2004 Scion xA 1.5 from North America

Summary:

Nice small car for poor people

Faults:

A/C doesn't work in the hot California summer. Toyota issued a Service Bulletin on this issue, but no recall. As a result, dealers don't work with you on this.

Engine knocks sometimes without any reasons. Dealers have no clue and told me "Make sure to put a good grade gasoline". I tried almost all brands with all grades (87, 89 and 91 octane), but no changes. The biggest issue is that it doesn't knock when the dealer service manager drives it.

General Comments:

Overall, a very stylish small car with a European flavor.

Very good gas mileage but no power at all.

Manufacturing quality is extremely good for the price ($15K) and is far better than American cars in the >$30K price range. Solid engine seems to go forever as long as I keep changing oil on a regular basis.

Brakes are much better than my 2007 Honda Oddesay.

Road noise is OK. OEM Stereo sounds pretty good.

Paint is very weak. I take care of my car almost like crazy, but the color is already faded on the front bumper.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th April, 2008

2004 Scion xA from North America

Summary:

Great buy

Faults:

So far the CD player skips the songs on any CD. I do not know why, other than that just regular maintenance. The dealer said I need new belts. I guess it has 46K miles on it, so normal wear and tear.

General Comments:

Very reliable. Great gas mileage. Engine is loud. The automatic shifting is sluggish. Lot of space. Rear 60/40 split. I can carry my Dahon folding bikes. The car can easily get dirty on the front. Some plastic covering on the passenger side came off.

Overall a good commute car and more a small family. I have also had 5 people with tons of stuff in this car for a 800 mile trip. Performed flawlessly with A/C on high the whole time. The gas mileage was still pretty good.

So go ahead become a Scion Xa. I think the most practical out of the Xb and Xc.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 23rd August, 2007

2005 Scion xA 1.5 Liter Gas from North America

Summary:

Boring car trying to appeal to young adults

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:

Gas mileage is really the best thing about this car. I have been averaging around 30 mpg that is mostly city driving.

Engine sound is somewhat loud inside the cabin when you accelerate fast.

Driving the car is somewhat anemic comparing it to my previous car.

Exiting from a sharp turn is slow due to it being an automatic.

Radio and sound system is probably the best thing about this car with its Pioneer sound system.

Cleaning the dash is another problem, but it doesn't the reflect sun that much.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th July, 2007

2006 Scion xA from North America

Summary:

Comfortable, Inexpensive and Reliable

General Comments:

This is an excellent car. I'm a big guy (about 300 Lbs), and it's extremely comfortable for me. I've driven around Arizona in it and I love it. The cargo space is incredible. I bought a king-size bed, two night stands, a six foot long six-drawer dresser and several bags of merchandise at IKEA, and every bit of it fit in this car (flat boxes). People laughed and said it looked like a Scion commercial, but it's incredible.

The largest person I've had in the car was 6'6" tall, and he said he was amazed at how big this little car is inside.

Visibility is excellent, with the only blind spot I've found being created by the rear view mirror.

I am actually getting about 25 miles to the gallon in the city with the a/c running. The car is a little sluggish when pulling away from a stop at times, when the a/c is running, but I think that's to be expected and I just compensate for it.

No complaints. This car is exactly what I was looking for: inexpensive, reliable, and comfortable. Great commuter!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th July, 2007