I just drove an 08 auto and though I would post my impression:

1. While I think the TTAC review is overly harsh, I do agree with their assessment on one key point that will prevent me from purchasing. TTAC said something to the effect that the driving position is 'low and far back, Hummer style with gun slit windows' compared to the original. I found this to be resoundingly true. I felt pretty removed from the road by distance, view, and noise. Whereas in the original there is a raw immediacy to the driving experience, the new B felt safe and distant with much less window space and noise. If seemed so much like an FJ Cruiser in that regard. I'm 5'11" and felt a bit clausterphobic inside and found myself wishing for a sunroof.

2. The interior is actually very nice. Well put together, you get the feeling your buying a much more expensive car (same feeling I have inside a tC).

3. I do think this car will sell very well. The things I consider as negatives in point 1 are what most people consider positive. Its got all the safety, solidity and space that an SUV has but with better mileage.

4. I think the average age of the xB buyer will definitely go up. My gut sense is that many younger buyers will want a more nimble, more tossable, louder, more connected to the road ride.

I'm curious to drive a 5 speed before making my final decision, and you should know that out of courtesy, I didn't push the box hard on my test drive.

Peace,

 

"in the original there is a raw immediacy to the driving experience"

Truer words never spoken--and very well put I might add. Perhaps the xD will be the nimble one in the family.....

 

I agree with point #1.

xB1's were awesome for hooning in. You could feel every bump in the road, It handled well for a box, and you had to think a step ahead of everyone else. All that, with economy and space to boot.

On the flipside, the new xB does feel a lot safer. My wife will be driving it more, and we are planning on having a kid in the next couple of years. I would much rather put them both in the toaster oven than the toaster.

 

If you want to feel every bump in the road drop the thing and put some 19s on it. Peel back the carpet and take out all the sound deadening material.

Honestly I've driven both. The xb1 is more top heavy and I'd bet 10:1 that the xb2 handels better stock. Actually I don't even have to guess on that. The Scion Validation video shows this. Xb2 is faster and handles better. So what's the beef here. Would you actually rather feel out of controll.. like your "tossing" the car around. If you want that just go faster.

 

Yes, yes, yes! It's not just the feel of the road, the responsiveness of the handling, the ability to see and hear everything all around you, the need to be "in the game" when driving because the car can't power its way out of trouble. It's all those things. It's raw immediacy. Yes.

r

 

Good comments and points.

Scion is considering the xD a truer segment replacment for the Gen 1 xB buyers.

The Gen 2 xB is considered a totally different vehicle, not meant to appeal directly to existing Gen 1 owners. It may or may not appeal to them, it was not designed to replace the Gen 1 xB in that regards though.

The manual is fine, I feel that first gear is a little to high and 2nd gear has a little more torque than it needs to have. Otherwise, it is a great safe feeling ride.

 

I'm just wondering, why call it the xB then if it wasn't meant to appeal 1st Gen owners? It's kind of misleading. Toyota/Scion should've save the xB badge for "real" xB's if that's the case. I'm not saying the xB2 is not an xB but from what I read you said that it's a completely different car not meant to replace the 1st Gen. It just doesn't make any sense.


Both 1st Gen and 2nd Gen have it's advantages. There's no "beef" here, just constructive criticism. Maybe Toyota/Scion would listen better the third time around and make the ulitmate xB machine that everyone likes. I am aware that there will be endless debates about 1st Gen and 2nd Gen. If Scion put a different name to it, then maybe we wouldn't be here discussing this. I'm yet to test drive the new xB and so far all I commented about in this forum is the exterior and interior designs from what I see in pictures. Can't wait to test drive to see for myself what Toyota has done with the "xB".

So .. 1st Gen owners, we are all entitled to our own opinion but be careful what you say it might start a ruckus.
2nd Gen owners, you might not like what 1st Gen owners say, but it's part of being a Scion owner, we are rarely accepted by the so called "normal" car drivers. So it's all but "tough love"


______________________________________________________________________

Favorite xB2 Feature: HID capable single back up light. I'm yet to see someone do this.

 

I agree, it is very confusing. Last year when it was presented to us this way at big Toyota event, a bunch of us questioned the logic.

We even have it on video. The xD was touted as a xB replacement - the new xB as a new entry - as weird as it sounded then it still sounds.

Maybe it has to do with gas mileage and segment pricing. The xD with the new 1.8 will have all the new safety features the xB offers, except VSC/TRAC. The lighter vehicle with the 1.8 will get excellent gas mileage. The 5-door vehicle will have extra headroom in the back seat. I doubt it will have as much room as the Gen 1 xB offered, we will see in a few months.

What will be hard to figure out, for me anyways, is all the overlap in 2008. From Yaris to xD to the Corolla/Matrix which appraently is now not going to change until the 2009's come out.

 

So since it's a "new entry" they used the xB badge for marketing purposes? If so, who are they marketing it to? I'm just wondering since this would be a good topic in my Marketing class. If they are trying to appeal to a different demographic why use the "xB" badge? You may not have the answer but hopefully someone does. Me personally, I'm getting the same feelings I had when the first Gen came out, Liked it at first, but Loving it now. From now on I'm just going to think that xB2 is a larger brother of the 1st Gen. Kinda like the Expedition to the Explorer.

 

Look at it this way...

The Tundra was an OK truck, it had a decent amount of power, and sufficed for the average guy. The new Tundra is a workhorse, way more power, better brakes, better handling, more towing capacity... Should that have been called a Tundra? Yes it should.

Another car you can look at is the Altima. The Altima was once what the Corolla is now. 4-Cyl, small, economical car, now it is available with as much power as the Maxima, almost the same size and overall a much different car than it once was.

There are a ton of car's that had a major refresh just like this.

It's called progress. And I bet Toyota are making more money per xB2 than they were xB1. Both are awesome cars. Should they have named it something else? No, It's a box with FWD and a 4-Cylinder motor. It's a progression over the original.

Another good reason why it carries the xB name is the fact that the xB has name recognition. The xD won't have this for some time. People who have never owned or looked at a Scion will already know the xB name since it's been floating around for 3 years.

 

tech,

You made excellent observations. The Gen 2 Xb is in general the same configuration as the Gen 1. The xD will be something between a Yaris Sedan and a Matrix.

Krispies - as far as marketing, fuel economy and price point buyers that the Gen 1 xB appealed to will be attracted to the xD, but not the Gen 2 xB.

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't

 

I undestand now. But also what baffles me is that he said that the new xB was not suppose to "directly" attract 1st Gen owners. Well who do they expect to attract if you put the same badge on a completely different car?

I cannot agree more on what you said about the cars though. I love both Gens. I just wish 2nd Gen came with a standard Kit to make look less "stock" like the 1st Gen. When I look at the 2nd Gen, It has nice curves but somethign is Missing.

 

That was not a quote, it was my attempt to answer those that think the Gen 2 was designed to appeal directly to Gen 1 owners. The Gen 2 is an attempt to continue to attract new buyers to the brand, and as noted keep the most popular model name going.

I think the new Corolla design will be more along this line. The Yaris will appeal to someone just looking for a basic economical inexpensive Toyota. The new Corolla design will attract new buyers while still being accepted by many previous gen owners.

The xD will offer a lot of what the first Gen xB offered, but in a much safer vehicle.

Keep in mind, to accomidate not ony VSC/TRAC, but side/curtain airbags, many cars need to just be bigger and thus heavier. Safer is better!