Scion anyone?

[Ken]

My cage is getting a little long in the tooth. I've been driving a big sedan for many years. Now that the kids are starting to leave the nest, I'm thinking of something more appropriate. I'm not a big car person and just want something efficient with a dash of style and fun. I'm eying the Scion xD. Scion is Toyota. I've had good experience with Toyota (and their Lexus brand too) but no word on Scion. Anyone have a Scion that would share feedback?

[Blue STreak]

Like you say, it's a Toyota. Highly reliable, probably not tremendous excitement. The Xd is essentially a redesigned version of the previous Xa. A friend of mine has a Tc and loves it, has had no problems at all.

[Gem STate ST]

We have three of them in our company for sales people and so far no issues with any of them after six months.They get up and go,good vision and lots of head room.

[jasonJonas]

i dig the new xB and am considering trading in the land cruiser for one. i'm the only one that's in the l-c, but it's paid for and has been an excellent cage for 100+ k. i'm just not incentivized to do so.

i know several folks with various models who've had no issues. it seems they really are toyotas. :)

[2wheels4u2]

Hi Ken, I am 55 years young and I just brought an 08 Scion XB the little box on wheels and I love this thing. My wife and I just took about 900 mile trip last weekend in it and I can't tell you how much we enjoyed it.The 08 has new body design I like a little better. I would sure go test drive one I think you will be shocked at how much room and comfort they have. Good luck on your search. Terry

[hobo57]

Take a look at the Honda Fit. Wonderful little car. I'm getting 34 mpg. I have the "Sport" version with 5-speed. It has enough zip for a fuel conscious person, and the seats fold down very nicely for hauling gear or big dogs. And it's a Honda!

PS: Our other car is a Honda Element. Not as sporty of a drive, but the double doors are great and it hauls a lot.

[Raven]

Mini Cooper - best little car out there!
#1 in crash safety
#1 in cool points!

:cool:

[wjbertrand]

My daughter is driving a Scion tC. It's a lot of car for the money and with the 2.4L 160hp engine, it gets up and goes! There's also a factory supercharger option that will raise power to 200. The coolest thing I think is the audio system. Her iPod connects directly to a cable inside the center console and the factory radio shows all of the iPod's display information and allows full control of it. It even keeps it charged up.

We added XM radio and it was all plug and play. There's a dedicated connector at the back of the radio to receive the XM adapter and everything fits behind the dash except the little antenna which sits inconspicuously on the dash behind the windshield. She can control the radio, CD player, iPod and XM all from the steering wheel controls as well.

So far the car has not given her any problems in the year and a half she's had it. It's a lot of car for about $17K.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the handling is a little slow and heavy compared to my IS300, not very sporty feeling.

[wjbertrand]

Mini Cooper - best little car out there!
#1 in crash safety
#1 in cool points!

:cool:

Great little car with better driving dynamics that most small cars, but unfortunately both JD Power and Consumer Reports haven't collected very flattering data on reliability / quality. That's a deal breaker for me and probably a lot of other folks.

[Computer Nerd]

If you are thinking Scion, what about a new Honda Civic?

I think they are great cars.

[Ken]

I thought about it. But I'm thinking I'd really like a hatchback 5-door.

My lean toward the xD is based on size/cargo need, price, equipment, performance, MPG, and JD Power ratings. It's tough to find anything in this class with so much standard equipment for the price they get for that xD, 15K. I like the Element but don't need that much room and the same thought holds true for the Scion xB. Love the Mazda 3 (that thing is a BLAST to drive!) but it gets poor marks from JD Powers and owners alike.

So the ones in this class (that I know of): Scion xD, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Subaru WRX, and the Suzuki SX4 Sport.

[NCrider]

The Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe are the same vehicle made by Toyota.
You can buy the Vibe and save the extra $$.

I have a friend that bought one for his wife about a year ago and so far no problems and they really like it.

[Ken]

I test drove the xD today. A good bang for the buck I suppose but I was just OK with it. It handled well and had decent power but it was pretty loud and I was thoroughly unimpressed with the transmissions (tested the auto and the manual). And the look is something you either love or hate and I just can't warm up to it.

So I'm moving on to test the Vibe, Matrix, Fit, and Mazda 3. Any comment on these is appreciated. Thanks all!

[MNwing]

my 2 cents worth, take a hard look at Subaru. Love my Forester, great car for this part of the country.

[Ken]

So I drove the new 197 HP Honda Civic Si today. Big mistake :) What a blast to drive! I can imagine myself moving further out in the country to make my commute longer. Actually, I drove the new LX model too and the Civic is just a dam fine car for the price.

