www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=3729
jpg Having wrested the title "world's largest car manufacturer" from General Motors, Toyota's already committing some of the same mistakes that brought GM down. The all-new 2008 Scion xB is a blot on Toyota's relatively unblemished copybook. It bristles with classic GM-think: dumb it down, fatten it up and cheapen it out. The original xB was a brilliant design, an instant cult-classic, as iconic as the first VW Beetle. The box fresh box elicited the same emotional responses as the old bug: children, freshly-minted motorists and the young at heart all loved it. The xB was barely longer than a MINI and almost as much fun to drive, with the accommodations of a Tahoe and 30-plus mpg.
jpg If the last gen xB evoked images of a lacquered bento box lunch, the new xB evokes a big, sloppy hamburger wrapped in greasy paper. Toyota's drive to assimilate into the American heartland is relentless; its Texas Tundra brand BBQ sauce-stained fingerprints are all over this little porker. The xB has gained 650 pounds, a foot in length, and three inches in width. Obviously, there's a price to pay at the gas pump for that corn-fed heft. EPA numbers are down almost 25 percent for the city cycle ('06 adjusted), from 28 to 22 mpg.
And since height is reduced, the XB actually loses usable passenger space. The throne-like seating position has lost four inches of leg room. Ditto the back seat, where my 6'4" frame once sat in limo-comfort, with a good four inches of clearance to the front back-rest. Now my knees graze the horrendously cheap-feeling fabric of the front seats.
jpg The xB's front seats might as well have been lifted straight out of a 1971 Chevy Vega. Where the old thrones were nicely bolstered and contoured, with a nubby textural two-tone fabric, the new ones are molded blobs covered in a dreary monolithic black fabric. Toyota must have scored a volume deal from GM for vintage interior molds; the door panels are now harder than a trigonometry quiz. The xB's lamentable polymerization also includes the upper arm-rest surface where my elbow likes to rest.
jpg The xB's interior package suffers mightily from the reshaped dimensions, the new seating position and the new model's higher belt-line. The xB's superb view- favored by many of its elderly patrons- has been cruelly reduced. Now one sits deep and low, Hummer style, peering out gun-slit windows. And less of them: the rear three-quarter windows have disappeared. The cute, perfectly positioned, oval-shaped analog instrument cluster that once perched atop the xB's artistically shaped and textured dash has been replaced by four small oval, orange-lit displays. They're buried low and deep in the middle of the ponderous dash. The nervously-flashing digital speedometer is yet another 1980's GM throw-back.
It's a competent and smooth mill that makes the new xB a faster vehicle, but a less engaging one. The old XB's little 15-liter engine had an eager willingness and mechanical presence that made every trip to the pizzeria fun, especially with the stick. In another GM-esque move, the Camry's five-speed automatic didn't make the bean-counter's cut; Buyers opting for the manual tranny now row their boat with a shifter that protrudes from a large extension from the bottom of the dash- which enhances the perception of lost interior real estate. Equally annoying, the vague-acting clutch pedal sticks up higher than the brake pedal.
jpg The new XB is faster, but the fun (and challenge) is gone. The new-found heft and softer ride takes XB handling from MINI territory right to into Camry Land. The xB's electrically-assisted steering lacks the crispness and linearity of the former hydraulic unit. There were times I swear I could feel the electric motor on the other end of the steering column muttering at me under its breath- in a way that reminded me of my fifteen year old son. Is there anything good to say about the new, ostensibly improved Scion XB?
jpg In short, the xB has become nothing more than a low-content five-door Camry. It's Toyota's el-cheapo ($16,230) version of the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. In fact, the new xB doesn't deserve the Scion moniker, which established the brand's US reputation as a provider of affordable automobiles with style, efficiency, quality, innovation and fun. Maybe Toyota could get a deal on the Oldsmobile name from GM.
May 17th, 2007 at 3:56 pm The more I look at it, the more I realzie the new "xB" is not that bad. It looks a little like abn overgrownj rabbit from the '80s. The old one didnt have huge eyes, but they were relatively large compared to most cars. The new one has those slits, which are not the least bit cute.
May 17th, 2007 at 3:52 pm XBnut, I figured as much about the grid in s fla. Given your circumstances, trading the bimmer for the mpv sounds very logical to me. I've long thought that if Detroit were in the Rockies somewhere, American cars would be much more fun to drive. I'm yoiur age-actually five years older, and I love the old xB, and so does one of my best friends, who's not even a car guy. But so, obviously, do a lot of members of the target demographic.
May 17th, 2007 at 3:02 pm DH, Primary reason I'm moving on to a MPV like the xB is the upkeep on a luxury sport sedan. For instance the 525i has the sport package which has 45 profile tires which can run a cool gran for all 4 corners. I don't mind expending the maintenance coinage however what I do mine is not being able to use the full (or even 1/2) capability of the sport features. No joy there unless you like to drag race which the 525i is not built for. The only curves are found on the entrance and exit jug handle ramps from I-95 and the Turnpike. In addition, when you are on the above mentioned freeways the car seems to feel more secure the faster you go. Therefore the inclination is to extremely exceed the speed limit which is highly not recommended unless you enjoy looking out a barred window. Bottom line the 2nd gen xB fits my psychic need for a slightly rebellious looking vehicle that has terrific utility and tremendous value. If others around my age (48) also feel the same way my apologies to Scion/Toyota for bursting their youthful demographic stratagem. Also to the young ones reading this blog I promise to wear my baseball cap while driving, it does a good job of hiding my bald spot.
May 17th, 2007 at 12:09 am Paul, bang on with your safety comment. Poor safety may keep people from buying a car for their kid though. I don't know how many xB sales were mom and dad buying a car for their teenage kid, though. As for styling, a comment was made that the new xB looks more aggressive, funkier, blah, blah. When I first clocked the photo, the first thing that popped into my head was Chevy HHR. The new one looks like a retread of a retread of the PT Cruiser.
May 16th, 2007 at 10:56 pm ktm, Gotta pick your battles, congrats on the Subaru acquisition. The second new car I bought a long time ago was a 85 Subaru RX Turbo.
|
http://csua.com/feed/