The bread van. The mini-minivan. The shrunken school bus. Or, quite simply, the boxy one. All of these, along with a few colorful adjectives, have been used to describe the slab-sided Scion xB wagon.
June 9, 2006 (Press Release) --
The bread van. The mini-minivan. The shrunken school bus. Or, quite simply, the boxy one. All of these, along with a few colorful adjectives, have been used to describe the slab-sided Scion xB wagon.
Not since the days of the late and unlamented AMC Pacer has an economy car created such a love-it or hate-it relationship with the car-buying public. Unlike the Pacer — which engendered a lot more haters — the xB seems loved and loathed in equal numbers.
For its third year on the market, Scion has left the xB pretty much alone. Like the xA, changes for 2006 include little more than cosmetic addenda to the car's already impressive list of optional extras. The Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit has also been redesigned, and a newly available upgrade ($260) makes it compatible with an Apple iPod and other portable MP3 players.
The bread van. The mini-minivan. The shrunken school bus. Or, quite simply, the boxy one. All of these, along with a few colorful adjectives, have been used to describe the slab-sided Scion xB wagon.
Not since the days of the late and unlamented AMC Pacer has an economy car created such a love-it or hate-it relationship with the car-buying public. Unlike the Pacer — which engendered a lot more haters — the xB seems loved and loathed in equal numbers.
For its third year on the market, Scion has left the xB pretty much alone. Like the xA, changes for 2006 include little more than cosmetic addenda to the car's already impressive list of optional extras. The Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit has also been redesigned, and a newly available upgrade ($260) makes it compatible with an Apple iPod and other portable MP3 players.
Boxy dimensions allow generous accommodations for four or five and excellent outward visibility, which eases parallel parking. Once it's parked, though, be prepared to field lots of questions. Even now, three years after its debut, the xB sparks spirited interest and debate. We can't think of another car with a sub-$15,000 base price that attracts attention like an exotic sports car.
The 103-hp 1.5-liter four-cylinder is among the most fuel-efficient in the industry, getting 30 mpg city/34 mpg highway. It performs adequately around town, though it runs out of power rather quickly during highway on-ramp runs and when packed full of people and/or cargo. The five-speed manual transmission is better suited to wringing out every ounce of power from the little engine than is the optional automatic.
Chrome accents adorn the spacious interior. An avant-garde instrument panel features a single, round multigauge unit just left of center on the dashboard. The black-on-white markings help to make it legible, but its positioning takes some getting used to.
Considering its price, the xB comes well-equipped, including advanced chassis-control systems not usually found on vehicles in its price range. These include antilock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, traction control and Vehicle Stability Control.
Source: http://search.msn.com
Posted by Nick Kurczewski and Jim Gorzelany
Not since the days of the late and unlamented AMC Pacer has an economy car created such a love-it or hate-it relationship with the car-buying public. Unlike the Pacer — which engendered a lot more haters — the xB seems loved and loathed in equal numbers.
For its third year on the market, Scion has left the xB pretty much alone. Like the xA, changes for 2006 include little more than cosmetic addenda to the car's already impressive list of optional extras. The Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit has also been redesigned, and a newly available upgrade ($260) makes it compatible with an Apple iPod and other portable MP3 players.
The bread van. The mini-minivan. The shrunken school bus. Or, quite simply, the boxy one. All of these, along with a few colorful adjectives, have been used to describe the slab-sided Scion xB wagon.
Not since the days of the late and unlamented AMC Pacer has an economy car created such a love-it or hate-it relationship with the car-buying public. Unlike the Pacer — which engendered a lot more haters — the xB seems loved and loathed in equal numbers.
For its third year on the market, Scion has left the xB pretty much alone. Like the xA, changes for 2006 include little more than cosmetic addenda to the car's already impressive list of optional extras. The Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit has also been redesigned, and a newly available upgrade ($260) makes it compatible with an Apple iPod and other portable MP3 players.
Boxy dimensions allow generous accommodations for four or five and excellent outward visibility, which eases parallel parking. Once it's parked, though, be prepared to field lots of questions. Even now, three years after its debut, the xB sparks spirited interest and debate. We can't think of another car with a sub-$15,000 base price that attracts attention like an exotic sports car.
The 103-hp 1.5-liter four-cylinder is among the most fuel-efficient in the industry, getting 30 mpg city/34 mpg highway. It performs adequately around town, though it runs out of power rather quickly during highway on-ramp runs and when packed full of people and/or cargo. The five-speed manual transmission is better suited to wringing out every ounce of power from the little engine than is the optional automatic.
Chrome accents adorn the spacious interior. An avant-garde instrument panel features a single, round multigauge unit just left of center on the dashboard. The black-on-white markings help to make it legible, but its positioning takes some getting used to.
Considering its price, the xB comes well-equipped, including advanced chassis-control systems not usually found on vehicles in its price range. These include antilock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, traction control and Vehicle Stability Control.
Source: http://search.msn.com
Posted by Nick Kurczewski and Jim Gorzelany
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