All jokes aside, I own a 2006 Scion xB, and I'm really worried about it getting rear ended. I'd feel that my kids were safer if I had a can of Pringles for a rear crumple zone. Anywho, my wife and I are looking for either a small SUV or a big family car to transport the kids in. I noticed that the 2007 xB is COMPLETELY different than my '06. The point of this story: Do you guys believe that the extra trunk room makes a significant improvement in safety? Would you trust the xB2 to protect your baby in a car in the event of a rear-end crash?

 

but yes I definitely would trust it vs. the older xB

 

hey man.. i dont have kids so take from this what you can. I would and do trust my 08xb for transporting my family. I totaled an 06 tC and i know first hand that SCION makes a very safe car. I can also say that they wouldnt make a "less safe" car in regards to this newer body style being a little safer. The back seats of the xb2 do have side impact curt. airbags.. and i feel totally safe transporting my grandparents around town (DFW) and i live around CRAZY drivers. hope that helps.. i highly reccoment this car too btw

 

Yes, I can forsee the Gen2 having better all round Crash test results all around...would I trust the Gen2 to protect Kids in a rear end Crash? It ovviously depends on the Vehicle and it's speed upon impact, that's impossible to predict...

Not trying to change the subject, and I'm not trying to preach to the learned here, but I cringe every time I see Parents leaving the Kids strapped in Baby Seats inside the Car while they re-fuel....

Here's some more info for anyone interested....
http://www.esdjournal.com/static/staticsmart.htm

 

Did IIHS release the crash test for the 08 xb's yet??? That would probably help out on this post.

 

Based on the fact that I got totaled in a front end accident in a Gen 1 Model and insted of getting something else waited 6 weeks for a new 08 I think that you are definitely safer in the new 08. Bigger and more airbags works for me and better braking features in 2nd. Can not offer rear end experience but front crumpled right up and I was unhurt.

 

so......... i need to take my kids out of the car when im putting gas in it?


ive worked in a salvage yard and know first hand how fast and hot a car can burn.
but i realy have to say...... if you are that scared of the world around you, why do you even bother coming out of your house. DO YOU KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN!!!

im joking ( kinda ) don't yell at me.... please.

 

had a customer in here a week ago. she had one of the first xB classics in Bay county. 1.5 years ago, she was rear-ended, with her daughter in the back seat, by a domestic midsize going 45mph. Everything was fine, the back door was just a bit stuck and took a little force to open, but her daughter in the back was just fine.

What would you propose we do with them? Hold them so they get a big whiff of fumes? Let them run around the gas station with cars and people driving all over the place? If there's a fire (about a 0.00001% chance) an infant in cradele mounted seat can be removed in about 1.3 sec, and a toddler in a 5 point harness can be removed in 3 or less. Quite frankly, it was more dangerous driving to the station than refueling.

 

Holy crap, that article is filled with hype and terror. What if, god forbid, you live in an area where full-serve is the norm? Do you have the attendant wait until you evacuate your family to a safe distance?

Do they expect that a gas attendant is less likely to have your car burst into flames than you if you pump your own? Most gas pump attendants are much less vigilant than the vehicles owners in pumping fuel.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/static.asp

That link gives a lot more information and a lot less mindless terror (it's even got references).

If you actually had kids, you'd already know how laughable it is to even suggest that they all need to get out while the car is refueling. There are more factors involved in fires of that type and the snopes article actually addresses them.

The part of the article that was a really hoot was where it suggested you fill slower up to half a tank then fill quicker of you like. Gasoline doesn't foam up like diesel does so it's pointless. If anything, filling slower at the end of the pump is more useful advice to prevent any splashback (which would only likely occur if the pump were defective).[/url]

 

In addition to all that, if you try to have the kids stand/ run around outside the car while you put gas in putting them in any perceived danger, most places you will find that some "helpful" citizen will call the local Child Protective Services on you.

I am surprised more of these "helpful" citizens have not latched onto that link and started calling the authorities every time they see somebody dare to put gas in their car while the kid is in it.

 

If anybody has been rear-ended in an xB2 or knows of anyone who has, I really want to hear about it.

