2008 Scion xB: Good Underhood

Hi Dan,
 
Can you comment on the tossability or city-driving aspects of the new xB? My understanding was that the 600 pound gain, oversizing, and new C-pillar combine to make the car a significantly less fun version of the old?
 
Have you driven an old xB with the manual transmission? Can you comment on which version more suits the personality of this car, the new car with auto trans or the old car with manual?
 
I am slightly prejudiced here...any car that gains 600 pounds between generations and loses significant fuel economy is not on my favorites list (though you compare fuel economy ratings, owners were reporting pretty good fuel economy with the old car....I.e. averaging 30mpg in mixed).
 
Thanks!
 
Joe

I don't want to use up all the post topics at once, and I didn't drive it on roads that could answer your question about fun-to-drive. Similarly, we don't have enough tanks of gas under on our data sheet to know the real fuel economy. (edit: Yes we do. I found an entire page of data. See my next blog.) These answers will become clear as more of our editors spend time in it.
 
I did find the new xB sufficiently maneuverable, enjoyable even, in tight freeway quarters. It didn't feel heavy or huge, merely settled. The above-mentioned engine opens up lane-change possibilities that did not exist previously.
 
The view forward is great. Long rear windows offset the c-pillar blind spots enough for me - I didn't feel overly-blinded to the rear quarter.
 
I think the old car's 105-horsepower engine necessitated the use of a manual. This one is happy with an autobox. I'd expect the manual to be even better.

Holy crap that's awful milage. The new Accord gets 29 highway and the Taurus gets 28 (both are large cars). This new scion must be really porky.

duplicate post removed

Your point is well taken - boxy aerodynamics has it's drawbacks.
 
I'm not sure "porky" is the right word - it's simply bigger, with a proportional weight gain. At least the size increase pays useful benefits. For me, the old xB was too tiny. No longer.

I think its smart that Toyota mounted a large jock strap cup to the front of the xB's engine.

That is pretty bad mileage. I rode in my buddy's '02 Mini and he said he got similar mileage. Why are these tiny cars getting such horrid mileage? The Civic, Fit, Aveo, Yaris, Corolla, et al get far better mileage. As comp stated, even midsizers get better mileage.

Estreka, I have an 07 mini cooper S manual that I drive extremely hard. I still get 30 mpg with it.
 
Your friend's car may have an engine problem or he's driving around in 2nd gear all the time.
 
BTW, have you guys heard about BMW implementing start/stop and regenerative braking on the Cooper and eventually the whole BMW line? On the cooper they're seeing a 9% increase in economy:
 
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_drive.php?sid=996&page=1

...but why do people think the xB is a tiny car? The xB is huge.
It's this odd impression that people have, thinking the xB is a small car.
 
The xB is a midsized wagon, with 100.8 cu ft of passenger room.
It's pretty darn huge, with a small price.
As the previous blog mentioned,
Its cargo volume is BIGGER THAN A FORD EDGE.
(disclaimer: The xB's payload capacity in weight is unlisted.
Ford Edge 1,023 lb.)
 
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=24074

blueguy - '02 Mini
Manual: 28 mpg / 37 mpg
Automatic: : 25 mpg / 32 mpg
 
(source: Y! Autos)
Also, I believe these are old EPA specs. They'd be worse by today's rating system. I'm surprised something that weighs 2300lbs does so poorly. Meanwhile, an '04 Scion xA (the closest thing I could find via weight at 2300lbs) got 31/37. Granted the new xB is a porky 3000lbs (porky being a relative term).

The xB is 21" longer, 3" wider, 7" taller than a mini cooper, and has nearly 3 times the cargo volume.
 
Strange to compare one car that is nearly 3 times the size of another, unless I've missed out on some space-time warping fun.
 
Precisely, the xB's (69.9) maximum cargo hold is 2.9125 the size of the Mini Cooper (24).

estreka, oh it's a standard Cooper, not a Cooper S? I know with the 07 Cooper the mileage is pretty damn good. I had a base Cooper with auto for a day while Mini replaced my a part on my car (damaged during delivery). I got about 38 mpgs with it over the course of two days.
 
Sounds like either the older cars were less efficient or there is something wrong with his car. Like I said, I'm getting 30 mpg with my 07 Cooper S and I drive it hard (best ever was 36 mpg on a long road trip)...yes those numbers are better than the combined 08 EPA projections.

So the new xB gets the same fuel mileage as my mother-in-law's eight-year-old LeSabre 3.8 liter V6?

3.8L Buick Le Sabre: 17/27/21.
xb: 22/28/24.
 
That's a 205 hp V6, in a 3443 lb car. About right.
The xB gets the same mpg as other I4 midsized cars on the market.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/compx2008f.jsp?year=1999&make=Buick&model=LeSabre&hiddenField=Findacar

I was actually thinking of the observed 23.8 mpg, as reported in another post on the same vehicle. That's about what I get with my 2002 Accord V6 in mixed driving, and it's about what the aforementioned m-i-l gets with her LeSabre. It's just very hard to think of an xB as being comparable to those cars. I know, objectively, that the new one is much bigger than the old one. It just doesn't seem to fit, though. Scions should be small, efficient, inexpensive cars, with a distinctive personality.