2006 Scion xB 4.0 review from North America

Nothing at all, not even am assembly fault from the factory. but its still very new. Just saying, most cars I find at least one thing wrong... a ding or piece broken from the factory.. misassembled or something.

Biggest problem has been classifying it. "kids, go get in the, car... van... truck... xB."

I bought the car to accommodate the growing boys from our previous 2 door cars.

It is very spacious. Easily seats 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children (without a car seat). With the seats down, It has a great deal of cargo room, but with the seats up, its not terribly impressive. Having the split folding seat allows for 3 people and a larger object. Also, the front seats fold down flush with the rear to allow for long items.. about 8 feet (or a nap at lunch seated in the back layed out to the front)

I recently had to bring home a chest freezer. I undid the 5 bolts holding down the rear seat and created as much room as a small pickup. Probably overkill, but it fit with no problem. I also brought home a full size arcade machine in the car. I couldn't close the hatch, But it was in there.

I removed the spare tire and associated foam and plastic covers when I bought it, the extra room behind the seats is quite useful. I don't stray far from home with it and have towing insurance just in case I do get a flat. If I was going on an out of city trip, I'd pack the spare and jack.

The performance of the thing is quite admirable considering its power to weight ratio. It feels like it wants a sixth gear on the highway. I guess it wasn't really designed for highway use, considering its metro/city car style. It handles fine, it just pushes a few more RPMs than I'm used to.

The cornering and sport driving capabilities have been exaggerated by a few. The car is sportier than any full size or domestic (US) car/truck, but that's about it. its notchy 5 speed gear box makes for fun fantasy driving, but it corners poorly, I have trouble keeping up with the wife's mini on off ramps. I may be jaded, my other car has 4 times the horsepower, 3 times the tire width and power to weight ratio, and a track suited coilover suspension. I still enjoy tossing the xB around though. As low as its COG is, it still feels like it could tip, if pushed by a stupid person that shouldn't be on the road anyway.

The seats are comfortable and large, front and rear. One can find multiple seating positions to alleviate longer trip discomfort.