At least once a day I am questioned by people wanting to know more about my Scion (Sy on) XA. What kind of gas mileage does it get? How do I like it? Who makes it? Etc. All of this curiosity prompted me to write this article. As one of the few, that now own a Scion, who better to give you an insider’s honest assessment?
I bought my Scion about six months ago. I did my research first of course. I checked out all the other comparably priced vehicles. I test drove; read reviews, looked up the potential resell value, and compared the features and warranties.
I decided on my Scion for three main reasons. The first and most important reason was the value. My little four cylinder, five speed is a base model. This means that my car came with what Scion considered the basics, what every Scion comes out of the factory with. To most automobile manufacturers, a base model, or stock, means plain Jane, no bells, no whistles. Oh, you may get power steering or power brakes, if you’re really lucky, a radio or air conditioner. But, with Scion, their ‘plain Jane’ is practically fully loaded: Power windows, power door locks, ABS brakes, rear wiper, power side view mirrors, air conditioner, a Pioneer satellite ready CD/radio with a built-in auxiliary jack, and my choice of hubcaps. The only disappointing thing in regards to standard equipment for this ‘bells and whistles’ girl, is the lack of a remote door lock. Disappointing? Yes. A deal breaker? No, considering all of the other extras and the respectable resale value Kelly Blue Book anticipates.
Toyota brand vehicles usually do hold their value well. It was Toyota’s outstanding reputation that was my second reason for this purchase. Not everyone is aware that Toyota is the parent company to the Scions (aptly named as Scion means son in Japanese)
My third remaining reason pertains to the most frequently asked question; what kind of gas mileage does it get? The dealership sticker stated that it would get thirty-four miles per gallon on the highway. Well, they were wrong, I get even more! What do you think about thirty-six miles per gallon highway and city mixed? Not too bad huh? Don’t whip out the checkbook and run to Toyota just yet. You should read the following paragraph first. Remember this article is about the pros and cons.
Sure, I get thirty-six miles per gallon… if I’m not running the air conditioner. Unfortunately, with the air on, the miles per gallon, (and performance) suffer drastically. If I run the air all day, I only get about twenty-four miles per gallon. Not only that, but I almost have to turn the air conditioner off just to make it up semi-steep hills.
This problem I’m sure could be attributed to the small engine. The size of the engine would also account for the fact that at seventy-five miles per hour, I’m at four thousand rpm’s in fifth gear. Oh sure, the car will run much faster than that. However, I don’t care to throw a rod just to find out how much faster.
Besides, getting the car stopped isn’t as easy as you’d think. I’ve driven many cars with ABS brakes before. Never have I encountered such a quirky problem as what I’ve experienced with my Scion. It’s as if driving over bumps in the road confuses the brakes while they’re applied. They just stop working for a second or two with each bump. Not such a huge problem unless I hit several bumps in a row. For a new driver of this car, it can be pretty scary. I have managed to get used to it though. Further, I’ve been told that with the way I drive, it’s probably best for me to have a vehicle lacking in power anyway.
Plus, the car does have some interesting design elements. For instance, the instrument panel is set in the middle of the dash instead of in front of the driver. Being height challenged as I am. This is a good thing. I have a much clearer view without trying to look over or around the steering wheel. But, my absolute favorite feature is that the radio controls are in the steering wheel. This comes in handy if you’re a station hopper. I can run through the whole gamut of radio stations forty or fifty times a day without taking my eyes off of the road. My family really appreciates this.
The shape of the body of the car, though simple in design, is Scion’s trademark. The salesman was telling me that Toyota designed the Scion XA’s and XB’s with plainness in mind. They felt that this would give the purchaser more of a blank slate to customize to his or her own tastes. The accessories are limitless. I like the balance of the body for its’ aid to handling. With the Scion’s being so tall, the width really helps keep all fours on the road. The only problem I’ve ever had in the rain was with the front tires spinning a little bit on take off.
People are always surprised at the cargo space the Scion XA actually does have. I’m a courier so I have to transport a lot boxes etc. Once I lay the seats flat, I have all the room I need. Transporting my son and his long-legged friends however, is a different story. While I’m on this subject, I do have to say that I regret not being able to spend the extra four thousand to get the XB. A person, strike that, a family could camp out in that thing. The front and the back seats lie flat on top of each other making one huge flat surface. In retrospect, it would have been a little silly for me to spend an extra four thousand dollars just so that I could sleep in my car.
All in all, I am happy with the purchase I made of my Scion XA. I hope that I have answered all of the questions you might have had about the Toyota Scion’s.
