By Robert Farago
January 27, 2005
Sciontologists are scary people. Who else would re-package a Toyota Echo and sell it to American twenty-somethings? We're talking about a Japanese sub-compact with all the edgy excitement of a five-year-old Readers' Digest (large print edition). You couldn't imagine a more cynical marketing ploy. Still, props to Toyota for having the stones to foist the "new money for old rope" routine on the world's most style critical audience.
Thanks to its exterior, the xA almost gets away it. Sure, it looks a bit like a grouper fish, but the xA is big and bold, in its tiny little way. The xA's minivan shape and clever window tinting give it a level of design intergrity that's rare for its class. Whether Gen Y would choose the Scionfish over something with more Cribs cred from the used car lot is another matter. Suffice it to say, the xA is as far removed from the Vicodin-on-wheels Echo as Adidas Ozweegos are from nursing shoes.
Once inside, the centrally mounted instrument pod continues the aesthetic rebellion. This unsafe alternative to traditional ergonomics makes the helmspot as blank as a bumper car, and reflects the brand's skewed priorities: function follows market research. The xA's audio system, complete with 10-color display and built-in distortion (I kid you not), also tries to convince Sciontists that they're rebels without a platinum AMEX, rather than sensible car buyers.
Now THAT's funny. What could be more sensible than a small Toyota? The xA has room for five [slim] adults, gets over thirty mpg, comes with a three-year, 36k mile warranty; pollutes the planet less than a herd of polled Herefords and costs no more than a decent home entertainment system ($13k). Although no sub-compact makes sense from a safety point-of-view, the xA offers surprising survivability for one so small. Scion brand managers will hate me for saying so, but the xA is xActly the kind of car an elderly person on a fixed income would enjoy.
Maybe "enjoy" isn't the right word. The xA is powered by the Echo's 1.5-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine. As you'd expect, Toyota's engineers have done everything they can to give the Echo/xA passable (if not passing) power: double-overhead cams, 16 valves, variable valve timing and multi-port electronic fuel injection. As you'd expect, the result is still Slow and Serious. Zero to 60 takes 10.7 seconds, with the quarter mile appearing in 17.4 seconds. Spirited it ain't.
Adequate it is. There's even a tasty chunk of powerband between 2500 and 4000rpm where the xA will do a reasonable imitation of a car with in-gear acceleration. Although peak power (108hp) arrives at 6000rpm, the engine's "Wall of Boom" soundtrack makes an assault on the redline an aural stress test. Thrill seeking xA drivers are advised to buy the 5-speed, shift like mad, plan ahead and plan early.
And avoid potholes. The xA's ride is surprising civilized– until it isn't. The moment you encounter a surface imperfection, it's as if someone hit the car with a large mallet. Clearly, someone at Toyota figured that the youth of America can't tell the difference between the acceptable harshness of a sports-tuned suspension and the rough-riding character of a comfort-biased chassis with the comfort removed.
At relatively slow (sensible?) speeds, the xA's low curb weight and stiffened suspension deliver admirable poise through the turns. Combined with a user-friendly power-assisted rack and pinion steering system, the set-up is responsive enough to embolden a young driver's reckless nature. Uh-oh. Spank the xA and you're headed straight to Hell in a hand basket. The steering loses all precision, the drum brakes fade and the torsion beam suspension gives up. Push it that little bit too far and terminal understeer will slide you across the road like a fallen figure skater heading for the boards.
All of which begs the question: is the Scion xA really a young person's car? Given the large number of elderly xA buyers– given ANY elderly buyers– the answer is an unequivocal no. The only thing separating the xA from any other generic Japanese econobox is the car's shape and the 46 factory-made tuning bits– which aren't half as cool as Scion thinks they are.
In fact, Scion's youth orientation is fatally flawed. When it comes to selling to hipsters, the moment you win, you lose. Brands like Nike and Adidas circumvent the exclusivity vs. mass market problem by inventing new shoes and sports apparel on an hourly basis. Car manufacturers can't use the same template, no matter how many after-market parts they devise. But they CAN create a fundamentally desirable car that attracts a wide range of buyers. Strangely enough, that's a perfect description of the dull but worthy Scion xA.
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POWERED
November 10th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
You have to be kidding with that “box”. It is absolutely hideous.
