2005 Scion xA review from North America

Nothing.

This car is hard to beat when you look at the price and the features that come standard with it: anti-lock brake system (something the Honda Civic doesn't even offer as an option until you get to the pricier trim levels), a 6-speaker stereo with CD player capable of reading mp3s, power windows/locks, air conditioning, front AND rear windshield wipers. All that, plus the assurance of Toyota quality and reliability. I upgraded the stereo system to the 6-CD changer and had an alarm system installed, which bumped the price up to just under $14K.

For a cheap compact car, the xA handles like a dream. Quick, responsive and pretty impressive cornering ability.

The engine is small, but with the 5-speed manual transmission, it's plenty zippy. I imagine that the automatic would be more anemic, especially when accelerating from a standstill. At any rate, my xA beats the VW New Beetle (my former car), the Ford Focus (it was a rental car, so I don't know which trim) and the Chevy Cavalier when it comes to acceleration.

The gas mileage on this puppy is pretty damn sweet, especially for a conventional gasoline engine. I have to deal with a wide variety of travel conditions and speeds in my daily commute, from 75 mph on the highway to 30 mph in residential areas to stop-and-go traffic. It's been hot lately, so I've had the A/C on a fair bit of the time, too. The car still got 35 mpg. Not too shabby.

Road noise is pretty minimal for such a small, cheap car. In fact, I'm still startled by how quiet it is, especially compared to the Beetle I used to own, and compared to the Cavalier and Focus.

The suspension is sporty and firm. A bit more cushiony than the New Beetle, and definitely a lot more cushiony than my husband's Datsun 510. Take those speed bumps slow, avoid those potholes, and you'll be fine.

I really like the interior, especially the firm seats with their relatively elevated position, which offers excellent road visibility. I'm practically a midget (5'2") and some cars, like the Honda Accord and the Pontiac Sunfire, have seats that are set low and I end up needing to elevate myself with a cushion just so I can see over the steering wheel.

The xA has plenty of legroom, too. My husband is 6'8", and he fits in it. He's not exactly able to stretch his legs out or anything, but his knees aren't jammed up against his chin the way they were in the Focus. (Oddly enough, the car that fit him best was the Beetle - believe it or not, it has even more legroom than my husband's 89 Chevy Caprice).

Sound system is very nice, although the lack of a volume control knob (there are two push buttons instead) is kind of annoying. I'm learning to adjust, but I wish I didn't have to.

I really like the center-mounted console. Some people have said that it takes a lot of getting used to, but for me, I took to it right away. I don't need to look as far down to see how fast I'm going or to check on the time while I'm driving, which means less time for my eyes to be off the road.

One last thing: $125 for floor mats is a major ripoff. If you're anal-retentive and want genuine Scion floor mats, you can get them for $43 on-line ($50 including shipping) and install them yourself in less than 5 minutes.

In summary:

I did a lot of research, test drove a bunch of cars, and ended up with the xA because it offered the best combination of price, reliability, features, cargo room (yeah, the trunk is small, but when I fold the seats down there's quite a bit of space) and gas efficiency. If you're looking for a more powerful engine or something you can rice to a fare-thee-well, you're better off looking elsewhere - the Mazda 3 or Honda Civic, for instance. But this car fits my needs and wants perfectly.