Scion xA as a commuter car?
03-01-05, 10:19 AM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Scion xA as a commuter car?
I will be shopping within the next week or so with a colleague of mine who is inexperienced in car buying, asked me for help and advice, needs a good commuter car, and after some browsing and discussion with me he seems to like the Scion xA for its high mileage (even with automatic), low price, seemingly good quality, fold-down seats and hatchback storage space, and the ease of the no-dicker Saturn-style deal. He will probably be trading in a older Nissan Sentra which is starting to have some problems. Apparantly he can live with the odd center-stack gauges......or so he says.
I know the car is essentially a Toyota Echo with a different body and interior.....same engine, transmissions, and chassis. I'll probably inspect the car, check all the fluids and tire pressures, test-drive it for him, make sure everything works, and make sure it is prepared properly, like I usually do.
My question is: does anybody on CL own or drive an xA regularly? I know the car and my opinion of it....but for reliability and satisfaction purposes, what do YOU think of it? Are the center-gauges easy to get used to? Has it been reliable for you?..........I would imagine so, being a Toyota product. Are you satisfied with it, and think it is worth the money.......at least for what it was designed to do, knowing that it was not meant to be a luxury or performance car?
We also considered the Hyundai Accent , with its 10-year warranty and steadily improving build quality, but the Accent , like the Echo, does not offer the kind of 5-door hatchback space he is looking for. Also, the Accent cannot quite equal the xA's mileage. The Kia Rio Cinco has the 5-door hatchback design , is also very inexpensive and with the same 10-year warranty, but does not seem to be quite as refined or as solid as either the Hyundai or the Scion. I did not recommend the Chevy Aveo because I felt it was excessively cheap inside and out, had LOUD engine noise, and was SO small that crash protection would be almost nonexistant (by today's standards)....though none of these cars are tanks by any means.
So.....back to the xA.....do any of you CL members have any significant or long-term experience with this car, and, if, so, what are your opinions?
I know the car is essentially a Toyota Echo with a different body and interior.....same engine, transmissions, and chassis. I'll probably inspect the car, check all the fluids and tire pressures, test-drive it for him, make sure everything works, and make sure it is prepared properly, like I usually do.
My question is: does anybody on CL own or drive an xA regularly? I know the car and my opinion of it....but for reliability and satisfaction purposes, what do YOU think of it? Are the center-gauges easy to get used to? Has it been reliable for you?..........I would imagine so, being a Toyota product. Are you satisfied with it, and think it is worth the money.......at least for what it was designed to do, knowing that it was not meant to be a luxury or performance car?
We also considered the Hyundai Accent , with its 10-year warranty and steadily improving build quality, but the Accent , like the Echo, does not offer the kind of 5-door hatchback space he is looking for. Also, the Accent cannot quite equal the xA's mileage. The Kia Rio Cinco has the 5-door hatchback design , is also very inexpensive and with the same 10-year warranty, but does not seem to be quite as refined or as solid as either the Hyundai or the Scion. I did not recommend the Chevy Aveo because I felt it was excessively cheap inside and out, had LOUD engine noise, and was SO small that crash protection would be almost nonexistant (by today's standards)....though none of these cars are tanks by any means.
So.....back to the xA.....do any of you CL members have any significant or long-term experience with this car, and, if, so, what are your opinions?
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-01-05 at 10:24 AM.
03-01-05, 12:01 PM
#2
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
I will be shopping within the next week or so with a colleague of mine who is inexperienced in car buying, asked me for help and advice, needs a good commuter car, and after some browsing and discussion with me he seems to like the Scion xA for its high mileage (even with automatic), low price, seemingly good quality, fold-down seats and hatchback storage space, and the ease of the no-dicker Saturn-style deal. He will probably be trading in a older Nissan Sentra which is starting to have some problems. Apparantly he can live with the odd center-stack gauges......or so he says.
I know the car is essentially a Toyota Echo with a different body and interior.....same engine, transmissions, and chassis. I'll probably inspect the car, check all the fluids and tire pressures, test-drive it for him, make sure everything works, and make sure it is prepared properly, like I usually do.
My question is: does anybody on CL own or drive an xA regularly? I know the car and my opinion of it....but for reliability and satisfaction purposes, what do YOU think of it? Are the center-gauges easy to get used to? Has it been reliable for you?..........I would imagine so, being a Toyota product. Are you satisfied with it, and think it is worth the money.......at least for what it was designed to do, knowing that it was not meant to be a luxury or performance car?
