2004 Scion xB New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2004 Scion xB?
Scion is a new brand launched by Toyota to capture young buyers. The 2004 Scion xB is currently the most expensive of the two Scions, offering more room and utility than the smaller xA. Resembling a small-scale bread van, the Scion xB shares its mechanicals with the Toyota Echo, but it’s tuned to provide a livelier ride and more responsive handling. Under the hood is a 1.5-liter engine with variable valve timing that makes 108 horsepower, enough to tug the Scion xB around with verve when mated to a manual transmission. Standard equipment is generous, including air conditioning, power windows and locks, a nice CD player with six speakers, ABS, stability control and even a first-aid kit. Options are dealer installed, and the price of a Scion xB can rise quickly by adding just a few of the numerous accessories. Though small, the Scion xB provides a surprising amount of room, and the cabin materials are of a higher grade of quality than one might expect. The Scion xB is expected to get 30 mpg in the city and as much as 34 mpg on the highway.

Advantages of the 2004 Scion xB:

• Full load of standard equipment
• Myriad ways to customize to the buyer's tastes
• Reliability is expected to mirror products by parent company Toyota
• Tremendous interior utility with more room for people and things than you might expect
• Funky design might prove just the thing for Gen Y'ers needing to express their individuality

Objections to the 2004 Scion xB:

• Engine could use a can or two of Red Bull
• Adding dealer-installed accessories causes the price to rise dramatically
• Not available for sale in some regions of the country

Editor's Advice:
Generation Y Californians are the guinea pigs for an entire auto producing and marketing industry that is waiting to see if Toyota's new Scion brand will successfully convince them to visit Scion showrooms and buy Scion automobiles. Scion dealer environment? Enticing. Music played at Scion events? Thumping. Sneaky, underground subculture marketing campaign? Fascinating. But it is and always will be about the product. Scion cars? Pretty good to drive. Appropriately funky design. Impressive predicted reliability. It'll be fun to see if the kids like 'em. But with just a few dealer-installed accessories, the xB's price rises dangerously close to the larger, more powerful and equally useful Honda Element.