I drove our long-term 2008 Scion xB over the weekend, and it dutifully provided transportation to the farmers market, the movies and the laundromat. I find the xB comfortable to sit in for an hour or two, and the combination of a large interior and a low lift-over height makes it exceptionally easy to load vegetables and laundry.
I also take some joy in the novelty of driving a vehicle that looks and feels a bit like a delivery truck...
That feeling lasts about 5 or 10 minutes, and then I begin to wish I was in something sportier. Or at least something with a manual transmission: The xB's 2.4-liter engine is smooth and reasonably torquey, but slow downshifts from the four-speed automatic chip away at the sensation of performance.
The electric steering isn't bad, though. Feedback is minimal, but there's more weighting to it than in the 2009 Toyota Corolla. And thanks to the light effort at low speeds and a tidy 34.8 turning circle, the xB is exceptionally easy to park.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 11,557 miles
The electric steering isn't bad, though. Feedback is minimal, but there's more weighting to it than in the 2009 Toyota Corolla. And thanks to the light effort at low speeds and a tidy 34.8 turning circle, the xB is exceptionally easy to park.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 11,557 miles
Add a comment