September 10th, 2007 at 1:37 am
believe it , or not the look has grown on me. Proud owner for the last 7 months . Its a sub-compact(not even a compact) , so it doesn’t jive with everyones tastes.. thats for sure. If gas mileage matters any bit to you.. go xA. If you like to have fun driving your car.. for the $$, the xA does not disappoint. Build quality is also very-very good. Basically, go test drive one.. and see for yourself. Everyone has different tastes. I drove a Fit auto sport, and thought it was alright. But considering it was almost $2K more(only thing really extra it had was a bit more interior room + CC), to me I could not disgrace the Toyota tradition/line. VVT-i(DOHC w/xA) blows away VTEC(SOHC w/Fit) overall- w/durability + torque.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:20 am
Hey, I love mine…it fits into parking spaces larger cars like the Nash Metrpolitan have to pass by, and it’s great on gas. I’ve gotten as much as 40 MPG on the highway with the automatic trans, and with the back seats down it’s got plenty of cargo space. Too bad Toyota replaced it with the unspeakably ugly xD.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Where I live regular gas is now $4.32 per gallon and will undoubtedly continue to rise. A Prius would be nice but they command close to $30,000 and get only 7 more miles per gallon than my 2005 XA with automatic. I bought the XA because I was tired of getting the sweats every time gas prices jumped. I am 6′ 2″ and weigh 267 and I find the XA comfortable inside thanks to the excellent seats. Plus more leg room than in my wife’s Camry. An XA is an affordable, fun car to drive (tight steering, quiet interior and superior fit and finish) that gets great mpg. My worst was 35mpg and my best 37.5mpg (no highway driving just a combination of city and rural). I drive about 40 miles a day and was spending a small fortune on gas in a SUV and 6 cylinder pickup. I liked the XA so much I bought a second one (2006 model and the last year with the 1.5 litre engine). I believe that it has the same gas engine that is in the Prius. When I have a need for speed I take out my 350Z Roadster. But for daily commuting you can’t beat the Scion XA. I drove a few Honda Fits but the passenger seat didn’t go back as far as the driver’s seat and for me that is a big NO,NO! The Fit and the XA are almost identical in size. With the back seats folded down I was able to transport a new in the box water softener from Home Depot. It was a squeeze but it did make it. My only complaints with the XA is that Scion does not offer factory cruise control and no armrest between the front seats (but the armrests are available for less than $100). The Scions seem to hold their value very well. What cost about $15,000 new are selling for $12,000 after 3 years of use. The latest word is that the Scion brand scored higher in initial quality than did Toyota this year. I plan to mate our two XA’s and sell their offspring. I may never have to buy another new car. By the way, I belong to the silver generation and have owned over 25 cars in my lifetime. No regrets whatsoever with my decision to buy an XA or two.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
@mallman – I love my xA. I’ve had it for about 2 1/2 years, and I still love it, especially when I hear that the price of gas has gone up yet again.
Want better mileage? I don’t know about the automatic, but with the five-speed the sweet spot is 52 MPH. Stay there and watch your mileage go comfortably north of 40.
June 8th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Dear Steaming Pile, the gear ratios of the automatic and the manual XAs are likely different. If you could find out, what are your RPMs when you are driving 52 miles per hour? I would be interested to know how different my RPMs would be at the same speed.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Since the xA is no longer made, this comment must serve as advice to used car seekers. The first thing to know is that all xA’s are basically the same, varying only in transmission. They were marketed with a whole slew of factory add-ons that you could choose from, and the dealer would install for you. In reality, the dealers just sold what they had and downplayed the whole “custom tailored” thing. So when shopping it will be difficult to compare values since the potential for different add-ons is high. I bought mine dead-stock with the 5-speed. I chose the Scion primarily because it offered the most standard features for the best price. Secondarily because it had interesting styling and was a hatchback. After driving it for a while I added a few minor cosmetic things, but the best things to add are the front strut tie rod and the rear anti-sway bar. As Robert’s review notes, the handling at highway speed is somewhat nervous. These two adds fix that. Even my wife noticed how much better it handles. The ride is still a little jouncy, and the wind noise is bad, but around town it’s a blast. I get an honest 34 mpg, with about half city half highway driving. I drive fairly agressively, too, so you can do better if you want. The center console is no big deal, you will get used to it in 10 seconds. I really enjoy my xA, and am happy to drive it everyday. As far as I’m concerned the xD is hideous, and I expect that down the road the xA will retain its value much better because a) it’s not as hideous and b) it gets better mileage. Sure, in the future I might be tempted by one of the many small cars that might hit our shores, but for now, there’s no challengers for my Scion xA.