What are the pros? What are the cons? Was the price worth it? What do you miss about the 1st gen? What don't you miss besides the lack of horsepower? I don't plan on getting rid of my 1st gen, nor do I plan on getting a 2nd gen. Just friendly conversation.

 

welllll, the pros of the Gen 2 are:

- more horsepower
- bigger trunk
- better safety rating (important cause I now have twin babies)

the cons (to me) are:

- lousy gas mileage
- argh! Blind spots
- not as funky/unique looking.. I don't drive a Box anymore, I drive an Imperial Troop carrier (yes, I have a white Gen2)
- less interior room - I know, the Gen 2 is "bigger", but the freakin console takes up a ton of legroom in the front. Also, my two infant car seats fit MUCH better in the Gen 1 than my current Gen 2.
- non tilt-able headrests in Gen 2 make me bonkers and tilt my head forward at an uncomfortable angle

my three cents (what with inflation and all) ;)

 

Thank you, sir. Any other 2nd gen owners care to chime in?

 

We have both a 1st gen and a 2nd gen and i have to say the second gen seems to have a better steering ratio and handle better.. other than that i agree with Breadbox_Boy..
One more thing i dont know why people seem to like it more than the 1st gen ..(in my opinion i liked the box feeling of the 1st gen)

 

I owned a first gen for about 6 months when i was hit by a drunk driver and totaled my beautful box, there were thousands of dollars of stuff on it ,wheels, decals, tint, appliques, exhaust, the list is huge. I loved my old xb and the attention it got. My nex xB is stock for now.

New xB
Pros:
Safety
Power
Features (cruise control, temp gauge, mpg calculator, ect.)
The quality, the new xB seems so much sturdier to me, it doesnt seem like im driving a tin can, the doors feel solid and everything is solid.

Cons:
Really my gas mileage only dropped 2-3 mpg, i can live with that, for the power gain it was worth it.

Styling is subjective i loved the uniqueness of the old xb but the new xb does look less cheap to me.

The reason i bought a 08 xB rather then getting a used on was i thought the overall new xb is just a better deal.

People who complain about the price are on crack, the new xb only went up ~ a thousand dollars, for what you get its way worth it.
Larger engine, side airbags, more material, ect...

 

The new box is definetly a nicer overall car, but I do miss my 06. The 06 did handle better and the traction control on the 08 gets a little over zealous on what should be a quick take-off around a corner. The big plus sis the added 52 horse power, and when you compare the price of forced inductionto get the 1st gen to move as quick as the 08, the 08 is the way to go. Wish ther was more less expensive knock-off parts available for the 08 on ebay.

And before you argue about knock-off parts. I had an intake and exhaust on my 06 off of e-bay and loved it.

 

Thank you scionxbrothers, nameless_ak, and RyanW for sharing. Anyone else?

 

If you hold the traction control button (located next to your left knee) down for about 10 seconds it will turn off the VSC, and it will not re-enable itself when you hit 50mph as I had read prior.
Try turning it off and you will love it, but keep in mind you do have to turn it off before moving everytime you turn the car on.

 

I own an '08 and '06.5. My personal preference is the '06, but I've also done quite a bit to her, which gives the '06 her own style that the '08 just doesn't have. Here's my input of the pros and cons of the 2nd gen versus the 1st gen:

Pros:
POWER!! -- and this is definitely a big plus! With 60 more horses at the wheels, who can complain?
Larger trunk space -- Came in very handy while Christmas shopping this year.
Projector headlights, stock -- I know this is easy to remedy on the 1st gen, but it is a nice stock add-on that dramatically increases visibility at night.
Safety Features -- What else needs to be said besides, "Side Curtain Airbags"?
Component Speakers with well-placed tweeters -- The 2nd gen certainly rivals the 1st in stock speaker placement. It uses a reasonably well balanced component setup with the tweeters on the sail panels rather than up on the dash. The closer proximity of the tweet/driver setup creates a MUCH better quality sound stage than the "driver in the door, tweeter in the dash" setup of the 1st gen.