We also considered the Hyundai Accent , with its 10-year warranty and steadily improving build quality, but the Accent , like the Echo, does not offer the kind of 5-door hatchback space he is looking for. Also, the Accent cannot quite equal the xA's mileage. The Kia Rio Cinco has the 5-door hatchback design , is also very inexpensive and with the same 10-year warranty, but does not seem to be quite as refined or as solid as either the Hyundai or the Scion. I did not recommend the Chevy Aveo because I felt it was excessively cheap inside and out, had LOUD engine noise, and was SO small that crash protection would be almost nonexistant (by today's standards)....though none of these cars are tanks by any means.
So.....back to the xA.....do any of you CL members have any significant or long-term experience with this car, and, if, so, what are your opinions?
I know the car is essentially a Toyota Echo with a different body and interior.....same engine, transmissions, and chassis. I'll probably inspect the car, check all the fluids and tire pressures, test-drive it for him, make sure everything works, and make sure it is prepared properly, like I usually do.
My question is: does anybody on CL own or drive an xA regularly? I know the car and my opinion of it....but for reliability and satisfaction purposes, what do YOU think of it? Are the center-gauges easy to get used to? Has it been reliable for you?..........I would imagine so, being a Toyota product. Are you satisfied with it, and think it is worth the money.......at least for what it was designed to do, knowing that it was not meant to be a luxury or performance car?
We also considered the Hyundai Accent , with its 10-year warranty and steadily improving build quality, but the Accent , like the Echo, does not offer the kind of 5-door hatchback space he is looking for. Also, the Accent cannot quite equal the xA's mileage. The Kia Rio Cinco has the 5-door hatchback design , is also very inexpensive and with the same 10-year warranty, but does not seem to be quite as refined or as solid as either the Hyundai or the Scion. I did not recommend the Chevy Aveo because I felt it was excessively cheap inside and out, had LOUD engine noise, and was SO small that crash protection would be almost nonexistant (by today's standards)....though none of these cars are tanks by any means.
So.....back to the xA.....do any of you CL members have any significant or long-term experience with this car, and, if, so, what are your opinions?
03-01-05, 10:46 PM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
me and my gf drive a corolla as a daily commuter, its a 2003 with 45k on the odo and still going strong! we tested a scion xA during a service on the corolla, from that experience, all I can say is that other than having less power than a corolla, it felt like a great overall car. The great thing about it is that you get so much for the money if you arent getting the 'factory addon's' like the color bulbs and such. The interior materials didn't feel cheap at all, it was as good <the corolla has actually a great interior for its price> or better than the corolla's.The gaps are as tight as lexus... it had an interesting handling <good> for a tall body, overall we were very pleased with it. If you just need one as a commuter, I would def go for it.
03-02-05, 06:13 AM
#4
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I drove one for a while, it was nice and if I was looking for a commuter car - this would be one of my top picks. The only thing that really bothered me was the center console. For some reason it was really hard to get used to that.
Check out www.scionlife.com
Check out www.scionlife.com
03-02-05, 09:03 AM
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I was helping my younger cousin about a year ago on which
Scion to buy as his first car. He went with the Xb 5spd, basically
the same car as the Xa with different body.
If its possible, try and get your friend to try the 5-speed, its an
whole different animal than the 4spd auto. The clutch is light and
precise, the shift is somewhat long and ropey. The power of the car
is not spectacular, especially if you're used to bigger powerplants.
But the 1.5 four feels strong throughout the rev range, kinda like a
1.8 without VVT-i. I can get it up to 80mph on a medium lenght
onramp with 2 passengers without too much problem.
The wind noise on the Xb is quite loud but tolerable, I'm sure with the
Xa's rakier windshield, it will be better. The overall ride is ok, but he switched
to some 17 inchers with low profile bridgestones, and it totally destroyed the
balance and ride, it does look cool though.
The center mount cluster do need some time to get used to, but once
you've got it, its very easy to use, because it mounted so much higher,
its right on your eye level. Fit and finish is on par with a Corolla, material
feels durable, but a bit cheap looking.
If your friend plays golf or over 6 foot tall, the Xb is a perfect fit, I can
stow my golf bags in the Xb with them standing upright , I believe the Xb
has 5-6 inches more headroom than the Xa.
Its been a year since he got it, haven't heard of any problem yet.
He did get a leaky headlight with condensation it in, got it replaced.
