I used our 2008 Scion xB last week for the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend. This meant driving to the in-laws' house with my wife, a four-month-old baby in a reverse-facing carseat and a significant amount of stuff for 600 miles roundtrip.
By stuff, I mean two suitcases, the baby's Pack 'n Play play-yard, two duffel bags, a cooler, a garment bag, a computer laptop bag, a tennis racket, a backpack, an SLR camera bag, three tote bags, two cake holders, two pillows and other accoutrement.
The xB managed the load, though I did have to pack everything pretty tight...
I like the idea of being space efficient, but having something a bit bigger would have been nice. For comparison, a Toyota RAV4 has 36.4 cubic feet of luggage space and 144.6 cubic feet of interior volume.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 10,096 miles
datumj says:
11:40 AM, 11/26/07
Complaints like this is how the xB became the fat hog that it is now.
ahightower says:
12:35 PM, 11/26/07
I'm guessing you were the backpack and the rest was wife and baby?
bromans says:
02:49 PM, 11/26/07
Pre-parenthood, I had no idea babies needed so much stuff. My father-in-law, upon seeing the Scion, said "What, planning an expedition to the North Pole?"
mikeandannie says:
04:47 PM, 11/26/07
I think the 21.7 cf is with both back seats up. I can't tell from the picture, but I assume you had one back seat down?
Regardless, please stop asking for what you want in the real world of humans with kids, trade in that xB2 'hog' for a 'cool' xB1, and leave the baby at home with a couple of bucks for pizza. Or do you prefer practical to 'cool'?? Sheesh....
daytona_500 says:
09:21 PM, 11/26/07
I agree with what your father in law said!
Even when my dad moved me into college this year I didnt have that much stuff. Some of the other kids did, however.
bromans says:
09:59 PM, 11/26/07
No, both rear seats were up. Could have done it with one down, though. Agreed that the second-gen xB lacks the "cool" factor of the first. My 23-year-old sister-in-law said the first-gen xB was "ya know, gansta" while this one was just "rounded, not as cool."
Still, as small wagons/SUVs go, the xB continues to be distinctive, and that's certainly an advantage.
altimadude00 says:
07:24 AM, 11/27/07
Somehow, the Gen 2 xB reminds me of a person that jumps in too late into a fashion trend. The charm and uniqueness is lost and you're just a bandwagon hopper trying to get the right look.