One of my very first memories of driving, that didn’t involve my best friend rear ending or broadsiding my car, happened on a trip to visit my aunt one fall day. As I got out of the car, she asked me why I didn’t wear my hat backwards like my brother. My response to her was simple: “My car isn’t cool enough!”
After a only a week behind the wheel, it was perfectly clear that unlike my first car, a ten-year old Chevrolet Celebrity, the 2008 Scion xB is cool enough. If the Toyota Prius is the poster child for “green” drivers, the xB fully represents the perfect car to bridge the gap from high school to college.
The xB is probably Scion’s most iconic vehicle and defines the brand image of Scion. When it came time to design a second-generation xB, designers were able maintain the tall, boxy look that made the original so popular while stretching the car’s dimensions to make it more practical. The chopped and lowered look of the xB emits a sensation of youth. No offense to Nirvana, but if there was any car that actually smelled like teen spirit, the 2008 Scion xB would be it.
Available with only one trim level, the xB gives its owners the ability to drive a car that can be individually catered to their specific preferences. As a starting point, the xB comes with standard features such as cruise control, power windows and power door locks with keyless entry. From there, Scion offers a laundry list of optional accessories to produce a custom look to the interior. This test car was equipped with an upgraded Pioneer stereo that featured the ability to change, and even download, different background skins on the digital display. Standard iPod connectivity allows the driver to navigate throughout the iPod using only the stereo’s head unit.
While the targeted consumers of the xB may not be getting the space they deserve living with the ‘rents, the 2008 Scion xB offers up plenty of interior space. Thanks to the 2008 model using the same platform as the Toyota Corolla, this second-generation xB has grown in just about every dimension. Interior room is almost unexpected with the capability of seating five tall adults comfortably thanks to an overall length that is a foot longer than the outgoing xB and a three-inch wider girth.
The larger and heavier xB needed a more powerful engine for work detail, so the Scion tC’s 2.4-liter 16-valve DOHC with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) four-cylinder engine was a perfect candidate to add power and torque. The engine, also shared with the base Toyota Camry, produces 158 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque to help 3,020-pound Scion xB muster a 0-60 mph run in 8.9 seconds. The four-speed automatic transmission could use an extra gear (or two), but it still provided high-revving shifts when needed.
At first glance, I had my doubts as to how well the xB would handle because of its tall stance. To my surprise, the car was very nimble in tight turns and provided a comfortable ride on long highway jaunts.
For performance enhancements, Scion tapped into Toyota’s performance division, TRD, to provide more than enough options to create a tailor-made driving experience. From sport-tuned and lowered suspension to performance drivetrain and exhaust components, the xB can be fully tuned straight off the assembly line rather than going through aftermarket outlets that may affect Scion’s five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
A major disadvantage of the xB’s stance was annoyingly obvious when pulling into a driveway or parking spot. When pulling into a driveway at anything over a crawl or pulling up too far in a parking space with a curb or concrete block, the ensuing loud scraping noise of the lower front fascia is a reminder of just how low the car sits. Speaking of parking, the windowless D-pillars are a great look on the xB but make backing out of some parking spots rather difficult.
One place the xB won’t be parking at very often are gas stations. The EPA estimates for fuel economy are rated at 22 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, but this test model did slightly better averaging close to 24 mpg in the city and just over 30 mpg on the highway. Even when the xB got thirsty, filling up the 14-gallon fuel tank was not too hard on the wallet.
Review written by: Jeffrey Ross
All photos copyright Jeffrey Ross/Autotropolis.com © 2008
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