Comments: 1-15, 16-20
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.
Well written. I am surprised my the small number of Scion reviews/comments. This one was well done. I'm from Canada (where we don't yet have Scion) and from what I've heard (through the magazines) Scion has been a real hit. I wish there was more reviews... or comments.
I agree, the xA is a neat little car, packed with features at an almost unbeatable price.
Add in the Toyota quality, and how can you lose?
My next vehicle will be a Scion XA. I've come to the same conclusion after a bunch of research. Can't yet afford a Toyota Prius, but a Scion XA seems pretty responsible, with respect to the environment. It's a mini utility vehicle, or, and MUV. ;-)
Thanks for confirming my choice of rides-I didn't do as much research as you, so I'm glad someone else really likes this car-My mileage is about 28 hwy, but the snazzyness (?) of my xA offsets this- I got the '06 & it does have a rotating volume knob-sorry! I REALLY love it!
I've had my XA since September of 2003. So far, its been a really fun and extremely reliable car. I wouldn't mind if it had a larger engine and tighter turning radius, but all-in-all I don't think you'll find a better product for the price.
Wow this is an excellent review! I currently own a 1995 corolla and I can't wait till it dies... because I want to buy the XA. I personally don't like the center console, but how hard could it be getting used to it? I would prefer a bigger engine, at least a 1.6...although everyone says that the 1.5 is good enough. Unfortunately corollas don't die easily so the XA will have to wait... oh well :D.
I've never understood why someone would choose an xA over an xB.
The xB is better equipped, has a ton more room (in the same short footprint) and is a lot cooler looking.
I couldn't fit in the xA, but the xB feels like a limousine.
We have a 2006 Xa and have been more than satisfied with the car in all respects - as long as one remembers that this is a car for a specific purpose - i.e. this is not a car to be driven on highways for long distances. It is an excellent City/Highway combination car which gets excellent gas mileage. In our case, with a combination of highway and city driving in the Southern Florida climate (a/c is on most of the time) of around 30 mpg. Our other car is a 2005 Prius and even though we love that car, for running around I prefer the Xa for its versatility and ease.
Thomas C. Knueppel
Tampa, Fl.
I found the car to be good except the clutch isn't too great. It doesn't catch very well and it's too hard to press, and the gas pedal is a little too hard to press as well. Also, the build quality is horrible. Almost all japanese cars have horrible build quality (as bad as koreans), but they have excellent reliability.
The engine doesn't shake the car, which I like, and for a small car it has a very smooth ride, like my old Daihatsu which I like as well.
All and all, it's not the best deal. In fact buying one used is a rip off, but you can find good deals used on occasion. I found a 2004 with only 29k miles fully loaded for only 9500! So if you can get one at this price, it's well worth it, but otherwise I'd wait till they drop the prices, which they will because the cost of building it is probably only 5k!
Great detailed comments! Thank you for helping me make my decision. I have a Nissan Altima now which was also a great lease deal and I am trying to decide if I should get the Scion or another Nissan. I was told by the Scion dealer, the only way they could get my payment even near $200 per month was to go to 72 months (finance) but on the website I worked it out and could pay $229/month with 2000 down for 60 months. or lease for 36 months with 1500 down at $200/month. I am hoping to purchase in the next 2 days so if anyone wants to post their pricing info or just offer any advice for me asap... that would sure be great! THANKS! :)
Scion is fixed pricing so you have to go with what they give you. Whatever the website states IS supposed to be what the dealer offers unless the dealer is offering a better deal.
Had a leased Scion xB for three years and it was near flawless.
Also be aware Toyota finance is totally incompetent when it comes to answering basic questions. Three different calls produced three different answers. And I found Scion service departments to be idiots. The cars are essentially the same as other Toyotas yet the dealership (went to two) couldn't even explain if something was under warranty or not.
And, look at features when comparing cars. The Scions are much more loaded than similarly priced competition.
I would like to find one of these xA models to test drive. I live in lower NY state and have called all the Toyota dealerships within 150miles. NON had an xA with an automatic for me to test drive.
I did find a base model 2007 Yaris to test drive, but no S models available here yet.
Has anyone driven both the 2007 Yaris and the 2006 Scion xA for comparison???
I just test drove the XA and I am impressed. I am 6 foot and 235 pounds. There was plenty of room in the XA. I thought it would be cramped. The XA is very peppy with the 5 speed and it handles like it is on rails. The seating is high and firm and gives a good driving position. The steering wheel is tight with no play in it at all.
The only complaints I have are minor. The rear headrests get in the way when looking out the rear window. I was hoping for darker window tint. I am also concerned about the safety of passengers in the rear seat in case of being rear ended.
I currently drive a 1996 Dodge Ram. While the vehicle has been reliable I have had many issues with quality. The headliner fell, the paint is peeling, radiator leaks, dash cracked. But overall I really can't complain about it, I have 170000 miles on it after all. I am hoping that Toyota does not have such quality issues as my dodge does. I have never seen a Toyota with peeling paint.
I am going to buy an XA if for nothing else the price and fuel economy. At $13000 I guess you really can't beat it. But I will miss the cargo capacity of my truck.
"headliner fell, the paint is peeling, radiator leaks, dash cracked."
That wouldn't happen if you use a little glue, wax and finish your truck 2 times a year, understand that a radiator is not meant to last forever, and the dash cracked because you left it in the sun for too long.
I have had my car for about 13 months. I like everything about it except the mileage. The sticker said 32-38 MPG. I only get around 32 at the most and less in town. I have been on 65 interstate and should get more than that. I do not see how some can get 75mpg highway and 40 mpg in town. I love the handling, the stereo, the get up and go and the interior. I am just really upset with the mileage. That was the reason I bought it as I drive over 100 miles a day.