Awesome car and review! A party trick you missed is that you can remove the front seat headrests, push the seats completely forward, then recline them back completely flat. By lying the front passenger seat flat I was able to carry a complete prehung standard interior door in the xB. Amazing! The unusually tall trunk is a game changer. It is also remiss to not mention how it compared to the Gen 2 xB.
"A lot of people have this as their first car" lol, it is my first car. It was a gift from dad. I really like it, I've been using it for like two months. Unfortunately because the previous owner didn't treat it very well it has lots of dents and weird stratches. Like if he had many accidents. And the windows don't work. But other than that, it works good. I really liked your video, very informative and entertaining.
Great , enthusiastic review. Thank YOU…I have the 2005 Scion xB Release Series 2.0 Solar Yellow 5 sp. As you stated the xB only came in one trim level with many dealer installed choices / options available. The base price included the base watt Pioneer stereo with CD & 6 speakers also dealer installed, because customer could also choose to upgrade to others including the JBL. I added the cruise control, strut brace, center armrest, fog lights, block heater later… same ones that dealer used. Also added roof rack and trailer hitch which I use often. It is my understanding that the rear floor is raised because the Japanese BB did not come with a spare and had a flat floor; Toyota had to raise to accommodate the spare. BTW the jack is stored under the driver’s seat… took awhile to find. The 5 sp. manual is lowered geared and noisier at highway cruising… 3500 rpm at 60 as stated by earlier comment.
Cool video. I think you may have missed out on some of the practical positives. You mentioned the price and the space, but you didn’t mention that it was one of the least expensive new cars you could buy at the time. That combined with Toyota reliability was a huge value. A legitimate alternative to a pre-owned car. Also, even if you were 6’5”, you could fit comfortably in an xB compared to most other economy cars. The headroom was unbeatable, along with the view outside. No obstructions. The short wheelbase actually gave it a tight turning circle and helped with handling. And the acceleration wasn’t bad if you compared it to other economy cars from 20 plus years ago. I had a 2006 manual xB, the best way to get the most out of the 1.5 liter DOHC engine. It was a very practical, fun(really), quirky cute car. Toyota could’ve improved it with a 6th gear and a few extra cubic inches(centimeters), for the next generation. Instead they lost 6 inches of headroom and it gained 600 pounds with a Camry drivetrain. It was ruined in my opinion. A few improvements would’ve made it an amazing city car. Toyota guessed wrong that the TC would be its best seller and as a result they had things like an optional supercharger available on that, but very little on the xB. It’s too bad. Scion would’ve eventually taken off when average car prices went way over $40K, in my opinion. By the way, my ‘06 did have buttons on the steering wheel. And they actually worked with my aftermarket upgraded audio system.
I have a 2005 manual. I bought it new for $14k, and in 20 years the only repairs were a front bearing in 2010 and an ac compressor a few months ago. I love my toaster, I'm gonna cry when it dies. I wish someone else made box cars with a stick shift.
Or people who don't want to buy overpriced garbage from Stellantis? I love my Xb. I bought it in 09 and still have it running today😂. It allowed me to buy a Lexus.. don't hate the toaster!!
@davidmonfore2730 i still have it...... I may be putting it up for sale soon. I just got it repainted and new headlights. looks brand new. I also have a honda element. I need to down size my fleet lol
A restaurant near me had an xB delivery car for years and it always gave me a good laugh. Not too long ago they replaced it with a Scion iQ, arguably an even funnier car 😂
Japan is kinda wack with their options. The current Yaris is available with mechanical AWD there! I've not seen that anywhere else in the world. They also have a 6-speed manual option but that sadly can't be had with AWD, only the CVT can. The M15A-FKS 1.5L inline-3 is probably the spiritual successor to the 1NZ-FE. It makes a respectable 123 hp.😤
I own this exact car and color😂. It's a tank. The engine is a 1NZ-FE, the yaris motor, that is basically unkillable. Timing CHAIN. only thing i dont like is the road noise on highways... Also i have the 5spd standard as the automatic has weak acceleration..
It is NOT an exciting or luxurious drive. But for what it is, with its wheels pretty much at the extreme 4 corners of the vehicle, it holds the road surprisingly well. Mine has 213K on the odometer. On my very short local commute, it gets 24 MPG. On a highway trip, it'll get 35 MPG. I've driven mostly Toyotas for close to 40 years, so the reliability and endurance don't surprise me at all. And I have to say, especially when it's freshly washed, as walked toward in a parking lot, the styling gives me a chuckle. All those right angles. Very easy to spot in a crowd.
I know it’s not an expensive vehicle but getting rid of it is #2 or #3 in my car related mistakes 😢…#1 is selling my ‘91 MR2 Turbo for a ‘03 350Z when it first came back out 😵💫😮💨
I bought a Scion to heat myself out of trouble with tickets to get lower insurance rates and primarily to save gas the same 6 ft tall so some cars didn't feel quite right. This was easy to sit in. The downside is for me the gas mileage sucked so bad. I couldn't get more than 22 miles per gallon + that's with extreme hypermyline + 36 lb in the tires etc. It was reliable but something was obviously wrong because it got terrible mileage compared to everyone else that I knew that had one
We just got one of these. It's a great little car. It's even equipped with airbags because the original owner towed stuff with it. We are very happy with it.
While I absolutely loved my XB it is equivalent to carrying a sheet of plywood on a windy day, especially when driving it on the highway with a crosswind 😂
Excellent review. You remind me of Doug but without having to spend 30 years going over Every single button, light sound or mirror. You also have a good voice for it. I have owned both generations of toyota bb (aka daihatsu materia) and they are my favorite daily cars.
I have a 2012 9.0 RS Scion xB. Room and style. The oil consumption issue was fixed by Toyota, if not one could do a Berryman's treatment. I can still chrip the tires on takeoff if i want - the second Gen xB can get out of its own way. 16.4 in the quarter is slow but snappy because it only weighs 3089 pounds.
I like a man who never looks in a mirror…it shows confidence! Love your reviews…had a Tercel wagon which reminds me of this. Lots of fun in the snow with skinny tires and a 5 speed.
