2005 Scion xB

Toyota was trying to think outside the box when it launched its youth oriented Scion brand. So it's ironic that its best-selling Scion xB is exactly that; a box.

The Scion xB is basically a small wagon with a small engine, and not much else. Designed as a platform for 'personalization', the xB gets a 103-hp 4 cyl, power windows, locks, cruise, A/C and a decent CD audio system. An automatic is available, but the real options are the appearance and audio packages sold by Scion dealers. Clearly, this car is more about expressing yourself than utility and performance. Which makes perfect sense to the younger demographic that Toyota is targeting.

For the money, you get a very well built little car that looks good with the right set of rims, body mods and paint. But without those modifications however, the xB looks rather silly. Sort of like a box on wheels.

Power comes from Toyota's 1.5L 4-cyl. Making a paltry 103-hp, the xB isn't exactly fast, but it does 'feel' spunky. Passing and merging takes some planning and the automatic slows things down even more. If you buy one of these for your teen driver, at least yo7u wont have to worry about speeding tickets.

But speed isn't exactly the point of this car. It's about the dash gauge pod mounted at the center of the dash. It's hard to read, but it looks cool. The xB is about the foot well LED lights, they're totally pointless, but they look cool. Needless to say, there aren't too many practical features on this car. The trunk area is just big enough for a set of speakers. Storage cubbies are designed for iPods and cell phones. But practicality isn't the point of this car.

Driving this car is like driving a washing machine, on wheels. It wanders down every crack and crevice in the pavement. Add big rims to the equation and the ride becomes downright painful. Handling isn't the point of this car.

The point of this car is self expression. With a little imagination and a couple of dollars, you can create a car that's as unique as you are. It doesn't matter how slow or impractical it is, You can change it to be a practical delivery van, or a night club on wheels. That's the point of this car. . COMMON PROBLEMS FOR THE SCION XB: If refueling becomes difficult, a revised fuel tank and filler pipe will be required(2004-2005). A loose feeling shift lever will require an adjustment to the shift cable (2004-2005). If you notice water in the passenger foot well, it's because the drain pipe for the A/C condenser came loose from its housing (2004-2006). If the ABS/VSC light comes on, the likely cause is the steering angle sensor on the steering column has become damaged (2004).