Cons, when compared to the 1st gen:
Fuel Economy -- This is expected due to such an increase in HP. Overall, it isn't a dramatic issue, only 3-5mpg difference, but it is still a con in comparison.
Visibility -- As many have already stated, there are blind spots when compared to the "fishbowl" design of the 1st gen.
Roominess -- The 1st gen feels so much larger than the 2nd gen even though it is a smaller vehicle. The 2nd gen just doesn't have the openness throughout the cab that the 1st gen possesses. In my opinion, this is a MAJOR comfort factor.
Head Room -- This somewhat falls under the "Roominess" category, but, in my opinion, deserves its own category due to such a significant difference between the two vehicles. In the 2nd gen, my head is very nearly touching the ceiling, while the 1st gen possesses more than ample space between the roof and my skull. This dramatically effects that cramped feeling that you get in the 2nd gen after spending some time in the 1st.
Comfort -- The seats in the 2nd gen do not provide the same level of support as the 1st gen. The seats in the 1st gen tend to fit like a glove, with my backside planted firmly into the seat rather than on it. The 2nd gen seats fit more like a loose sock, lacking any feelings of support or security. They tend to sit more like a bench and less like an armchair. My initial thoughts on this topic were that a replacement of the drab fabric (which is my next "con") with leather might make the seats feel a bit more snug and grabbing. My initial thoughts were incorrect. They did nothing to change the way the seats feel, other than to provide a much better material to slide around on.
Bland Fabric on the Seats -- ...Plain old boring, drab, one-color fabric. This really takes away from what could be a relatively attractive interior. Here's some comparison pics. You be the judge.
STOCK

Custom Leather

 

Those stock armrests look stubby, yet comfy. The custom leather does look a lot better.

 

Me thinks I'll chime in here since I fit the bill for this topic:

Pros of 2nd gen:
Power: Yes, it's been said and I'll say it again: Being able to drive up decent inclines without neeeding to downshift and the occational grin-factor of blasting off the line at stop lights definately makes driving the 2nd-gen 10-times more enjoyable than the ellastic-band feel of the 1st gen.

Comfort: IMHO, the 2nd gen rivals the first, perhaps it's my body shape, or the fact that I had to make a custom knee rest on my 1st gen box to keep my leg from going numb by leaning on the shifter. The 1st gen was too generous with room, esepcially in the back. Now it's just right all over.

Features: Cruise Control, louder stereo, digital speed-o, more safety features that you can spit at, all making the whole package a much greater deal than the 1st.

Quality: The doors don't sound like hollow drums when you close them, the rear hatch latches every time, the surface lines are cleaner and the matterials feel better

Cup Holders: I'm a cup holder hog and I have 5 within my reach (6 if you cound the one on the dash to the left of the wheel). The 1st gen holders wouldn't hold a Big Gulp.


Cons:
Thirtyness: Yep, it uses more fuel, nope, it's not that much difference, and yep, it's worth it.

Visibility: The lack of D-pilar windows weren't noticabe at first, but the more often I park nose-in the more often I realize just how blind I am while backing out. Front and side vicibility is just fine (Though I need to lean forward even more when I'm first in line at most stoplights)

Digital Dash layout: I really wish I could view my clock and the air temperature at the same time or, at least, be able to switch between the two without having to lean so far forward out of my seat. Put that button on the steering wheel next time and it'll be gold. Also, I'm not liking how far away the fuel light is.. more than once I've gotten startled by just has little fuel I had left since the fuel gage and the fuel light are on the far side of the odometer from the speed-o, just slightly outside my periphreal vision. If they shrunk the gas gage and placed it much further to the left, perhaps right under the clock, it'd be perfect.

Headlights: Still no running lights or auto-off features, though the lights themselves are top notch.

Rear Bumper: Why is there a diagonal seam on the rear bumper? Totally threw me off every time I noticed it for the first couple of months. I'm used to it now, but it's just totally out of place and is the one point of the whole vehicle that looks bad.


Middle Road:
Styling: I definately miss the unique look of my old toaster, but at the same time the new box fits my personality better. It conforms without conforming. Still, if I could take the guts of the 2nd gen and the body of the 1st I'd be happy.

Storage space: Now that I have 5 cup holders I no longer have any cubby holes or my oven to stash other stuiff in and, frankly, storage bin the middle is pitifully tiny. Still, I've got 5 cup holders, so I can't really complain.

Extras: Seriously, why is the spoiler almost $500? And the navigation system is$2k. Lighted cup holders?

 

Thank you, Pojodan, that was very informative.

 

To the earlier question about the arm rest: it is definetly worth less I never use it, it is way too thin.

 

I may be the only one to say this but "I dont think there is a visibility problem in the new xB" Sure you cant see through the pillar but thats what those nifty little mirrors are for on the side of your car. I purposely slowed down to let someone pass me on my right, i saw them in my mirror first then when they dissapeard in the mirror i look to my side and there they are. Never were they in a blind spot.