 

Search is your friend:

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ght=crash+test

 

Well, geez, why didn't you ask. I just got mine back after the driver of a Golf GTI chased me three blocks to plow into my car (I gave him the finger). My sister-in-law was stopped waiting for a left turn when a 2004 Suburban plowed into her doing 35 or 40. And I'm quite possibly the biggest safety nerd you will encounter in these hallowed halls. So HERE GOES, YOU ASKED FOR IT

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does not, nor have they ever, published rear-impact crash test results. The Institute only tests headrests and their ability to prevent whiplash. The same is true for hte NHTSA, except they don't even test headrests.

I'll give you the short answer: xB's have fantastically developed safety cage systems that are capable of absorbing collisions better than many vehicles larger and longer than they are. The crumple zones are NOT what you want to worry about. Read on for details.

Regarding the "crumple zones": Just because it has a short a$$-end doesn't mean it's unsafe. Take a good look around the next time you walk through a parking lot. Maybe bring a measuring tape, check out the space between the C pillar and the back of the trunk of the cars you're walking past. A lot of sedans are just as short between the backseat and the end of the car. Heck, look at any sports car on the roar. Not much trunk, is there?

The xB looks like there's nothing between your kids and the back door because you're used to seeing a much bigger rear-end on anything with a tailgate. That's a design decision: wagons and sport-utes are designed for hauling plywood and washing machines; THAT'S the reason they're not longer, not for safety. You're used to different proportions.

So we've established that vehicles with much less space between the rear passengers can be perfectly safe. That's not the reason to trade up - but there is a reason.

Regarding the safety cage: first-gen Scions have two things going for them: an expertly-designed safety cage, and their minimalist weight. They're very rigid, and they tend to take flight and skid away from even moderate impact. I've seen xB's survive impacts that would have demolished much-bigger cars, simply because they bounced away from the impact rather than imploding. There is a downside to that, of course.

Here's a better source for your searches: www.wreckedscions.com . I'll provide a sample.



Now, before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, I would like to point out two things: a) this vehicle was rear-ended by a bus, if I recall correctly, and b) please note that the survival space is completely maintained. I have seen other pictures of the interior of this xB, and there is still enough legroom in the backseat for a passenger to comfortably exit. There's still MORE legroom than most passenger cars start out with in the backseat. This thing got HIT BY A BUS and the passengers could have walked away.

Here's another: http://www.wreckedscions.com/gallery/ScionxB/64683e
Annanother: http://www.wreckedscions.com/gallery/ScionxB/wreck8
Interior shot of that last one: http://www.wreckedscions.com/gallery/ScionxB/wreck2

Now, then...that downside.

When my sister-in-law in her stationary 2006 got rear-ended by a 7,200-pound Suburban doing 35-40, two things happened: 1) her car escaped with barely any damage, and 2) her car rocketed forward about 40 feet.

My fellow gen-1'ers would kill me for telling you this next part.

Unfortunately for her, Teri also sustained a moderate neck injury. Not because the headrest is designed poorly (the paramedics said it probably saved her from a broken neck), but because the car went from 0 to 40 MPH in about .007 seconds. It's likely that a car that weighed more, while taking much worse damage, would have been safer for the occupants.

Enter the 2008 xB. 500 pounds isn't MUCH, in the grand scheme of things, but it's quite possibly enough to keep your wheels on the ground in the event of a collision with a larger vehicle. And let's face it, with the number of cell-phoning idiots in Yukons on the road these days...

So, yeah, I would upgrade, but not for the reason you'd thought. Get it for the weight, not for the trunk space.

A gen 1 is a perfect vehicle for me...at 25, I'm the picture of health, and (God help me for saying this) I could probably do backflips in a car and walk away from it. In fact, I HAVE done backflips in a car and walked away from it! (Okay, one backflip) But for your teeny little baby...

Yeah. One more gen 1 for us, I guess. ;)

 

I don't worry about it at all, but I certainly worry less after some of what's been posted.

I don't think a rear-end is much to worry about. There's plenty of room for crumpling. Same with the front end.

My concern is a side impact. I think that would be much worse. Not that I think the xb would fail poorly; just that in any car you have so much less protection when hit in the side.

I'd probably feel safer in a tank, but until I can figure out how to strap down the child seat I'll stick with my xb2.

My .02