A friend of mine's 2002 Celica got headlight condensation as well,
and quite a few GSs from what I read on the GS forum, I wonder if the
sealant that Toyota is using are of bad quality .......
Good luck to your friend!
Scion to buy as his first car. He went with the Xb 5spd, basically
the same car as the Xa with different body.
If its possible, try and get your friend to try the 5-speed, its an
whole different animal than the 4spd auto. The clutch is light and
precise, the shift is somewhat long and ropey. The power of the car
is not spectacular, especially if you're used to bigger powerplants.
But the 1.5 four feels strong throughout the rev range, kinda like a
1.8 without VVT-i. I can get it up to 80mph on a medium lenght
onramp with 2 passengers without too much problem.
The wind noise on the Xb is quite loud but tolerable, I'm sure with the
Xa's rakier windshield, it will be better. The overall ride is ok, but he switched
to some 17 inchers with low profile bridgestones, and it totally destroyed the
balance and ride, it does look cool though.
The center mount cluster do need some time to get used to, but once
you've got it, its very easy to use, because it mounted so much higher,
its right on your eye level. Fit and finish is on par with a Corolla, material
feels durable, but a bit cheap looking.
If your friend plays golf or over 6 foot tall, the Xb is a perfect fit, I can
stow my golf bags in the Xb with them standing upright , I believe the Xb
has 5-6 inches more headroom than the Xa.
Its been a year since he got it, haven't heard of any problem yet.
He did get a leaky headlight with condensation it in, got it replaced.
A friend of mine's 2002 Celica got headlight condensation as well,
and quite a few GSs from what I read on the GS forum, I wonder if the
sealant that Toyota is using are of bad quality .......
Good luck to your friend!
Last edited by TRD-bB; 03-02-05 at 09:09 AM.
03-02-05, 09:14 AM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by TRD-bB
I
If its possible, try and get your friend to try the 5-speed, its an
whole different animal than the 4spd auto. The clutch is light and
precise, the shift is somewhat long and ropey. The power of the car
is not spectacular, especially if you're used to bigger powerplants.
But the 1.5 four feels strong throughout the rev range, kinda like a
1.8 without VVT-i. I can get it up to 80mph on a medium lenght
onramp with 2 passengers without too much problem.
If its possible, try and get your friend to try the 5-speed, its an
whole different animal than the 4spd auto. The clutch is light and
precise, the shift is somewhat long and ropey. The power of the car
is not spectacular, especially if you're used to bigger powerplants.
But the 1.5 four feels strong throughout the rev range, kinda like a
1.8 without VVT-i. I can get it up to 80mph on a medium lenght
onramp with 2 passengers without too much problem.
Don't know if he'll go for the stick. We have the second-worst traffic and driving conditions in the country here....second only to Southern California. He also complained that his last car with a clutch here gave him knee problems.
What is unusual....and interesting.....about both the xA and xB is that the Echo-based drivetrain in both models gets the same EPA mileage manual or automatic. That could be the transmission and final-drive gearing...or just the way the fuel-injection is programmed.
03-02-05, 07:50 PM
#7
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Scion was just rated the best quality of any auto maker in the auto issue, right above lexus and toyota (all the same yes, once again ruling reliablity 
) so that would mean that buyers have had the least problems with scion vehicles. Its a good bet, you cant go wrong with a toyota product.
) so that would mean that buyers have had the least problems with scion vehicles. Its a good bet, you cant go wrong with a toyota product.
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03-04-05, 05:08 PM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Thanks for the input, guys. I took the afternoon off and went shopping with Todd, my colleague. He is a real novice in the car market and needed help and paitience. After looking at both the xA and xB and deciding the Corolla didn't have enough trunk space, he fell in love with a bright red Matrix...a car he did not know existed until I pointed it out. The rest is now history. He got a brand-new Matrix for exactly what he was still paying on his old Sentra....and that included getting the old car paid off.
I helped the guys in the clean-up shop wash and prepare it myself...I am almost like family at that dealership even though I'm not a formal employee. Should have seen the look on his face when I drove the spotless red Matrix out of the shop, parked it in front of him, hopped out, and presented him with the keys.
THAT, my friends, touches your heart.
I helped the guys in the clean-up shop wash and prepare it myself...I am almost like family at that dealership even though I'm not a formal employee. Should have seen the look on his face when I drove the spotless red Matrix out of the shop, parked it in front of him, hopped out, and presented him with the keys.
THAT, my friends, touches your heart.
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