My suggestion to you if you have a blind spot, adjust your mirrors!

and yes the armrest is much to thin, but i think its better then nothing.

i also forgot to mention in the safety upgrades that the doors have impact beams in them to protect the passenger compartment during a side collision, i took off the door panels on my old xb and wished i had never seen it, because the door was literally two thin sheets of metal, a kid on a moped could break my leg if he ran into me.
after being hit by a drunk driver i am very thankful for any safety feature i can get.

 

My mom has an 05 and there is definitely a twang to the doors when closing them, very flimsy. The kid on a moped line made me laugh lol

 

while I can't comment on the pros/cons compared to a gen 1. I'm thrilled to see that this thread is an actual discussion and not a holy war

on a side note, I kinda miss my xA but don't miss the lack of power

 

That's the reason I started this thread the way I did. I didn't want it turn into some B.S. hate thread. I want to be informed. I may one day get into an accident and may have to get a 2nd Gen xB. As I said in my first post, I don't plan on getting a 2nd Gen xB.

What do you miss about your xA? I am willing to read your comments as well. Consider this a RIP/I miss you thread...lol.

 

On the arm rest: Yes, it's junk, basically a partially shaped piece of cloth covered reinforced cardboard. I'm sure it's the right height for some people, but definately not me.

 

I think I've mentioned it before...
I love the original xB, but for my type of driving which is mostly highway I find it inadequate, it can't get out of its own way and that's dangerous in South Florida with nutty drivers and large trucks coming your way. Merging into traffic is an adventure. I thought it was perfect for my mom though, she does all city driving and it gets good MPG and is spacious. I loved the styling as well. I also love the fact that I drive it whenever I visit her and that I still have access to the gen 1 xB.
I would have wished that in the redesign they would have used the same body style, used something akin to the VAG 1.8t or 2.0t engine and added the safety features. I would have been ecstatic. As it stands I still think the xB2 is a great buy and I feel my son is safe in it. I'll be buying mine Jan 20th when my wife's lease is up, and amazingly I still haven't decided on a color, none really suits me. A dark metallic grey would have been nice, but no such luck. BBC might be it, might be SW, might even be CSM.

 

Pro XB2 (Cons are generally reflections of my opinion of the XB1)
1. Pro: The extra power is very very nice. Con: The drop is gas mileage stinks; 8MPG for me and I do mostly highway/interstate driving at 73MPH or less.
2. Pro: More width so my elbow isn't touching my passenger's Con: None, wider truly is better here.
3. Pro: Seat is wider and more comfy to me. It also holds me in place well. XB1: The gen 1 seats were ok but the gen2s fit me better.
4. Pro: More rear cargo area room. Con: Some of it came at the expense of rear passenger room. Not a major thing but I carry my lunch in a little cooler and it doesn't fit in the rear floor like it used to.
5. Pro: Smoother quieter ride. Con: Doesn't have the same nimble feel but it still handles good enough for me in everyday driving.
6. Pro: A real radio antenna!!!! Con: Something else to wash and wax around.
7. Pro: High mounted shifter is easy to get to. Con: High mounted shifter is easy to knock out of drive.

Con XB2
1. Con: Crappy little armrest XB1: Sometimes it better to have nothing so you aren't wishing what you had actually functioned well.
2. Con: Knee room is severaly reduced. My right leg always rests on the console and my left leg is almost always on the door. XB1: Even though it was smaller it was more open.
3. Con: Visibility around the D-pillar. I don't have a problem when driving. I use my mirrors and turn my head and have no problem. It's just at certain crossroads where the roads don't intersect at perfect right angles I have to turn the car to see if traffic is coming. XB1: Never ever a problem.

General:
a. I think the cubbys in the D-pillars are ridiculous. They could've done much better back there. A smooth panel would be better than the cubby.
b. I love the utility loops in the cargo area. I have a pair of bungees back there at all times to keep things from moving. The XB1 had them but they were on the floor under the cubby and spare tire.


Overall: I wouldn't have traded my XB1 for an XB2. The biggest factor would've been not spending more money. I had a fair amount of mods on my XB1 and I didn't want to start over with payments. Since my XB1 was totalled I had the option of finding another XB1, buying an XB2, or buying another brand. Once I test drove the XB2 the XB1 was out, plus I didn't want a used car. I seriously considered a Civic because I like the style, they are dependable, and get good gas mileage. My wife pushed me toward the XB2 because of the huge smile on my face when I test drove it. The only thing I lost from the Civic was gas mileage and probably a few creaks and rattles. Yes the XB2 makes noises too.