I must admit, the first time I saw the 2004 Scion XB, which would eventually become an icon for Toyota’s youth culture brand, I was amazed anybody would design such a boxy looking vehicle. Who would buy such a car, I wondered?
Today, there are nearly 500,000 Scion owners on the road and the XB is becoming known for accessorizing and personalization. Yeah, yeah, those of us who aren’t so hip simply call this “adding options.”
But Scion’s targeting roughly 10% of the 142 million Americans under 35 and these people are used to personalization – in fact, they demand it from their music, ring tones, Web site communities and videos. The days of mass marketing the same products and hit music – through radio and television – are going by the wayside and Scion’s trying to match that trend.
Plenty of Custom Accessories
And even though base price on a manual transmission XB is an extremely modest $15,560, the average Scion owner spends another $1,000 in custom accessories. Accessories can include a navigation system at $2,250, DVD headrest monitors at $1,599 and 17-inch alloy wheels for $1,595. In fact, if you wanted to go a little crazy with the countless “accessories” you can easily turn your little inexpensive Scion into an expensive, tricked out car.
I recently attended a Scion-sponsored press introduction for their new XB and XD models in Las Vegas. And even though I’m not at all a target consumer, I believe Scion’s selling itself a little short on the practical nature of their vehicles. When we think of active lifestyle vehicles, the Scion brings it in every way except for off-roading. There are currently no plans to offer a four-wheel drive version.
But none of my triathlete or cyclist friends go off-roading anyway and the newer, less boxy-looking exterior of the XB, actually really starts to grow on you. For purposes of brevity and relevance to our active audience, I’ll limit my comments to the XB. The 2008 model has been totally redesigned and I believe it’s going to appeal to a much larger segment that’s looking for value and functionality in a vehicle.
The 2008 XB is a foot longer, three inches wider and boasts a four-inch longer wheelbase than its predecessor. The sharp exterior edges have been softened with a little more roundness and, while Scion might not want to admit it, this car’s starting to be a little more PT Cruiser or Chevy HHR-like. In a word, it’s cool.
The Scion XB at Red Rock Canyon just outside Las Vegas.
The wider stance, combined with a two-inch drop in height, gives the XB a little more car-like feel. And, most importantly, a 2.4 liter dual overhead-cam four-cylinder engine (the same engine found on a base Camry) which produces 158 horsepower, 55 more than the previous generation, ensures people like me aren’t going to think of this as a toy engine.
Both the manual and automatic transmissions dial you into about 22 city and 28 highway mpg fuel economy. Not bad for a box. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the XB handled and accelerated. While I didn’t feel I was going to set any speed records, I certainly didn’t feel underpowered. I drove it from the Las Vegas strip out to Red Rock Canyon, a good 45-minute drive with a combination of highway, rolling hills and plenty of turns. My manual transmission featured an incredibly smooth clutch that took literally no getting used to.
Manual Transmissions Popular
Surprisingly, as well, nearly 30% of Scions sold are manual transmissions, compared with the less than 5% for most other vehicles. These cars are meant to be fun and funky, and part of being fun means you need to have a little more involvement in the driving experience – thus a manual transmission. And, naturally, a choice of shift knobs is offered.
One personalization feature, that clearly illustrates how techy we’re all getting, is the different “skins” you can buy for the Scion audio system. A skin is essentially a graphics package the displays on your radio screen. I can already see the mass market starting for this kind of thing, much like music ring tones for cell phones, you’ll be able to personalize the graphics on your car radios by downloading a theme from a Web site.
iPod Integration
And iPod owners will be even more pleased to know that Scions aren’t just MP3 compatible, they completely integrate with your iPod. So instead of fumbling around with your play lists on the iPod dial, the Scion displays all the iPod information on the radio so you can more safely switch songs or play lists. If you have a regular MP3 player, it will simply work as an auxiliary jack.
Inside the XB, the two inches of height loss did nothing to sacrifice interior comfort and headroom. The wider and longer body translates to 122.5 cubic feet of passenger volume. And with the rear seats in place, there’s still 21.7 cubic feet of cargo room behind the seats. Fold the 60/40 split configuration down, which is a snap with no need to remove headrests, and you score 69.9 cubic feet of space. What this really means is you’ll have no problem loading your bikes, surfboard, golf clubs and other sports toys in the back of your XB.
Standard Features Galore
And if you don’t think $15k and change gets you much in a car these days, consider the standard features in the Scion XB: power steering, windows, door locks and mirrors; remote keyless entry, air conditioning, four-wheel anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist; driver and front passenger dual stage airbags; front seat-mounted side airbags; front and rear side curtain airbags; vehicle stability control with traction control; first aid kit and tilt steering wheel with audio controls. There’s even a trip computer with all the fun stuff like average mpg and miles to empty.
You’d think the XB was a $40,000 car from the standard feature descriptions. As I stated earlier, for what you get from a practical standpoint with the XB, I think Toyota could easily market this to active lifestyle folks, regardless of age, and garner huge acceptance.
And, yes, my curiosity from a few years ago over who might buy a box has been answered. The new XB, and Toyota’s ability to think inside the box with their Scion brand has completely changed my perception of Scion.
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