elements have various degrees of objectionable orange peel texture in the paint.

Scion paint is thin and it's not just thin to save material. "Thin" resists chipping better than thick, for a given paint -system- (base coat/clear coat chemistry)

If the paint were laid on thicker I guarantee you our rock chipping trouble would be -worse-

The final point is: the scow of the xB is super-prone to rock hits.

My last car was a very high-buck Subaru. It had good paint which chipped on the hood whereever gravel and rocks hit it at sixty per. It is a fact of life

They -could- make the paint less prone to chipping but that would require making a -softer- paint finish. It would scratch and swirl mark even easier and hazzzze if rubbed wrong. Any paint is mortal.

Let's see how time -weathers- these various Scion colors. My Subaru SVX went fully TEN YEARS in Miami sun, never garaged, mostly parked in sun, before the clear coat started to go white in places.

regards and be happy,
r

 

mikem53, are you riding stock?

 

100% stock with only cruise control.

 

i would have to agree, nice report.

 

Nice report. I should do one for mine. It just crossed the 13,000 mile mark today. I have not had the car a year yet.

 

Seriously, your love for the box will increase tenfold simply with lowering springs. I know I enjoyed mine a hella lot more once I lowered it.

 

I am almost at 17000 and I have had mine since october.

 

nice report. i agree everything you said...

 

Wowza. I got mine on September 8th, 2004...And I thought I was piling on the miles!

 

I like sitting up high.. I would think lowering the car would make the ride stiffer as the springs need to be stiffer when they are shortened?

 

nice report-i got mine in feb 05 and have already passed 15,000!! running great and just got 33 mpg on a 400 mile trip at 75 or 80 mph. great car

 

I'm sure you can sacrifice 1.5" for the ride. Yea, the stock spring ride is terrible, it's not very comfortable. Some springs actually do make the ride softer AND stiffer at the same time.

 

MikeM...again, great report, and please keep us posted. I'm at 800 miles on my XB and I'm still amazed how much fun it is to drive.

 

Thanks... it really is fun to drive. It doesn't have alot of power, but the handling, weight and gears are all matched up very well for the power it does have. The engine also does very well at producing torque down low and throughout the rev band thanks to the variable valve timing system.
The chassis is very rigid which makes the handling very accurate and quick.
The xB is unique in its class and a great value

 

I've only had my box for 5 days, 500 miles...my first initial impressions (after having driven a Focus ZX3 for the past 5 years) is that this car handles very well for being built off an economy car platform. Since the Focus was a great handling car (and that's all the praise I have for it - nothing else), I was apprehensive going into the box. I didn't want to give up the fun-to-drive attitude of the Focus. My apprehension quickly disappeared within the first few miles. Yes, the box is a bit buzzy, and the acceleration isn't the greatest, but it is well suited to the vehicle and I can't be happier with my choice! Everyone who drives my box is amazed at how well it handles - they see the boxy dimesions and automatically think it's top-heavy and will lean too much into corners. Boy are they wrong. Even my dad couldn't believe how well it rode, accelerated...and he can't get over the build quality for the price.
Bravo Scion!

 

I would have to agree, but the car is smoothe because it does not have any torque. I wish it would have alittle more pulling power. When the car is loaded with 5 people it's hard to change lanes or accelerate on a uphill freeway. But all and all my XB is great.

 

Another good report. You word well. Kudos.

As for lowering springs: these are of progressive rate in the front. All are, so far as I know.. But I don't know about all the various makes. I know nothing first hand at all yet!

 

[quote="mikem53"][quote="SCIONbrouillard"]Not necessarily so. Most quality aftermarket spring applications for the xB are progressive wound, enabling the suspension to soak up the smaller bumps and jolts without transmitting the shock to the rest of the car. The stock springs are linear, which causes the bumpy ride in the back over unsmooth/bumpy surfaces.

I'm not saying aftermarket springs are going to make it ride like a Lexus, but it is a noticeable improvement over stock. I've been riding on TRD springs for the last two weeks, and even my wife and 9 year old son noticed the improved ride.

Andre