[UNTMatt]

Take a look at the Honda Fit. Wonderful little car. I'm getting 34 mpg. I have the "Sport" version with 5-speed. It has enough zip for a fuel conscious person, and the seats fold down very nicely for hauling gear or big dogs. And it's a Honda!

PS: Our other car is a Honda Element. Not as sporty of a drive, but the double doors are great and it hauls a lot.


I love the Fit! Wife will get an Accord or Acura next but I want that Fit!!!! Test drove it a while back and it is cool for the price/quality/fuel economy.

Parents have the Matrix and it is a very nice ride. Three years now and no problems. Mom is into dog agility and dock diving so she uses it to haul the border collies everywhere if that gives you an idea on use. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

[Lager]

My wife drives a 04 XA,bought it brand new and now has 86K miles on it. Its been a great car with no warranty complaints ever. I perform oil changes every 5K miles and have followed the maint schedule by the book.
The Honda Fit is another alternative to consider. Both are capable of 40 MPG on the highway but so is the Honda Civic.109 HP Toyota and the Fit, 140 approx for the Civic. 109 HP is ok for flat land driving,but if its hilly,Semi's will pass you as you struggle up that long hill.
Both the Toyota and the Honda feel pretty zippy in town but if you are on the highway and want to accel from 65 to 75 MPH, pack a lunch.:rolleyes:
One thing to consider is this,I have been a Honda Auto mechanic for the past 27 years at the dealership level.I perfer Toyota products over Honda's except for the 06-07 Civic. Thats an awesome car !!:)

[Yogi]

My cage is getting a little long in the tooth. I've been driving a big sedan for many years. Now that the kids are starting to leave the nest, I'm thinking of something more appropriate. I'm not a big car person and just want something efficient with a dash of style and fun. I'm eying the Scion xD. Scion is Toyota. I've had good experience with Toyota (and their Lexus brand too) but no word on Scion. Anyone have a Scion that would share feedback?


My Daughter has a TC and loves hers. But she has only had it for a couple months now. No problems so far.

[skyboybry]

I had an '05 xB with a manual trans. The power was decent and it got 34 MPG. The interior room was the best part. I had that car for a year before I got my Prius. Man, I love that Prius. Super high tech and it's deceivingly fast because it's so ultra smooth. 49 MPG isn't that hard to take either (better than the ST!). I've always had Toyotas & rarely had any problems. I've had domestic cars, and, well, I haven't been so lucky with those. I wouldn't call a Matrix/Vibe a true Toyota; it's a joint venture with Pontiac. I rented one once & it didn't have the same quality feel that any of my Toyotas has, but I only had limited experience with it. FWIW.

sbB

[Blue STreak]

Ken:

Of all the mini cars in your list, the Fit consistently gets the best "fun to drive" reviews from the car mags, and even from Consumer Reports. I'm a couple of years away from a new car, but the Fit will definitely be on my list to consider.

[Putt]

my 2 cents worth, take a hard look at Subaru. Love my Forester, great car for this part of the country.

Now that you mention it, I see a LOT of Subarus in Colorado..


Putt...

[Ken]

So I took the plunge. Happy with 1600 off sticker, 350/year for insurance and lovin' that 197-hp 2.0-liter i-VTEC, 8,000 rpm redline, 6-speed manual, I went and plunked down a big down payment on the Civic Si. I've been driving sedans for years and looking forward to a cage that's almost as fun as two wheels.

[MileHigh]

Now that you mention it, I see a LOT of Subarus in Colorado..


Putt...

Subaru's are a very popular vehicle for folks who live in the foot hills and/or mountains. Very, very, very dependable, 4WD, better on gas than the K3500 or Excursion they have sitting in the driveway.

Used Subie's hold their value really well out here. I tried to find a used Outback for a good price. They don't depreciate till around 10 years old. Very simple and well designed/lay out boxer engine.

[Ken]

So I ended up going in the other direction. Once you drive that little 2L VTEC engine, it's tough to walk away. So the Si won me over.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/keboyer/Vehicles/Civic%20Si/HondaCivicSi013.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/keboyer/Vehicles/Civic%20Si/HondaCivicSi004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/keboyer/Vehicles/Civic%20Si/HondaCivicSi014.jpg

[tarfin]

Beautiful car Ken..congrats!!!

Motorweek on PBS did a review of the new xB and gave it rave reviews if anyone is still looking at them. Added 50 HP and gave it some more refinement.