Five-Point Inspection: 2013 Scion XB

When the Scion xB was first introduced in 2003, it was a funky looking little square box aimed at youths involved in the tuner car scene. However, like many vehicles of this era targeted at younger buyers, it never really caught on. Blame the lack of power, blame the quirky looks, blame an unknown brand, but the xB look was destined to disappear into the automotive hall of shame with Edsel, the Aztek and the Vehicross.

But a group was buying the xB and a lot of them. Pensioners and Boomers began flocking to these little hatchbacks for the cheap price, low operating costs, ease of use and cargo carrying practicality. So when the xB was redesigned in 2008, it came as no surprise it was built more for its actual customer base. The xB rounded out into a more conventional shape and grew in size to accommodate adult passengers, front and rear, more comfortably. But that is six years ago now and not much has changed. Is the xB still a competitive oversized hatchback? Or has its day come and gone?

The key selling point to the xB is its size per dollar. The seating position inside this Scion is somewhere between a regular compact hatchback and a compact crossover. Rear seat space is generous for a vehicle this size with 38 inches of leg room and over 41 inches of head room; that is actually more headroom than the front seat passengers. This makes the xB more spacious than the majority of compact hatchbacks and, with a slightly higher floor height and roof line, also make ingress and egress easier.

The trunk may not sound all that large with 11.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats, but with a near perfect square entry point and a very low load floor, a surprising amount of outlet store purchases will fit with ease. Fold the rear seats down and the space expands even further to accommodate essentials like a new chaise lounge for the pool deck.

After its space, a low price is the most appealing part of the Scion xB. Beginning at $17,750, Scion offers a host of upgradable parts from carbon fibre window trim to lowering springs to a choice of two different hubcaps wheel covers. Get crazy with the accessories and a $30,000 xB is not out of the question. That makes for one pricey, albeit unique, box.

Our test vehicle came equipped with just one option, the Bespoke Pioneer sound system, which brought the total price to $19,350 after delivery charges.

The xB is surprisingly powerful in a straight line. Despite its 158 hp rating, the 3,084 lb. xB has enough grunt to leave a stoplight in a spritely fashion thanks to the 162 lb-ft of torque on tap. Power can be sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. When it comes to automatic gearing for compact vehicles, Toyota’s mantra over the past few decades seems to be “we’ll give you four, but no more.”

Fuel mileage for the automatic is officially rated at 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. After a week of mixed driving, we averaged 25.6 mpg.

Even with its curvier, more conventional shape, the xB is still a bit of an odd duck. It features a big snout out front and exaggerated wheel arches. The LED accent lights and turn signals on the mirrors do add a bit of an elegant touch, but the fact the xB only comes with wheel covers from the factory completely vetoes these upscale touches. The xB may also have the world’s largest C/D pillar.

So, it would appear that xB’s time has come and gone, but with a new Corolla just introduced, maybe this Scion will finally receive a much needed update.

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