A Scion xB just found our driveway. I know what you’re thinking: it’s a boy-racer box-car. Well, you’d be right, but from first impression it’s actually pretty fun to drive. There isn’t much digitalism going on in the cabin — other than some LCD gauges, Bluetooth calling, touchscreen Alpine radio with XM, and selectable ambient lighting. But everything it offers seems to work well together, making things less inconvenient.
Think of this car as a practical version of the Smart fortwo. While the Scion appears to be a compact car, inside is a different story. There is a huge amount of headroom making the xB feel really spacious. Out back towards the hatch and you’ll also find a large amount of cargo space so you can load up all your turntables, inflatable pools and gadgets — I was able to move a 55-inch tv across town with no problems, thanks to the folding seats.
The xB we got has a base price of only $16,950 but with nearly $10k in options, it’s fully-tricked out from the manufacturer — there’s even a $65 TRD oil cap. So you’d be right in say that this car comes extremely loaded. We’ll have to see how well the Scion’s 19-inch summer tires fare on the recently snow-blasted Michigan roads. Later this week we’ll update you about the car’s tech and finally a full-review on Friday with some video action — maybe even some fun winter drifting — who knows where the xB will take us this next week. Stay tuned.
Specs:
- 2.4-liter 158-hp, 162 lb-ft torque
- 4-speed transmission
- EPA 22/28 mpg
- 3020 lbs
- BLU Logic Handsfree
- TRD 19-inch wheels with summer tires
- Base Price: $16,950, As tested:$26,459
- Product Page