Hey Scionlife!

Ive been on this forum for almost half a year now but I'm just now getting an account.
I'm a 15 year old kiddo hoping to get an xb for my bday cause i LOVE xb's with a passion!

I've been looking into the pros and cons of both generations and I really cant decide.

Please help me out by telling me the pro's and cons of both gens and I'll forever worship you!

Here's what I got so far.

Gen 1:

Pros:
Super Unique look
Higher driving position (I think)
More nimble handling
Gokart-like driving feeling
Cool interior
And some others

Cons:
Underpowered?
Poor rating for side impact
A tad bit slow with passengers(I think)
And i'll add more if i find out more....


Gen 2:

Pros:
More power
More room
"Aerodynamic"
More spacious/trunk space

Cons:
Big blind spot
Less gas mileage
Loud wind noise(Gen 1 also i think)
I'll add more if i think of any


So pretty much I'm stuck and I've come to ask for help from actual owners of the car!
The power in the Gen 1 is what bothers me the most, I think maybe a new intake and header might do it good, but then again...I'm not that great with cars YET so i dunno.

Also, If you own a Gen 1...I read on the Gen 1 forums about the "insults" and i was wondering if they're still a major head turner? They sure as heck turn mine but what about other people. I want a unique car! And does the headturner effect work on the Gen 2?

For now I'm leaning towards the Gen 2, but I'm still very much in love with the Gen 1, there are two RS4's for sale with about 40k miles here in Dallas, TX. Gotta love that .

Well thats pretty much it...All I can think of so far.
Great forum, Great people, Great cars!

Jeff.

 

Have you go for a actual test drive?
You can't just look at the numbers and listen to what others say.

 

I got the 1st Gen xB when I was 15, and when I was 17 my family bought a 2nd Gen. I drive them both, mine much more often, and I like my Gen 1 more. Its a lot more unique and I just dont like the look of the Gen 2 as much. You did mention the 1st gen is slow with passengers, and that is true, but its still alright. Its fine when its only like you and one other person though. Thats my only real compaint, oh and that its pretty bumpy on the highway. Now the Gen 2 is faster, and I can really tell the difference when I drive it, but I'd rather go for style>speed with my xB Hope that helped you a bit, if you've got anymore questions, feel free to ask.

Also, the "Head turner effect" that you mentioned is not as noticable with the Gen 2. I get a lot of looks/stares/points when I'm driving my 1st Gen, especailly in the high school parking lot, proabably because people never see a lowered green box with rims Now these aren't mean/insulting things, I think people generally like the box and respect the fact that I like it. I dont really get any crap from people. The Gen 2, unless its tricked out a lot, doesn't get as much attention.

Dont take everything I say to heart though, this is coming from a Box lover. Don't get me wrong, the Gen 2 is sweet, but I love my box too much.

 

Wow thanks Murbyrne!
That helped alot haha, So quick question, How is the highway noise on the both of the Scions.

Ohh and does it bother you that there are no armrests?
I drive my parent's Highlander and the me the armrest is pretty special.

Id love to have that headturner effect!

Ohh and InfideL, I cant go for a test drive without a license. I only have my permit and my birthday is in June so I'll have to wait till then.

 

Highway noise doesn't bother me, the Gen 2 is better than the 1st Gen as far as that goes. Like I said earlier, the only thing that bothers me is how bumpy the car is. I guess it doesn't really bother me as much as my passengers. Then again, i might be a bit more bumpy because of the increased wheel size/lowering springs. The Gen 2 is for sure less bumpy.
No armrest doesn't bother me since i've never really drive anything with an armrest, plus you can always buy the armrest, i think they are like $80 or something. I wouldn't even consider that when buying the car because getting one is always an option. The Gen 2 has an armrest, but its kind of thin and wimpy.

hope that helps

 

Here's a really good thread about the 1st-Gen vs. 2nd-Gen that will give you a lot of info:

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=231347

 

I would think the Gen 1 is the logical choice for anyone under the age of 30.

Uniqueness is very important, of course. There is more you can do to a Gen 1 (since the Gen 2 crowd is generally more worried about planning for retirement than modding). And the power / mileage thing is a hell of a trade-off - as a Young Person with a very tiny Young Person's income, you should be more worried about getting every penny out of your gas mileage than getting to the speed limit 2 seconds sooner.

I used to own a truck capable of literally ripping trees out of the ground, and I can say from experience about the xB's power: you get used to it. It's not even that bad - people who criticize the xB's HP need a good lesson in a little thing called Power-To-Weight Ratio.

I rejected Scion's offer to buy back my Gen 1 and sell me a Gen 2 because I still cart around large numbers of friends (and our crap), and the Gen 1 is a much better social vehicle. You're more likely to have only other kids with purses and backpacks than four adults and their luggage, so you might as well plan for it. With the money you save on gas, you can buy more iTunes or glowsticks or whatever the hell it is you kids like these days.

I've never met a 15-year-old who cared about bumps. MY car when I was 16 had two busted rear shocks, and made a noise like a set of bowling pins falling down whenever I went over railroad tracks. It didn't stop me from having a good time.

As for the side impact thing: remember the Gen 2 scored four stars in the NHTSA (government)'s test. It was only in the IIHS' worst-case-scenario Wrecking Ball scenario it performed poorly. My advice to you is: do not stop your car directly in front of a Tahoe doing 40, angled to only strike your B-pillar. Offset frontal crashes are about FOUR BILLION times more likely to occur, and the Gen 1 performed outstandingly in that test.

