2004 Scion XA Review

Small is Good

The sprite little xA was supposed to be the hotter seller of the two new Scions, the other being the boxy xB. Still, in California, where Toyota initiated its youth-oriented brand at 105 dealerships on June 9, 2003, xAs are becoming popular among small car buyers just the same.

The fact is it doesnt have much competition. Name another subcompact hatchback? OK, Hyundai and Kia have offered their respective Accent and Rio for years, and the new Chevy Aveo is now available, but each is slightly larger than Scions micro-hatch.

The xA is a five-door subcompact with a wide front grille, multi-reflector halogen headlamps and even has a chrome exhaust tip as standard equipment. And, the buyer can chose between three wheel-cover designs–five spoke, six spoke, or six-spoke twist. Inside is room for five people and numerous storage compartments. In the center console is an illuminated translucent storage compartment, plus there is a hidden compartment in the trunk area.

The car has front bucket seats and a folding, 60/40 split-fold rear seat. The instrument cluster is located in the center, high on the dashboard. And, as standard equipment, the xA has air conditioning, power windows (”Gen Y doesnt know about roll down windows,” Farley explained), power door locks and outside mirrors, and a standard AM/FM radio with CD player–no cassette.

The xA features a 108 hp 4-cylinder engine that delivers 105 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm and great fuel economy, 7.4 / 6.2 L/100 km (32 / 38 mpg) city/highway. The steering and suspension system is tuned to let the driver feel the road.

Scion provided several of its xA and xB models to drive around the streets of Dearborn (Ford Motor Co.s home). To a Gen Xer, like me, the xA really resembles many other small, commuter vehicles in the Mini/Ford Focus/Echo/VW Golf vein. In other words, its a conventional looking small car.

The xB has a boxy-stance, resembling, if anything, a cut down sport utility vehicle. It reminds me, if anything, of a Fisher Price plaything.

But, these vehicle shapes are probably striking a favorable cord with the youth and they pick up a trend I have seen from young designers coming out of the College of Creative Studies in Detroit and other car artwork of those people a decade and a half younger than me. The Honda Element, after all, picks up on this exterior design–just like GM tried with is Pontiac Aztek. Nissan is bringing its ultra “square” Cube to the U.S. as well, so the trend doesnt seem to be wearing out its welcome thus far. So, perhaps the Scion is being released just in time to take advantage of a new youth-inspired styling trend.

The interior of the xA didnt strike me as “sophisticated.” Rather, it had the “plasticized” inside of a typical entry-level car; even the grab bars above the doors had an unfriendly feel to them. Granted, the models we saw didnt have all the optional extras that can be ordered, but I dont think it lives up to Farleys billing that it has an “upscale” look.

Given the brief glance that was allowed, the fit and finish of the interior components were up to Toyotas standards. Although, I just didnt like the center-mounted black-on-white speedometer and white-on-black odometer on the xA. They are not where the eye naturally falls (behind the steering wheel), and it made me feel that Toyota couldnt figure out what color they wanted the gauges to be.

The radio and heating and cooling controls are easy to reach and pretty straight forward. And, the seats were fairly comfy and offered good legroom in the front and back.

The xA had an excellent turning radius, able to make tight, low speed maneuvers. You can do a U-turn on a narrow side street without having to stop, backup and move forward again.

The suspension and steering does allow the driver to “feel” the road–every single pothole and bump on it to be sure. The xA certainly could have better shocks.

Since Scion wants to compare its xA to the Ford Focus and Honda Civic, Id have to say that its get up and go (acceleration) is somewhat on the sluggish side. Maybe you can burn a little rubber (not hard in a front wheel drive car)… maybe not.

Whats standard other than power? A 60/40 split-folding rear seat makes for a flexible cargo area, while air conditioning keeps occupants cool in the California sunshine. Other standard items include amber instrument panel illumination, cargo area under-floor storage, the choice of three wheel cover designs, chrome exhaust tip, driver and front passenger dual stage airbags, and a 160-watt Pioneer AM/FM/CD head unit, MP3 and satellite tuner capable, with six speakers.

Optional features include alloy wheels, carbon fiber appliqué for the B-pillar and fuel door, carbon fiber shift knob by OBX Racing Sports, cargo net, Cargo Tote by Nifty Products, clear taillamp lens by TYC, fog lamps, seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags, a leather wrapped steering wheel, red or gray in color, LED interior light kit, removable roof rack, satellite tuner and auxiliary antenna, sports pedals by OBX, subwoofer by Bazooka Mobile Audio, Toyota Racing Development Sport Parts, 18- or 19-inch Racing Hart “Evolution” wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires, lowering springs kit, strut/shock set, sport muffler.

Thats a lot of tuner parts available and warranted by Scion, not a bad way to fix up your ride. Honda and Volkswagen might want to consider doing something similar with their respective Civic and Golf models.

In the end, will Scion surpass Honda, or even Volkswagen, as the youth brand of choice? Probably not for a long time, but the competition had aught to sit up and take notice.