The redesign was the worst thing to happen to Scion. Just check Autoblog, The Truth About Cars (the Gen 2 xB just narrowly missed being on the Ten Worst Automobiles Today list), any other car website - all of them think Scion had a good thing going, and then inexplicably killed it.

If you can't get a Gen 1 xB, get a Kia Soul. It's better to spend four years in an interesting car than fifteen in a baby Highlander.

 

ALSO: many, many more toys available for Gen 1 xB. I've only ever seen one Gen 2 toy, at some sort of stupid car-centric ripoff of Build-A-Bear. It it costs a fortune and requires a trip to the (surprise!) mall.

 

I maybe in left field, but I would go for the gen2. Its really nice inside in regards to room, features, safety and POWER. I get 31-29 mpg with myself and my parents driving it. Its an automatic with the fogs, floor mats, wheel trim rings and cargo mat. Everything else is standard.

It comes with 4 wheel disk brakes which are very grippie and abs, traction control, anti skid and cruse control. The first gen has drum rears, no cruse, nor traction or skid. I hated my xa as the petal went right to the floor and the brakes were so-so. The manual tranny was clunky and anything with a 1 liter engine and an automatic is just slow.

Of course this is from a 31 year old former disabled wheelchair user of 9 years and a guy who has owned a few cars, trucks, a mercedes and now scions.

They told me when I went to driving school to get a "disposable" car as its likely you will wreck before you get a hang and lots of experience of driving, so you may want to make scion your next car and a truck your first.

My first car was an e250 construction van with air bag. My drivers ed car was a neon.

Keep in mind 25% of driving is you, the 75% is watching out for the other guy.

 

Thanks everyone so far for the input. Now I'm just 50/50 between the two.

I like the xb1 mostly for its spiffiness, bold design, and high seating.

But the i like the xb2's power, space, and the pretty snazzy design as well.

 

I've driven ALOT of 1st gen's and 2nd gens, and I have to say the 2nd gen is an overall nicer vehicle.

Bigger, more safety options, safer vehicle, more power, and they can surely be made awesome looking.

The xb1 on the other hand is smaller and feels more nimble because of it's size, and is probably funner to drive but aside from it's miniature size and exterior appeal it's just not as well build as the xb2.

If I had to choose, i'd pick the xb2. Neither of them are speed racers so you mind as well get the one that has the nicest ride quality and safety.

 

carfull, this topic has started wars in the past.
ill stay out of this one.

i still like my fist gen

 

off course Gen one,
but it's really hard to find a nice one now
price is high also

 

Sorry, Gen 2 just as bore as GM, I will go try Nissan Cube

 

Hey guys, So far I'm still 50/50 for both. There are a few really nice gen 1's around here so its cool.

Today I went to the Scion dealership and I saw a gen 1 and 2. I got a price estimate for the gen 2 for $18,580 out of door price. Everything is standard with the floormats and something protection package as options. Is that a good price? I think its a little overpriced but i'm not too sure.

Oh and quick question, just making sure. The gen 1 doesnt have a seat height adjustment does it? The one i saw today didnt have one.

Also, for Gen 1 owners...How do you increase the power and acceleration for the gen 1 without possibly damaging or lowering the life of the engine? I'm thinking an air intake, a new header, and an exhaust system. Tell me what you think.

Thanks to all who posted so far!

 

I'm pretty sure the Gen. 1 doesnt have a seat height adjustment, or at least i've never used it if it does...

Also, i dont know much about engine/power, but an Intake, header, and exhaust would add a noticable difference.

 

The Gen2 xB has six airbags, traction control, vehicle stability control and anti-lock brakes - all standard. You might not care about any of that stuff right now, but they might very well save your life in an accident, or help you avoid one.

Also, the Gen2 is much quieter and smoother. The bigger engine makes getting on the freeway a joy, instead of a scary experience.

My former car was a 2005 Toyota Matrix. It was mechanically pretty similar to the Gen1 xB. That car was noisy, underpowered and felt tinny and cheap. I thought I was going to die every time I tried to merge onto the freeway, since the engine just did not have any power. It was very "buzzy" and loud when you floored it, but it just didn't have any "oomph". (I had the base 1.8L)

I know there are a lot of people who love their Gen1 xBs and that's fine. I like the looks of them and a lot of people have done a lot of great things to customize their cars.

However, it is a fact that you get a lot more car for your money with the Gen2. It is safer, smoother and faster.

Plus, with a Gen2 you will be covered by a factory warranty, which is a nice comfortable feeling. Your insurance should be lower as well, due to the additional safety features. This is especially important for a new/young driver.

 

Hmm, my Gen1 has TRAC/Traction + stability control and ABS/Anti lock brakes.

'06 PW Gen1 owner here. Have made the TRAC beep a few times! And definitely has ABS. Trust me!

Robert

 

Hummmm..... Wonder why the xa didnt have those features?

I dont think I said it didnt have abs, but it doesnt have 4 wheel disk brakes.

 

Yes, the gen1 xB comes standard with ABS, TCS, and VSC. I know two people who have them and these features came standard. As far as I know only the xD does not come with standard VSC, and it is an available option.